Sunday, October 14, 2012

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Google Android News Android Forums

Leaked T-Mobile Roadmap Indicates October Will Be An Android Bonanza For Customers

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 12:33 PM PDT

 

As we approach the close of 2012, there’s not much left to anticipate or look forward to… unless if you’re a T-Mobile customer. Thanks to our friends at TMoNews, we now know what Android devices will join T-Mobile’s line up and when they will be released. According to a leaked roadmap, we’re all set to see the LG Optimus L9 and Huawei Summit released on Halloween (10/31), a Samsung Galaxy S II color refresh on 10/29 and a mysterious Samsung Toba device— which is possibly suspected to be a new tablet– released on November 7th.

Naturally, the major focus for the close of the year will likely be the HTC One X+ and Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphones, but it’s still nice to see additional options being available to T-Mobile customers as well.

 

source: TMoNews

Hands-on video reveals ASUS Padfone 2 design and specs

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 11:49 PM PDT

Earlier today, images leaked of ASUS’ upcoming Padfone 2, revealing the company’s second iteration of its half-phone, half-tablet hybrid. Shortly following the leak, a hands-on video emerged, unearthing the elusive device in all its glory.

The Padfone 2 will sport a a larger 4.7-inch HD display and a much improved 13-megapixel rear camera. Additionally, the new model is said to offer longer battery life, with the phone and tablet lasting between two and three days on a single charge. The video also provides more insight into the design changes, including the removal of the rear docking door. Catch the video below for the full run-down. (Note: the Padfone 2 segment begins at 1:40)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Best Buy to launch 9.7-inch Insignia Flex Tablet with Android 4.0 November 11th

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 11:10 PM PDT

In an announcement made earlier today, Best Buy has revealed plans to launch its first in-house tablet. The company unveiled the Insignia Flex Tablet in a photo on its Facebook page, noting that the slate would launch with a a 9.7-inch display, a dual-core 1GHz processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich next month.

Unfortunately, the big-box retailer failed to mention any specifics, including pricing or storage capacity. Although, considering it’s being branded as an Insignia product, it will most likely be marketed at the lower-budget tablet market. The device is set to launch November 11th in brick and mortar Best Buy stores across the globe.

Source: Insignia (Facebook) 

ASUS Padfone 2 images surface ahead of October 16th announcement

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 10:50 PM PDT

We’ve already received our invitation from ASUS to attend its October 16th event where it’s expected that the company will finally unveil the successor to this year’s wildly versatile Padfone. While the phone/tablet-hybrid’s rumored specs have already leaked, today actual photos of the elusive device have emerged, revealing its reenvisioned design.

Though the entirely new package falls in line with the original Padfone’s unique form factor, it seems as though ASUS has really spent some quality R&D time on the new iteration. Both the handset and tablet appear to have been crafted with top-notch build quality (which ASUS has been notorious for over the past year), though this is something that can’t obviously be confirmed until we get a chance to play with the device. Pricing and availability remain a mystery, but you can jump past the break to catch some additional photos.

 

Source: evleaks

Sprint announces 22 new LTE-enabled cities

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:47 PM PDT

Today Sprint has unveiled a whopping 22 new LTE enabled cities. These cities are:

  • San Francisco, CA, San Mateo-Redwood City, CA
  • Cape Coral-Ft Meyers, FL
  • Dyersburg-Union City-Martin, TN
  • Emporia, KS
  • Fort Wayne, IN
  • Greenwood, MS
  • Joplin, MO
  • Kokomo, IN
  • Lafayette/West Lafayette, IN
  • Lexington Park, MD
  • Marion, IN
  • Napa, CA
  • Naples-Marco Island, FL
  • Ottawa-Streator, IL
  • Punta Gorda, FL
  • Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
  • Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
  • Sebring, FL
  • South Bend-Mishawaka, IN
  • Terre Haute, IN
  • Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
  • Warsaw, IN

Anyone living in any of these cities notice LTE speeds on their LTE enabled device yet? If so, let us know what speeds you’re getting!

source: Sprint

Mobilicity lists Samsung Galaxy Note II up for pre-order, will launch October 30th and will give $50 discount

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:43 PM PDT

The Canadian company Mobilicity has listed the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 up for pre-orders and will launch on October 30th. As an incentive for customers to pre-order their Note 2, they’re currently offering a $50 discount for the first 1,000 customers. There's some fine print to it as you'll have to sign up for their "automatic monthly payments" program. Here's the full email response for when you pre-order:

Thank you! We have received your pre-order registration request for the Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphone at Mobilicity. You are on the list of consumers eligible to be the first Canadians to get this smartphone when it launches in Canada on October 30, 2012!

You can also receive a $50 hardware credit on the Samsung Galaxy Note II from Mobilicity if you are one of the first 1,000 people to purchase and activate your Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphone on Mobilicity's unlimited network and sign up for automatic monthly payments by November 6, 2012!

Here is your confirmation number:

Please keep this confirmation number handy and stay tuned for more information. We will email you more details on how to take advantage of this special launch promotion by October 20th.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to launching the Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphone, and providing you with a smart mobile experience.

Thank you!
Mobilicity

Will this extra incentive entice any of you Mobilicity users to place your pre-orders on the Note 2?

source: Mobile Syrup

Details of ISIS Mobile Wallet emerge

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:37 PM PDT

ISIS is a Mobile Wallet application that was created by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The product will initially launch on October 22nd in the selected markets: Salt Lake City, UT and Austin, TX. ISIS aims to be similar to Google Wallet as you’ll be able to turn your smartphone into a virtual wallet and use it in combination with your NFC-enabled device to pay for your purchases. Here’s some more details about ISIS:

  • Virtual Cards:  As expected, Isis will hold virtual versions of credit cards, an Isis Cash Card (prepaid card), store loyalty cards, and a section for special offers and promotions.
  • Bonus Cash:  When you first activate Isis, there will be a $10 bonus card for you to use. If you want even more cash, you can upgrade the Isis Cash Card to "reloadable" status which will land you an additional $15.
  • Security:  If your phone is lost or stolen, you can call Verizon and they will freeze Isis from working.
  • Merchants:  Isis will work at merchant locations that use Visa PayWave, MasterCard Paypass, Discover Zip, American Express and Google Wallet.
  • NFC-SIM Cards:  From what we have been told, Verizon will use new NFC-SIM cards on their Isis approved devices. We aren't sure why they aren't satisfied with simply using the on-board NFC chip, but this likely creates an additional level of security. It's also a level of security that they can have intense control over, I would assume.
  • Devices:  The official "Isis ready" device is the DROID Incredible 4G LTE. As you will recall from this morning, the device is set to receive an update to make it Isis ready. Additional devices will be made available at a later time, but you should note that not all NFC phones can support Isis. If you live in a trial market and purchase an Incredible 4G LTE on or after October 22 (launch day), it will be activated with a new NFC-SIM card. If you already own an Incredible 4G LTE and live in a test market, you will be able to obtain an NFC-SIM to replace your current SIM.
  • Incredible 4G Purchase + $50 in Cash:  From October 22 to November 20, you can buy an Incredible 4G LTE and receive a $50 Visa Pre-Paid card. From what we understand, you will have to activate Isis and submit a rebate form in order to get the card.

What do you guys think about ISIS? Do you think it can compete with Google Wallet or do you guys see now use of this because of the availability of Google Wallet?

source: Droid Life

Droid Incredible 4G LTE update brings ISIS, global roaming, remote diagnostics and more

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:29 PM PDT

Verizon’s HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE has received a nice upgrade that benefits customers who travel internationally as the addition of global roaming support has been added.

ISIS, Verizon’s mobile payment system has also been added into the update along with Verizon's remote diagnostics tool, improved 4G connectivity and more.

The update isn’t quite ready for mass consumption yet, so keep your eye out for further updates as to when the update will be available for you.

 
Posted by at 6:00 AM 0 comments

Android Central

Android Central

Photo EXIF data suggests Nexus 4 name for upcoming LG E960

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 03:47 PM PDT

Nexus 4

The EXIF data of two newly posted images on Picasa suggest the LG built device that everyone assumes is coming soon will be called the Nexus 4. We've seen that name on both a Carphone Warehouse screen and from the French daily newspaper Le Figaro, However, this one carries a bit more weight as the fellow posting the pictures, Mehul Agarwal,  happens to be a software engineer for Google.

Yes, EXIF data can be faked. Yes, names can change -- especially when talking phones that haven't even been announced yet. But we have to think that if this information wasn't meant for the public it would have been removed by now, and I'm pretty confident in the Nexus 4 name after today's news.

Source: Picasa. Thanks everyone who sent this in!

T-Mobile and MetroPCS merger expected to close in Q2 2013

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 03:05 PM PDT

Android Central

Now that Sprint is all but out of the picture when it comes to breaking up the reverse merger of T-Mobile by MetroPCS, the CFO of Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile USA's parent company) is talking about the expected completion of the deal. When the merger was first agreed upon by the two companies, the deal was expected to close sometime just after the first of the year. Now CFO of DT Timotheus Hoettges is indicating that we should expect the deal to be finished by June 2013.

This deal couldn't come any sooner for T-Mobile USA and Deutche Telekom alike, both of which would like to have better options in the U.S. wireless market. T-Mobile USA has been coming up short in the U.S. behind Verizon and AT&T, and could use the additional subscribers and spectrum from MetroPCS to improve their position. Deutsche Telekom likes the liquidity that a new publicly traded company provides, allowing them to leave the U.S. market easily if they see fit.

Source: Reuters

Apps of the Week - Parkmobile, ZenBound 2, Notif and more!

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 01:36 PM PDT

Android Central

Hard to believe it's already mid October. It may be cooling down outside for some of us, but that just means there's more time to spend looking for and using great apps. We'd like to help you along with that, so we've got another great set of picks this week. Read on for apps that help you park, make a reminder list, pay for anything, reinstall apps after a reset and as always, a couple of games.

read more

Crackle Movies & TV updated with improved streaming support, new UI and more

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 12:37 PM PDT

Crackle

Crackle is one of those apps that I've tried in the past but given the bugginess of the app, I always just gave up on. Now though, a new version has hit the scene and while the changelog is small, it packs quite a few nice additions that will hopefully make it an app myself and others actually want to keep installed on their devices. Here's what we're looking at for changes:

  • Newly re-designed based on feedback from our 11 million mobile users
  • Support for even more handsets and tablets
  • Easier to find your favorite movies & shows
  • Improved video quality
  • Watch on your TV via HDMI out

Why the HDMI portion was never added before, I'll never know but it's there now and that's a good thing. The UI revamp is nice as well as it makes things a lot easier to find rather then having it all buried within the menus. I can't comment on the improved streaming but it's a welcomed addition that's for sure. Crackle has been updating their content recently as well, so now might a good a time as any to give it go if you've not done so already.

Granny Smith gets a dozen new levels

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 10:10 AM PDT

Granny Smith

If, like us, you're a fan of the Granny Smith game, head on over to the Google Play store and get your update on. There are a dozen (that's 12, for those of you with an affinity for numbers) new levels -- set it space, no less.

Granny Smith is one of them newfangled Tegra 3-friendly games, with lots of physics (to say nothing of grannies and old dudes and dogs flipping around) to keep things interesting. If it's a little frustrating at the beginning, you're not alone. Give it a few minutes, though, and we bet you'll be hooked.

HTC Sync Manager for Mac updated

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 07:45 AM PDT

Android Central

HTC offers desktop software for folks who aren't just quite ready to rely completely on the cloud for backup and file management. Its software Sync Manager, which has clients for both Windows and Mac, has just been updated for users of the latter.

Sync Manager lets you backup and manage your photos, video, music, contacts, calendar and more all on your computer -- then sync with your device(s). For those of you who are more into HTC's ecosystem with this information than Google's, the source links below are likely worth a look.

Source: HTC; via: Twitter

Android Central International round-up - October 13, 2012

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 05:53 AM PDT

Android Central

This week revealed just about everything we could want to know about LG’s upcoming Nexus.  We’ve had leaked photos and hands-on reports, news of release plans and even a review of the (somewhat broken) prototype handset that’s been doing the rounds. At this point, it’s pretty much a given that Google and LG will launch this year’s Nexus smartphone at some point in the next month or so. All that remains to be seen is whether there’ll be a major new version of Android to go with it.

But it wasn’t all Nexus news here at Android Central. We also brought you a full review of the cheap and cheerful ZTE Grand X, and a hands-on initial review with the Sony Xperia T. We also saw the launch of Andorid 4.1.2 on Nexus 7s and Galaxy Nexuses around the world. It was a big week for Samsung, too, which the unveiling of the Galaxy S3 Mini, and subsequent leaking of the Galaxy Premier.

And finally, there was tension between Chinese manufacturers  ZTE and Huawei, and the U.S. Government, as a Congressional report brought forward allegations of corruption, bribery and influence by the Chinese government.

Check the list below for some of the main international Android stories of the past week. If you’ve got news, be sure to tip us at the usual address.

Special features:

News:

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the Droid RAZR M leaks out

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 11:58 PM PDT

Droid RAZR M

Although the Droid RAZR M hasn't been on store shelves for all that long, folks who picked one up may know there is an official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update eventually coming to the device. Motorola hasn't said when, exactly yet but If you're looking to tinker around with it, there is now a leaked version of Jelly Bean available for download.

The file, designated as 'Blur Version.77.111.10.XT907.Verizon.en.US' can be flashed in stock recovery and comes in weighing 255MB but carries the typical warnings. If you flash it -- you do so at your own risk and there may be plenty of dragons ahead.

If you give it a go, drop by the Android Central forums and let us know how it's all working out for you. By the way, Motorola, now would be a good time to go ahead and add the Droid RAZR M to your Android Software Upgrade page as well.

Source: @P3Droid

ASUS Padfone 2 images and video leak out ahead of official announcement

Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:37 PM PDT

Padfone 2

ASUS has already sent out the invites for their October 16th event where they're expected to fully announce Padfone 2 in addition to the purported specs having already been leaked. Now, for those of you who simply couldn't wait to see the Padfone successor, we're now getting a look at the total package through some leaked images and an early video.

Keeping in line with the original Padfone experience, the handset is separate from the tablet and on it's own actually looks pretty nice. Needless to say, our main question of pricing of the tablet companion devices remains unanswered but at least now, we know what it should end up looking like. You can jump below to check out the video (Skip to 2 mins in) and gallery of images.

Source: @evleaks, BloombergUTV

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Posted by at 5:54 AM 0 comments
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