Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Did Apple’s Lawsuit Affect The Design Quality Of The Galaxy S III?

Posted: 22 May 2012 03:02 PM PDT

Buzz around the Internet is that Samsung’s Galaxy S III took its design ques as a result of the ever ongoing battle with Apple’s patent infringement case.  Samsung design VP, Chang Dong-hoon was asked earlier today to give his feedback on the matter to which he denied it being the case at all.  According to reporters, at the 2012 Seoul Digital Forum, Dong-hoon claimed the following to clear the matter up:

“Our change in smartphone design is part of a five-year plan, not a sudden turn-around”

Dong-hoon was persistent in noting that the design of the GSIII’s curved shape was due in part to be the product of hundreds of different iterations and not the pressure of the battle against Apple.  Either way, I’m very pleased with the design quality of the device, even though a literal brush metal would have been nice instead of a metal-”ish” material.  What do you think?

source: inews24

 

HTC One S Faster GPS Fix Available Now, Speeds Up GPS Lock

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:39 AM PDT

Have you recently picked up a shiny new HTC One S and have noticed that the GPS seems to lock-on rather slow? This isn’t a largely widespread complaint but when something can be improved the Android dev community will never shy from a challenge. Thanks to senior XDA member, MacroHD,  we now have a flashable fix for you rooted users and has been proven to speed up the phone's GPS lock.  Simply download the file that pertains to the country you have service in and flash that zip through your custom recovery. One thing should be mentioned, though. MacroHD says that the fix will not be instantaneous because your device needs to redownload new A-GPS data. You can either flash the fix while you have a data connection and be patient for the device to update itself, or you can simply download the new A-GPS data yourself. To do this you will just need to grab the GPS Status app from the Play Store and use that to manually install the A-GPS data yourself. Easy enough!

Hit the source link for your appropriate download and further details. As always, it is safest to make a backup before you flash anything to your device! Good Luck and let us know how it goes!

source: XDA

Play Store Newbie Review: Reiner Knizia’s Skyline [Brain & Puzzle]

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:27 AM PDT

Reiner Knizia has designed a lot of games over the years and the latest installment is Skyline. It hit the Google Play Store recently and I took it for a test drive. I’m a huge fan of puzzle games so I was intrigued. At first I did have a hard time understanding how it all worked, but as soon as I got the hang of it, I found that I couldn’t put it down.

It’s sort of like a Sudoku game in that there is a grid and you can’t have like objects in the same row. You are given a certain amount of buildings that you have to place on the grid. The buildings range from 1 floor to 4 floors. The object is to place the buildings along the grid so that from certain vantage points you can only see a particular number of buildings. As I mentioned you can’t have more than one building in a particular row, but there are parks which aren’t subject to that rule. It’s really hard to explain, which is why I did a hands on video. I guess the developer had the same problem because there really isn’t much of a a description on the Play Store page.

There is a free version, which includes the 1st level of 14 puzzles. The full unlocked version is .99cents and unlocks 3 more levels or 42 more puzzles. If you’re doing the math, the game consists of 56 puzzles across 4 levels. I found the first level to be fairly easy, but things get pretty tough with the 2nd level.

Hit the break for the hands on and download links

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

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Play Store Download Link – Free

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Play Store Download Link – Paid

 

Google Granted with 4 New Patents for Project Glass

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:57 AM PDT

In a world where patent lawsuits and idea-borrowing are a real issue, it appears that Google wants to lock down a few of the inner workings of their upcoming wearable tech, Project Glass. According to some new, recently granted patents (four to be exact), Google now owns the rights to the business end of their AR glasses. The folks at Engadget did some digging through the patent paperwork and noticed that pretty much everything that makes Project Glass different from regular eye-wear have been patented. This includes that the part that covers the eye and relays information (including the ability to relay different information over each eye), the pressure sensitive nose-pad that tells the device it is being worn, and the ability visually reproduce ambient sounds by displaying its origin information.

Now that we’ve seen Google execs wearing the device in public and have a few more patents out of the way, the big question is when will we be able to get our hands on a pair of these specs! I know I am sure hoping to get a closer look at this years Google I/O in a couple months… Nexus locs anyone?

source: USPTO  / 2 / 3 / 4
via: Engadget

Google Motorola Acquisition Finally Final, CEO Sanjay Jha Is Out Of A Job

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:41 AM PDT

After quite some time, Google’s acquisition of Motorola was finally final after this morning.  The search giant finally closed on the deal after China gave their final approval a couple of days ago.  Google was quick to reiterate that Motorola will continue to remain a separate company, while Android will remain “open” as it continues to be licensed out.  In fact, a stipulation placed on the deal by China was that the OS remain open and free for at least the next five years.  So what does this mean for CEO Sanjay Jha?  Well, lets just say his new title from here on out will be “former” CEO of Motorola.  Google intends to replace Jha with one of their very own senior VP’s, Dennis Woodside.  Woodside will resume command and Jha will assist Woodside in a smooth and easy transition.  And if you feel bad for Jha, don’t.  Sanjay Jha brought home $47 million as CEO last year and he’ll most likely be given a hefty severance package as well for stepping down as CEO.  No other word of change has come forth as of now but there certainly are several thoughts of speculation. And while this is not 100% certain, speculation of restructuring within the company is possible which will include a number of layoffs.  The only note worthy change as of now is that Woodside is apparently bringing with him an all-star cast of a team to assist the company from here on out.  Presser after the break.  

 

Google Acquires Motorola Mobility

May 22, 2012

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – May 22, 2012 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that the acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) has closed, with Google acquiring MMI for $40.00 per share in cash. 

The acquisition will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business. 

Sanjay Jha, who revived Motorola's Mobile Devices business and led the company through this acquisition, has stepped down as CEO, although he will continue to work with Google to help ensure a smooth transition. 

Dennis Woodside, who has overseen integration planning for the acquisition and previously served as President of Google's Americas region, has become CEO of Motorola Mobility. 

Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, "I'm happy to announce the deal has closed. Motorola is a great American tech company, with a track record of over 80 years of innovation. It's a great time to be in the mobile business, and I'm confident that the team at Motorola will be creating the next generation of mobile devices that will improve lives for years to come.

"Sanjay Jha, who was responsible for building the company and placing a big bet on Android, has stepped down as CEO. I would like to thank him for his efforts and am tremendously pleased that he will be working to ensure a smooth transition as long-time Googler Dennis Woodside takes over as CEO of Motorola Mobility. 

"I've known Dennis for nearly a decade, and he's been phenomenal at building teams and delivering on some of Google's biggest bets. Dennis has always been a committed partner to our customers and I know he will be an outstanding leader of Motorola–and he's already off to great start with some very strong new hires for the Motorola team."

Dennis Woodside, CEO of Motorola Mobility, said: "Motorola literally invented the entire mobile industry with the first-ever commercial cell phone in 1983. Thirty years later, mobile devices are at the center of the computing revolution. 

"Our aim is simple: to focus Motorola Mobility's remarkable talent on fewer, bigger bets, and create wonderful devices that are used by people around the world."

Dennis Woodside has hired a small number of leaders who will immediately join Motorola's executive team, including Regina Dugan (former Director of DARPA), Mark Randall (former supply chain VP at Amazon and previously at Nokia), Vanessa Wittman (former CFO of Marsh & McLennan), Scott Sullivan (former head of HR at Visa and NVIDIA), and Gary Briggs (former Google VP of Consumer Marketing). In addition to these new leaders, many members of Motorola Mobility's team will continue in their current roles: Iqbal Arshad (Product Development), Marshall Brown (Chief of Staff), Fei Liu (Mass Market Products), Dan Moloney (Home), Scott Offer (General Counsel), Mark Shockley (Sales), Mahesh Veerina (Software & Enterprise) and Jim Wicks (Consumer Experience Design).

Woodside added: "Motorola Mobility has many outstanding leaders, including people who were behind the original RAZR in 2004 and recent successes like the Droid and RAZR MAXX. Our colleagues joining the team come from varied backgrounds, from DARPA to Amazon and NVIDIA, but they all share a track record of leading innovation at speed, and a great deal of excitement about the mission ahead."

About Dennis Woodside
Dennis Woodside oversaw Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, and is former President of Google's Americas region. He has worked with partners, governments and advertisers in more than 30 countries. Most recently, Dennis was responsible for Google's Sales & Operations in the Americas. In the U.S. alone, Dennis and his team drove revenue from $10.8 billion to $17.5 billion in under three years. He also was the lead business partner for Google's advertising product development team, helping launch new ad products globally. Dennis started his career at the company spearheading investment across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He was responsible for the overall go-to-market, product offering and acquisition strategies in these markets, which boasted a 20-fold increase during his tenure. Revenues grew to over $2 billion. 

About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

Verizon’s SCH-i535 Appears On Bluetooth SIG, All But Confirms The Galaxy S III’s Imminent Arrival

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:32 AM PDT

 

While Verizon chose to opt out of having its own variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone, it certainly didn’t want to miss out on having what will be the hottest phone of 2012. Even though Verizon has yet to confirm anything, we’ve seen all sorts of signs indicating a Verizon variant of the Galaxy S III smartphone would be on its way. We’d seen everything from a mysterious user profile for a “SCH-i535″ smartphone to an actual Nenamark benchmark score of the device, but now we have the unofficial (official) confirmation highlighting the anticipated device is indeed on its way— through an appearance on the Bluetooth SIG website. That’s right friends, the SCH-i535 smartphone has been all but confirmed and will carry a CDMA radio as well as Ice Cream Sandwich as we already knew.

Try to contain your excitement there Verizon customers. We’re excited too.

source: Bluetooth SIG
via: Android Police

David Beckham celebrates the Samsung Galaxy Note by showcasing his soccer skills

Posted: 22 May 2012 08:50 AM PDT

David Beckham is now Samsung’s Official Ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and it just so happens that the Galaxy Note and Soccer go hand in hand. Samsung, a major sponsor for the Olympic Games, put together a little video featuring David kicking a series of soccer balls against a 15-foot wall of drums to produce the melody of Beethoven’s classic “Ode to Joy.”

What does this have to do with the Galaxy Note? Well he uses the Note’s S Pen to annotate a photo and share it with 17 million fans by posting it to Facebook.

Samsung also took the time to mention that they will be offering the Premium Suite upgrade as part of the Ice Cream Sandwich update to the Galaxy Note. We had a chance to see a demo video of it, and I must say I was impressed and looking forward to it.

Hit the break for the video and full presser

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Full press release:

Olympic ambassador, David Beckham Celebrates the Power of the Samsung Galaxy Note

Get ready to take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games with the Samsung Galaxy Note

LONDON, UK, 22nd May, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in wireless communications and sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, announced today an exclusive new video featuring world-renowned athlete David Beckham, Samsung's Official Ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The video, which demonstrates the unique features of the Samsung Galaxy Note, showcases Beckham's incredible soccer skills as he reproduces the melody of Beethoven's classic 'Ode to Joy' by kicking a series of soccer balls against a 15-foot wall of drums. Beckham uses the Galaxy Note's large screen to plan his sequence of kicks against the drums. He then uses the S Pen to annotate a photograph and post it on Facebook, capturing his experience and sharing it instantly with his seventeen million fans.

"I am excited to be partnering with Samsung as the official sponsor of the London 2012 Games in my hometown," Beckham said. "I hope everyone will experience and enjoy the Olympic Games like they have never before."

Samsung will also be offering a Premium Suite upgrade for Galaxy Note users worldwide to provide a greater user experience of the device. The Premium Suite software package includes advanced note-taking applications, enhanced productivity tools, and an Android 4.0 OS upgrade.

The Galaxy Note introduces a revolutionary new mobile device category. Retaining the portability of a smartphone, its immersive large screen and advanced pen-input capabilities enable new possibilities for creating, rendering and sharing content with unique self-expression and spontaneity. The Galaxy Note continues to win praise from consumers across the globe, recently surpassing 5 million sales in only 5 months since its launch.

Samsung, the Worldwide Olympic Partner for Wireless Communications Equipment, will be demonstrating the latest smartphones including Galaxy Note in the Olympic Village and throughout London for the duration of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

Major U.S. Cable companies join together to offer over 50,000 WiFi hotspots

Posted: 22 May 2012 08:26 AM PDT

While we don’t normally have an issue getting data connectivity over 3G, 4G, and LTE, there are still bad areas and the concern for limited data plans. Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable joined forces to offer over 50,000 WiFi hotspots. Unfortunately it’s still in the early stages so it’s only available in New York City (and surrounding Tri-State area), Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, and Philadelphia. Hotspots can be found in both indoor and outdoor areas and include high traffic locations, such as shopping districts, cafes, malls, arenas, restaurants, parks, and beaches. They do plan on expanding into more markets.

You will need to be a subscriber of one of the above cable networks and when traveling outside your area, you will look for the “CableWiFi” network and sign in with your regular sign-in credentials from your regular provider. Eventually they will make it so devices auto-connect when in range of any of the “CableWiFi” hotspots.

Full press release after the break:

Major U.S. Cable Companies Join Forces on WiFi

Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable Will Share Access to over 50,000 Hotspots, Expand WiFi Availability and Simplify Access for their High Speed Internet Customers

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable today announce that they will enable each other's high-speed Internet customers to access their metro WiFi networks, totaling over 50,000 hotspots. To simplify access, a new network name, "CableWiFi", has been created for subscribers to use when accessing the WiFi hotspots outside their home market. The first implementation is already complete as Bright House Networks and Cablevision launched "CableWiFi" alongside their branded WiFi networks in the New York City area and central Florida earlier this month. Over the next few months, the "CableWiFi" network name will be added by each of the cable companies to their branded WiFi hotspots.

"This effort adds great value to our high speed Internet customers by providing free wireless Internet access on all of their WiFi enabled devices in our markets and additional areas across the country," said Nomi Bergman, President of Bright House Networks.

"We believe that WiFi is a superior approach to mobile data, and that cable providers are best positioned to build the highest-capacity national network offering customers fast and reliable Internet connections when away from their home or business broadband service," said Kristin Dolan, Cablevision's senior executive vice president of product management and marketing. "We've built an extensive WiFi network in our own service area, and see real value and potential in other leading providers joining with us to extend that connectivity to major markets across the country."

Dave Watson, Chief Operating Officer of Comcast Cable added, "Mobility is an increasingly important part of our Xfinity services product roadmap. WiFi technology, coupled with our agreements with Verizon Wireless, are two significant ways we are executing on our strategy to deliver the best in- and out-of-home communications experience for our customers."

"The way customers are using our service continues to evolve," said Jill Campbell, Cox Communications COO. "This is a new area of opportunity that we need to explore."

"We have long been the leading providers of high-speed internet services in our customers' homes. Through our rollout of WiFi and the benefits of this collaboration we greatly increase the value and reach of our high-speed internet service, providing access to broadband outside the home and in cities across the country," said Rob Marcus, President and COO of Time Warner Cable.

When traveling outside their home markets, high-speed Internet subscribers of the participating companies will look for the "CableWiFi" network and through a simple sign-on process connect using the same credentials as when accessing their providers' WiFi networks. In the coming months, users will be able to have their devices auto-connect to the Internet when located in any of the "Cable WiFi" hotspots.

The participating cable operators currently offer more than 50,000 WiFi hotspots located in New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, and Philadelphia. The operators plan to continue to grow the number of WiFi hotspots and expand into several additional cities. The network has both indoor and outdoor WiFi hotspots located in popular, high traffic locations, such as shopping districts, cafes, malls, arenas, restaurants, parks and beaches. Subscribers will be able to find the nearest WiFi hotspots by visiting the WiFi homepage of their current cable provider or going to www.cablewifi.com

This is the largest and most inclusive WiFi sharing effort among cable operators to date. In early 2010, Cablevision, Comcast and Time Warner Cable entered into an agreement allowing their customers in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Connecticut to access WiFi hotspots offered by each operator in these areas.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 Now Available from Carrier Three UK

Posted: 22 May 2012 07:11 AM PDT

 

UK mobile carrier Three has announce today they are launching the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2. This device is the second coming of their previous Galaxy Ace. The new Galaxy Ace 2 boasts features such as a 3.8-inch screen, 5MP shooter and Front facing VGA camera to compliment, 800MHz dual core processor, and 4GB internal storage. There are a couple ways you can get you hands on this phone. One way is with a couple plans called Essential or Ultimate Internet 500 for £22 ($35) per month. Another option is the pre-paid or Pay As You Go. Purchase the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 for £230 ($363) and choose an All in One plan which offers various options which includes "all-you-can-eat data". Which could be a great option based on the direction carriers are headed these days with the contract based plans. Hit the jump for all the details from the press release.

 

22 May 2012 09:03

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 – available now on Three.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 is now available online at www.three.co.uk and from 25th May in all Three stores.

A step up from the Samsung Galaxy Ace, the Ace 2 brings a whole host of improvements to a very popular smartphone. The affordable phone has a large 3.8" WVGA screen which makes viewing pictures, watching videos and playing the latest apps a pleasure. It also features a 5MP camera with Auto Focus, allowing people to take great pictures on the go.

With a dual-core 800Mhz processor, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 is fast, allowing people to quickly switch between streaming the latest video content and updating their status on their favourite social networks.

Sylvia Chind, head of handsets at Three said, "Offering fantastic features at an affordable price, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 is a great first smartphone. One of my favourite features is the front facing VGA camera, allowing you to make video calls, with apps like Skype and Google Talk".

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 is available from £22 a month with no up front cost on the Essential Internet 500 plan. The Essential Internet and Ultimate Internet plans, offer a fear-free mobile internet experience, with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges.

The handset is also available on Pay As You Go for £229.99. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to all-you-can-eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers 500 minutes, 3,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data for a 30-day period.

Key features:

·         3.8 inch WVGA screen

·         5MP camera with Auto Focus

·         Front facing VGA camera

·         Fast 800MHz dual core processor

·         Large 4GB internal memory

·         HD video recording @ 720p

Check out the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 video on the Three Blog.

 

 

ENDS

For more information contact:
Three Consumer PR Team
t:020 7009 3142
e: Three@3-monkeys.co.uk

About Three UK

Three is a communications company focused on bringing the benefits of the internet to mobile communications. We offer attractive pricing and give our customers the widest choice of ways to stay connected. To do this we've built an award-winning high-speed mobile broadband network. Three UK is a member of the HWL group of companies, which include 3G operations in Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Macau and Sweden.

Three facts about Three:

-     Three launched the UK’s first 3G high-speed mobile network offering national coverage for calls and texts, and has more than 97.5% population coverage for mobile internet services.

-     Three is the fastest growing network in the UK.  

-     Three took first place in 8 out of 11 categories in the most recent YouGov Tablet Survey, and took top spot for 6 out of the 7 data categories in the most recent YouGov iPhone survey. Three also came first in the most recent uSwitch Best Network awards. For more info visit www.three.co.uk/awards.

 

For more information about Three UK, please visit www.three.co.uk or call the Three Media Office on 0845 6038333.

Follow us on @ThreeUK on Twitter for the latest product announcements.

Three Group A division of Hutchison Whampoa, the Three Group together with Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited, is the leading global player in the 3G arena, holding licences in 11 markets with total population coverage of approximately 175 million. The Three Group has built an entirely new mobile broadband network, achieving probably the fastest rollout of a radio network in the entire telecom industry. Marketed globally under the Three brand, the group was the first operator in the world to provide dual-mode 3G services. To date, commercial 3G services have been launched in Italy, the UK, Australia, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Hong Kong and Ireland. Hutchison announced more than 29.7 million customers in March 2011. For more information about Three, please visit www.three.com

Source: Three

Amazon Officially Lists Quad-Core, Unlocked HSPA+ Version Of Samsung Galaxy S III Smartphone As Available For Preorder… For A Princely Sum Of $800

Posted: 22 May 2012 06:55 AM PDT

Excited for the Samsung Galaxy S III, but don’t want to wait additional months before it arrives in the stores on American shores? Well you may want to visit Amazon ASAP. It has officially listed the 16GB pebble blue and white versions of the device as available for pre-order. That means if you want to be the cool kid on the block, you’ll have the opportunity to be among the first to own the quad-core-powered, unlocked HSPA+ beast once it’s shipped on June 1st.

Naturally you will have to pay a premium price in order to be the first to own this premium device. Interested parties will have to pay a measley $799.99 in order to own this puppy, so be prepared to spend a pretty penny. Or of course you can you know… wait for your carrier of choice to launch their version of the device.

source: Samsung Galaxy S III Pebble Blue | White
Posted by at 5:38 AM

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