Android Central |
- Foursquare brings back Nearby Friends feature
- Transformer Infinity and Prime Jelly Bean updates for the US and Canada expected 'in 72 hours'
- YouTube for Android updated with new UI for Froyo and Gingerbread, fresh Watch experience
- Google Play services bringing new OAuth tools to Android
- AT&T Xperia Ion officially receiving Android 4.0 update
- First tentative Samsung Galaxy Camera UK pricing appears
- T-Mobile HTC One S gets Android 4.0.4, Sense 4.1 update
- Samsung Galaxy S 3 announced for metroPCS
- Samsung Galaxy Note 2 launches in South Korea on SKT, LG U+ and KT
- Google Maps Street View dives under the waves
- Sony Xperia T now available online, SIM-free, for £415 in the UK
- The list: Google's 25-cent app promotion
- International Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean open-source bits now available
- HTC One X+ makes first unofficial appearance
- Deal of the Day: Ballistic Shell Gel (SG) Series Case for Samsung Galaxy S3
- Boost Mobile announces the LG Venice, a 4.3-inch device with Ice Cream Sandwich
- Google Play celebrates 25 billion app downloads with 25 cent app promotion
- Samsung: Galaxy S3 already updated with USSD exploit fix, reviewing situation with other phones [updated]
- O2 UK to sell upcoming HTC flagship phone without charger
- Barnes and Noble introduce 7" Nook HD and 9" Nook HD+
- More Atrix 2 ICS details leak, here's your version numbers
- Texas Instruments getting ready to shift away from the smartphone chip business
- ADT 21 plugin preview 5 now available for download [Android development]
| Foursquare brings back Nearby Friends feature Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:52 PM PDT The Foursquare app for Android has been updated to bring back an old feature called Nearby Friends. As you might expect, it showcases which of your friends have checked in nearby recently, and what they think about the locations you've been checking into. All you have to do is scroll all the way to the top of your news stream, and use that tab selection bar that pops up at the bottom. Though it's only really the one feature (in addition to the usual performance tweaks), it's a pretty significant one, and those that are active on the network will be happy to see Nearby Friends again. How often do you check in to locations using Foursquare? Do you have a lot of friends on there from out of town? Has Facebook proven to be more far-reaching, or do you see all location check-ins as excessive and useless information to share? Source: Foursquare 
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| Transformer Infinity and Prime Jelly Bean updates for the US and Canada expected 'in 72 hours' Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:54 PM PDT Yesterday we heard that ASUS was rolling out the Jelly Bean update for the Transformer Prime in Sweden, and today we have confirmation from ASUS' Gary Key that users in the U.S. and Canada will be seeing Android 4.1 for their Prime and the Transformer Infinity in the next 72 hours. The version number will be 10.4.4.14.1, which is Android 4.1. We have no further details other than what ASUS has already mentioned, namely that the update no longer officially supports Adobe Flash, and that on the Prime Wifi direct has been removed. Key has been a reliable liaison between ASUS and the Android community, and as an ASUS employee he doesn't have to rely on second-hand information. Get your tablets ready, because it certainly looks to be coming soon. Source: XDA-Developers; Thanks everyone who sent this in! 
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| YouTube for Android updated with new UI for Froyo and Gingerbread, fresh Watch experience Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:43 PM PDT Thanks to a YouTube app update that just rolled out today, anyone with a Froyo or Gingerbread device can now enjoy refreshed UI and preloading mechanism. Google has also made a few tweaks to the Watch screen, though there's nothing particularly dramatic. This update added the ability to move videos to your personal YouTube TV queue - a great touch for those of us that want to watch videos in their full glory on the big screen. Finally, a few more channels have been added to the Channel Store. The skippable YouTube ads we've been waiting for are also live in this update. Combined with an updated in March which enabled HD video playback on Gingerbread and Froyo devices, it's great to see Google's not leaving the older phones behind. Additional YouTube TV support is a nice touch, and something of a necessity for those of us with Google TV set-top boxes. Are you guys finding anything particularly nice about this update? Maybe a small tweak that didn't make it to the changelog? 
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| Google Play services bringing new OAuth tools to Android Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:59 PM PDT Google is rolling out Google Play services starting today, bringing another of the great developer tools they showcased at Google I/O to the public. For those of us that aren't developers, it's pretty easy to wrap your head around. If your device runs Froyo or higher and has access to the Google Play store, you'll have a new Google component to download. It's a set of libraries and tools that developers can use to authenticate with your Google account. When an app needs to access your private data from a Google application, they can use the new tool to get that access securely without requiring you to enter the (hopefully) long and secure password you use for your Google account. Version one of the service includes Google+ sign-in and +1 APIs as well as new OAuth 2.0 functionality. OAuth 2.0 is a pretty big deal. It scales better than previous versions, is more secure, and as Googler Tim Bray notes "especially, because typing your password into a mobile device sucks". Bray has also posted an excellent overview, complete with code samples, using the new OAuth components at the Android Developers blog. Best of all, this will all be transparent to the end user. Once the required code is installed on your Android phone or tablet, the rest is up to developers. No more typing in your password on a mobile webpage, or getting a one-time password from Google two-step verification, we'll simply be able to choose the account we would like to use and go. We see that now with many of Google's apps, but the new method will bring it all together for a consistent -- and safe -- user experience using open standards. The developer portion of the service is available now, and you can find all the info you need to start using it at the links below. The client side (what we'll need on out phones) should be rolled out completely in the coming weeks, and we'll start seeing apps use the service once Google announces the rollout is complete. Source: +Android Developers; More: Android Developers blog, Google Developers, Tim Bray
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| AT&T Xperia Ion officially receiving Android 4.0 update Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:09 AM PDT We noticed just shy of a week ago that some users were reporting that an update was available for their AT&T Xperia Ion. AT&T has spilled the beans now, and announced officially that the Ion has an Ice Cream Sandwich update ready to go. Along with the entire host of usual Android 4.0 improvements such as an improved lock screen, redone browser and new home screen folders, AT&T notes that the update will "provide faster Mobile Hotspot and Wi-Fi speeds" on the device. This update won't be coming OTA (Over the Air) to your device, so you're stuck downloading Sony's PC companion software to download and apply the update (seriously, just push it OTA please). Check out the source links below to see the official statement from AT&T, as well as the Sony support page to hep you setup the software for the update. Source: AT&T Consumer Blog, Sony Support 
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| First tentative Samsung Galaxy Camera UK pricing appears Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT Arguably the most interesting Android device to appear at last month's IFA 2012 show in Berlin was the Samsung Galaxy Camera. As the name suggests, it's an Android 4.1-based 16MP point-and-shoot camera with a bunch of sharing and content creation goodies from Samsung, as well as 3G and 4G connectivity. Today we have the first tentative UK pricing and release information for the device, courtesy of British online retailer Clove Technology. Clove says it's expecting its first Galaxy Camera stock from late October, and lists the device with a price tag of £400 inc. VAT (£333 ext. VAT, which equates to around $500). That's a lot of cash for a point-and-shoot, and for that kind of money you could be well on your way to a micro four thirds system. It seems Samsung's hoping its added smartphone muscle will convince Brits to part with a few extra pounds this October. Nevertheless, we'd hope for some fairly substantial discounts on the camera towards the holiday season. We should point out that this is a pre-order price, and as such, it's subject to change (hopefully downwards) as the release date approaches. Let us know what you think of this potential price point for the Galaxy Camera down in the comments -- is it worth the cash to be an early adopter? Source: Clove Technology 
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| T-Mobile HTC One S gets Android 4.0.4, Sense 4.1 update Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:50 AM PDT T-Mobile USA's HTC One S is receiving its biggest software update yet today, bringing the aluminum-clad handset up to Android 4.0.4 (from 4.0.3) and HTC Sense 4.1 (from 4.0), according to reports from the Android Central forums. It looks like Tmo's One S is getting the update that was originally pushed to European One S phones just over a month ago, meaning owners can look forward to improvements in phone performance, and a couple of new features like quick settings in the notification dropdown. According to the changelog in the forums, the update also improves Bluetooth performance, and fixes Wifi connectivity issues that've been affecting some One S users since launch. The update file weighs in at 150MB, so you'll probably want to make sure you're on Wifi before taking the over-the-air package. For the full list of changes in today's updates, hit the source link below. If you're already running the new software on your One S, be sure to let us know what you think. Source: Android Central forums 
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| Samsung Galaxy S 3 announced for metroPCS Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:43 AM PDT MetroPCS has announced that they'll be offering Samsung's latest flagship device, the Galaxy S 3, starting in October. To kick things off, they have a contest going where participants have a shot at winning a free device. If you're unfamiliar, here's a quick run-down of the specs on the Samsung Galaxy S 3.
Be sure to check out our full review for an in-depth look and see some hands-on video. The big carriers have been selling the Samsung Galaxy S 3 for a couple of months now, but there are bound to be at least a few of you that prefer this regional carrier. Anyone interested in picking this one up? Head on over to MetroPCS to sign up for the Samsung Galaxy S 3 giveaway. Thanks Josue! 
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 launches in South Korea on SKT, LG U+ and KT Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:30 AM PDT Samsung has announced the South Korean launch of its new 5.5-inch smartphone, the Galaxy Note 2. By now we're all familiar with the Note 2's impressive spec sheet -- a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU, 2GB of RAM, 5.5-inch 720p non-PenTile HD SuperAMOLED display, 4G LTE connectivity. Today the device launches across all three main South Korean carriers -- SKT, LG U+ and KT, where it'll be available in "marble white" and "titanium grey" colors. The South Korean launch marks the start of the Galaxy Note 2 World Tour, as the device spreads its reach across the globe. Samsung says it'll offer the Note 2 across 260 carriers in 128 countries, including all major U.S. and European networks. The next stop for the Galaxy Note 2 is London, where it makes its UK debut on Oct. 1. For more on the Note 2, check out our hands-on coverage from IFA 2012. Source: Samsung Tomorrow (Translated) 
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| Google Maps Street View dives under the waves Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:53 AM PDT Do you ever have that moment where you're scuba diving in the south Pacific, and you're wondering "Was I supposed to turn right at the coral reef to get back to the resort, or keep swimming straight?" It happens to me all the time. Luckily Google, as ever, has us covered. The Google Maps team has just released a handful of new Street View locations that are underwater. Various spots along the coast of Australia, the Philippines, and Hawaii can take you down to see some of the wonderful aquatic landscape, wildlife, and flora in the region. You can find some of the more spectacular shots in Google's Street View gallery for the ocean. Looking at stuff like this, it's hard to imagine how iOS or Microsoft intend to outpace Google's progress in the mapping world. Sure, the underwater Street View is more for sightseeing than anything else, but the lengths Google is willing to go for completeness are pretty crazy. Any divers in the house? Ever wish you had a waterproof phone with you? Source: Google Lat Long 
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| Sony Xperia T now available online, SIM-free, for £415 in the UK Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:46 AM PDT So much for all that fuss about limited Sony Xperia T SIM-free availability. UK-based online retailer Unlocked Mobiles is now offering the Sony Mobile flagship for sale, stand-alone and unlocked for just £414.98 inc. VAT. That's a surprisingly reasonable price tag, considering the phone comes packed with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 4.6-inch, 720p HD Reality Display and 13MP rear camera. Unlocked Mobiles claims it's the first online retailer the UK to offer the Xperia T SIM-free, so if you'd rather not venture into your nearest Phones4U store, then you may want to check out what they're offering. The Xperia T is a sleek piece of kit indeed, and not every Sony flagship goes on sale £100 cheaper than the competition.. For more on the Sony Xperia T, check out our hands-on coverage with Sony's 2012 range at IFA. Source: Unlocked-Mobiles 
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| The list: Google's 25-cent app promotion Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:36 AM PDT Google's service up 25-cent applications today to celebrate 25 billion downloads. Find a 25-cent app? Sing out in the comments and we'll list it here:
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| International Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean open-source bits now available Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:51 AM PDT With the Jelly Bean update hitting some international Galaxy S3 (GT-i9300) phones, Samsung has released its Android 4.1 kernel source, and other open-source bits for the device. The code isn't directly useful to regular Galaxy S3 owners, but it should help community developers get more stable custom ROMs for the device. That means better ROM options for everyone, which can only be a good thing. ROM developers can grab the S3 Jelly Bean source code from the Samsung open-source repository below. Source: Samsung open-source repository, Thanks, @android_indian 
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| HTC One X+ makes first unofficial appearance Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:41 AM PDT A T-Mobile-branded HTC One X+ has made its first appearance appearance on Twitter in a wholly unofficial manner. Though we don't get much more than this brief glimpse, we've heard previously about a handful of specs.
Keep in mind that this is all well within the realm of speculation for the time being, but so far, things are looking pretty solid. The only other upcoming HTC device really on our radar at this point is the Droid Incredible X,, which may be finding its way to Verizon. In any case, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly exciting about the front face of this device. I'm curious to see the other side, if only to get a sense of what kind of camera is on there. Any T-Mobile customers itching for a fresh HTC phone? Source: @evleaks 
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| Deal of the Day: Ballistic Shell Gel (SG) Series Case for Samsung Galaxy S3 Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:04 AM PDT
The Ballistic Shell Gel (SG) Series Case is available for just $19.00, 46% off today only. Backed by our 60-day-return policy and fast shipping. Never miss a deal. Sign up for daily deal alerts 
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| Boost Mobile announces the LG Venice, a 4.3-inch device with Ice Cream Sandwich Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:01 AM PDT Boost Mobile has announced a new addition to their lineup, the LG Venice. The Venice will represent an attractive choice to customers who prefer a no contract phone, especially because it has decent specs for the price. While not equal to the top of the line phones, they're nothing to scoff at either. The Venice boasts:
The Venice will cost $219.99 and remember that Boost Mobile offers all of their devices with no contract. They also offer a $55/month unlimited plan. It will be available starting Oct. 10 at Boost Mobile retail stores, certain independent retailers and online. In late October, you'll be able to pick one up in select nationwide retailers. The full press release is after the break. 
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| Google Play celebrates 25 billion app downloads with 25 cent app promotion Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:22 AM PDT Google has announced that its Google Play app store has delivered its 25 billionth app download, up from the 20 billion figure quoted at Google I/O in June. To celebrate, it's launching another app sale, where this time you'll be able to pick up a selection of popular titles from developers like Gameloft, Electronic Arts, Rovio, runtastic and Full Fat for just 25 cents over the next five days. In addition, Google is promising special collections of content in the near future, including "25 movies you must own, 25 banned books and 25 albums that changed the world." Google Play, which launched a little under four years ago as the Android Market, as grown considerably in the past year, adding movies, TV, music and magazines, and becoming a fully-fledged content platform. And in under twelve months, it's gone from a total of 10 billion downloads to today's 25 billion milestone. The total app count now sits at 675,000, up from 600,000 in June. Right now we're not seeing any 25 cent apps on Google Play on our devices, but we'll keep you posted when they start to appear. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you spot any bargains. Source: Official Android Blog 
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| Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT Update, 7:40am EDT: Samsung tells us it's "currently in the process of conducting an internal review" into the situation with on the Galaxy S2 and other affected phones. Our own testing, and reports from readers, suggests that devices like the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note remain vulnerable to the USSD exploit. Original story: Yesterday we reported on a particularly nasty security vulnerability in some Samsung smartphones, which could lead to a factory reset being triggered upon visiting a website containing malicious code. Phones confirmed to be affected included the Galaxy S2, Galaxy Beam and Galaxy Ace. Our testing on various Galaxy S3 models was inconclusive, though. Some models seemed vulnerable, while others were immune. This morning, we have official confirmation from Samsung that Galaxy S3's around the world should indeed be protected from this exploit, assuming they're running the latest software update.
Like Samsung, we always recommend keeping your phone up-to-date with the latest firmware. So if your Galaxy S3 phone is up-to-date, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Of course, there's nothing in that statement about Galaxy S2-class devices, which our own tests, and reports from readers, have shown are still very much at risk from this latest vulnerability. We're sure Samsung will be hurriedly preparing updates for those devices, now that this exploit method is out in the open. Nevertheless, we'll update you with any new info they provide on the Galaxy S2 or other phones. In the meantime, if you're still concerned that your Samsung phone may be vulnerable to the USSD bug, you can check our quick, easy USSD vulnerability test to see if you're protected or not. 
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| O2 UK to sell upcoming HTC flagship phone without charger Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:33 AM PDT If you're anything like us, you'll have plenty of wall chargers left over from devices you've long since parted company with. Observe above, the battered husk of our two and a half year-old HTC Desire charger, still in service today. Knowing that many older chargers are still in use, O2 UK and HTC have decided to take a radical step to cut down on waste, and presumably save a bit of cash at the same time. The two are to offer an upcoming, unnamed HTC flagship device with a microUSB cable, but no charger, in an effort to improve their green credentials. The operator claims that 70 percent of all phone buyers already have a "relevant charger" at home. And according to a report on UK tech site Pocket-Lint this morning, O2 and HTC are serious about this latest endeavor.
We're all for cutting down on unnecessary waste, but from our perspective, the most interesting thing about this story is that it tacitly confirms that we're due a new HTC flagship in the weeks ahead, and that O2 will offer it. The fact that the device itself is unnamed suggests it's yet to be announced -- possibilities include the rumored One X+ and One X 5. We'll be watching with interest to see what devices emerge from HTC and O2 as 2012 draws to a close. Source: Pocket-Lint 
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| Barnes and Noble introduce 7" Nook HD and 9" Nook HD+ Posted: 25 Sep 2012 11:09 PM PDT Barnes and Noble has made the 7-inch Nook HD and it's bigger brother the 9-inch HD+ official this evening. They're quick to mention that the Nook HD is the lightest and highest resolution mid-size tablet on the market, and that the HD+ is the world's lightest full HD tablet with it's 1920 x 1280 resolution at 256 ppi. In fact, they're really talking up the screens on both the units, saying they offer reading and entertainment "like never seen before." The Nook HD checks in at $199 for the 8GB version, here are some other specs of note:
The Nook HD+ takes things up a notch:
Both devices feature the Barnes and Noble store, with over 3 million books, HD magazines, catalogs and newspapers, as well as thousands of apps. They will also feature the newly announced B&N video streaming service which should launch this fall. The Nook HD and Nook HD+ are available for pre-order for U.S. customers today at Barnes & Noble, and will be available for pre-order next month in the UK. Hit the break for the full press release. 
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| More Atrix 2 ICS details leak, here's your version numbers Posted: 25 Sep 2012 09:25 PM PDT Earlier today we talked about the Motorola Atrix 2 soak test, with the assurance from some insiders that it would indeed be the Ice Cream Sandwich update everyone has been waiting for. One of our helpful ninjas took a few minutes to send us this screen cap, showing some of the build numbers and software versions. Soak tests are Motorola's way of doing final beta testing, and they are often a good sign that things are ready to roll out to the masses, barring any last minute show-stopping bugs. This one's still too early to judge how well it's going, but we will remain optimistic until we hear differently. There's not much left to say about it, we just wanted to let developers and hackers have a look at the version numbers. More: Atrix 2 forums; Thanks, Anon! 
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| Texas Instruments getting ready to shift away from the smartphone chip business Posted: 25 Sep 2012 09:00 PM PDT Texas Instruments, possibly better known by most for their calculators than their smartphone chips, looks to be shifting away from the business of providing systems on a chip for smartphones and tablets. Some of the bigger names in processors, like Qualcomm and Samsung, have really run away with the top-of-the-line chip business, which has put TI in a tough position. Looking into the future, TI plans to move its focus from smartphones to hopefully more profitable areas such as the industrial and automobile sectors. Executives at the company indicate that they know the growth and profits may not be as strong as the smartphone arena, but should provide better stability in the long run. Its really unfortunate to see TI move away from smartphones, as its chips have powered some of the best devices on the market, most recently the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and range of Kindle Fires. Instead of the next generation OMAP 5 platform competing for placement in tomorrow's smartphones, we may be looking at a market almost completely dominated by Qualcomm and Samsung chips. Source: Reuters 
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| ADT 21 plugin preview 5 now available for download [Android development] Posted: 25 Sep 2012 05:58 PM PDT The Android developers crew has released a new build of the Android Developer Tools plugin for Eclipse, and ADT 21 preview 5 is now available for download. As the ADT is getting older and more robust, we're seeing less glamorous changes and more maintenance "stuff", but that doesn't mean this build isn't feature rich. Improvements include pre-dexing of libraries and jar files to speed up build time, new lint checks, big changes in the way the layout editor displays, and the Eclipse IDE will now remember the previous mode and open ready for editing. Of course, it also includes the requisite "large number of bug fixes" that we would expect from any preview builds. Of course a good many of you re scratching your head wondering what all this means, and that's OK. What you're seeing is a new version of the tools developers use to build and debug the awesome Android apps you find in Google Play. It's software geek stuff, but better tools means better apps. We all can get behind better apps. If you're interested in taking the new ADT plugin for a spin, you'll need to be running Eclipse 3.6.2 or higher and the tools 21 preview. You can find the tools component update in the SDK manager by selecting the "Preview Tools" option, and you can grab the new ADT from the link below. Get coding! Source: Google; via +Tor Norbye 
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