Android Phone Fans

DashClock Widget brings a beautiful open sourced widget for your Android 4.2 lock screen [VIDEO] Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:21 PM PST Hot off the Google Play Store comes DashClock Widget. It aims to be your central clock widget for your Android 4.2 lock screen.  DashClock allows you to see your current weather, unread emails and text messages, and much more. The best part? It’s open sourced, meaning that anyone can take the widget and make mods and themes for it. We really appreciate the simplicity and beauty of DashClock Widget. It’s no surprise that it follows Google’s design practices since it was created by a Google engineer, Roman Nurik. DashClock Widget uses “extensions” to show you the information you care about. At launch, you can choose to view your current weather, unread emails and text messages, your next appointment, next alarm, and missed calls. The real beauty lies in keeping this widget open sourced. Developers and modders can tap into the app’s code and APIs here, allowing them to make custom extensions and customize the widget any way they see fit. As far as customization goes, DashClock is pretty limited. You can’t change the transparency or colors of the widget, but that should all change once developers get their hands on it. You can check out the app in action in our hands on video above, and give the free app a shot in the Google Play Store if you’re on Android 4.2 or higher.

Foursquare update makes it easier to find people and places around you Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:04 PM PST Foursquare’s trying to make its service just as much about discovering nearby places as it is about check-ins, and the company has updated its Android app to reflect just that. Today’s update moves the Explore button to the top of the home-screen to give you curious and adventurous types an easier way to find new places to go. A “Best Nearby” button will give you a short list of Foursquare’s top spots in the area, whether it be for restaurants, entertainment, sports and more. You can also take a look at nearby places and friends on the map view, so those of you who need an easier way to stalk your friends will fall right in love here. The left drawer will allow you to access your to-do list and “other essentials,” the check-in button has been moved to the bottom left, and more. Foursquare says we’re in for a treat down the line, as well, as it’s already working on an even more personalized map view. As usual, this 11MB update can be had in the Google Play Store. Head there now to get a first-hand look at all of today’s changes for yourself. [via FourSquare]

Pokémon TV brings all the episodic magic to your Android device Posted: 12 Feb 2013 02:53 PM PST Pokémon is one of the biggest entertainment entities there is, and it’s a movement that has spread like wildfire since its inception in the mid-90s. It started off as a video game series, and it proved deep enough to spawn years worth of anime episodes, trading cards, films, and even more video games. The world of Pokémon has evolved considerably since Ash Ketchum started on his journey to become Pokémon Master with the original 150 creatures, and it’s still going today. Welp, now you can get your fix on the go as Nintendo and the Pokémon Company have released a new app for Android. It’s called Pokémon TV, and it will give you access to tons of shows which will be rotated on a regular basis. It might even get me back into the series (though I should probably attempt to get caught up on Naruto Shippuden before I jump back into anything else). Oh, and did I mention the best part of all this? It’s free! We’re not sure what compelled the folks behind this to just spill all of this content onto our slates for $0, but we will not be the first ones to argue. Get it from the Google Play Store here, and try not to let your nostalgic feelings interfere with your work for the day — I know I’m finding it hard not to.

Cubes vs Spheres is minimal, zombie-like action game… with blocks [VIDEO] Posted: 12 Feb 2013 02:52 PM PST In an effort to bring you guys all the best applications and games from the Google Play Store, we found yet another. It’s called Cubes vs Spheres and if you’re thinking another puzzler, let me stop you right there. This game is all action. Not in a flashy, photo realistic Shadowgun kinda way — this action in it’s purest form, stripping away blood and gore for style and clean design. And around these parts… we like minimal. Gameplay What’s interesting is I’ve caught  myself calling Cubes vs Sphere, ShockPanda Games’ latest title, Cubes vs Zombies on more than one occasion. This is sort of telling of gameplay we’re looking at here in CvS. You have your home base represented by a red dotted line and must defend it using a variety of balls from the horde of red cubes advancing forth. At this point, I’m just going to go ahead and call this a zombie game, there’s no way around it. To help guarantee victory, players need to earn points collected from completing missions to upgrade their arsenal, and gain new balls, 6 in all, each with their own special powers. Blue balls split into 3 while in midair, orange balls explode upon contact, black balls can travel through red cubes, red balls home-in on cubes, purple creates ice slicks slowing down baddies and finally, a pink cube attracts red cubes until she detonates. Bloody awesome. Visuals It’s not often a game looks this stunning yet still allows players the freedom to use their own imaginations. While very minimal in appearance, Cubes vs Spheres utilizes a slew of modern special effects like anti-aliasing (for silky smooth visuals), real-time physics (giving the game a very natural feel), and awesome splash of colors and sounds to bring the entire game to life. On a 5-inch, 1080p display, the game looks stunning. Verdict I wont even beat around the bush, Cubes vs Spheres is Google Play Store gold. I can see copy-cat games spawning left and right after its success. The casual, fun-for-all-ages gameplay makes it the perfect game for kids and adults alike. Don’t forget it’s low $.99 cent entrance fee wont break the bank. You can download Cubes vs Spheres in the Play Store right now via the link below. [Google Play link: Cubes vs Spheres]

Box.net giving away free 50GB accounts to new users Posted: 12 Feb 2013 01:52 PM PST I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there’s been an intense battle for the top crown of the online cloud storage/documents editing space lately. Dropbox spent a long time with little competition, but have since seen a lot of competition from the likes of SkyDrive, Amazon, Google Drive, MediaFire, and Box. Well, the latter of those companies is enticing users with another great offer — a free 50GB account! All you need to do is sign up via this link, and it takes just a quick couple of minutes before you’re afforded a ton of space to store all your bits and bytes to. You can even get your friends and family to sign up, and get them a nice 50GB account of their own. Box’s big focus on collaboration is a perfect excuse to bug your coworkers, too. We assume the deal won’t last uber long so you might as well get it out of the way now, even if you don’t anticipate needing to use it within the near future. Box has come quite a long way over the past few years and is a very nice alternative to some of the bigger names in cloud storage. Take a look at the quick video above and see if you aren’t impressed enough to at least give it a shot on the back of this offer, and grab the app from the Google Play Store to use it on the go. [via Droid-Life]

Virgin Mobile Canada confirms upcoming Nexus 4 availability Posted: 12 Feb 2013 12:58 PM PST Virgin Mobile customers in Canada will soon have a great option for purchasing the Nexus 4 by LG. The carrier has put a banner on its website letting all you eager souls know that the device will soon be headed for store shelves. There’s no exact date just yet, nor do we have an idea of what to expect from price. We imagine Virgin will look to introduce an on-contract option for those who want the phone for cheap but do’t mind signing away 1-3 years of their mobile life. An on-contract option might be a lot more expensive from Virgin compared to what you can get the device for from the Google Play Store, but that’s not certain right now. I guess the only benefit you’d get from ordering straight from Virgin in that case is convenience and a better chance of it being available, but in case you haven’t heard the device is selling quite regularly in the Google Play Store these days. (Wait times are still a bit long, but at least you know a device is coming.) As usual, you can sign up to be notified of this device’s arrival, though you have a better shot at staying tuned to Phandroid compared to waiting for those notification emails that are often several days late. Any of you in the great white north planning to take Virgin Mobile up on this offer? [via MobileSyrup]

Verizon’s My InfoZone widget to give you device tips and info [VIDEO] Posted: 12 Feb 2013 12:37 PM PST Verizon looks to be introducing a new widget to make it easier for folks to access device information, support documents, and get tips and tricks for their smartphones. The widget will give you a quick look at your battery percentage and show you what is contributing to drainage, it’ll show you how much storage space you have left, and it also has buttons that will take you straight to your account info in MyVerizon and a link to support pages made specifically for your phone. There will also be an info button that will light up red whenever new tips and tricks are available. Verizon says it will be delivering 3 tips per week, and you can cycle through them simply by tapping the widget. It isn’t the most exciting and innovative widget in the world, but it looks clean and it should make life easier for new smartphone owners who might not know how to access these things otherwise. The My InfoZone widget will be compatible with Android 2.2 and higher and will be available for download on both phones and tablets. If this is something you’re interested in having on your Verizon Wireless device you’ll be able to get it onto your device at some point next week. Watch the quick demo video above to see it in action.

SwiftKey Flow update brings long list of bug fixes Posted: 12 Feb 2013 11:56 AM PST SwiftKey Flow is still in beta, but the folks at SwiftKey aren’t using that as an excuse not to introduce timely and numerous bug fixes. The latest upgrade — which brings the alternate keyboard up to version 4.0.0.99 — introduces a huge list of bug fixes and changes. To name a few, you can expect the addition of a Turkish keyboard layout, a new installer to match the look of the rest of the app, better correction for Vietnamese words, a fix for Chrome Beta, better punctuation for non-English languages, and more. Take a look at the full list of changes below to see if anything that has been bothering you has been fixed. That said, you can always expect a small list of known issues that the team is still figuring out. SwiftKey’s todo list includes fixing the comma key on Arabic keyboards, fixing a blank list of predictions when switching between languages, fixing the bad-looking “no SD card” ribbon on low-end devices, fixing a crash that occurs when looking at the heatmap directly after using the alternative symbols layout, and more. There may be more bugs hiding throughout the app, of course, but that’s the nature of a beta. As a tester, you should do everything in your power to report those bugs to make sure we all get the best experience possible once it launches in the Google Play Store. You can grab the latest version for tablets and phones from SwiftKey’s website if you want in on the next big thing in trace typing. Changes in this version: * Fixed crash on changing keyboards * Fixed force close on clicking update language * Fixed other crashes * Resolved majority of non-English punctuation problems * New look installer to match SwiftKey Flow colors and include an introduction to SwiftKey Flow * Added Turkish layout * Chrome Beta should now behave like Chrome * Snap and tap (correction of words) now compatible with Vietnamese * Memory usage of settings app reduced * Improved handling of non-zero length selection in Chrome and Samsung mail client * Fixed jumping cursor in ExDialler and Samsung calculator * Microphone key disabled in fields that don't support voice input * Fix for keyboard disappearing when phone build installed on tablet sized devices * Disabled predictions in Kingsoft Office and UC browser to make SK usable in them * Double space for period turned off by default to prevent accidental period insertion when flowing * Replaced 'learnt' with 'learned' in personalization page (US English) * Turned off slide down from candidate bar to close keyboard when flow is on (to be consistent with the description in the Settings menu) Known Issues: * Crashes when looking at the heatmap if you visit immediately after using the alternative symbols layout * Comma key on Arabic keyboard inserts western comma * Predictions sometimes blank when switching between languages * Flowing words sometimes results in surprising capitalizations * "No SD card" ribbon looks bad on low end devices

SONOS PLAYBAR brings simple wireless HiFi bar for your entertainment center Posted: 12 Feb 2013 11:24 AM PST SONOS fans, listen up: a new piece of gear has been announced for those who don’t want huge, complicated and expensive audio setups. It’s the SONOS PLAYBAR, and it’s a simple wireless hi-fidelity audio bar designed to sit over or under your television. It features six mid-woofers and three tweeters so you should get exceptional sound without the headache that comes with a full-blown home theater system. Just like any SONOS setup, the PLAYBAR can be controlled using your smartphone and tablet, and can easily play video from your music library or from streaming music services like Pandora and Spotify. You can easily jump from movie and games to playing your music with little effort. It also syncs with your existing SONOS setup if you have other rooms hooked up with gear. The device launches worldwide beginning March 5th and you’ll be able to find the SONOS PLAYBAR at Amazon, BestBuy, Magnolia, PC Richard’s and more for $700, 700 euro, or 600 pounds. Read on for full press details. INTRODUCING SONOS PLAYBAR Unleash Your TV Sound. Unleash All The Music On Earth. · Sonos HiFi sound for TV with nine amplified speakers · Listen to all the music on earth – from any source · Simple to set up, control and expand SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – February 12, 2013 – Sonos, Inc., the leading manufacturer of wireless audio systems, today introduced SONOS PLAYBAR™, the soundbar for music lovers. PLAYBAR brings immersive HiFi sound to the TV and, being a full Wireless HiFi System, streams all the music on earth through one easy-to-use player. HiFi meets HiDef globally beginning March 5. To see a preview video of PLAYBAR, visit www.sonos.com/playbar. "Sonos has transformed the way people listen to music throughout the home and now we're bringing our wireless HiFi approach to home theater," said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. "PLAYBAR will change everything about the sound experience in your living room, bringing together amazing HiFi sound for your TV and wireless access to the world's music in a radically simple way." The sophisticated all-in-one design of PLAYBAR combines exposed aluminum with high performance speaker fabric for a look that's timeless, understated and because it does not require a subwoofer or speaker wire, easily fits into any room and setup. Its built-in sensors help PLAYBAR automatically adjust EQ and channel orientation so it can lie flat on the TV stand or rotate for low profile wall-mounting above or below the TV. Under the hood, PLAYBAR gets its punch from nine individually amplified speakers: six mid-woofers to deliver deep, rich low-frequency sounds, and three tweeters for crystal clear high-frequency detail. PLAYBAR's advanced speaker array technology combines hardware and software to create a surprisingly wide soundstage beyond the physical soundbar, while maintaining crisp, centered vocals. Whether you are watching a movie, playing a game or streaming a song from Pandora or Spotify, PLAYBAR will always sound much clearer, not just louder. Designed for easy setup and use, PLAYBAR connects to the TV with a single optical cable, playing everything that is connected to it, including cable boxes, Blu-ray players and game consoles. It understands common audio formats output by TVs including Dolby® Digital. Customers can control the volume or mute with a regular TV remote or with one of the free Sonos Controller apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac or PC. PLAYBAR works seamlessly within the Sonos wireless audio family: Pair PLAYBAR with the award-winning SONOS SUB for deep waves of spine-curling, jaw-dropping sound and add a pair of PLAY:3s to act as wireless surround speakers for an immersive 5.1 home theater surround sound experience. PLAYBAR will retail for $699 USD (€699, £599) and will be available for purchase at Sonos.com, Amazon.com, Best Buy / Magnolia Home Theater, P.C. Richard & Son and many other retailers around the world. For more information on SONOS PLAYBAR, including technical specifications and more, please visit Sonos.com/playbar. Sonos also released a free software update for the Sonos Wireless HiFi System. Sonos System Software 4.0 introduces enhancements that make it faster and easier to play all the music on earth. Sonos Favorites provides one-touch access to your favorite music from any Sonos source (music library, streaming services and radio stations), right from the music menu. The Sonos Controller for Android features a new widget that allows you to control Sonos directly from your Android home screen. Plus, the Sonos Controller for iPhone has been optimized for the larger screen of the iPhone5. The free one-button software update is available now. Additional product images and screenshots: pr.sonos.com View and embed product demonstration: www.youtube.com/sonos ABOUT SONOS, INC. Founded in 2002, Sonos is the leading manufacturer of wireless HiFi systems. With Sonos you can stream all the music on earth wirelessly, from any source to every room and control it with your Android® smartphone or tablet, iOS device, Mac and PC. In addition to playing your personal digital music collection, The Sonos Wireless HiFi System gives you access to millions of songs and thousands of radio stations by partnering with Amazon Cloud Player, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify and many more. The award-winning system is available at more than 11,000 retailers in over 65 countries worldwide; or direct at Sonos.com. Sonos is a privately held company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA with offices in Cambridge, MA, Hilversum, Netherlands, Windsor, UK, Beijing and Shenzhen, China and Penang, Malaysia. For more information, please visit: Sonos.com, blog.sonos.com, Facebook/Sonos, @Sonos, Pinterest, Instagram @Sonos and YouTube.com/sonos. ©2004-2013 Sonos Inc. All rights reserved. SONOS and all other Sonos product names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sonos, Inc. SONOS Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad® and iTunes® are trademarks of Apple Inc. Android® is a trademark of Google Inc. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All other products and services may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Samsung’s “Project J” to consist of more than just Galaxy S4? Posted: 12 Feb 2013 10:46 AM PST We usually get into the juicy bits of Samsung’s latest this time of year, but in case you don’t remember the Korean manufacturer is going to hold off on its announcement a little bit this year. We may not be expecting an announcement at Mobile World Congress but that doesn’t mean we can’t let our teeth sink into some succulent rumors. The latest comes from SamMobile, who suggests Samsung has resurrected the “Project J” codename. The name used to refer to the Galaxy S4, but it seems Samsung is using it to detail a whole line of new-age devices and accessories. Specifically, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is said to be coming to market with some of its smaller brethren, such as a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and a new Samsung Galaxy Active. I think I speak for everyone when I say we would appreciate a real Galaxy S4 Mini. We were disappointed to see that the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini wasn’t quite a Samsung a Galaxy S3 under the hood. It was smaller, but it was also considerably weaker. Let’s hope the power inside the Mini can actually match-up to the full blown flagship this time around. As for those accessories, here’s a list of what Project J is supposed to consist of: Project J Altius (Galaxy S4): - Clear Cover - Flip Cover - Protective Cover - Pouch - Extra Battery Kit - Battery 2600 mah - Wireless Charging Kit - HDTV Adapter - Headset Project J Mini Serrano (Galaxy S4 Mini): - Clear Cover - Flip Cover - Protective Cover Project J Active Fortius (Galaxy Active): - Arm Band - Bike Mount - Pouch The wireless charging kit for that Galaxy S4 would be might nice. Unfortunately, it’s possible that wireless charging functionality won’t be built in as users could be asked to buy the backplate and charging pad separately. That’s not a huge problem if both of those items are expected to be stuffed into the same package. That said, rumors are rumors and it’s not worth getting too excited for these devices so far ahead of launch (especially when we still don’t have a solid idea of what the specs will be like). [via PocketNow]

Screw Valentine’s Day: Virgin wants you to breakup tomorrow [DEAL] Posted: 12 Feb 2013 10:42 AM PST Yes, Valentine’s Day is coming up on Thursday, but before you go getting mushy over your current relationship, Virgin Mobile is offering cash to breakup…with your carrier, that is. On Wednesday, the smaller service provider is offering to give $100 off for anyone leaving their current wireless provider and joining Virgin, picking up Samsung Galaxy S2 4G along the way. Virgin is calling it “National Breakup Day,” and is perhaps making a bit of a stretch by comparing love to a two-year wireless contract, but in both cases individuals can sometimes feel trapped in a souring relationship — so we are willing to go along with it to an extent. For those going through a real breakup, the carrier has teamed with OkCupid to provide relationship counseling via Twitter. For all the details and a few more facts, check out the full presser below. Virgin Mobile USA Proclaims Feb. 13 "National Breakup Day"; Encourages Those in Dead-end Relationships to Break Free WARREN, N.J. – Feb. 12, 2013 – A recent survey by Virgin Mobile USA[1] found that 59 percent of people said that if they were going to break up with someone, they would do so just before Valentine's Day to save money. So while many people have visions of romantic bliss when it comes to celebrating Valentine's Day, others decide it's the right time to move on from bad relationships. For that reason, Virgin Mobile is proclaiming Feb. 13 as "National Breakup Day" and giving people across the country the incentive to finally break free from a bad relationship. The study also found that 42 percent of people surveyed said they have stayed in dead-end relationships because they were scared to make a change and try something new. Taking that into consideration, Virgin Mobile USA is making that decision less daunting when it comes to phone carriers. On "National Breakup Day," Virgin Mobile USA will give customers $100 off the purchase of a new Samsung Galaxy SII 4G on a Beyond Talk no-contract plan atwww.virginmobileusa.com[2], making it even easier to leave their unhappy relationship with their current phone carrier and save an average of $1,000 during the next two years when compared to comparable plans from national carriers with two-year contracts.[3] "We want people to understand that they don't have to be stuck in a bad relationship," said Ron Faris, head of brand marketing for Virgin Mobile USA. "If you're in a tough spot, whether it's with your significant other or your current postpaid phone carrier, why delay the inevitable? Just break free!" Virgin Mobile USA is also teaming up with the dating site OkCupid to host a Twitter takeover chat from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (ET) on "National Breakup Day." Beginning from 9:00 pm – 11:00pm ET. Relationship experts from OkCupid will take over the @VirginMLive Twitter handle and use the hashtag #CupidConfessions to answer questions and provide tips on how to make your online profile more desirable to meet someone new. "We want to make sure that anyone who is single on Feb 13 has the tools to get back into the dating game," said Christian Rudder, co-founder of OkCupid. "Our experts will be standing by to help you make a great online profile, strike up conversations, meet someone new, and forget about your previous, unsatisfying relationship." The "National Breakup Day" deal applies to any customer who purchases Virgin Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S II 4G online from 7 a.m. (ET) on Feb. 13 through 7 a.m. (ET) on Feb. 14. All Virgin Mobile USA smartphones are available with unlimited data and messaging plans[4] starting at $35 per month, without a contract. Research has shown that the average customer saves almost $1,000 during a two-year span on Virgin Mobile compared to typical two-year contracts with other carriers. About Virgin Mobile USA Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint‘s prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk™ No Contract plans with unlimited data for mobile phone service including Android-powered smartphones and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access on the Nationwide Sprint Network. Virgin Mobile offers a selection of quality handsets from Kyocera, HTC, LG, and Samsung, including the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G and Samsung Galaxy Reverb. Virgin Mobile products are generally available at more than 40,000 retail stores around the country, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy and RadioShack. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide and can be used for Assurance Wireless and Broadband2Go services. Experience Virgin Mobile on the Web at Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and purchase Virgin Mobile USA products at www.virginmobileusa.com About OkCupid OkCupid is one of the nation's fastest-growing and largest dating products. Known for its highly analytical matching algorithms and insightful blog, OkTrends, OkCupid uses math to get people dates. On a given day at OkCupid, more than 1 million singles login to the site, do 10 million searches, and send 2 million messages. Follow us on Twitter at @okcupid. [1] The Virgin Mobile USA survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, between Jan. 30, 2013, and Feb. 5, 2013, using an email survey and an online survey. [1] Offer valid from 7 a.m. (ET) on Feb. 13 to 7 a.m. (ET) on Feb. 14. [1] Savings comparison as of 12/1/10. Based comparison between Virgin Mobile beyond talk $35/month plan comparable plans from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Actual savings may vary based on carrier and plan. [1] All plans include 2.5GB/month of 3G/4G full speed data or 3.5GB/month with purchase of Mobile Hotspot capable device and plan

BlueStacks brings Android apps to Windows 8, Surface Pro Posted: 12 Feb 2013 09:48 AM PST The writing was on the wall when the the original BlueStacks application player for Windows reached over 5 million installs. It was only a matter of time before the company behind the popular Android virtualization software for PCs debuted a Windows 8-compatible version of their software. Now the meager selection applications available in the Windows Store is complimented by Google Play’s full library of software. To grab BlueStacks, head over to GetYourAppsBack.com to download for PC or Surface Pro tablet. Yep, with the right combination of software (a launcher app, etc.) you could theoretically create a fully emulated Android tablet experience. Of course, emulated apps aren’t going to run up to the standard they might on the hardware they were intended for (read: touch controls, hardware optimizations), but for Windows users starving for some of their Android favorites it should more than provide a fix. [via WinSource]

OUYA announces finalists for CREATE competition Posted: 12 Feb 2013 09:09 AM PST The finalists have been announced for the OUYA CREATE competition hosted by Kill Screen, as well as a smattering of other award winners for categories ranging from “Most Surprising” to “Pop Your Eyes Out.” The grand prize winner will be selected from a final group of ten come February 18th, but you can check out some of the action now for yourself. The games range from the top-down, real time strategy action of Duel Core to platformers such as Avner – An Unexpected Hero. Things even get a bit mystical with the spooky spells and ghostly puzzles of Whispering Willows. Kill Screen has done a great job of highlighting a wide range of gameplay styles, truly showing off some of the great gaming that awaits future OUYA owners. Head over to the Kill Screen site to check out all the finalists for the grand prize and other categories. The first OUYA consoles should be reaching early backers in about a month’s time. [via Kill Screen]

Samsung innovation exec sees patent wars as ‘a loss’ for the entire industry Posted: 12 Feb 2013 08:11 AM PST While Apple’s triumph over Samsung in a US court can definitely be classified as a blow for the Android maker, David Eun, executive vice president for Samsung’s Open Innovation Center sees it as “a loss” for the entire mobile industry. Speaking at the D:Dive Into Media conference on Monday night, Eun delved into the precarious relationship between the two manufacturers, noting that Samsung profits off of Apple’s sales by way of components included in the iPhone’s build. But the two are still competitors, both on store shelves and in the courtroom, and while Eun wishes it weren’t so, he sees little other solution than to let lawyers settle the feud in front of a judge. He sounded, however, like a man who wished he could simply see the whole mess go away with a wave of a hand, as would the majority of us folks simply craving innovative new tech without all the politics. [via Engadget]

Here is the handmade Android phone from Vertu, yours for only $10,000 Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:57 AM PST Luxury phone manufacturers get one thing right: their handsets are very expensive. It’s everything that makes a smartphone inherently valuable to its users that companies like Vertu seem too miss the mark on. But folks that spend $10,000 on a handmade cellphone aren’t all that interested in valuing things for their normal functionality. They’re too busy using hundred dollar bills as dinner napkins. The Vertu Ti is assembled in England and features a titanium case, “sapphire crystal” display, and then a bunch of other specs you could find on a $100 smartphone after subsidies and rebates. 3.7-inch WVGA display, dual-core processing, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. For Vertu, it’s all about “craftsmanship.” No thanks, we’ll save our money. [via Gizmodo]