Monday, July 9, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Seeking $4 Million in Legal Fees from Oracle

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 02:59 PM PDT

Remember when Oracle attempted to sue Google due to “supposed” patent infringements that were coded into Android? Google came out on top in that case when the judge ruled in favor for the search giant. Shortly after, we reported that one of the conditions Judge Williams Alsup set for Oracle for filing the case against Google was that Oracle would have to provide for Google’s legal fees if they were to lose the case. We initially reported that the dollar amount could be as high as $300,000, but now it appears that Google thinks it’s much more than that and are now demanding upwards of a cool $4 million. According to Google, “$2.9 million was spent for organization of copied court-necessary documents, $143,341 for transcript services, and $986,978 for compensation of the court-appointed experts.”

Oracle is expected to contest the supposed $4 million that Google is seeking. Obviously, $4 million is just pocket change for the search giant, but I’m sure it’s the principle of it that Google is after. Perhaps it’s a message Google is sending to anyone else that even thinks about attempting to sue them.

source: Electronista

AT&T HTC One X and Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G LTE Overclocked to 1.8GHz [Video]

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 02:52 PM PDT

Overclocking is one of the main reasons a user decides to root his/her Android device. It has many good aspects to it from relieving any noticeable UI lag to making game-play that much smoother. If you’re an owner of AT&T’s HTC One X or Sprint’s EVO 4G LTE, then you’re in luck as there is now a couple of new kernels that will enable you to overclock both phone’s as high as 1.8GHz. Needless to say, overclocking can put some stress on your CPU and I wouldn’t recommend leaving it at 1.8GHz at all times. This is a modification and you will need to be rooted with the bootloader unlocked to do this, meaning you should do this at your own risk. Hit up the source links for more information and instructions on how to apply a speedy new kernel to your device!

Click here to view the embedded video.

source: XDA  HTC One X /  Evo 4G LTE

Nexus 7 pre-orders now live at numerous retailers

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 02:40 PM PDT

 

Here at TalkAndroid we’re counting down the days until we can get our hands on the Nexus 7 and the Jelly Bean goodness that comes with it. With around a week to go before the world can grab the latest and greatest Android tablet direct from Google’s Play Store, a number of high street retailers will also be joining the party. Best Buy, Future Shop and Staples have all added pre-order pages to their respective websites. Curiously only the 16GB variation is available at this time and it remains to be seen as to whether or not the 8GB model will make a belated appearance. At $259.99 the price is identical to the price you pay if you buy direct from Google however it doesn’t appear that you’ll get your hands on that $25 Google Play credit sweetener. If you’re itching with anticipation then you might want to order from Staples who claim stock will arrive on July 14th. Both Best Buy and Future Shops list August 10th for stock.

Have you got your pre-order in already? Will you be going direct through Google? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Staples

Best Buy

Future Shop

Is Rovio Preparing An Angry Pigs Game? [Rumor]

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 02:33 PM PDT

The folks over at Pocket-Lint have apparently gotten a glimpse of a new game by Rovio, makers of the ridiculously popular Angry Birds series of games. This new game is also part of the franchise, but sees you playing on the pigs’ side rather than the birds.

The rumored gameplay will see your pigs having to protect the eggs you stole from the birds. The familiar catapult and wooden and stone structures will still exist, and a variety of different pigs with special powers can be launched at incoming birds. At least that’s what Pocket-Lint expects the gameplay to be like judging from pictures of the game they have seen.

Will the success of the Angry Birds properties translate when changing sides? After rooting for the birds this long, it might be tough to switch teams, but it will certainly be interesting to see if porcine beats avian.

Personally, I like both sides. Can’t beat a nice plate of bacon and eggs.

source: pocket-lint

ClockworkMod Recovery v6.0 Alpha Brings Faster Backups And Smaller Incremental Backup Files

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 01:45 PM PDT

Good news from Koush of ClockworkMod fame… an alpha test build of ClockworkMod version 6.0.0.0 has been released that greatly speeds up device backups, and also reduces the file size of incremental backups to around 20MB.

For those who don’t know, ClockworkMod Recovery is a replacement for the stock recovery of any Android device. The recovery is basically a partition on the device’s memory that you can boot into and perform some basic functions, like a factory reset or a restore of the stock ROM. Besides that, stock recoveries don’t usually let you do much more.

ClockworkMod Recovery, however, allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations that aren't usually possible with the stock recovery. It can be used used to help gain root access, back up device data, install custom ROMs and kernels, install themes, mods and more. ClockworkMod, built by Koushik Dutta, has been one of the most popular recovery replacements in the modding community.

Head on past the break for download links and more info.

With this latest version, increased backup speeds and reduced incremental backup file sizes are a welcomed improvement since these actions are performed quite often when modifying your device.

Grab the alpha test build files below, currently available for the GSM Galaxy Nexus:

Hit the source links for more details on how to flash these images.

source: xda
via: google+

 

 

Samsung Completes Investigation For Faulty Galaxy S III, Determines Cause Was From An “External Energy Source” Caused By The Owner

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 07:55 AM PDT

You folks remember how a lucky Irishman’s brand new Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone literally got a little too hot for his pants? Well Samsung did indeed look into the serious mishap and after a complete and thorough investigation, it determined the exact cause of the damage inflicted on the GALAXY S III unit, which is it had allegedly been affected by heat caused by an external source. More specifically, Samsung found:

"The energy source responsible for generating the heat has been determined as external to the device and the device was not responsible for the cause of the fire."

The forum user who originally posted story also went ahead and retracted the claim adding “a large amount of external energy” was the cause of the faulty unit, while adding “it was a stupid mistake”.

So there it is folks— the worrysome situation is actually a silly mistake— whatever it was. All Galaxy S III smartphones owners in the world can now breathe a little easier knowing their devices will be ok.

source: Samsung Tomorrow

How to unlock and root the Nexus 7

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 05:45 AM PDT

Those of you that pre-ordered your Nexus 7 should be receiving it in the next week or so. If you plan on unlocking and rooting it, you’ve come to the right place. We have all the instructions and download links to get your Nexus 7 primed and ready for customizing it to your delight. Just hit the break to get started

**These instructions are straight forward and easy, but things can go wrong so we don’t take any responsibility.

Requirements

  1. You must have the sdk installed and able to access and use adb and fastboot.
  2. You must have debugging enabled on your Nexus 7.

 

Unlocking the bootloader

  1. Connect your Nexus 7 to your PC via USB cable.
  2. Launch Terminal / Command Prompt
  3. Navigate to the fastboot folder which will be inside the location where Android SDK is installed (On Windows, it should be in C:\)
  4. Enter the following command: fastboot oem unlock
  5. Once flashing is complete, enter: fastboot reboot
  6. Download and place CWM in the fastboot folder and type in the following: fastboot flash recovery CWM-grouper-recovery.img
  7. Reboot again by entering: fastboot reboot

Making ClockworkMod Recovery Permanent

Enter the following commands in terminal:

mount system

adb shell

cd /system

mv recovery-from-boot.p recovery-from-boot.bak

Gain Root Access

  1. Download and place SU.zip directly under /sdcard on your device.
  2. Enter ClockworkMod Recovery by shutting off your device, pressing and holding Volume Up, Volume Down and Power buttons until you see the screen flash with the iconic CWM logo.
  3. From the main menu, navigate to install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > JB-SuperSU.zip
  4. From main menu, select reboot system now

If you followed these instructions correctly, your Nexus 7 bootloader is now unlocked and you should have permanent root. Congratulations!!!

For more information please visit the source links.

sources: rootzwiki / xda / redmondpie

Immediate Stay of Galaxy Tab 10.1 Injunction Denied By Federal Circuit

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 12:15 AM PDT

Last week, Samsung motioned to stay the preliminary injunction of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but Judge Lucy Koh denied the request. Samsung then appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in hopes of stay at the federal level. Samsung’s motion for an immediate stay of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction was denied by the Federal Circuit’s Motions Panel, with no reasons given, but since the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is nearing the end of its shelf-life, it’s presumed that the circuit judges feel the harm to Samsung is minimal.

The Federal Circuit has ordered Apple to respond to Samsung’s motion to stay no later than July 12 by noon (Eastern Time) for the Tab 10.1.

In contrast, Samsung did win a stay on the injunction against the Galaxy Nexus. At least there’s that.

source: foss patents

Galaxy Nexus sales are back in action via Google Play Store

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 05:20 PM PDT

Well it looks like Google didn’t waste any time after being granted a temporary stay of ban on their Galaxy Nexussmartphones. The GSM G-Nex is once again up for grabs directly from Google themselves with an updated ship out time frame of 1-2 weeks.

So if anyone out there was bummed about not being able to pick up one of these awesome smartphones sans contract, now is the time to get on it, and I would certainly do it soon as possible given that the stay of ban is only guaranteed through July 12.
source: google
Posted by at 5:56 AM 0 comments

Android Central

Android Central

Verizon Galaxy S III user manual now available online

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 04:25 PM PDT

Verizon Galaxy S III

Verizon's version of the Samsung Galaxy S III (read our review!), which recently started arriving at the homes of some who had pre-ordered and will be available in stores July 10th, now has its user manual available online. For many of you who know Android in-and-out, it may be repetitious, but it can be very valuable for all of you who have not owned a smartphone prior or who have recently made the switch from another platform. If you are an Android expert but are eagerly awaiting the Galaxy S III, it may help you pass the time as well. If you're interested in reading it, please find a link to the .pdf at the end of the article.  If you want to delve more in-depth into discussions about how the phone is performing and when others are purchasing it, please visit our Verizon Galaxy S III Forum.

Source: Samsung (.pdf warning)

Thanks iceman64!

 

Ever thought of mounting your Samsung Galaxy Note to a PS3 controller?

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 12:11 PM PDT

With a massive screen such as the one on the Samsung Galaxy Note, chances are it's going to be used to play some pretty sweet games. On-screen game controls still take something away from the gaming experience though, and while there are ways to use controllers, it's never the most elegant way of gaming.

One thing we can never accuse the Android community of, is a lack of creativity. What we see here is a bit of a homebrewed effort at creating a portable games console using a Galaxy Note, a PS3 controller, and some bits and pieces. The results are pretty impressive, and just goes to show what a bit of desire and creativity can do. 

Source: Clove

From the Editor's Desk: Welcome back, Nexus

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 09:25 AM PDT

Galaxy Nexus

That headline's been written for a week now, but it's certainly taken on new meaning in the past few days. With the announcement of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and a preview release coming out of Google I/O, I've found myself back on the Galaxy Nexus full-time. That comes after couple months on the HTC One X (mostly loved it) and the Galaxy S III (again, mostly loved it). 

For those of you new to Android, the Galaxy Nexus is the third iteration of the "Pure Google" phone. It's an annual project from Google that gives developers a stable hardware platform on which to work, though it probably won't quite be on the cutting edge of the available technology. (That's true from the time of the original Nexus One, as well as the Nexus S.) It also is the one true "stock" experience, meaning there are no carrier or manufacturer customizations. (Here comes another caveat, though: The Galaxy Nexus on Sprint and Verizon has had a couple apps added.) It's also completely customizable from a modding standpoint, which makes it the Holy Grail for those who like to tinker. The bootloader's unlockable with a single terminal command, and gaining root access is trivial.

Returning to the Nexus has been easy enough; I always enjoyed the stock ICS experience in the first place. Jelly Bean really has made it that much better. Here are a few thoughts on coming back:

read more

Nexus 7 tipped for July 19 launch in UK stores

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 08:06 AM PDT

Android Central

It's expected sometime this month, but the exact launch date of Google and ASUS' Nexus 7 around the world remains something of a mystery. But in the UK, it seems at least one retailer has a firm date in mind -- Currys, part of the Dixons Group, is listing the 16GB, £200 Jelly Bean tablet with an expected launch date of Thursday, July 19. As a pre-order (or "reservation") price, this is always subject to change, but Currys and other Dixons stores have a history of being fairly accurate with this sort of thing. And July 19 also jives quite nicely with the expected Canadian launch date of July 14.

It's worth remembering that Currys and most other major UK retailers are only offering the 16GB, £200 model for sale. Currently, it looks like the newly-launched Google Play devices store is the only place you'll be able to get your hands on the cheaper 8GB variant, which is priced at £159. At the time of writing, Google Play is still listing the both flavors of Nexus 7 as "shipping in 2-3 weeks."

Source: Currys; via: Eurodroid

Sony releases Xperia S Ice Cream Sandwich kernel source

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 07:44 AM PDT

Android Central

Good news for custom ROM developers, as Sony Mobile has just released the kernel source code for its recent Xperia S Android 4.0.4 update, as it's required to do under the open source rules. The open source archive, based on the just-launched v6.1.A.0.452 ICS firmware, weighs in at around 132MB, and will be an essential download for anyone preparing aftermarket firmware for Sony's international flagship phone. Regular users and ROM-flashers won't find much of interest here for the moment. Instead, the benefit of this code should show itself in the weeks ahead, in the form of stable, more functional ICS ROMs for the Xperia S.

Developers can grab the 132MB archive from Sony over at the source link.

Source: Sony Developer World; via: XperiaBlog

ASUS teases multicolored Nexus 7 covers

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 07:35 AM PDT

Android Central

Clad in blacks and grays, the Nexus 7 itself may be an unassuming beast, but it seems manufacturer ASUS is looking to spice things up a bit with its range of covers. The Nexus 7 maker teased a first look at its official accessories for the soon-to-be-released tablet on Twitter, showing some more colorful versions of the grey case that's listed -- though not yet available -- on Google Play. There's no info on pricing or availability just yet, but we're sure Nexus 7 early adopters will be looking to protect their investment with something like this following the tablet's release.

More: Nexus 7 review

Source: @ASUS

Best Buy, Staples and Future Shop Canada now taking pre-orders for the Nexus 7

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:14 PM PDT

Nexus 7

At this point, it's no secret that retailers across various regions will be adding the Nexus 7 to  their tablet offerings but now Best Buy, Staples and Future Shop Canada have gone ahead and set up their pre-orders for the first Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet. Oddly, it seems retailers are opting to not offer the lower priced 8GB version and instead jumping to the higher priced 16GB version. Whether or not the 8GB version will make an appearance later isn't known but either way, the $259.99 asking price isn't all that bad no matter how you slice it for what you're putting yourself into.

Of course, Google Play ordering is still the better option here considering you can get an additional $25 in apps when ordering direct but when these devices it hit stores, it should help those waiting to get a hands-on before diving in help decide if it's everything they are expecting. Speaking of dates, Best Buy and Future Shops says they'll be arriving in the warehouse on August 10th (bit late?) while Staples says July 14th. We'll be keeping our eye on whom, exactly ends up with them first. In the meantime, have you read our Nexus 7 review yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

Sources: Staples, Best Buy, Future Shop
Posted by at 5:43 AM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)