Android Central

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• Rom Manager updated, now you can download flashable zip backups to your computer
• The Nexus 7 giveaway winners list is here
• HTC One S getting its Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update with Sense 4+
• Original Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX receiving Jelly Bean OTA update
• From the Editor's Desk: Who's naughty, who's nice
• Stuff your stocking with Android Central returns!
• How we're tracking Santa on Android this Christmas Eve
• Monday Brief: EiCs name their Best Devices of 2012
• Amazon MP3 stuffing virtual stockings with $5 albums
• Sony Xperia TL shown running new Android 4.1.2-based firmware
• Benchmark listing provides further evidence for more Galaxy Note tablets
• LG releasing new Google TV products in the first half of 2013

Rom Manager updated, now you can download flashable zip backups to your computer Posted: 24 Dec 2012 03:08 PM PST If you use Rom Manager to manage your flashing habit and curate all your CWM backups, you're going to want to take a look at the latest update. Beside the theme fixes for older devices, there is a new feature that plenty of folks are going to find useful -- a backup server built right into the app. It's not just any backup server though. There are plenty of options out there to browse the files on your phone or tablet via Wifi. What Rom Manager is doing provides an extra handy service -- it transforms the backup files into a flashable zip file that you can flash back to your device (or any device) from ClockWorkMod Recovery. Granted, it's always been possible to pull and share CWM backups, but the new Rom Manager update takes the confusion away and makes it easy for everyone to pull a backup file that's ready to flash, without worrying about the right folder structure or location. As Koush says, this is the first version so there may be a few quirks in it. Be sure to report any of these you may run into back to him. I just tried it, and what I'm seeing works exceptionally well. Give it a go yourself with today's update.  Via: +ClockWorkMod

The Nexus 7 giveaway winners list is here Posted: 24 Dec 2012 01:36 PM PST You might remember that we hooked with Google last week and set up some giveaways for Nexus 7 tablets and Google Play gift cards. That's the kind of awesome stuff we do around these parts, and spreading the Android love around is something we enjoy. Anyhow, back to those giveaways. We went through the forums threads and picked out our winners, and here they be. Day one (December 17): scottyhifi Day two (December 18): randyw Day three (December 19): Culex316 Day four (December 21): Danrarbc Day five (December 22): lexflo Congrats all around! Keep an eye on your inboxes, as I'm going to need to know where to send the Nexus 7s. Thanks everyone for entering, and keep an eye out for more big contests.

HTC One S getting its Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update with Sense 4+ Posted: 24 Dec 2012 01:28 PM PST Not sure that pushing out OS updates on Christmas Eve is the wisest of moves, but we're not going to knock them either. HTC's following in Motorola's footsteps today, pushing out the Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update for the international One S. The 612-megabyte update (jeez, that's big) brings the software version up to 3.16.401.8 (for those of you keeping track at home). Bullet points for the update include: Android 4.1.1 and HTC Sense 4+ Enhanced UI with better performance in Camera New landing page and event/map view in gallery Power management improvement We're installing now. This sucker's big. More: HTC One S forums; thanks, @SebasB37!

Original Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX receiving Jelly Bean OTA update Posted: 24 Dec 2012 12:02 PM PST   It's a Christmas Eve miracle! Seemingly out of nowhere, the original Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX are pulling down an OTA update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Several different users in our forums are reporting that their handsets are (often slowly) downloading a very large update, and being greeted with Jelly Bean goodness when they reboot. We don't have any official support documentation from Verizon yet, but it doesn't get much more official than updates currently being downloaded. So are any of you seeing the update hit the notification bar of your RAZR or RAZR MAXX? Head to the forums and let us know. Source: Droid RAZR Forums; Droid RAZR MAXX Forums; Thanks, Sean!

From the Editor's Desk: Who's naughty, who's nice Posted: 24 Dec 2012 10:48 AM PST Ah, Christmas Eve. The day we remind our kids that they still have to be good for at least one more day, and remind ourselves that a little extra patience probably wouldn't hurt anyone. Easier said than done, for sure. But it's more important than ever to take a step back, take a breath, and keep some perspective.  In keeping with the spirit of things, here's my naughty and nice list.  read more

Stuff your stocking with Android Central returns! Posted: 24 Dec 2012 08:01 AM PST OK, so our stocking-stuffing schedule got thrown off a little bit thanks to some other, bigger, giveaways. These things happen, right? But it's Christmas eve, we're back on the horse, and we're ready to throw more $10 Google Play Gift Cards your way. For today's entries, we'll keep things simple: Just leave a comment on this post, telling us what sort of Android kit you'd love  to see this holiday season. That's it. We'll keep giving away a gift card a day until we run out, which looks to be in early 2013 at this point. And remember that these gift cards are good for apps, books, movies, TV shows and magazines, if you're in a region that supports them. (And if you're not, there are, ahem, ways around that.) So good luck, happy posting, and Merry Christmas!

How we're tracking Santa on Android this Christmas Eve Posted: 24 Dec 2012 05:55 AM PST There's a plethora of ways to track Santa Claus online today. Here are the two I'm thrusting at my kids. Google Earth: Everybody's favorite 3D(ish) map app is, of course, tracking that jolly fat guy in the red suit. It's available both in the desktop version as well as on your phone. Look for the "Follow Santa" link in the Tour Guide section. Download Google Earth here. Google Santa Tracker: This one's also available on your phone or in a desktop browser. It's more two-dimensional, but I think it's a little more fun for the kids, too. Looks more like a tracker and less like a "Hey, look, we've slapped Santa on Google Earth" type of thing. Get the Android app here, and check it out in your browser here. And be sure to remind your kids that he can see them when they're fighting over your phone.

Monday Brief: EiCs name their Best Devices of 2012 Posted: 24 Dec 2012 05:39 AM PST Mobile Nations Podcast Feed Mobile Nations on iTunes Mobile Nations YouTube The checkered, slow history of stories about Android updates 5 Android apps to help with last-minute holiday shopping Motorola said to be working on the 'X Phone' to bring the ultimate Android eXperience BlackBerry L-Series to be named the BlackBerry Z10 at launch? RIM CEO: 'We are very very confident in BlackBerry 10' Research In Motion Q3 Analysis and the BlackBerry Roller Coaster webOS Synergy Google sync safe from Google's ActiveSync shut down webOS Ports hackathon on Wednesday to update Internals apps to Enyo 2 Nexus 7 dual-Touchstone charging mod Instagram realizes it needs to start making money, decides to do it with your photos and identity Apple releases iOS 6.0.2 software update, bug fixes and iOS 6.1 beta 4 now available to developers 2012 iPhone and iPad gift guides Nokia begins Windows Phone 8 OS update for AT&T and Rogers Nokia improves Lumia 920 camera. We do a before and after comparison Samsung ATIV S unboxing and hands-on

Amazon MP3 stuffing virtual stockings with $5 albums Posted: 24 Dec 2012 03:15 AM PST Amazon is doing its best to help you get some last-minute gifts if you're completely out of ideas. It's far too late to order anything that needs to be shipped, and stores are all but closed, but you can still buy digital goods. Amazon has let everyone know via its official Twitter account that it has over 2,000 albums on sale right now for just $5 a piece, a darn good price. Buy some as a gift -- or maybe just a few albums for yourself. If you're interested in filling up your Amazon Cloud Player with some quick and easy music, hit up the source links below. It is running this promo through January 31st, 2013, so you have some time to think about it if you're not buying for a Christmas present. Source: @amazonmp3; Amazon

Sony Xperia TL shown running new Android 4.1.2-based firmware Posted: 24 Dec 2012 02:17 AM PST The first official Xperia Jelly Bean updates aren't expected until late February, but a leaked video has given us an early sneak peek at what to expect from upcoming Android 4.1-based firmwares from Sony. Vietnamese Sony community SonyViet has published a video of pre-release Xperia TL software in action, demonstrating a familiar Sony UI with some brand new features.  Among these is a new home screen launcher with new wallpapers, as well as new "Album" and "Movie" apps for photo and video content. There's also a new ClearAudio+ option for improving audio quality, a feature expected to ship in the upcoming Xperia V. Despite these new additions, the overall look and feel of the UI seems mostly unchanged from current ICS-based Xperia ROMs. Sony is expected to show off a new 5-inch, 1080p-resolution handset at CES in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks, and it's likely that similar software will be running on this new handset. The device, rumored to be called the Xperia Z, is said to pack a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU and 2GB of RAM. Source: SonyViet, via: XperiaBlog

Benchmark listing provides further evidence for more Galaxy Note tablets Posted: 24 Dec 2012 01:57 AM PST If you were paying particularly close attention to upcoming Galaxy Note rumors around late October, you may recall that a Samsung "GT-N5110" device appeared in a DLNA certification listing. This prompted speculation of a possible 7-9-inch Galaxy Note variant, on account of Samsung's naming scheme for Note devices. (The original international Note was GT-N7000, the Note 2 is GT-N7100 and the Note 10.1 is GT-N8000.) Today there's further evidence to suggest more Galaxy Note tablets are in the works. A GLBenchmark listing for a Samsung GT-N5100 has appeared, indicating a device running Android 4.1.2 on a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 processor -- same as the Galaxy Note 2. The screen resolution of 1280x800 also hints at a tablet device rather than a new phone, and the firmware version (N5100XXALL3) indicates something built during the month of December. These details wouldn't be impossible to fabricate, but the consistency seen here suggests to us that this is in fact a real device. Samsung's naming scheme points to GT-N5110 and GT-N5100 being different variations of the same device. Typically, tablets with model numbers ending in 00 are Wifi-plus-cellular options, while those ending in 10 are Wifi-only. For example, the Wifi-only Note 10.1 is GT-N8110, while the Wifi-plus-3G version is GT-N8100. Unfortunately there's no information as to what form this device will take, though a 7-inch tablet would fit quite elegantly between the existing 5.5-inch Note 2 and 10.1-inch Note 10.1. It's possible we might learn more about this device at CES in a couple of weeks, but given Samsung's track record, we think an unveiling at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in late February is more likely. Whatever happens, we'll be at both shows, and we'll keep you posted on any further developments. Source: GLBenchmark; via: SamMobile

LG releasing new Google TV products in the first half of 2013 Posted: 24 Dec 2012 01:27 AM PST LG has just announced that it will be releasing a new line of TV's powered by Google TV 3.0 software in the first half of 2013. The new units, which you can see are quite slim and interestingly designed, will come in several different sizes from 42 to 60 inches. Running Google TV integrated in the panel itself, LG claims it will have voice recognition "beyond simple voice input." With two new features called Quick Guide and Prime Time, the TV's will also let users watch and search for content at the same time. The new sets will have OnLive cloud gaming built-in, to be used with a controller that connects directly to the set. They will also have a new remote that has a microphone, gesture input controls and a QWERTY keyboard as well. LG is planning to show off the new line starting at CES in 2013, aiming to launch in the U.S. in the first half of the year. Source: LG Newsroom

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Android Community

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• Getting into the Christmas spirit with your Android smartphone
• Android Community Weekly Christmas Edition: December 23rd, 2012
• Huawei Ascend Mate 6.1-inch phablet shown off ahead of CES

Getting into the Christmas spirit with your Android smartphone Posted: 24 Dec 2012 11:10 AM PST Similar to what you would find for other holidays, searching the Google Play Store for Christmas will give countless results. That being the case, we here at Android Community spent some time digging through the listings and came up with a handful of Christmas related apps that should help keep you in the Christmas spirit. The app list includes some music, some sounds, wallpapers and live wallpapers and a naughty or nice scanner. Of course, there is the Santa Tracker app and also the Charlie Brown Christmas app, because really, can you get fully into the Christmas spirit without the Peanuts gang. Up first, the apps have that deal with sounds. We have Christmas Radio (free). This app offers more than 50 stations including North Pole Radio, which is said to be broadcasting directly from the North Pole. And in addition to being supported on smartphones, Christmas Radio is available for tablets and Google TV. Keeping with the sounds and we move over to ringtones. This app is called Christmas Ringtones. This is also a free app and thanks to recent update, now includes 10 additional sound clips. Next up, the scenery, which in this case comes in the form of wallpapers and live wallpapers. The regular wallpapers is the Christmas Wallpaper HD app and the live one is Christmas Tree Live Wallpaper. Both of these apps are available for free and feature just what you would expect — wallpapers with Christmas trees as well as snow, lights and more. Moving past the audio and visual and we have two that should be fun for the kids, or maybe for the adults as well. We have the Elf Scanner – Naughty or Nice app which is $0.99 and A Charlie Brown Christmas which is priced at $1.99. The Elf Scanner app is as the name implies, it will allow you to scan your kids to see if they have been naughty or nice. The app has some nice looking graphics and in my limited time playing, seems to be really fun for the kids. As for the Charlie Brown Christmas app, what can we really say here as we suspect many will already be familiar. This app features dialog and soundtrack goodies from the original 1965 classic as well as the ability to decorate your own (virtual) Charlie Brown Christmas tree and more. Finally, what Christmas app roundup post would be complete without a way to track Santa. This one is the Google Santa Tracker app and it does just what you want — it tracks Santa. This app is available for free and should help get those kids in bed at a respectable hour on Christmas Eve.

Android Community Weekly Christmas Edition: December 23rd, 2012 Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:53 PM PST Hello and Happy Holidays to all you Android fans. Today we have another Android Community Weekly to wrap up all the fun and exciting news from this past week in the Android world. Being Christmas in a few days this is our holiday edition. We wanted to take this moment to start by saying have a happy holiday’s, and our team will be taking off Monday and Tuesday to enjoy the Christmas spirit. Read on for everything that happened this week. Hmm, a lot happened this week and we’re not sure where to begin. Samsung had tons of Jelly Bean updates, Verizon had a big week, and Google was in the news more than a few times. We’ll start with some extremely interesting news from Friday, that being Motorola and Google working on a next-gen smartphone to take on the Android greats. It’s being called the X-Phone for now, and we don’t know much else. Then Google’s Android team released a Happy Holidays Video for your enjoyment. We have a little more Google news too. The official Nexus 7 dock leaked and is coming later this month, and Google’s been showing off the Nexus 4 in a new TV commercial. Lastly we’re not sure this has much to do with Google, but it’s been being called the $99 Nexus 7. ASUS’s new 7-inch tablet was leaked in the flesh — check it out. There was tons of awesome and exciting news this week. Samsung’s Verizon Galaxy S III got Jelly Bean, ASUS updated their Padfone 2, and there’s tons more so be sure and check it all out. We’ll end on a few fun notes and let you enjoy the holiday weekend. Google’s send a call from Santa is back, Huawei’s 6.1-inch phablet was shown off, and Neilsen’s year end report has Android on top. Last but not least enjoy New Years with the official Times Square Ball drop app. We’ll be enjoying Christmas Eve and Christmas with our friends and family, but expect a few reviews and tips to come while you enjoy those new Android toys you open on Christmas morning. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend folks!

Huawei Ascend Mate 6.1-inch phablet shown off ahead of CES Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:09 PM PST Huawei‘s big reveal for CES 2013, most likely the Ascend Mate 6.1-inch 1080p smartphone, is getting shown off a few weeks early this holiday weekend by none other than one of their own Execs. We’ve mentioned the Ascend Mate more than a few times already, but today’s reveal makes it completely official. Read on for more details on this larger than life smartphone. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. How big is too big? Huawei doesn’t feel a 6.1-inch smartphone is too big. And neither does Samsung with rumors of their 6.3-inch phone coming mid next year. However, this is all about Huawei. Today one of their big wig execs was out and about at a Huawei store in China and left little to the imagination after showing off the new smartphone. The Ascend Mate has been confirmed to be rocking a 6.1-inch low power IPS display with a 1080p HD resolution. Under the hood is Huawei’s own 1.8 GHz quad-core HiSilicon K3V3 processor, 2GB of RAM and all those other top tier specs we have all come to lust for. Other details include Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a massive 4,000 mAh battery. Other than that, little other details were given according to reports by Weibo. For those interested, the entire moment was captured on video live from the Huawei store and above is that video. Give it a look to see this extra large phablet smartphone in the flesh. The device is slightly thicker than the Note II, but certainly a lot bigger. We’ll be learning all the details and getting some hands-on with this smartphone early next year at CES 2013 so stay tuned. Story Timeline Huawei Ascend Mate spotted in the wild with ridiculously large screen Huawei Ascend Mate 6.1-inch 1080p quad-core phone confirmed by exec Huawei 8.5-inch smartphone prototype is ridiculously huge Huawei Ascend D2 image leak shows the Emotion UI [via SlashGear]

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