Sunday, September 2, 2012

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Google Android News Android Forums

Apple patent lawsuit targets more Samsung devices including Samsung Galaxy S III

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 12:54 PM PDT

You may have thought things were over for Samsung after last week's loss to Apple in the highly-covered patent lawsuit between the two. Surely the $1.0+ billion judgment and ensuing stock losses for Samsung are enough to drive them out of the smartphone and tablet markets. For all the hype, last week's jury verdict in favor of Apple was just one battle in a war. Even Apple recognizes this. Rather than sitting on their laurels and waiting for Samsung and the rest of the world's Android manufacturers to slink off in defeat, Apple was back to work in a San Jose federal court filing documents on Friday. This time, it is a request to add more devices from Samsung to a case filed back in February 2012 alleging a variety of patent infringements. The original lawsuit covered 17 devices that had been produced between August 2011 and the filing. The new request adds four more devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S III. Nor word or response from Samsung yet regarding the latest filing.

source: Reuters

Edge-to-edge screen to be revealed by Motorola next week?

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 12:26 PM PDT

As we reported a couple weeks ago, Motorola has an event planned for next week on September 5th in New York in conjunction with Verizon Wireless. We have surmised that both Motorola DROID RAZR HD and a Motorola DROID RAZR M devices will be released. Bloomberg is now reporting that a source familiar with plans for the event has indicated one of the devices to be unveiled will be a Motorola smartphone with virtually no bezel, effectively giving it an edge-to-edge screen. If true, this will make it unique in the smartphone market. Whatever the new device is, as Bloomberg notes, this will be the first high-profile Android device release for Motorola since being acquired by Google earlier this year.

Looking back through some photos that have leaked of the DROID RAZR HD, there is some similarity with the latest image above. Could the DROID RAZR HD or even the rumored DROID RAZR MAXX HD sport the bezel-less screen? Would such a feature be something you would be interested in?

source: Bloomberg

College Football 2012 App Gives College Football Fans Their Favorite Team’s Schedule On Their Fingertips

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 07:01 AM PDT

 

Today marks the first Saturday of the 2012 college football season. So that means all of you fanatics for your favorite teams will need to have a means of keeping track of all the various schedules out there and that’s why the College Football 2012 app has you covered. The app is developed by Neverstill Mobile and brings a simplistic ability of being able to pull any and every game out on a team’s schedule. There’s no complicated information and no complicated menus— just straightforward news. This means Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Florida and Oklahoma fans will be able to know when their teams place, just in case you know… they didn’t print the season schedule out before.

The app is available for all Android devices and comes in at a minor 1.9MB. Considering there’s going to be all sorts of action happening around the country after today, it may not be wise to not have a complete schedule right under your fingertips if you’re a fan of a college football team.

 

Play Store

 

Grooveshark “Mysteriously” Pulled From The Play Store Yet Again

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 06:47 AM PDT

 

Now you see it… and now you don’t! After seeing Grooveshark make its way back to the Play Store a few days ago, it’s mysteriously been pulled  and is currently unavailable. The mysterious thing is that there is no explanation given on either Grooveshark’s blog site or in the Play Store. Instead, folks interested in downloading the app via the Play Store link are greeted by the lovely message below:

The likely reality is Google may have seen something it didn’t quite like with the newest iteration of the app, so it quickly pulled the app with no answers given. Hopefully the app will be back with its corrected issues sooner than later.

source: Android Police

Samsung Smart TVs to launch later this year with Google TV

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 11:54 PM PDT

Samsung has built a major part of its reputation with its line of Smart TVs, but has yet to fully dip its toes into Google TV — until now, that is. While not a part of its press conference, the company is showing off new Google TV hardware on the show floor of IFA 2012.

Details are scarce, but Samsung plans to utilize its Smart Hub as the central user interface for switching between television and apps. As expected, the company has already ported some of its own Smart TV apps to the Google TV unit. With these added tweaks, the company hopes to “enhance the Smart TV experience.” 

Google TV has undoubtedly failed to catch on with consumers, but Samsung is hoping that it can make an impact with its prominent branding. Let’s just hope Samsung can actually bring this thing to market for a reasonable price. More on this story as it develops.

Source: Engadget
Via: Phandroid

Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL hits Germany in October

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 11:13 PM PDT

Remember “the world’s fastest phone”? We got our first hands-on with Huawei’s Ascend D1 Quad XL way back at Mobile World Congress in February, though its actual existence has yet to materialize. However, a new regional launch is finally set to bring the elusive handset to German store shelves in October.

While the phone may have gained a 1 in its name, it still features the same impressive specs. The Ascend D1 Quad XL houses Huawei’s very own 1.2GHz K3v2 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of on board storage, which can easily be expanded via MicroSD. Additionally, the 4.5-inch behemoth sports a 2,600mAh battery, which is rated at 500 hours of standby time thanks to Huawei’s battery saving technology.

Availability is slated for the end of October in both matte black and ceramic white colors. While there’s no word on which carriers (if any) will be receiving the handset, it will be sold off-contract for €499 (£395/$625). For the full low-down be sure to check out the official press release below.

HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL – the smartphone with the special something

New high-end device is smart by name, smart by nature

Berlin, Germany, August 30th, 2012 – In perfect time for the 2012 IFA in Berlin, HUAWEI, a world leading provider of information and communications technology (ICT), presents the smartphone with that certain special something. Display, battery and processor: the HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL always delivers that little bit extra for its users.

The new high-end device is a master of endurance. Based on the Android™ 4.0 operating system, it also incorporates HUAWEI Battery Saving Technology to slash energy consumption by up to 30 per cent. Combined with the ultra-powerful 2,600 mAh battery, it delivers an impressive 15 hours of talk time and 500 hours of standby. And the Ascend D1 Quad XL also features smart computing power, with a 1.2 GHz K3V2 processor and integrated 16x GPU. 1 GB RAM powers smooth, fast changeovers between applications, while 8 GB ROM ensures plenty of space for entertainment – and can easily be increased to up to 32GB with microSD™.

The generous 11.59-cm (4.5-inch) high-definition IPS+ touchscreen makes the most of all content, with crystal-clear presentation even in bright sunlight thanks to its PPI 330 display. And to ensure the HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL is a feast for all the senses, Dolby® Mobile 3 sound enhancement and Audience earSmart™ voice technology create a superb audio experience

"We listen to what our customers want, and they prioritize speed, long battery life and mobile entertainment in a high-quality, lightweight package", says Lars-Christian Weisswange, Vice President Device Western Europe at HUAWEI Technologies. "The HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL fulfils all their desires."

The 8-megapixel rear camera features dual LED flash and minimal delay, with state-of-the-art BSI technology delivering excellent image quality even in poor light. A 1.3-megapixel front camera for video telephony and HD video is also integrated, enabling videos to be shot in 1080p full HD and played back on a suitable TV or monitor using a MHL adapter* (Mobile High-Definition Link) or DLNA. 

A mere 64.9 mm wide and 11.5 mm in depth, the HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL is the smartest way to conceal an array of high-tech features. The elegant lines of the frame and ultra-compact touchscreen design enabled HUAWEI to slim down this advanced smartphone to the max.

Prices and availability

The HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL is available in Germany from the end of October 2012 in Matt Black and Ceramic White finishes at the recommended retail price of EUR 499,– without contract. 

Google’s End of Summer Sale offers top-tier Play Store apps for just 99 cents

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:52 PM PDT

Google is going all out with its End of Summer Sale. Developers have teamed up with the search giant to offer some incredible deals on some of the hottest apps and games inside the Play Store. Top titles like Max Payne and Crystal Defenders, as well as Modern Combat 3 and N.O.V.A. 3 have been slashed down to just 99 cents for the special occasion. There’s also a healthy slew of productivity apps available, so you’re bound to find something that suits you.

To make your life easier, we’ve compiled a list of the apps included in the sale as well as direct links to the Play Store after the break. Yes, you’re welcome.

 
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Android Central

Android Central

Hands-on with Lenovo's new Ideatab Android tablets at IFA 2012

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 02:13 PM PDT

Lenovo has unveiled three new Android tablets at IFA 2012, in Berlin, and we've had the chance to try them out for ourselves. All three tablets run Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, along with some additional UI customizations from the manufacturer.

First up is the 10-inch Ideatab S2110, a keyboard-and-tabet dock set similar to the ASUS Transformer series. Inside the S2110 is a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU running at 1.5GHz, backed up by 1GB of RAM. That's billed as a "premium entertainment tablet," and as such packs HDMI output capable of pumping out images at up to 1080p resolution.

Next come the Ideatab A2107 and A2109 -- mid-range offerings aimed at a lower price point. The A2109 is based around NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chipset, while Lenovo wasn't disclosing the CPU inside the A2107. Both devices sport a more curved chassis with smoother edges, though the software is consistent with the Lenovo's larger tablet. We noticed a few performance and stability issues with these two tablets on the show floor, but we'll put that down to the presence of pre-release hardware and software, and we imagine both will be polished up before the eventual release.

We've got hands-on video up top and more photos of all three products after the break.

read more

Hands-on with the Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:39 PM PDT

Android Central

When we first got wind of the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL, it was an afterthought at the company's Mobile World Congress press conference. Aside the D Quad, which shipped with a 1800 mAh battery, the Ascend D Quad XL would offer a more substantial 2600mAh. At that show, however, only the D Quad was present -- the D Quad XL was nowhere to be seen.

But at IFA 2012 this week, the newly-renamed (we'll leave it up to you to work out why) Ascend D1 Quad XL was proudly displayed at the Huawei booth for all to see. The software it was running closely resembled what we'd seen on the original D Quad back in February -- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, backed up by a proprietary Huawei UI layer (though not the Emotion UI we've seen emerge in recent weeks). On the inside, you'll find the same hardware powering the show -- Huawei's own quad-core 1.4GHz CPU, which has still yet to see the light of day in a released product.

All in all, it's a thicker, bulkier version of the D1 Quad, and one which should see you through a few more hours of regular use. We've got hands-on video after the break, along with a few more photos.

read more

Leaked materials show Samsung Victory 4G LTE coming to Sprint this month

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:29 PM PDT

Victory 4G LTE

According to this Sprint internal employee promotion, the Samsung Victory 4G LTE should be on the shelves at your local Sprint store sometime in September. News that Samsung will be pushing out a bunch of mid-range Android phones has been kicking around for a week or so, but here's the first official looking word from a carrier about one of them. The supposed specs are a Qualcomm S4 with a 480x800 display and NFC, so it should be more than capable.

What we know for sure is that Sprint reps will get an extra $3 for selling you one in September, and they can't do that unless they are in stock. We'll be waiting for an official announcement.

Thanks, Anon!

Apps of the Week - Eternity Warriors 2, Chicken Bandit, ESPN Fantasy Football and more!

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:14 PM PDT

Android Central

We've got another great lineup of apps for your enjoyment this week. It's the first day of September and these apps will help you start it off right. In this batch there are a few great games, an app to manage your fantasy football team and one to keep your phone secure when you're out of the house. Give these picks a try and while you're on an app downloading spree, go ahead and check out the "End of Summer Sale" in the Google Play Store.

read more

Hands-on with the Intel-powered ZTE Grand X IN

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:11 PM PDT

We first saw the ZTE Grand X in July in London, where the Tegra 2-powered smartphone was billed as a mid-range gaming-focused handset. Fast forward a couple of months, and we've come across a new variant at the Intel booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin. The ZTE Grand X IN closely resembles its Tegra 2-powered brother, except lurking inside this model is an Intel Atom Z2460 CPU, making it one of the few Intel-powered Android 4.x handsets out there.

The only cosmetic difference is the "Intel Inside" badge on the device's rear -- aside from that, it's identical to the version we saw in England in July. On the software side, it's still running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, with only a few custom additions from ZTE. The software remains mostly stock on the Intel-powered version, though obviously some of the Tegra-powered extras are absent on this model.

Check out our hands-on video above. The ZTE Grand X IN should ve hitting store shelves sometime in Q3.

Weekend project: Build Mozilla's Boot to Gecko for your Android smartphone

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 11:36 AM PDT

Mozilla Boot to Gecko

I'm not a coder. I barely know Git from Got, and I can't recall how many times I've wondered why adb won't work, only to discover I forgot to turn on USB debugging -- again. I've got Linux on a box here, but I only ever use it when I'm in the mood to throw a half-dozen questions at Jerry in the span of five minutes.

Also, I don't have a neckbeard.

So what in the wide, wide world of sports am I doing downloading Xcode on my MacBook Air (never mind that until this spring I'd been a Windows guy all my life), syncing from Git repos, compiling code and flashing an operating system I've consciously ignored up until now -- especially given that I've spent 24 hours dealing with a sick child, worrying about an ailing friend, and preparing for a probable hurricane, largely ignoring my actual job?

I, apparently, have a problem with flashing. And so that's how I recently found myself putting Mozilla's fledgling operating system, also known as "Gecko," on the Samsung Nexus S. 

Welcome to the Boot to Gecko project.

Like I said, I'm not a coder. But I do like to mess with things. And I managed to do this, as my young daughters like to say, all ... by ... my ... self. And you can, too.

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Labor Day Weekend Sale: Save 15% on all Android Accessories from ShopAndroid.com!

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:59 AM PDT

Android Central

The holiday weekend is upon us here in the States, and our pals at ShopAndroid.com are sharing the savings with everyone! Through midnight Monday, you can save 15 percent on your entire order when you use the coupon code LDAY12 at checkout.

That's 15 percent off all Android cases, headsets, memory cards -- everything! And don't forget that ShopAndroid has all-new international shipping options as well. Hope everybody has a great weekend, and enjoy the savings!

Lloyd goes to Berlin via China

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:50 AM PDT

Android Central

We all know that Lloyd is a well-traveled individual, but we were nevertheless surprised to see him stalking the halls of IFA 2012 in Berlin, Germany, moonlighting for a Chinese tablet manufacturer. We've seen our trusty mascot adorn unauthorized ads and shop signs before, but never on such a scale. Electronics firm Hopeful enlisted the help of a five-foot-tall Lloyd at its IFA 2012 booth, where it was showing a handful of Android tablets.

We'll be having a few words with Lloyd when he gets back from Berlin. In the meantime, if you want real, AC-approved Lloyd swag, we've got plenty of that over in the store.

Hands on with the Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:49 AM PDT

Over at the Huawei booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin, one of the new devices on show is the new MediaPad 7 Lite. We first heard about the tablet back in July, when Huawei themselves announced the device. Specs were a mystery back then, but with the device now pretty much ready for launch, we went hands on to get a feel for this new, mid-range tablet. 

Up front the MediaPad 7 Lite sports a 7 inch 1024x600 IPS display, while powering everything from beneath is an ARM Cortex A8 1.2GHz processor. The tablet comes running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and reminds us of the old HTC Flyer with it's two-tone silver and white, metal meets plastic rear. Perhaps more curiously though, the MediaPad 7 Lite has a 3G cellular voice function. Data, SMS and MMS are all possible from the tablet. Rounding out the specs are a pair of cameras, 3.2MP on the rear, 0.3MP on the front. 

Overall the MediaPad 7 Lite isn't going to set the world on fire, but it isn't meant to either. It isn't the slowest experience in the world, although we did experience a few moments during our brief hands on time. Android purists will be happy also, as it seems that it's pretty much stock ICS on this thing. 

The Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite will begin shipping from now across selected markets, continuing through September. Aside from Russia, there is no word on European availability at this time, nor for the U.S. 

Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD to begin shipping in September

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:27 AM PDT

Android Central

Having been first announced back at Mobile World Congress, the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD -- much like the Ascend D1 Quad XL -- has faded into almost total obscurity. Fast forward six months to IFA 2012 in Berlin, and the tablet is back, and is ready for release. 

Powered by Huawei's own K3v2 Cortex-A9 1.4GHz quad-core processor, the MediaPad 10 FHD packs a gorgeous full HD 1920x1200 IPS display with a 16:10 screen ratio, and Dolby audio technology. Huawei also promises a keyboard dock add-on for the tablet much in the same vein as Asus' Transformer Pad series.

The MediaPad 10 FHD is available now in China, and will begin shipping in selected European and Middle-Eastern markets in September. No word as yet on any UK or U.S. availability. The full press release can be found after the break.

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Spotted at IFA: The ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL 4G LTE

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:20 AM PDT

Android Central

When we got our first look at the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity back at Mobile World Congress, we were promised a 4G LTE version to go alongside the Wifi-only tablet, and today at IFA 2012, we got our first look at the 4G-powered Infinity at the Vodafone booth.

On the outside, there's little to separate the 4G LTE version from its cheaper Wifi-only sibling -- same design, same connectors, same delicious full HD 1080p IPS screen. Interestingly, although the original Infinity's been upgraded to Jelly Bean in some territories, the pre-release TF700KL on the show floor was still rocking Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The internals have been switched around a bit too -- instead of the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU in the Wifi version, the LTE model features a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4. As we've seen in other devices, this doesn't make a huge difference -- the 4G Infinity is just as nippy as the vanilla TF700.

The big difference here is connectivity -- 4G LTE support enables super-fast speeds on-the-go, and testing the Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL at Vodafone's booth, we averaged around 50Mbps down and 10Mbps up, though in some cases transfer speeds reached as high as 80Mbps down and 35Mbps up. That's probably a long way off what you'll see on real-world 4G networks, though it certainly does highlight the potential of the technology. That technology comes with a hefty price tag, though, as the TF700KL will cost a whopping €819.90 when it launches in Germany.

We've got a few more photos of the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL 4G LTE after the break.

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Hands on with Ice Cream Sandwich on the Intel powered Orange San Diego

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:10 AM PDT

Android Central

When we first reviewed the Intel Atom powered Orange San Diego back in May, one of the biggest drawbacks to the device was Gingerbread. While the experience with the device was on the whole reasonably pleasurable, there's just no getting away from how outdated Gingerbread has started to feel. 

All that is about to change though for Intel devices. The ZTE Grand X IN was announced earlier this week running Android 4.0, and at the Intel booth today at IFA 2012 in Berlin, we found an Orange San Diego also running Ice Cream Sandwich. Furthermore, an Intel representative told us that the update will begin pushing out sometime during September, although couldn't be more specific than that. What Intel did say is that from their side, all the hard work is done, and the software build is complete. 

But there's more. As you can see here -- and from our hands on video after the break --  the San Diego is running on stock ICS. And, aside from the slightly odd screen resolution of the San Diego -- another of our less favored points -- tainting the appearance a little, it seems to run really nicely. It's smooth, it's snappy, and it's impressive to see that Intel is now starting to make a real push forward. 

read more

Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note now targeted by Apple lawsuit

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:32 PM PDT

Apple v Samsung Galaxy S III

Apple has amended a lawsuit they filed back in February against Samsung, and is now including four new devices to the original 17 they say violate their patented technology. The additions are the Galaxy S3 (Galaxy S III), the Verizon specific Galaxy S III, the Galaxy Note, and the Galaxy Note 10.1. These devices will join the Galaxy S II Skyrocket, the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, the Galaxy S II, the T-Mobile Galaxy S II, the AT&T Galaxy S II, the Galaxy Nexus, the Illusion, the Captivate Glide, the Exhibit II 4G, the Stratosphere, the Transform Ultra, the Admire, the Conquer 4G, and the Dart on the smartphone side, and the Galaxy Player 4.0, the Galaxy Player 5.0, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and the Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablets.

The patents Apple is claiming are being violated are:

The "Data detector" patent was successfully used against HTC to block the One X and EVO 4G LTE from import back in December 2011, while the others have been met with limited success around the globe.

The battle between these two is far from over folks -- last weeks news was just the beginning. Expect more as this develops further.

Source: Reuters
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