Android Community |
- MotoCast: Motorola’s smartphone streaming solution [Video]
- Motorola DROID RAZR: Locked bootloader and battery is not removable
- Motorola DROID RAZR accessories: Lapdocks, keyboards and more
- Motorola DROID RAZR hands-on from NYC [Video]
- Motorola unveils MotoACTV “the ultimate fitness device”
- Motorola DROID RAZR official: LTE speed in a svelte slate
- HTC buys Zoodles developer for kid-friendly browsing and apps
- Ice Cream Sandwich will include built-in screen capture
- Galaxy Nexus smiles for NTT DoCoMo in leaked press shot
- Huawei MediaPad hits FCC en route to T-Mo
- NTT DoCoMo tweets Galaxy Nexus for November ahead of launch
- Motorola releases DROID BIONIC source code
- Espier Launcher temporarily cures iPhone envy
- Hockey Nations 2011 THD Game hands-on [Video]
- T-Mobile Monthly4G unlimited plans are available starting today
- New Ice Cream Sandwich mail and calendar widgets leak out
- Texas Instruments OMAP 5 SoC mobile processor gets shown off on camera [Video]
- ‘Battery Upgrade’ malware shows users how to make their phone vulnerable
- Ice Cream Sandwich includes a built-in photo editor
- ITC sides with Apple over HTC in latest patent case
| MotoCast: Motorola’s smartphone streaming solution [Video] Posted: 18 Oct 2011 10:53 AM PDT In addition to the DROID RAZR and the MotoACTV, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jah demoed the company’s new MotoCast app and service to the tech world in New York City today. The service is pretty straightforward streaming/remote access software that will be included on the DROID RAZR and probably future Motorola phones as well. Jha demonstrated it downloading music and displaying remote photos from a remote computer while on the wireless network.
The app will be media focused; Motorola’s press release speaks almost exclusively on streaming from your home computer to your phone. Video, photos and documents should work as well. Note that this is remote streaming, not cloud storage – your home computer has to be on in order for you to access the files. At one point during the demonstration, Jha couldn’t connect to the remote computer and was left without a lot to do.The advantage to this is that you won’t need to pay for any extra service, since you’re providing the storage at home and you’re already paying for a wireless connection. The DROID RAZR will include an installer on its on-board storage. MotoCast video demo MotoCast is a bit of a tough sell for power users, who have been able to perform similar feats for ages. Services like Dropbox and the Amazon Cloud Player allow access to media and files without having to keep a connection to your home computer. The only read advantage that MotoCast has is that it will be pre-loaded (and non-removable) on future Motorola phones. That alone should get it at least some audience, but we’ll see how many actually use it when the DROID RAZR releases next month. Be sure to check out our hands-on coverage of the Motorola DROID RAZR. )
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| Motorola DROID RAZR: Locked bootloader and battery is not removable Posted: 18 Oct 2011 10:36 AM PDT In cased you’ve somehow missed it, we are live at the NYC Motorola event where they’ve just announced the new DROID RAZR. You can see the official announcement here, and our hands-on pictures and videos by clicking here. Sadly we can now confirm that the Motorola DROID RAZR will indeed have a locked bootloader.
What makes things even worse, is they’ve opted for a non-removable back and battery. The phone does come with 16GB internal storage and now the micro-SD slot is neatly placed on the side next to the micro-SIM for 4G LTE. So not only will rooting and hacking be extremely tough, but those taking the journey can’t do battery pulls if something goes wrong like many have needed in the past. We have confirmed with multiple Motorola reps here live in NYC that the bootloader will remain locked. I was hoping they’d be changing these policies eventually — but it appears that wont be happening any time soon.
The Motorola DROID RAZR with Verizon 4G LTE is an awesome phone through and through, but I’m still sad to hear that it will be extremely locked down, and now that we learned the battery is too I’m even less excited. This might not be a big deal to many, but for the modding and hacking community this is a big issue and problem and while HTC has fixed it, Motorola shows no signs of change. What does everyone think? Is this a deal breaker or were you planning on getting the Samsung Galaxy Nexus anyways? We’ll have plenty of coverage of that device tonight so stay right here at Android Community for the same great coverage and hands-on. Device Info
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| Motorola DROID RAZR accessories: Lapdocks, keyboards and more Posted: 18 Oct 2011 10:07 AM PDT Motorola unveiled a host of accessories along with its new flagship phone today, at least a few of which should work with other devices. The DROID RAZR is getting the star treatment with a standard assortment of desktop and vehicle docks, plus a few extra goodies that we haven’t seen yet. Probably the most interesting among them is the new Lapdock 500.
The 500 is an expanded model of the equally new Lapdock 100, with a larger 14″ screen and a more spacious keyboard. Though it wasn’t mentioned in the presentation, that should give it plenty of room for a larger battery as well. We don’t know if the new Lapdock 500 will work across different Webtop-enabled smartphones, but it seems likely. The DROID RAZR will get two separate desktop docks, the HD Station and HD Dock. Both will support Webtop, though exactly how isn’t said – probably with an HDMI port. The Station will also have USB ports for expandability, and of course, both will charge the device via its MicroUSB port. A basic car dock is also in the works.
Interestingly, the DROID RAZR is getting some official external keyboard support via the Wireless Keyboard accessories. Two will be offered, one with an iPad 2 -style trifold cover and one without. It looks like both will have a pull-out trackpad, and they seem to be the same size as the keyboard you’d find on a 10-inch netbook. A gesture controller called the Smart Controller will also be available. All three will probably work with other Motorola devices. More typical fair includes the Elite Silver Bluetooth headset, a travel charger and an external battery pack to supplement the DROID RAZR’s non-removable 1800 mAh battery. Prices have not been announced for any of the new accessories, but with DROID RAZR pre-orders beginning on October 27th, expect more details soon. Be sure to check out our hands-on from New York City. Device Info
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| Motorola DROID RAZR hands-on from NYC [Video] Posted: 18 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Now that it’s finally official and Motorola has announced their next big flagship device for Verizon, the DROID RAZR, we were lucky enough to quickly grab some hands-on time for you all to see for yourselves. The DROID RAZR has been leaked time and time again, not to mention all the teaser videos and leaked device render we saw this week. Today Motorola aims to take back the crown and revive the iconic RAZR brand, see our hands-on below as it all comes in.
This sleek Kevlar coated superphone is blazing fast with 4G LTE, durable, and super thin at only 7.1mm. Looking very closely to what some could call the DROID X3 or even a thinner and prettier BIONIC but that is where things end. We have the first combined qHD and Super AMOLED display at 4.3″ powered by a 1.2 GHz OMAP 4 processor and 1GB of RAM this phone has everything the BIONIC does and more, while being only 7.1mm thin (not counting the hump). With 16GB internal storage and bundled with a 16GB micro-SD we have 32GB out of the box. Powered by Verizon 4G LTE you can expect some blazing fast 4G results and Motorola was quick to compare to the slow, non LTE iPhone 4S. Without getting into things too much as that was all detailed in the official announcement early, here’s the video and pictures below: Motorola DROID RAZR hands-on video When they said it was thin, they meant it — check out these photos!
Motorola DROID RAZR hands-on two We are still running around and checking out this awesome and thin phone so stay tuned as we continue to update. We have asked a few Motorola reps regarding the bootloader and we keep getting the same reply and that is nobody seems to know. I have a feeling that is a no. This bad boy can be yours sometime early November and pre-orders start October 27th for just $299 from Verizon.                  Device Info
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| Motorola unveils MotoACTV “the ultimate fitness device” Posted: 18 Oct 2011 09:30 AM PDT We are live at the Moto event in NYC and while we are still waiting for the juicy DROID RAZR details they have unveiled a brand new Android device called MotoACTV, “the ultimate fitness device”. This wearable device is what we saw leaked a few months back and is Motorola’s answer to the iPod Nano, powered by Android and a 600 MHz processor. More details and pictures below.
The Moto ACTV runs on Android and a 600 MHz processor, weighs only 35 grams and is super powerful (for what it is). With GPS and more it can track your heart rate, calories, walking and cycling stats and upload it all to MotoACTV.com. It is water, shock, and sweat-proof and will definitely be giving Nike+ a run for its money. You can then check all your stats from miles ran/cycled to calories burned and more right from the website.
With two available bluetooth headsets to sync wirelessly whether you’re at the gym or biking down a mountain MotoACTV has you covered. We also have an MP3 player here capable of storing more than 4000 songs with both an 8 and 16GB version available. Full details and availability have yet to be announced but the new Motorola MotoACTV can be yours soon for only $249 for the 8GB model and $299 for 16GB. Once we learn more we will update, stay tuned for hands-on video.       )
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| Motorola DROID RAZR official: LTE speed in a svelte slate Posted: 18 Oct 2011 09:27 AM PDT After many, many leaks, Motorola has finally unveiled its latest flagship phone at a joint event with Verizon in New York City. The Gingerbread-powered device revives a classic Motorola nomenclature: they’re calling it the DROID RAZR after the drool-inducing flip phone of years past. The skinny 4.3-inch slate will be Motorola’s new flagship phone after the somewhat underwhelming BIONIC, and one of the most high-profile phones to use Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Chief among the new features is an armored Kevlar construction, a first in a mainstream phone.
The 4.3-inch qHD screen is the first to also be Super AMOLED and qHD – a step above the standard LCD panels. The screen size isn’t the only thing the DROID RAZR shares with the X2 and Bionic – from the no-frills tablet style to the hump on the back holding the 8-megapixel 1080p camera, you could be forgiven for thinking that the entire device was at some point known as the DROID X3. While the main section of the phone gets as slim as 7.1mm, the hump will be a bit more. The phone’s construction is fairly novel. In addition to the armored back panel, the entire case is covered in a splash-proof casing and the stainless steel frame extends out into the exterior styling. Also included are aluminum and glass accents and parts of the phone are protected bu ultralight Kevlar, making the phone only 117 grams. Note the tapered corners, not unlike the Motorola Photon and leaked photos of the next-generation XOOM – these seem to be hallmarks of Moto’s industrial design going forward. Standard Micro USB and HDMI ports adorn the left side, and there’s a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for all the video conferencing apps on the Android Market.
Underneath the hood you get some now standard superphone guts: a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with a full gigabyte of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and an extra 16 on the included MicroSD card. All this muscle is put to use on Android Gingerbread, though Motorola and Verizon are both promising an upgrade to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which you might be hearing about later today. The large 1800 mAh battery should see you through a full day of standard use, according to Motorola. They’re claiming 12 hours of 3G browsing and 8.9 hours of talk time, getting help from the included battery manager app, which will be user-customizable. Verizon and Motorola are claiming a 42 Mbps maximum download speed from the RAZR’s LTE radio – in fact, the DROID RAZR will be the first smartphone to stream Netflix in HD. Motorola is including some extensive cloud and syncing options, allowing you to access and download files from your desktop computer with MotoCast. Citrix collaboration software and compatibility with the Lapdock 100 dock and the new, more powerful Lapdock 500 will make it enterprise friendly. Other accessories will include desktop and car docks, plus a Bluetooth headset and two different keyboards. Pre-orders will start on October 27th for $299. The phone itself will be available sometime in November. The phone will be called the Motorola RAZR in other markets, where it will also be available in November.             Device Info
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| HTC buys Zoodles developer for kid-friendly browsing and apps Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:17 AM PDT Smartphone maker extraordinaire HTC announced its latest acquisition today: independent software developer Inquisitive Minds. The company’s primary product is Zoodles, a safe mode for desktop, tablet and smartphone browsers that allows kids to surf the web safely and ease parents’ minds. HTC says that Inquisitive Minds will continue to operate separately, but you can expect the company’s software to find its way into future HTC Android devices.
HTC has been on a spending spree of late, investing $300 million in Beats Audio and buying a significant portion of video game streaming company OnLive. Zoodles will cost the manufacturer $13 million, which is relatively small given their other investments. Since kid-friendly modes for Android is gaining some traction with the Motorola XOOM Family Edition, it seems like a wise purchase. Zoodles will continue to develop for other platforms and devices, but HTC will presumably have first pick of its software. Zoodles is already included on some HTC devices like the Flyer tablet. If you’ve never used Zoodles, it’s basically a heavily monitored and filtered browser/development platform. The bright an extra-large user interface allows kids to learn the basics of web browsing, while ad blockers and content filters keep them from accessing anything they shouldn’t. Zoodles is expandable as well, with educational apps and games playing via extensions. There’s even a selective block feature that allows parents to block specific parts of games if the cutesy characters get too annoying. You can try out Zoodles Kid Mode on the Android Market now for a preview of what you’ll be seeing in your next HTC smartphone or tablet. )
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| Ice Cream Sandwich will include built-in screen capture Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:51 AM PDT It’s about time. The officers over at Android Police have uncovered some code that indicates Ice Cream Sandwich phones starting with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be able to take screenshots without any additional software or rooting. The addition is a long time coming – while screenshot capabilities have technically been a part of Android since its beginning, it’s always been a bit of hassle. The new process will allow any user to take a screenshot by pressing the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time.
To be fair, it’s always been possible to take a screenshot even without root by using the Android SDK, and manufacturers like HTC and Samsung allow some of their phones to take advantage of the process without connecting to a computer. As of now screenshot apps like ShootMe require rooting, and some custom ROMS including CyanogenMod include the feature in its base code. But with Ice Cream Sandwich, easily accessible screenshots will be availalble for all users – which, frankly, is one of the only iPhone features that I’ve been truly jealous of for some time. Android 4.0 is the belle of the ball in Hong Kong tonight, when Google takes the stage to unveil Ice Cream Sandwich running on Samsung’s Nexus Prime. Earlier today Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo confirmed a November release (for Japan, anyway) and set months of rumored specs to rest. Join us at 10PM EST tonight for all the breaking news, or let it come to you by following @Androids on Twitter. )
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| Galaxy Nexus smiles for NTT DoCoMo in leaked press shot Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:28 AM PDT Japanese cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo has already tweeted the release date for the much-leaked Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and now they may have given us our very first official look at the front of the Ice Cream Sandwich developer phone. A flyer promoting the November local launch date shows the Galaxy Nexus in all its glory, along with yet another set of specifications. The hardware lines up with previous spy videos and mock-ups.
While the phone itself is a pretty sight, the real star here are the specifications, which may indeed be the last word in the back-and-forth leaks that have been running around the tech world lately. a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display with an impressive 1280 x 720 resolution is confirmed, and you can see the integrated Android navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen. The curved construction of the phone allows it to be super-slim, though not all the way through: at its thinnest point the phone will be 8.8mm, while the “Galaxy hump” will stretch it out to 11.5 mm. The phone runs on a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor (TI OMAP4460, if you’re curious) with a gigabyte of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage.
One area the phone seems to be lacking in is its 5 megapixel camera, though full 1080p video recording is included. The Galaxy Nexus will use NTT DoCoMo’s UMTS/WCDMA network with maximum data speeds of 14.4Mbps down and 5.76Mbps up, and with a roomy 1750mAh battery, it should last you a good while on it. And of course, it’s running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The photo and specifications seem official enough, but none of this is officially official until late tonight. Keep an eye on Android Community and @Androids at 10:00 PM EST for all the news as it comes out of the Google-Samsung event. [via SlashGear] )
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| Huawei MediaPad hits FCC en route to T-Mo Posted: 18 Oct 2011 03:19 AM PDT Our pals at the FCC give us more insight into the gadgets that are coming down the pipe than anywhere else. Since all the hardware that hits store shelves packing wireless anything has to come through the FCC on the way to launch, the first pics of the device often come by way of the FCC. Such is the case with the new Huawei MediaPad that has hit the FCC. The tablet will apparently be headed for T-Mobile when it gets the approvals it needs.
We have no idea when the tablet will launch, but it will likely be soon since the FCC is often the last hurdle to clear for launch. The MediaPad will use a 1.2GHz processor, a 7-inch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution, and it will have dual cameras. The MediaPad will also pack HDMI and run Android Honeycomb 3.2. The T-Mobile version will pack in 3G and HSPA+ connectivity as well. One of the more important features of the tablet will be the price. The MediaPad is said to sell for $200 on contract making it a very nice deal. The normal price is said to be $500. That $500 tag will be a very hard sell and most people that buy will end up getting it on contract.    [via Pocketables] )
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| NTT DoCoMo tweets Galaxy Nexus for November ahead of launch Posted: 18 Oct 2011 02:45 AM PDT If you have been following all the leaks that have been surfacing over the last week or so about the Galaxy Nexus smartphone we know the device is coming soon. In fact, the smartphone is expected to surface today in Hong Kong officially. This will be the first Android Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone and will launch all around the world.
We already know some of the carriers that will have the smartphones in the US. NTT DoCoMo has now announced via a tweet ahead of the Hong Kong unveil that it will be among the first to launch the Nexus. Among the first implies that other carries in Japan will also be launching the smartphone as well. The launch is expected to happen at some point in November. NTT DoCoMo didn't offer up any specs in the tweet so we will still have to wait a few more hours to see what the smartphone has inside it for sure. The rumors so far point to a 4.65-inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD screen, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, NFC, and high-speed data connectivity. The rear camera is expected to be an 8MP unit supporting full HD recording. Sister site SlashGear will be on hand at the Hong Kong event so stay tuned for all the details as they are unveiled. [via SlashGear] )
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| Motorola releases DROID BIONIC source code Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:44 PM PDT
The code should be welcome for a lot of users, since the DROID BIONIC has seen more than its fair share of glitches and errors having to do with Motorola and Verizon’s Android customizations. The BIONIC is currently running a little behind the Gingerbread pack as well, so perhaps the modders out there can give it a boost to the latest version. For those of you who don’t regularly go elbow-deep into the more technical side of the operating system, expect initial custom ROMS within a week or so and stable releases a few weeks after that. Sadly, the release of the code does not mean that Motorola will extend the same courtesy for its proprietary bootloader or kernel. This means that the software modifications are going to be skin-deep for the foreseeable future. For example, CyanogenMod, which uses a customized version of the AOSP Android kernel, won’t be coming any time soon. This is a problem that’s plagued Motorola handsets ever since the Droid X and Droid 2, but maybe their new benefactors at Google can make them see the light on upcoming devices like the DROID RAZR. Device Info
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[via Droid-Life] )
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| Espier Launcher temporarily cures iPhone envy Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:17 PM PDT
We give Apple a lot of grief here for outdated software, lackluster hardware, litigating for a monopoly, designing form over function, needlessly restricting their App Store, engineered obsolescence, hyperbolic marketing and… where was I? Oh yes, despite all that, Apple makes a fine-looking phone operating system. Many have tried and mostly failed to emulate the shiny, glossy look of iOS on Android, with possibly the best example being the custom ROM MIUI. If you’re not quite ready to take the flashing step, consider the new Espier Launcher, which will let you ape Apple’s darling design without lowering yourself to last year’s hardware.
Espier has been in development for some time, but now it’s available via a free download on the Android Market fore anyone running Froyo or later. The custom launcher app replicates the iPhone homescreen almost exactly, displaying 4×4 grids of apps and not much else. You can pin apps to the dock or bunch them up into iOS 4 folders, or if you need to search and can’t bring yourself to hit the nearest capacitive button, just slide over to the left. All joking aside, it’s an impressive achievement, and there are worse (and certainly uglier) ways to get your homescreen on. Notably absent are any sort of widgets, resizing or many display options, but if iOS is your bag that’s part of the draw. There’s no app drawer because, well, they’re all right there, and the standard Android notification bar makes sure you won’t miss any alerts. Check it out in the Android Market before Apple stars launching their air-to-ground lawyers, and while you’re there, check out some other apps that have been performing iOS’s innovative “new” features for years. [via Lifehacker] )
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| Hockey Nations 2011 THD Game hands-on [Video] Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:32 PM PDT Just in time for the NHL season we present you with the latest and greatest game headed to the TegraZone and Android Market. In part by NVIDIA, we have an awesome and realistic Hockey game by Distinctivegames.com that is designed and beefed up to take full advantage of the NVIDIA Tegra 2 platform on our phones and tablets. They’ve increased tons of graphics and polygon counts to make this the best Hockey Nations available yet. With crowd movement and reactions, player reflections on the ice and more they’ve really thought of everything. See for yourself in the video demo below.
With Hockey Nations you have a realistic and fun full out hockey experience right at your fingertips. With 18 international teams, 40 city teams, custom jerseys, All-Star choices and more they’ve really covered all the bases (other than official logo’s and names). The video intro to start the game with crowd reaction, the lights dimming and fireworks lighting off it really gets you pumped up for the match. The team intro and ad banner on the scoreboard are pretty neat too, check it all out in my video then read on for more details and pictures. Hockey Nations 2011 THD hands-on video demo
With complete instant replays for goals where you can even control the camera we really can see almost every aspect of the game, and I can happily say fights are included. What would a hockey game be without being able to pull the gloves off and fight it out occasionally right? The AI with Honey Nations is some of the best I’ve seen from a game on Android, it really is exceptional. Here’s the full list of features: • NVIDIA Tegra Enhancements: Specular maps on players, reflections on ice, increased polygon count, and animated crowd behavior. The menus and navigation are extremely easy to understand, no weird controls like we’ve seen in some games. The entire layout for settings and jersey selection is extremely easy controlled by simple swipes as seen in the video below. Controls during gameplay are also very easy to understand and are laid out in a very similar manor to what we are used to. With pass, shoot and turbo on the right and the directional pad to the left it makes things really easy on a tablet. When on defense pass becomes check and don’t hit people in the back or you’ll get a penalty — or if you’re lucky a fight like the big timers. They give you an opportunity to accept or deny the fight, and indeed I accepted it gladly.
I’ve yet to try the tournament mode but over the course of the next few days I’ll be sure to give it a solid rundown and see if I can’t win a few games. I just beat Windsor like 7-1 so I’m finally doing better than I was on my video (All-Star team might be helping me out). Like mentioned above, the instant reply feature is excellent and one of my favorite parts and I wish we could slow it down. Below in the gallery are a few screenshots of my goals, with different angles you can even be inside the goal and watch the action right in front of you.    In the gallery above as well as the full gallery below notice the players reflection in the ice, it really looks awesome and the power of the NVIDIA Tegra 2 platform has allowed this game to reach new levels visually and the developers are extremely excited to launch this on the Android Market and Tegra Zone. Here is what they had to say:
Again, Hockey Nations 2011 THD will be available this month at TegraZone.com and in the Android Market. Hopefully it will be for sale within the next few weeks to hit the October timeframe and be just in time for the NHL season to start. Xperia Play owners can get the regular version now by clicking here. All of you NHL fans will really enjoy this game, I used to play as a teenager and this really brought me back to the good ol days. Check out all of the awesome pictures in the full size gallery below. Stay tuned right here at Android Community as we’ll be sure to update you once this and all future THD games become available.           )
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| T-Mobile Monthly4G unlimited plans are available starting today Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:18 PM PDT T-Mobile has recently released a few awesome smartphones to their portfolio like the Amaze 4G and the Galaxy S II, but today they have officially announced and started their brand new Monthly4G unlimited and contract free plans. Earlier this month we mentioned the T-Mobile and Walmart exclusive $30 unlimited data plan and now we have more details regarding that, and other contract free offerings from T-Mobile.
Today the company announced four new plans, the Monthly4G unlimited plan as well as three different pay by-the-day plans. The Monthly4G plan costs $60 per month and offers unlimited talk, text, and 4G data. This plan also features no annual contract and just like any other “unlimited” plan from most carriers you’ll get throttled once you pass 2GB of data, most of T-Mobiles current plans have a 5GB limit but then this is new and requires no contract. Next, the pay by the day plans are quite nice and they give us three options. The first includes a $3 per day unlimited talk, text and web plan that provides 4G speeds on data up to 200MB, while this may not be a lot it is plenty for the average user that doesn’t do anything data or web intensive. Then they have another PBTD plan that offers the same unlimited talk, text, and web but this is only on 2G speeds so you wont be doing anything extremely fast, but you’ll get there — this is only $2 a day. Last but not least we have the $1 per day plan for unlimited text and 10-cents per minute for talk. I don’t see a huge need for this plan but I’m sure some will find it useful. These are all officially available starting today from T-Mobile and you can call or head to your nearest store for more information. The exclusive Walmart deal wasn’t mentioned much here but all the details on that are available by clicking here. That deal is pretty impressive and for $30 a month (off contract) you get unlimited text and web with 100 talk minutes and 5GB cap for only $30 dollars. For someone that texts and uses the web the most this is an awesome deal if you can stay under 100 minutes. [via SlashGear] )
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| New Ice Cream Sandwich mail and calendar widgets leak out Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:08 PM PDT Is “leak” still an applicable term for all the Ice Cream Sandwich information that’s come to light before the official unveiling in Hong Kong? Perhaps “deluge”, “torrent” or “tempest” would be more appropriate. The latest is a quick look at some of the Honeycomb-style widgets that are coming along for the ride. They’re not that different from their progenitors, but they do show off ICS’ spiffy new UI, and smartphone users may be seeing similar versions when the software trickles down.
The three leaked widgets are for Gmail, the generic Email and Android’s built-in Calendar. If you’ve used a Honeycomb tablet for any length of time they’ll probably feel pretty familiar to you. Note the larger text, cleaner graphics and blue-tinted accents, all of which line up with the videos and screenshots we’ve seen of Ice Cream Sandwich so far. Honeycomb already includes some pretty extensive widgets, so it’s no surprise that a lot of them are just getting a spit and polish. What’s more interesting is that this is the first we’re seeing of tablet elements from the new release – will Google show off ICS running on the Nexus Prime / Galaxy Nexus and a tablet device at the sane time? We can only hope.
Since we’ve only seen ICS running on the leaked Nexus video, I wonder whether any of these new widgets will make it to the smartphone side of Android’s new double life. Current widgets for Gmail, Email and Calendar are a little sparse for Gingerbread, especially since the new version of Gmail has effectively broken third-party viewers. In any case, we’re likely to get some answers to our burning questions in a little over 24 hours – keep an eye on Android Community here and on Twitter for the latest updates. [via AndroidGuys] )
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| Texas Instruments OMAP 5 SoC mobile processor gets shown off on camera [Video] Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:47 PM PDT While we are still waiting to see what Texas Instrument might have in store for ICS devices, they are already starting to tease us about the next generation in mobile processors. Their new OMAP 5 chipset is shown off in a few video demos today and we have them all below for your viewing pleasure. Basically the OMAP 5 are some dual-core powerhouse chips rocking speeds upwards of 2.0 Ghz and some serious graphical prowess.
We have heard a lot regarding TI being the processor of choice for Ice Cream Sandwich, then in June they announced some dual-core 1.8 GHz chips so we are expecting some exciting stuff now and in the future. Back to OMAP 5, what we do know is they will be quite powerful. With OMAP5430 and OMAP5432, both of them will offer up to 3 times the performance of previous generations OMAP4430 and you can bet they will be some solid performers and in many tablets soon. In this first video you’ll see some of the graphics capabilities of these processors and more so check it out OMAP has been in plenty of phones in the past from the original DROID all the way to the new DROID Bionic and Archos G9 80 tablet. We can expect to see plenty more from Texas Instruments and their OMAP line of mobile processors soon. If rumors are accurate we will be most likely seeing some sort of 1.5 GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4 processor in the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus that will be announced tomorrow running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Texas Instrument has been working with many manufacturers and these videos are more of a tease than anything. Well and to get us, the consumers excited about what they have in store for us. Does this make you want to wait and get an OMAP 5 device next? [via SlashGear] )
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| ‘Battery Upgrade’ malware shows users how to make their phone vulnerable Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:37 PM PDT
The app is going by both “Battery Doctor” and “Battery Upgrade”, mimicking popular (and legitimate) apps like Juice Defender and Power Manager. It’s being advertised, presumably via paid ads, on real apps like Scrabble right now. That sets a disturbing precedence for normally harmless ad networks, but it should make it pretty easy for administrators to quickly shut down its primary method of distribution. Adding insult to injury, the app places permanent ads in the pull-down notification bar once installed, which almost certainly drains the battery even faster. We can’t say it enough: never download an Android app from a source that you don’t completely trust, just like on any operating system. We’re huge fans of Android’s expandability around here, not to mention frequent users of non-Market apps, but it’s an indisputable fact that it’s become the primary vector for malicious apps like the recent fake Netflix data miner. Spread the word to your less technically-inclined friends to keep them from becoming digital victims. )
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| Ice Cream Sandwich includes a built-in photo editor Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:16 PM PDT Are you tired of waiting on Instagram to arrive so you can ironically make fun of your friends with cheesy filters? Then you may want to be first in line when the tinkly Google truck starts handing out Ice Cream Sandwiches. Android Police got their hands on some hot app source files that point to a built-in photo editor in the Ice Cream Sandwich native gallery app, and while they’re not exactly pro-level tools, they should be a welcome edition to those who record their memories eight megapixels at a time.
The uncovered icons and filters point to a user-friendly edition that’s a lot like the current Photoshop Mobile app, and not at all like the upcoming Photoshop Touch. Simple adjustments and fixes should allow users to spruce up their pics before uploading them to Facebook or Google+. Pretty much all the basics are covered, including crop, rotate, exposure, redeye and some simple transformation tools, with more than a dozen photo filters thrown in for good measure. Like Google Music, Google+ and the Android Market before it, the app’s apk installer file has leaked out. Unfortunately it doesn’t run in current versions of Android, which means the new Gallery will be integrated into Ice Cream Sandwich instead of farmed out to the market like Gmail, YouTube and other Google apps. Keep an eye out for these new features during Google’s portion of the presentation tomorrow in Hong Kong. Speaking of which, park it here at 10 PM EST to catch all the latest Ice Cream Sandwich / Galaxy Nexus news, or check out our Twitter account, @Androids. )
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| ITC sides with Apple over HTC in latest patent case Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:51 PM PDT Android can’t catch a break when it comes to patents. After enduring a few months of Apple’s legislative offensive in 2010, HTC acquired some mobile patents and decided to try a few volleys in the other direction. The first of those has been rejected by the International Trade Commission, which ruled today that the patents in question were not violated.
Judge Charles Bullock issued the ruling, taking care to mention that the patents in question weren’t invalidated ,just that the iPhone, iPod and iPad weren’t actively violating them. The four patents that HTC was using cover extremely basic phone operations, like touchscreens, dialer and battery management. HTC still has five other patents that they’re suing Apple with in other courts, but the outcome of those case may be heavily influenced by this one, and if HTC loses it could give Apple even more ammunition for a sales injunction. Apple has been firing lawyers head-first at HTC and Samsung over the last year in courts all over the world, even winning some outright sales bans on Samsung tablets in Germany and Australia. Here in the U.S. they’re suing both HTC and Samsung and hoping to win similar bans on phones and tablets before the holidays. It’s a lot harder to block commerce in the United States, and even when Samsung was found to be in violation of one of Apple’s overly broad patents, the judge would not immediately commit to a sales ban. Google, Verizon and T-Mobile have come out in support of both manufacturers, alternately claiming that Apple is trying to create a monopoly using the courts and that a sales ban would irreparably harm their businesses. [via SlashGear] )
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ROM cookers, get your kitchens ready. Motorola has just 
Is anybody feeling some 90s nostalgia right about now? It seems like hardly a day goes by where we don’t hear about some sneaky new way for hackers and identity thieves to compromise incautious Android users’ phones. The latest is a 
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