Android Community |
- AT&T Galaxy Note rumors point to February 18th for $299
- Samsung tears open the Galaxy Note, shows us the inside
- Tapjoy invests in 130 different Android games
- ZTE V9A–Light Tab 2 heads to Clove in February
- PocketBook A7 looks like an HTC Flyer, still grounded with Gingerbread
- O2 exposes customer phone numbers before plugging security hole [UPDATE]
- Nvidia hints at Angry Birds sequel with richer graphics
- LG Optimus LTE sells a million worldwide
- Google updates their privacy policies and terms of service
- CyanogenModApps.com is not endorsed by CyanogenMod
- Galaxy Nexus receives Trinity kernel, brings better battery life and overclocking
- ASUS confirms bootloader unlock tool coming this February
- AT&T to provide free WiFi zones and boost network in Indianapolis for Super Bowl
- Samsung hints at S-Pen stylus for tablets
- HTC and IBM partner to bring Android to the enterprise market
- Samsung Galaxy S III specs and April release date rumors continue
- Snake ’97 emulates your old Nokia brick, buttons and all
- ASUS Transformer Prime rooted — again
- Acer Iconia Tab A510 and A511 Tegra 3 tablets headed for Europe
- Verizon posted record revenue for Q4, sold 15 million Android phones in 2011
| AT&T Galaxy Note rumors point to February 18th for $299 Posted: 25 Jan 2012 10:42 AM PST Some new details and rumors are starting to hit the streets regarding not only the highly anticipated Galaxy Note, but of two other Android devices all headed to AT&T. We have now learned of a leaked Q1 2012 roadmap of AT&T’s smartphone devices and of them is the Galaxy Note hitting the streets February 18th for just $299 on contract.
According to some leaked information to the folks at BGR AT&T will in fact have three Android devices they are launching to start off 2012. Along with the 5.3″ Galaxy Note we are now hearing there will be a few budget and mid-range devices such as the Samsung Rugby Smart on the low end for $99, and the AT&T Fusion for a mere $129 with new contracts. Recent press images that leaked of the AT&T 4G LTE powered Galaxy Note hinted at a February 14th launch date based on the on-screen widgets but these new leaks suggest the wait will only be a few more days. Being able to get the powerful and almost tablet sized Note with 4G LTE for only $299 sounds like a pretty good deal to me. If you’ve been waiting for this phone then relax, the wait is almost over. As soon as we hear anything that confirms the details we’ll be sure to update, not to mention digging for more details on the Rugby Smart and Fusion. Device Info
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| Samsung tears open the Galaxy Note, shows us the inside Posted: 25 Jan 2012 10:24 AM PST This time around we don’t need to wait for a few brave souls to crack open their shiny new device. Instead Samsung has tore open their popular Samsung Galaxy Note phone/tablet hybrid device for us, and are showing the insides and all. Thanks to SamsungTomorrow we have a few photos below.
One thing I couldn’t help but notice is the lack of comments regarding some of the actual specs. Although they shred it down and show us the PCB and all the internals that make their devices run like clockwork, we still don’t know the CPU details on the AT&T Galaxy Note. While looking at the pictures one does have to wonder how they manage to squeeze all that in such a small device. It really is impressive if you ask me. We’ve seen plenty of teardowns in the past so this isn’t really anything new and not as complete as others either. It’s still fun to look over the photos and see how it all works. From where the S-Pen stylus goes internally to the WACOM chip that is so highly accurate at pinpointing the S-pen movement. More details can be found from the via link below and don’t forget to check out our hands-on with the AT&T 4G LTE Galaxy Note that is coming soon.    [via Samsung Tomorrow]
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| Tapjoy invests in 130 different Android games Posted: 25 Jan 2012 09:48 AM PST Android gaming is growing by leaps and bounds, due in no small part to the prevalent use of free games supplemented with advertising. Mobile application/advertising platform Tapjoy knows this: that’s why they set up a fund for aspiring developers, helping them publish their apps to both Tapjoy’s directory and the Android Market. The company announced that to date, they’ve helped publish a whopping 130 Android games. To be fair, the hits are few and far between, but that’s par for the course with indie developers.
If you haven’t heard of Tapjoy themselves, you’ve almost certainly heard of a few of their affiliated titles. The Android port of Duke Nukem 3D, Gun Bros, Santa’s Village and more all use funds and services from Tapjoy. In addition to initial funding, the company provides platform sorting tools, marketing advice and a spot in their proprietary app market. The company also publishes a handful of games under its own label. Then they sell advertising in the (mostly free) games, matching vendors with the target audience for each title to maximize revenue. The fund was initially set up with $5,000,000 to split between worthy applicants, and Tapjoy is still accepting applications. Developers, if you’d like to be a part of the Android fund, head over to www.tapjoy.com/androidfund to apply. And in the interest of informing ambitious devs, I’ll add that the company offers its services for iOS and Windows Phone 7 as well.
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| ZTE V9A–Light Tab 2 heads to Clove in February Posted: 25 Jan 2012 09:04 AM PST By all accounts cheap electronics are thin on the ground in the UK, and the XOOM or Transformer that costs $500 here could cost the equivalent of around $750 across the pond. That being the case, UK residents might be interested in the latest offering from budget manufacturer ZTE. The V9A–Light Tab 2, in addition to having a catchy name, has a price tag of just £234.99 including VAT according to retailer Clove. That’s about $365 in USD. The tablet should be available in late February.
Don’t get too excited – the V9A–Light Tab 2 is the latest in a long line of Gingerbread tablets aimed at the bottom end of the market. The 7-inch capacitive touchscreen uses a standard 1024×600 screen resolution, running on top of a 1.4Ghz single-core Snapdragon processor. Combine that with 512MB of RAM and you’ve got a decent browsing/ereader machine. On-board storage is limited to 4GB, but you get an open MicroSD card slot to expand at your leisure. WiFi, Bluetooth are standard, with an included 3G SIM card slot for those who want to drop in a pre-paid data connection. There’s no sign of Google Apps or the Android Market. The low-price tablet market hasn’t caught on in Europe, or at least not to the degree that it has in the US. The absence of Barnes & Noble’s Nook family of reader/tablets and the Kindle Fire. The latter should sail past the white cliffs of Dover at some point (and it’s rumored to have a £100 price tag) but until then, lesser-known manufacturers like ZTE can grab a significant chunk of market share away from bigger and more expensive models.
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| PocketBook A7 looks like an HTC Flyer, still grounded with Gingerbread Posted: 25 Jan 2012 08:13 AM PST While Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich tablets are becoming more common (about time, too) there’s still a market for cheap tablets, most of which run Gingerbread. The Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet testify to that. Small manufacturer PocketBook is following up their previous 701 model with the PocketBook A7, yet another contender for the “more than an e-reader, not quite a tablet” crown. The hardware itself will seem pretty familiar if you’ve ever seen an HTC Flyer, but features like integrated next and back butons aim it squarely at the e-reader market.
Inside you get a 1Ghz single-core processor with 512MB of RAM, supplemented by a mere 4GB of storage. That should be plenty for e-books, but if you plan on bringing along any music or videos, you’ll want to take advantage of the MicroSD card slot. The LCD screen uses the 1024×600 resolution that’s become a standard at 7 inches. While there’s no rear camera, a 2MP front-facing shooter should do well for web conferencing. The PocketBook A7 runs the latest version of Gingerbread 2.3.7, but is sadly without support for Google Apps and the Android Market. Several notable Android applications come pre-installed, like Dolphin Browser and Adobe Digital Editions. PocketBook hasn’t offered a price or date for the A7 reader, but if they want to compete they’ll have to get it below the magical $200 mark. Considering the current price of the former 7-inch model, it could go for $150 or lower. While normally we’d chide a company for releasing a product with anything less than the most up-to-date version of Android, the truth is that the A7 might not be able to handle Ice Cream Sandwich – though we wouldn’t put it past someone in the modder community to try. [via Good E Reader]
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| O2 exposes customer phone numbers before plugging security hole [UPDATE] Posted: 25 Jan 2012 07:36 AM PST UK citizens who use O2′s wireless network got a nasty shock this morning, when reports around the web claimed that their phone numbers were being exposed to any website they visited from their mobile phones. While not a malicious attack, a setting in O2′s network was broadcasting its customers phone number in addition to standard browser data like user agents, device type and screen size. This morning Android phones and other O2 devices stopped broadcasting mobile phone numbers, indicating that the security hole has been patched. O2 still hasn’t spoken publicly on the issue.
Tech-savvy customers were understandably upset – according to a proof of concept site, any website with the right settings could harvest a significant amount of personal phone numbers without breaking any law, or even going to too much technical trouble. The blunder comes at a sensitive time for mobile carriers, as the privacy faux pas of Carrier IQ and its extreme data logging is still fresh in the minds of the public. Though there’s still no word from O2′s corporate arm, they did tweet a UK security researcher saying that the phone numbers embedded into the HTML code were designed to indicate that the browser was coming from a mobile device. There are many other ways of achieving this determination from a website owner’s perspective. When questioned about the issue, the United Kingdom Information Commissioner’s Office said that the events did not constitute an official data breach, according to Paid Content. A phone number alone isn’t personal enough to meet the state’s requirements. Even so, a representative said that the organization would be speaking with O2 on the matter, since most people do not expect their cell phone number to be exposed simply by visiting a website. UPDATE: O2 has shed some light on the issue in an official post on their blog. According to the published information, routine maintenance on the network caused a minor change that exposed some users’ phone numbers for approximately two weeks. the carrier apologized for the error and offered up a Q&A for concerned customers. [via SlashGear]
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| Nvidia hints at Angry Birds sequel with richer graphics Posted: 25 Jan 2012 07:05 AM PST Angry Birds has become the breakout star of the mobile gaming world, thanks mostly to its simple premise and addictive gameplay (though some rather shameless marketing hasn’t hurt). But next to the likes of Shadowgun, it can’t help but look a little… flat. In a recent press event Nvidia’s mobile content vice president Neil Trevett spent some time speculating on Rovio’s cash cow, and how the developer might be leveraging more recent mobile gaming technology for better graphics and physics.
Trevett said that Rovio and Nvidia have been in communication, a situation that’s increasingly common among high-profile mobile game developers. Carefully choosing his words, the executive stopped short of inadvertently announcing a new game. He highlighted the fact that Angry Birds and all its various Seasons updates and tie-ins use a 2D physics engine in addition to 2D graphics, but said that they could use a 3D physics engine to provide richer gameplay and more eye candy in the background. “There’s lots of things Rovio could do in terms of particle effects or volcanoes exploding in the background.” The proliferation of Nvidia’s Tegra platform, especially the quad-core Tegra 3, may inspire mobile devs to reach for greater graphical heights. 2D gaming has been gaining steam with the expansion of Android and iOS – and that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s restricted to 2D graphics. Games like Street Fighter 4, recent Mario and Sonic titles and other high-profile games combine a two-dimensional playing field with three-dimensional graphics, making for a classic, comfortable play style with a modern look. For an Android example of this, check out Wind-Up Knight. Rovio hasn’t made any specific announcements for a straight-up sequel to Angry Birds (Angry Birds 2? Angry Birds 3D? Angrier Birds?), but they’re currently working on at least four independent projects. [via Pocket Gamer]
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| LG Optimus LTE sells a million worldwide Posted: 25 Jan 2012 06:45 AM PST Though their footprint in the United States isn’t as large as they’d like, LG remains a major player in the worldwide smartphone game. case in point: the company announced today that its current flagship, the Optimus LTE, has sold over a million phones in all its various territories. LG’s home country of South Korea accounts for a whopping 600,000 phones all by itself, with the rest being split between the United States, United Kingdom, United States and Canada.
Since LG is counting US sales, we assume that it is including slight variations, such as AT&T’s LG Nitro HD and Bell’s Optimus Eye. The phone recently came to Verizon as the “Spectrum by LG” – you can check out our hands-on look at the hardware here. While these variants have slight stylistic differences, the core hardware remains the same, with an impressive 720p IPS display at a size of 4.5 inches, a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor and of course an LTE radio. The phone currently runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but LG and at least one of its carrier partners has committed to releasing an Ice Cream Sandwich update. LG may have tipped its hand already for the Optimus LTE successor: a render/press photo of the “LG X3” made its way onto the Internet last week. Rumored specifications include a quad-core Tegra 3 processor and a 4.7-inch display, with Ice Cream Sandwich running at launch. The phone is expected to be seen in February at Mobile World Congress, if it’s the Real McCoy. “X3″ may be a codename – it’s hard to imagine LG dropping the Optimus branding if it’s doing so well.
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[via TechRadar]
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| Google updates their privacy policies and terms of service Posted: 24 Jan 2012 10:40 PM PST Google has decided to update their privacy policies across all of their products, and condense them into a single policy. This updated document will better clarify how users information is stored and treated within their different services and products. Yes, this not only includes their web based services, but Android OS as well. Anywhere you login to your Google Account, this new policy will most likely apply.
Their Terms of Service will also see an overhaul as well. Instead of seeing a long boring set of legal documentation, it will be reformatted as an easy read for the average user. It has already been written, and will be effective March 1, 2012. These updates will hopefully spur other companies to follow suit. Why shouldn’t the average user be able to easily read what he/she is agreeing to? Sure it helps to know lawyer-speak, but it shouldn’t be a requirement. The YouTube clip Google provided is a perfect example of how and when Google shares the information stored in your Google Account. Having over 60 services with different policies could confuse anyone – especially when the services are so tightly tied together. It will also be nice to know that from here moving forward, a change to their new universal policy will be easier to spot. [via Official Google Blog]
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| CyanogenModApps.com is not endorsed by CyanogenMod Posted: 24 Jan 2012 07:27 PM PST The CyanogenMod team is planning to create an ‘Android Market’-like application to easily find root applications for your devices. This is a great idea, and even indexing root applications by device compatibility would be a great help to anyone willing to load them to their device. Well, it turns out the website www.cyanogenmodapps.com is in no way connected to the CyanogenMod team.
The news came from Ricardo Cerqueira, part of the official CyanogenMod team, in a Google+ post earlier today. He stated “‘CyanogenMod Apps’, (cyanogenmodapps.com site, twitter, Facebook, and whatever else pops up related to it) is in no way related to or endorsed by +CyanogenMod”. To be honest, the website doesn’t seem like the CyanogenMod team’s style, in more ways than one. First off, when Cyanogen officially releases something, it’s near perfection – not halfway stitched together. And second, the banner logo seemed almost warped. Something the Cyanogen team wouldn’t have let slip by. Hopefully, the team does agree on creating an Android Market for root applications soon. And you can be sure to find out the official website here as soon as it’s launched. [via TalkAndroid]
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| Galaxy Nexus receives Trinity kernel, brings better battery life and overclocking Posted: 24 Jan 2012 04:28 PM PST The Galaxy Nexus being an easily unlocked Google experience device we knew it would receive tons of mods, hacks, kernels, and roms but one of my personal favorites has finally landed. Trinity by Morfic for the Galaxy Nexus is available now. More details and downloads links are available below for those who dare.
There are many popular kernel builders in the world of Android but one of my all time favorite are Trinity kernels. Offering unparalleled performance while keeping battery life in mind. Not all our geared towards battery life though — I managed to squeeze 1.6 GHz and about 5600 in Quadrant with my Trinity powered LG G2x, just for an idea of what you can expect. Morfic has just released his first beta kernels for the GSM and CDMA Samsung Galaxy Nexus and all the details can be found over at the RootzWiki thread. His kernels include overclocking while staying undervolted for better battery life, and performance. He cleans up the code and enables much better performance across the board. Not to mention saving valuable battery while the device is in sleep state by keeping the power-hungry processors underclocked. If you’ve tried his kernels before you don’t need me to do any explaining and should just flash them now, if not you should probably give them a try or hit the link above and learn more. Trinity kernels have remained popular for devices like the Nexus S, G2x, HTC Sensation and now they are here for the newest kid on the block — the Galaxy Nexus. Downloads can be found from the via link below. Enjoy!   [via DerKernel] — Thanks @Simms22
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| ASUS confirms bootloader unlock tool coming this February Posted: 24 Jan 2012 03:42 PM PST ASUS has just issued a quick and timely update stating when we will be seeing the bootloader unlock tool for their popular quad-core Transformer Prime tablet. I’m happy to announce that the official Twitter page @ASUS just tweeted the update software will be here in February — so it’s coming soon folks.
I do have one concern though. The tweet actually says the update “should” be here this February, and not that it IS coming. It also says “root tool” and not bootloader specifically. Maybe the tweeter is just confused — or leaving room for doubt and possible delays. For those unfamiliar after the tablet begin shipping and users noticed the bootloader was locked there was quickly a public outcry from developers and buyers. Locked bootloaders make it near-impossible to customize things and run tweaked software — something that is a flourishing community in Android.
The update today is good timing because its been more than a few weeks since the initial announcement and I’m sure users have been patiently waiting for some sort of details or timeline. We are expecting an online tool similar to the route HTC took on the same subject. February will be big for ASUS as they’ll hopefully be providing both this unlock tool, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates to the original Transformer. Device Info
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| AT&T to provide free WiFi zones and boost network in Indianapolis for Super Bowl Posted: 24 Jan 2012 02:36 PM PST Recently reports suggest Verizon spent an upwards of $69 million to boost their network in preparation for the big game, Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. They’ve been getting all the airtime but they aren’t the only ones going big for my favorite day of the year. AT&T has made huge improvements in downtown Indianapolis for the visitors not to mention huge increases around the stadium. AT&T is aiming to offer their subscribers the perfect day full of football, beer, and a few signal bars too.
With the Super Bowl weekend quickly approaching and an upwards of 150,000+ people expected to be around for the big game AT&T has been making some huge moves themselves. Not only will this play a large role in providing top-notch service for Indianapolis moving forward — but Super Bowl Sunday will also be rock solid. A new report from Webpronews has detailed a few of AT&T’s plans and so far it sounds great. While no numbers were reported we are hearing AT&T has made substantial investments for the game in general, and the city will benefit in the long run obviously. First, they launched an AT&T WiFi Hot Zone, the company's seventh major hotzone, that will serve multiple parts of downtown Indianapolis. This will provide free and fast WiFi to many parts of Indianapolis around the stadium, and downtown. AT&T has also launched an expanded Distributed Antenna System (DAS) at Lucas Oil Stadium to help with the media side of things, and plan to launch more in venues around the area before the big game. Next, AT&T has deployed 9 Cell on Wheels — known as COW’s — that will bring high speed 3G and 4G LTE to the surrounding area to help with the added stress of the biggest sporting event in the United States.
Enjoy it Indianapolis — we have a feeling you guys might not be going to a Super Bowl for a while (sorry that was rude.) Now the biggest question of all remains… Who will win Super Bowl XLVI this year? I’m going with my man Eli Manning and the Giants all the way, that pass rush is just brutal!
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| Samsung hints at S-Pen stylus for tablets Posted: 24 Jan 2012 02:13 PM PST Samsung’s Galaxy Note is a surprise hit, due in no small part to its gigantic high-def Super AMOLED screen. But the company has always been bullish on the included stylus, which they refer to as the “S-Pen”, as a method of interaction and content creation. In an interview with Laptop Magazine, Samsung marketing manager Ryan Bidan indicated that they’re exploring options for bringing the active stylus technology to larger screens, presumably future models in the Galaxy Tab family.
The mobile world is no stranger to pen-based input – prior to capacitive screens, almost all smartphones used a stylus of one kind or another. But the S-Pen is different: it combines an active connection with digitizer technology from Wacom to make a pressure-sensitive and extremely accurate entry tool, without sacrificing finger sensitivity. At the moment the s-Pen and its apps and SDK are exclusive to the Galaxy Note. Other manufacturers have been experimenting with a return to pen-based inputs. HTC sells a separate active stylus for the Flyer tablet, and includes several apps that take advantage of it, though these aren’t as fully integrated as the Galaxy Note. Motorola included a stylus with the DROID XYBOARD tablets for Motorola, and they’re a welcome addition. Accessory makers have made various cheap capacitive styli available even before the current tablet boom. Taking Mr. Bidan at his word, Samsung might not be thinking of tablets specifically – S-Pen functionality in combination with their line of Smart TVs or forthcoming Google TV products would make for an impressive (if expensive) presentation machine. But considering the time and money that Samsung has invested in pushing pen-based input on the Note, a trend that continues as the phone comes to AT&T in the US, some kind of stylus functionality for the next generation of Galaxy Tab seems likely.
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| HTC and IBM partner to bring Android to the enterprise market Posted: 24 Jan 2012 01:35 PM PST HTC knows Android like the back of its metaphorical hand, and IBM is downright synonymous with enterprise computing. The two companies are joining forces to combine their relative prowess and speed Android adoption among the enterprise set, reports eWeek. The partnership will come in the form of business-centric software from IBM bundled on HTC’s upcoming phones, as Big Blue announced at its Lotusphere conference in Orlando.
IBM’s suite of smart business solutions will be made available on future HTC phones and tablets, though the Taiwanese company will not have an exclusive license to them. The apps were not shown outside the conference. Even so, enterprise-level security and integration out of the box is a major selling point – there are many who might argue that it’s the only thing keeping BlackBerry in business at the moment. And thanks to a year’s head start and considerable work on the part of Apple, iOS is well ahead of Android in enterprise adoption. HTC isn’t the only one looking to business customers. Most high-end Android phones come with at least some kind of encryption option, but LG takes it one step further by integrating VMWare’s virtualization software on some handsets, allowing a true separation between work and personal usage on the same phone. While everyone would like a piece of the enterprise pie, this is the best solution we’ve seen yet to the security and stability issues that “bring your own device” present. As Android saturates the consumer market, it will be interesting to see how the various manufacturers and developers try to make in-roads in business.
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| Samsung Galaxy S III specs and April release date rumors continue Posted: 24 Jan 2012 01:08 PM PST We’ve heard our fair share of rumors and details regarding the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S III already but the new reports have me pretty excited. Talk of a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and 12 megapixel camera to name a few. We’ve seen some overly outrageous rumors but these sound more reasonable. All that goodness might be coming this April too. Who’s excited now?
Now the image above was a “leaked” press image that ended up being fake and only a concept image but the chances the SGSIII looks similar to that are quite possible. We’ve heard outrageous rumors of 2.0 GHz quad-core processors, 2GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage and more but we must be realistic here — they don’t want to move too fast, and our batteries can only handle so much still. Latest rumors are actually a bit old but being re-examined now that the same leakster has came through on other reports. According to PhoneArena comments over on twitter have the Galaxy S III coming in with a quad-core processor, 12 megapixel camera, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, HD screen and super thin. The biggest part of this story however, is the release date as we already know the phone will be awesome. Here’s what @eldarmurtazin had to say:
Whether these details are accurate or not remain to be seen, but apparently Murtazin has received his own because he mentions loving his new phone. Other comments suggest a Mobile World Congress unveiling in late February (We’ll be there live) and that the Galaxy S III will be launching in mid April. The Galaxy S II was unveiled at MWC and released in April (not in the US) so the chances the III could take the same route is highly possible. Hopefully we’ll start hearing more and maybe even see some pictures of this beast in the wild. Stay Tuned!
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| Snake ’97 emulates your old Nokia brick, buttons and all Posted: 24 Jan 2012 01:01 PM PST ShadowGun. Temple Run. Sonic 4. Do all of these dazzling 3D masterpieces leave you longing for a simpler era in mobile gaming? Do you get a warm, fuzzy feeling every time you see a movie where the hero’s “top of the line” cell phone uses a black and white screen? Then you’re the perfect audience for Snake ’97. Forget all these fancy sprites and polygons, toss the touchscreen controls, and bask in the timeless story of dots and a line that loves to eat them. It’s a free download in the Android Market.
Of course, the Nokia phones that used Snake as a de facto time killer had screens about a tenth the size of modern high-end smartphones. To avoid marring the timeless graphics of Snake with undue artifacts, the developer includes a digital version of the standard Nokia keypad. this gives you all the controls you could possibly want, including Right, Left, Up and even Down! The sight will surely be familiar to those of us who packed one of the old 4-digit phones in a jeans pocket or, for preference, a belt holster. Just looking at those screenshots makes me long for the days of poor cell reception, pay-by-the-minute plans and phones that doubled as blunt weapons. It wasn’t all bad, though – as I recall, those old Nokia phones would get three days of life out of a single charge. (I’m looking at you, Galaxy Nexus!) Maybe if the modern Nokia ever gets their head straight and switches to Android, we’ll see an upgraded version of Snake – this time with a whole three colors. [via Reddit]
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| ASUS Transformer Prime rooted — again Posted: 24 Jan 2012 12:39 PM PST For those with the awesome ASUS Transformer Prime quad-core tablet that need root access we have some good news for you. The latest over the air update for the Prime that broke root — has finally been rooted and now everyone that wants to take that route can dive in. More details after the break.
The recent over the air updates for the Transformer Prime — including the update to Ice Cream Sandwich have broke the root methods previously being used by modders and developers but thanks to XDA we now have a new method. After the update to Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich the progress for root wasn’t going too well but now just a quick few commands and you are set. Head to the XDA link below and make sure to read through the pages (only a few) for any questions you might have and then just use the new simple tools provided and you’re rooted. A couple simple ADB commands and all that good stuff and you are set. If you don’t know what ADB is then you probably should not attempt to root your Transformer Prime. We are still awaiting more details on the Bootloader unlocking situation but for now enjoy that freedom we call root access. Device Info
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[via XDA Developers]
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| Acer Iconia Tab A510 and A511 Tegra 3 tablets headed for Europe Posted: 24 Jan 2012 12:34 PM PST Acer officially unveiled its latest member of the Iconia Tab family today, the A510. As the name implies, it’s an upgraded version of the original A500, though the upgrade is considerable if you’ve been feeling the need for speed. The A510 gets Nvidia’s Tegra 3 system on a chip, with four cores running at a reported 1.3Ghz each. Other than that, you get the same shell, 1280x800resolution and ten-inch screen. Oh, and one more thing: Ice Cream Sandwich running out of the box. The tablet was shown off at a pre-CeBIT presentation in Hamburg, and German site Tablet Community (no relation) got a good look.
According to the announcement, the tablet will retail for 499 Euros when it his sometime in April. Acer announced a companion model, the Iconia Tab A511, which will also sport 4G data capabilities. The company didn’t announce a price or time frame for the wireless broadband version. It will share the specs of the 510 otherwise, presumably also running Android 4.0 whenever it launches. Both will come in 16, 32 and 64GB models, probably with a 100 Euro difference between them. Acer didn’t say anything about a North American release for the A510, though given the relationship between carriers and manufacturers over here, the A510 might be more likely to get an initial release. These tablets are mighty tempting, but remember that the Iconia Tab A700 and its 1920×1200 screen are on the horizon. We’ll have to see what kind of price difference the tablets have before making any decisions.   [via Notebook Italia]
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| Verizon posted record revenue for Q4, sold 15 million Android phones in 2011 Posted: 24 Jan 2012 12:17 PM PST Verizon has posted up their fourth quarter earnings reports and information today and things are looking quite good over on Big Red. If you or the family own some Verizon stocks you should be pretty happy right about now. Verizon has counted all their numbers and we have a few details that stood out to us for you below.
According to a few numbers tossed out by Verizon's CFO Fran Shammo Big Red sold over 15 million Android smartphones in 2011, and around 10 million iPhones. Out of those, 7.7 million were in Q4 alone when you add up all the major smartphone platforms — that includes RIM. Some of the other highlights from the Verizon earnings call included $18.3 billion in revenue in Q4 alone, up around 13% from last year, and 70 billion in total for 2011 — 10% more than 2010. Not to mention adding 1 million new subscribers. Verizon also stated that smartphone users take up around 44% of their users and that general data usage was up, but on a positive note. All the details are available from the Verizon PDF below — basically they made plenty of cash and aren’t slowing down anytime soon. [via Verizon]
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