Android Community

Dead Zebra Android Collectible Series 3 designs leak
Motorola DROID 4 cracked open by iFixit
LG CX2 phone leaks in new render, including 3D screen
Samsung debuts Galaxy Tab 2: Ice Cream Sandwich on a budget
Google has disabled use of your prepaid card via Google Wallet

Dead Zebra Android Collectible Series 3 designs leak

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:57 AM PST

Well folks, the Dead Zebra Android Collectible figures have leaked this weekend. What we have here is a picture showing what to expect from series 3 by Andrew Bell and friends. The first two series were extremely popular, sometimes selling out in a matter of minutes. Now we all know what to expect I have a feeling these will go even faster (if real). This is round three and I’m already eying that Google Inc “Nexus” collectible — I want it now!

From the leaked image above we can see Google has three they’ve designed themselves — surely to be popular collectibles. Also Android Bell as usual has a few of his own, some that we can’t see designs for yet either. It’s also nice to see they’ve added some awesome designers and artists to the collection like Huck Gee. He is great with these types of things and unique art.

If you love Android you’ll want a few of these popular collectibles. If you don’t know, they are little Android vinyl collectibles with movable arms and heads and are extremely popular in the Android Community. I’m really liking the Sket One and the Google Nexus designs and will probably be getting a few of each. The red Google collectible is interesting. Is that for Verizon, Droid, or the next version of Android — Jelly Bean? Stay tuned for more details.

[via AndroidGuys, via Dead Zebra]

Motorola DROID 4 cracked open by iFixit

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 09:59 AM PST

In the familiar and usual iFixit fashion we have another Android device tear down. This time around the Motorola DROID 4 gets cracked open, and tore down to reveal everything under the hood of Motorola’s fourth DROID slider. From the CPU to the 4G LTE chip and more we can see everything and how it works from the images and details provided.

While teardowns are fun I’m not sure how many people would actually do such a thing and fix parts themselves. I’ve replaced a few Android screens and a hard drive on my old iPod Classic but that is about it. With the DROID 4 iFixit quickly reveals that this wont be an easy device to repair should you decide to try. In particular is the built-in QWERTY keyboard. It’s actually hardwired and built right into the motherboard. Most likely making the device thinner in general, but this also means you’ll be replacing the entire thing should that space bar fail at some point during the time you own the device. You can’t just replace a certain part.

Just like on the DROID RAZR, iFixit figures out that the battery is in fact removable, although it has huge warning labels on the top and seems to have some glue in place to help deter people from trying. We noticed the same thing with the original RAZR in this post. All the details, breakdown, and pictures are available from the iFixit full teardown link. Feel free to also enjoy the hands on and full review from our timeline of links provided below.

[via iFixit]

LG CX2 phone leaks in new render, including 3D screen

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 09:17 AM PST

Remember that stretch of a few weeks in 2011 when everyone was thrilled about lenticular 3D displays? LG does, and would like you to think that it’s still every bit as exciting. That’s the inescapable conclusion behind the LG CX2, AKA the Optimus 3D 2, newly leaked by ETnews. The phone is likely strutting its three-dimensional stuff prior to an official debut at Mobile World Congress. According to the leak, the new screen greatly improves both the 3D effect and legibility, thanks to an IPS-based screen.

Details include a .39-inch (9.9mm) profile, considerably thicker than previous rumors which indicated a 7mm device. Those rumors also pointed towards a dual-core processor and a bigger screen, though neither of those bullet points are touched upon today. A bigger screen would seem to be in order, but the render above doesn’t look significantly larger or smaller than the original phone. Based on the icons in the screenshot, it’s running LG’s version of Gingerbread – sorry, Ice Cream Sandwich fans.

Expect to see the CX2 and/or Optimus 3D 2 later this month when LG unveils its “revolutionary” new phones at Mobile World Congress. Assuming that’s the case, anywhere from a month to three months later the phone should start appearing on different carriers. Given how LG phones tend to be re-branded in the United States, there’s no telling what name it might be flying under in America.

[via Droid Dog]

Samsung debuts Galaxy Tab 2: Ice Cream Sandwich on a budget

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 08:42 AM PST

It’s been just under a year and a half since Samsung introduced its original Galaxy Tab, and in that time we’ve seen no less than four extra models, none of which the company saw fit to grace with a sequel moniker. That changes today with the debut of the Galaxy Tab 2, a refit of the original Samsung Galaxy Tab and its pseudo-upgrade, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Most notably, the Galaxy Tab 2.0 will (probably) be the first Samsung tablet to come with Ice Cream Sandwich at launch.

The Galaxy Tab 2 fits in at the bottom of Samsung’s current tab lineup, presumably the first of its third-generation tablet devices. The 7-inch screen keeps the original’s 1024×600 resolution on an LCD (not AMOLED) panel. A 1Ghz dual-core processor won’t break any records, but should be plenty for all the basic tablety tasks, and when paired with a 3MP rear camera it places the Galaxy Tab 2 squarely in the low-end for Samsung. At 10.5mm it’s just a little thicker than the 7.7, 8.9 and 10.1-inch versions, though not terribly so.

Connection comes in the form of WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and HSPA+ connections, the latter of which is probably optional to suit customer and carrier taste. 8, 16 and 32GB capacities can be augmented with a MicroSD card. On the software side of things, you get Samsung’s TouchWiz-altered flavor of Ice Cream Sandwich, along with Sammy’s standard pack-in applications.

Pricing and availability haven’t been mentioned, but given the spec sheet I’d place this one at around $400 USD for the WiFi-only version. It should come to Europe and Asia soon, with US availability coming a few weeks to a couple of months after that. Expect to see more members of the “Galaxy Tab 2″ family to be introduced soon, possibly at Mobile World Congress.

[via SlashGear]

Google has disabled use of your prepaid card via Google Wallet

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 08:08 PM PST

As previously covered, your Google Wallet PIN can now be compromised on any device – rooted or not. Wallet Cracker, an application developed by Zvelo, can easily unveil your four digit PIN protecting your entire digital wallet. It’s a good thing this security firm found the vulnerabilities before a malicious hacker took advantage of them.

Google has now disabled use of prepaid cards to prevent unauthorized use incase your phone falls into the wrong hands. But doesn’t this mean debit cards are at risk as well? Fortunately, they are all safe for now – but that’s just until someone can manage to expose them too.

Until Google can patch this, you can count on people’s trust in the application to slowly deplete. Google also provides “toll-free assistance in case you lose your phone or someone manages to make an unauthorized transaction”. But I’m sure Google doesn’t want to deal with many angry customers everyday; and based on their quick reply to Google Wallet’s vulnerability, we already know they’re taking it seriously.

[via AndroidCentral]