Wednesday 18 April 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Verizon details new 100MB international data plan for $25

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 11:27 AM PDT

This new upcoming data plan from Verizon might not be a lot, especially if you’re addicted to Facebook like some of my friends, but at least they are offering something. With the summer season approaching the picture below fits this new deal perfectly. If you are one that travels often, or are headed for some sandy beaches and warm sunny days this summer season you might want to look into Verizon’s new 100MB international data plan.

Available starting April 23rd Big Red will be offering a 100MB international data plan for just $25. They won’t give a discount for more though, and if you approach the limit or want more another $25 will get you an additional 100MB. This can be used for quick emails, browsing the web (won’t last long) or checking Facebook updates while relaxing in Cabo.

If $25 dollars is worth it for you to post pictures on Facebook teasing all your friends who are still home going to work, this is the deal for you. According to Verizon this 100MB international data is available outside the US in 120 countries and destinations, including all of Europe, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. Although you do need to be an established Verizon customer to partake in the offering.

More details can be found at VerizonWireless.com/global for those interested. If you have any big plans this summer let us know in the comment section below where you plan on soaking up the sun.

[via Computerworld]


Samsung Galaxy Beam hits the FCC headed to AT&T

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:07 AM PDT

Samsung’s second device named the Galaxy Beam is in the news again today. Unveiled back at Mobile World Congress the new Samsung Galaxy Beam complete with a 15 lumen pico projector was quite impressive. We haven’t heard much since then but it has now cleared the FCC, possibly with AT&T radios on board.

According to the folks from Engadget this mid-range business friendly device could be rocking some AT&T bands when it comes to the market. Previous reports suggested a mid April launch but we haven’t heard a peep from Samsung. Maybe they’ll formally announce it before the end of the month, but we’ll have to wait and see.

No US carriers have been confirmed but we could see this land on AT&T here shortly. For those uninformed the Galaxy Beam sports a 4.0-inch AMOLED display, 1 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and of course beams out from the top with a 15 lumen pico projector. They’ve equipped it with a 2000 mAh battery that should get a few quick presentations in, but nothing large or with a far range to project. Running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread the phone is decent, hopefully we’ll know more soon and can update.

[via FCC]


Huawei Ascend P1 super-thin phone available this May

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 09:44 AM PDT

Today Huawei has announced full global retail availability for their Ascend P1 smartphone, the super sleek 7.69mm phone running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich they unveiled back at CES. Being available starting today in Japan, and selling out extremely quick Huawei has now announced the details for global availability.

This 4.3″ Super AMOLED, 1.5 GHz dual-core packing handset comes with the latest Android operating system and still manages to be extremely thin, one of the worlds thinnest available. Starting in May and continuing throughout the summer the Ascend P1 will hit retailers in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia, followed by Latin America in June, then in Europe sometime this summer. We received a quick hands-on back at CES and here that is for those interested.

Sadly Huawei claimed global availability but the USA will have to wait until later with no exact dates or time frames given. Either way this super-thin phone coming in sleeker than the Motorola RAZR should be one to watch out for this summer for those not in North America. With design similarities to a Samsung Galaxy S device the Ascend P1 was pretty impressive back at CES. You’ll want to at least give it a second look. Huawei also didn’t mention the P1 S which is currently the worlds thinnest phone being a full millimeter thinner than the regular P1.


AT&T HTC One X launch date live

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 09:06 AM PDT

It’s time for AT&T to get their hands on the most powerful smartphone on earth, the HTC One X – part of HTC’s newest line of hero devices, this device will bring AT&T packs of fans in on the first day for sure. We’ve had our hands on this device several times now in its international form, now it’s time to get down to business with the HTC One series here in the USA. The HTC One X for AT&T will cost you $199.99 and will be available SOON – May 6th to be exact . Will you be getting in line early?

This version of the smartphone will be exactly the same as the international version of the HTC One X save for one rather important distinction: LTE! This difference means that the device will not be carrying NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Instead it’ll be rocking the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor which, believe it or not, has been doing intensely well considering it has two CPU cores instead of NVIDIA’s 4.

This device also has an 1800mAh battery with the Snapdragon’s fabulous battery-saving low-power modes in-tact, Sense 4.0 with your total Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich experience, and a gigantic 4.7-inch 720p Super-LCD 2 display. You can check out the fullness of this experience in our review of the HTC One X in its international iteration now. Also be sure to check out our review of the HTC One S to see how the Qualcomm processor is working. Exciting times for HTC!


HTC denies Beats backlash

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 12:28 AM PDT

HTC has reiterated its commitment to Beats By Dre, denying reports that the recent replacement of its Chief Financial Officer is a prelude to reducing involvement with the audio brand. Speculation about the role Beats Audio would continue to play was spurred this week when CFO Winston Yung was replaced by Chia-Lin Chang, Yung being shifted to a “corporate development role.”

At the time, some reports indicated that Yung had been a significant player in the Beats Audio investment by HTC, and pointed to the executive switch-up as a sign that the company might be having a change of heart. Not so, says HTC CEO Peter Chou in the following statement given to Android Community:

On Monday, HTC announced the appointment of Chia-Lin Chang as Chief Financial Officer with Winston Yung, his predecessor, transitioning to a corporate development role.

"Media speculation that ties this announcement to HTC's partnership and investment in Beats By Dre is categorically inaccurate," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "HTC and Beats have made impressive progress in innovation and brand awareness and the integration of the Beats brand and technology in the new HTC One series is a clear indication of our commitment to this partnership."

Nonetheless, there remain questions around how much Beats hardware HTC will bundle in future devices. Earlier this month saw suggestions that Beats Headphones would no longer be bundled as a matter of course with HTC devices.


Acer’s quad-core Iconia Tab A510 on sale now

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 06:23 PM PDT

Well look at that – on the same day that Acer’s nailed down a date for updating its older tablets to Ice Cream Sandwich, it’s also started selling the new Iconia Tab A510. This revision of the A500 model includes a Tegra 3 quad-core processor and ships with Android 4.0. And if you care about such things, it’s also the “Olympic Edition”, which means you get a snazzy five-ring logo on the back. The Iconia Tab A510 is shipping now from Acer’s online store for $449, and should show up at retailers soon.

Other notable specs include a full gigabyte of RAM, a generous 32GB of storage and an integrated MicroSD card slot. Except for sales and promotions, that makes the Acer Iconia Tab A510 the cheapest Android tablet available with 32GB of space. The rear camera is 5 megapixels while the front shooter is a single megapixel, and the 10-inch screen uses the now-standard 1280×800 resolution. The tablet has some expansion options with a full-sized USB 2.0 port and HDMI-out. You can have any color you want, so long as you want black.

With Ice Cream Sandwich tablets arriving in earnest, prospective buyers have some options on their hands. ASUS’ new Transformer Pad 300 is expected to arrive next week for $399, packing mostly the same specs and 16GB of storage. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will have just 8GB of storage at the same price, but might have a quad-core Exynos processor when it arrives. You could go even lower with Archos’ 101 G9 Turbo for $329. Choices in the 10-inch and $400 range have never been wider, so it’ll be a sliding scale of brand, price and storage when all of them are available.

[via Engadget]


Sony Xperia Arc S ROM ported to Galaxy Nexus

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 06:05 PM PDT

When considering Android modders and the projects they choose to devote themselves to, the question “Why?” often arises. And the answer, almost universally, is “why not?” Such is the case with GNexusTimeScape, a new ROM for the Galaxy Nexus from noted XDA member koaaN. The custom ROM takes the interface, apps and widgets from the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S – an older, smaller and considerably weaker phone – and puts them front and center on the Galaxy Nexus.

It’s an interesting if not overly utilitarian project – those who love to add HTC’s Sense, Samsung’s TouchWiz or Motorola’s Blur UIs to phones that were never meant to run them should get a kick out of it. If you’ve already rooted your device and flashed a custom recovery, you know the drill: just download the ZIP file from the thread and flash it in ClockworkMod. Sony’s custom launcher, media apps and interface will all work on your Galaxy Nexus, and it’s running Android 4.0.3, so you won’t lose any features including access to Google apps.

Currently most of the major functions are working, with the exception of NFC and video recording and playback. The release is only candidate version 1.1, so if you’re intrigued, you might want to wait for a few more updates. The developer doesn’t specify whether GSM or LTE versions of the Galaxy Nexus are supported, but since he’s from Sweden, it’s probably safe to assume that Verizon users need not apply. Happy flashing, and absolutely, positively, definitely make a backup for this one.

[via XDA blog]


Acer Iconia Tab A500 and A100 ICS update coming April 27th

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:37 PM PDT

Good news for Acer owners: your Android 4.0 updates are finally starting to trickle out. Early adopters who bought the Iconia Tab A500 when it was one of the only Honeycomb tablets available will feel vindicated that they’ll be getting Ice Cream Sandwich very soon. Both the A500 and the smaller A100 will be seeing updates on April 27th (next Friday) in the United States. Canadians get the update on May 3rd (all the better to watch our Galaxy S III liveblog!) and those in Latin America will get updates for the A100 on April 25th and for the A500 on April 27th.

Both Acer tablets use Tegra 2 processors and a full gigabyte of RAM, a combination that’s been proven to run Ice Cream Sandwich quite well. The 10-inch A500 has a standard 1280×800 and the 7-inch A100 uses 1024×600, again, both tried and tested resolutions. And judging by the rollout of Ice Cream Sandwich on the Iconia Tab A200, the slightly updated 10-inch model, everything should go smoothly. The newer tablet was updated to Android 4.0 back in February.

There are a few unanswered questions yet: one, Acer’s website mentions the updates for Mexico and Brazil separately from Latin America, with only “TBA Mid-April” to go on. And the version number of ICS isn’t mentioned either, though since it’s listed as “4.0.x” across the board, Acer will probably go with 4.0.3 as they did with the A200. At least you won’t need a separate computer to flash the new software – when the time comes, just go to your Settings app and press “About Tablet>System Update>Check Now” to begin the update process. If you’re the impatient type, you could always try the leaked version.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : ICONIA A100
    Manufactuer : Acer
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : February 14, 2011
    Release Date : June 21, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 600x1024
  • Screen Type : LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.68 Inch
  • Width : 4.61 Inch
  • Depth : 0.52 Inch
  • Weight : 470 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1530 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 3.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • MP3
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 250 Dual Cortex A9
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 512 MB
    Internal Storage : 8.192 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[deviceid=266]

[via Droid-Life]


Project Glass Battlefield concept brings augmented reality to gaming

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 04:44 PM PDT

Project Glass has inspired its fair share of constructive conversation, not to mention parody. But the latest video to play off of Google’s augmented reality project takes the cake and the checkpoint. YouTube user ThereIsACanal used the ideas presented in Google’s now-famous concept video and extrapolated to see what “Battlefield 5″ could look like when taken into the real world. The results aren’t exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but the video does a great job at illustrating the possibilities inherent in augmented reality gaming.

The video starts off innocuously enough: our protagonist casually meets a buddy on the street, recognized via Project Glass’ Google Latitude integration. He then hops the fence into an abandoned building complex (with his glasses kindly reminding him that he’s breaking the law). When “Battlefield 5″ loads up, it generates weapons and BDUs for the player and populates the space with enemy fighters, which can be killed with the virtual rifle the player is holding. Enough talk, just watch the video:

This sort of virtual and real-world mesh is a common theme in later science fiction, like Daniel Suarez’s novel Daemon. But now that it’s technically possible – if not quite to the degree shown in the novel or the video – there are all sorts of questions that arise. How would you incorporate feedback when the elements you see in Project Glass aren’t there? How would you control something as complex as a modern shooter without resorting to some kind of tethered controller? What kind of psychological impacts would bringing hyper-violent modern games into actual, physical locations have? It’s a fascinating and challenging idea.

There’s still very little concrete information available on Project Glass, though Google says it’s hoping to use feedback from the concept video and photos to refine the idea. We hope that it becomes a reality somewhere beyond the Google Campus soon – and that industrious designers and developers can take videos like these out of the realm of fantasy.

[via Kotaku]


Time Warner Cable TV streaming denied to Android root users

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 04:07 PM PDT

Android users had to wait over a year for a version of the Time Warner Cable app that streamed live video in addition to programming and schedule features. And it’s finally here – but not for everybody. The latest update to the TWC TV app in the Google Play Store adds live streaming for Ice Cream Sandwich tablets and smartphones, but if you’re rooted, you’re out of luck – streaming video is blocked for all rooted devices. Users are reporting their frustration in the app reviews section, with dozens calling the move unfair.

Time Warner isn’t the only one with this restriction – Google themselves keeps rooted users from watching movies and TV shows rented or purchased from the Movies section of the Google Play Store. And while there’s no actual restriction put in place, Google strongly recommends that rooted users stay away from Google Wallet, due to known vulnerabilities. Even so, the Time Warner restriction is frustrating - they’ve already stated that they’re limiting the feature to Ice Cream Sandwich devices for security reasons, so why the extra precaution?

The restriction may have been due to pressure from content owners, but Time Warner is catching the flak. And though I can almost understand why such restrictions are put in place (it’s to keep those nasty pirates at bay, even if TWC isn’t saying so) I don’t necessarily agree with it. For one, associating rooted users with pirates is just plain ignorant. And it’s not as if you can’t burn DVDs or even Blu-rays from an HD cable stream using off-the-shelf hardware from Best Buy. So in effect, the only thing that Time Warner is doing is further alienating Android users. Hey Comcast and DirecTV: here’s a great way to grow your subscriber base.

For the record, it looks like the iOS version of the app (you know, the one that’s been out for a year) has similar restrictions on jailbroken devices.

[via Android Police]


Samsung shows off Galaxy Note ICS premium suite apps on video

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 03:50 PM PDT

Samsung’s Galaxy Note is an awesome phablet for those that have accepted its size and use it daily. While still running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread here with the AT&T Galaxy Note Samsung is getting ready to release Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and their new “premium suite apps” for the device. The latest ICS leak didn’t include the new apps, but today we are getting a closer look thanks to Samsung Mobile.

A very similar video was leaked back in March from Samsung but wasn’t quite the same and has since been made private by Samsung Mobile. Today’s video however, shows us everything we can expect from the Samsung Galaxy Note with Android 4.0 ICS. From the new premium apps suite, to Angry Birds Space and more. The music is catchy and it reminds me of The Sims but check it out all you noteworthy users.

Earlier this month the AT&T Galaxy Note ICS build was leaked, and you can see our hands-on here. Sadly it didn’t come with the latest premium suite apps shown from the video above. Judging from the rest of the update I expect the official release to be quite impressive. Being able to edit and upload PDF’s, make detailed and clean looking graphs and circles with their automated tools and more are all awesome additions to the Galaxy Note and its S-Pen.

According to the latest reports from Samsung we are still expecting the Android 4.0 ICS update to arrive in Q2 with the new S-Pen “Premium Suite” and more, but nothing has been officially confirmed yet. The fact that they’ve finally released this teaser video is a sign that things are coming along. We can probably expect the update to arrive shortly, and will update as soon as we see or hear details. Who’s excited for the new S-Pen apps?

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : GALAXY Note LTE
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : AT&T
    Announced Date : January 09, 2012
    Release Date : February 19, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.3 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.78 Inch
  • Width : 3.27 Inch
  • Depth : 0.38 Inch
  • Weight : 183 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 250 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : MSM8660
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Intel CEO: the first Medfield phone is launching this week

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 03:26 PM PDT

When you look for an Android phone (and increasingly, any smartphone or tablet) you’re looking for something with an ARM-based processor, because at the moment it’s the only game in town. But that may change very soon: during Intel’s quarterly financial report, CEO Paul Otellini told investors that the first phone to feature Intel’s Medfield architecture will launch by the end of the week. That’s news to us, and it was certainly news to those listening in on the call.

The first current-generation phone to feature an Intel processor was Lenovo’s K800, also known as the Racer-A. We got an exclusive look at the phone at CES in January. Otellini didn’t specify which phone would be coming so soon, but since the K800 is the only one shown to the public this far and its rumored release date is May, it seems like the safe bet. On the other hand, Intel has also partnered with Motorola for its first round of hardware. Motorola hasn’t shown off any actual handsets just yet, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that they’ve kept it under wraps… just very unlikely. And Motorola is better positioned to sell phones outside of China and Europe.

Either way, you shouldn’t take the CEO’s statement to mean that a Medfield phone will be sitting at your local retailer by Sunday. With the 4.5-inch K800 already rumored for May, the most likely scenario is that Lenovo plans a formal announcement soon. These things have a tendency to get side-tracked as well, so I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see the next few days pass without a peep from either company. We’ll just have to wait and see.

[via 9to5Google]


The one thing I want from the Galaxy S III

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 03:08 PM PDT

Working for an Android blog has lately meant looking forward to a single device: the Samsung Galaxy S III. Samsung has gone to extraordinary measures to keep its design and features secret, and as a result we’ve got almost nothing beyond rumors and speculation to go on. But since the Galaxy line has done phenomenally so far, we can’t help but have expectations – after all, odds are pretty good that no matter what Samsung reveals on May 3rd, it’ll wind up in the pockets of tens of millions of Android users all over the world.

I don’t have any inside info on the Galaxy S III, and anyone who tells you that they do is either lying or about to be fired. But what I hope for isn’t anything in the range of gigantic screens or space-age build materials. Believe it or not, I think that plastic is a pretty great way to build a light, sturdy phone, and my experience with LG’s Optimus LTE variants and the Galaxy Nexus has taught me that cramming more and more pixels into a screen smaller than five inches doesn’t necessarily make for a better device. I’m not even looking for unencumbered Android, as seems to be so vital these days – as loathe as I am to say it, TouchWiz and Sense have become stable and useful, and in any case, I’m a handy enough guy with a bootloader that they won’t be around for too long on any device that I own. I don’t even care that much about capacity or SD cards, since I never fill up my devices and all my media’s in the cloud.

No, the one thing that I want from the Galaxy S III is something that everyone desires, from every device that they own: longevity. The Galaxy Nexus’ poor battery life (when compared to other phones) is one of its grand failings, and the reason that the “pure” Google phone that I bought with my own money sees less use in my pocket than the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX review unit. At the end of the day, your smartphone had better be ticking… anything that isn’t is just a pretty piece of excess.

Unfortunately, the deck is rather stacked against the Galaxy S III in the battery department. Consumers are demanding thinner and thinner phones, while seeming to completely miss the fact that this means batteries can’t grow to meet the power needs of faster hardware and wireless standards. Samsung seems ready to give it to them. And while the Galaxy S II (a phone that is in so many ways similar to the Galaxy Nexus) gets great battery life, the addition of Verizon’s CDMA-LTE network seems to cripple the Nexus, even with the slightly extended battery that I use. If rumors of a phone with a gigantic HD screen and a slim body are to be believed, then  hoping for a battery with 2500mAh or more would seem to be in vain.

It’s a shame, too. While manufacturers and software publishers are trying their best to maximize available battery life, the simple fact is that power technology isn’t advancing anywhere near as fast as other segments. The solution is just to get bigger and bigger batteries, something that the “new” iPad demonstrates: its physical battery is about twice the size of the battery in the iPad 2, enabling it to keep an acceptable battery life even with a hi-res screen and LTE. I’m no Apple fan, but credit where it’s due. Motorola, a company whose locked bootloader policy has drawn the ire of Android purists everywhere, seems to be on the right track as well: via some downright amazing feats of mechanical engineering, they stuffed a battery almost double the standard size into the DROID RAZR MAXX, making it one of the most genuinely useful LTE phones on the planet.

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any confidence in Samsung’s ability to engineer past the power problem. If there was an easy answer, we’d have it by now. And for all their charms in other areas, Samsung has begun to show a definite preference for style over substance. The idea of a “Galaxy S MAXX” just doesn’t fit their current brand image, though I’ve no doubt they’d sell millions of such a device.

I’ll be on the edge of my seat for Samsung’s presentation, like many of you. And I’m certain that I’ll be wowed by their latest and no doubt greatest screen, and I’ll “ooh” and “ahh” if they manage to slim their flagship design down to seven millimeters. But my respect and more importantly my dollars will go to the first Android manufacturer that can get me a 4.3-inch or larger screen, an unlocked bootloader and a battery that doesn’t have me checking to make sure I’ve brought my charger on a trip to the grocery store. (You were so close, Moto!) I hope it’s Samsung, but I’ll settle for anyone.

Speaking of Samsung’s event, Android Community will be there live to cover it. Join us for the live blog on May 3rd. That’s enough from me – what’s your must-have feature for the Galaxy S III? Let us know in the comments section.


Samsung and Apple CEOs agree to lawsuit settlement talks

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 02:08 PM PDT

Apple and Samsung have been at battle for what seems like years now. With lawsuits all over the globe stacked full of litigation from patent infringement to design copying and more. This hard fought boxing match might soon be coming to its final round as we are now hearing the two are looking to at least attempt to be nice, even if they still don’t play nice together.

According to FOSS Patents multiple members from both sides, including CEO’s have agreed to a sit down. During so they will attempt to come up with some sort of agreement, settlement, or at least peace talks. With lawyers on hand, and a magistrate judge to oversee the discussions, and hopefully come up with some solutions within 90 days. Sadly this all started when Apple accused Samsung of copying the iPhone with the Galaxy S and Galaxy S II, and things have only got worse from there. Fighting to remove each others products from shelves, and Samsung even redesigned their tablets for multiple markets because of the situation. Previous reports suggested Apple would end the lawsuits if Samsung would agree to pay them a certain amount per device sold, but that didn’t end well.

Obviously this is still an iffy subject, and everything about the meeting still has legal implications but the fact that both sides are apparently “willing to participate” in the sit down we could be headed for some smooth(er) sailing in the near future. For more details on anything we’ve mentioned above hit the various links from the timeline below.

[via SlashGear]


HTC Thunderbolt update leaks – Not Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:45 PM PDT

It looks like Verizon and HTC haven’t completely forgot about the once reigning champion in the HTC ThunderBolt. A new software build for the ThunderBolt was leaked today although sadly this appears to still be Android 2.3 Gingerbread — no Ice Cream Sandwich just yet. Most likely this has been scratched for the Android 4.0 update we are still waiting for, but this brings some improvements for those interested.

According to the folks at Android Police this is a pretty decent little leaked update. If you feel like giving it a try you’ll get fixes for mobile hotspot issues and disconnects, volume problems have been resolved, VZNav has been updated, and they’ve added tons of stability to the device that should resolve some reboots.

Last we heard HTC was preparing to offer some test builds of ICS for the ThunderBolt but that was all. According to HTC the Thunderbolt will indeed be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich — the question is when. While you can try MIUI or CyanogenMod for the ThunderBolt many are probably still waiting for the official ICS and sadly today isn’t the day. Stay tuned for more details and head to the source link below for full details on the leak.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : ThunderBolt
    Manufactuer : HTC
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : January 06, 2011
    Release Date : March 17, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.30 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x800
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.75 Inch
  • Width : 2.44 Inch
  • Depth : 0.56 Inch
  • Weight : 177 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1400 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 330 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Snapdragon
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 1
    Ram : 768 MB
    Internal Storage : 8.192 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Android Police]


Chrome for Android update adds desktop mode and bookmarks

Posted: 17 Apr 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Chrome for Android is quickly becoming the most popular mobile browser for Android – as long as you have a supported device of course. While it hasn’t passed the million downloads mark just yet, a new update today has added some new features and solves some critical bugs according to the Chrome Blog.

Nothing major was added with this update, and I’m still hopeful we’ll get the same quick controls the stock browser is provided sometime soon, but I’m sure that is coming. There are a few notable changes that will help complete Chrome Browser as it gets ready to leave beta — since Google’s still calling it Chrome for Android Beta. Along with the option to select desktop or mobile versions of sites we also can now add site specific bookmarks to our homescreen. Here is the newest changelog:

– Allow for download of files to the device
– Complex Text Layout (CTL) and Right to Left (RTL) text support in rendered pages
– Enable old-style YouTube embed content to be played via native YouTube app
– Support for country-specific suggested search engines

The main changes here being the addition of downloads, something that was truly being missed on Android phones and tablets. Then as you can see they’ve integrated the YouTube app to work with old YouTube embed content from sites. Now you’ll be able to easily watch videos from your favorite sites right inside the YouTube app, even if the content is old.

Then we have country-specific search engines that goes nicely with the last update, which added support for tons of additional languages. Google recently stated Chrome for Android will improve by “leaps and bounds” and while this update isn’t anything major, we still expect big things in the future from Google and Chrome.

Chrome for Android Link

P1090111 Screenshot_2012-04-17-10-59-50


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