Thursday 16 August 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Judge Koh asks Apple if they’re “smoking crack” in Samsung lawsuit

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 11:37 AM PDT

Go Judge Koh! Today some tempers are getting slightly heated after the continuous and ongoing legal battle between Samsung and Apple. This has been a huge topic in the news as of late, and honestly we feel it’s getting a bit old. Today however the Judge spiced things up by asking Apple’s Attorney’s if they’re smoking crack.

You’ve all probably noticed a drop off in the “lawsuit” stories here on Android Community, as we’d like to focus on the positive things in Android, as well as real innovation. The ongoing legal battle here is slowly but surely getting very old, and the Judge appears to want it to be over more than we all do.

According to The Verge, who appears to be sitting in on the case, after Apple submitted yet another massive 75 page document to the courts, Judge Koh finally has had enough. We are hearing this witness rebuttal document of over 75 pages was referring to 22 different witnesses that Samsung may call to the stand. Then the Judge showed her irritation by asking why Apple would waste the courts time and submit such a lengthy document “when unless you’re smoking crack you know these witnesses aren’t going to be called!”

That pretty much says it all. Apple and their Attorneys might be smoking crack. Now obviously this entire thing has been blown out of proportion by the media (us included) but the point we are trying to make is these legal battles are long, irritating, and getting very old — as we can tell from the judge’s growing frustrations. If anything major actually happens other than name-calling, we’ll be sure to update. In the meantime continue with your business as it’s just another drawn out day in court for Apple and Samsung.


Google Play gift cards coming soon – Get ready for Christmas

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:47 AM PDT

Move over iTunes, Google Play is getting gift cards too. Late last night Google started rolling out their new Google Play Store to smartphones and tablets everywhere, and users quickly noticed that hiding beneath the pretty user interface was proof that we will soon have gift cards and even wishlist options in the Play Store. This is something iTunes has had for years, and I’ve been dying to see on Android.

Well good news folks. Gift cards are actually coming to Android, and soon. As you can see above they’ve already been spotted out in the wild, and some pictures from an unknown source were found by Android Central. Now I don’t want to keep comparing to iTunes but lets face it, that’s the competition. They’ve been selling these cards for years in Walmart, Best Buy, Gas stations, convenient stores and more. What we see above is the exact same thing individually wrapped. Get ready for Christmas wishlists to include a few Play Store gift cards.

After the folks from Android Police broke down the new Google Play Store app they found a few gems hiding inside. What you see above is proof that the Play Store has the capability for gift cards and wishlists, only Google’s yet to activate it. We aren’t fully sure what they have planned yet, or what exactly “wishlists” will be good for. Maybe you’ll have to redeem gift cards on your wishlist, or they might even allow people to fill that wishlist. Imagine a kids wishlist of games and apps being filled on Christmas morning, that should bring a few smiles to faces.

So, gift cards are coming. Sooner rather than later although we don’t have too many details. I’m betting this will sadly be in the US only at first, but who knows. Get ready to buy some music, movies, books, apps and more from Google Play. Who’s excited?

[via SlashGear]


Google Maps update adds offline maps and snazzy new logo

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:23 AM PDT

Google has made some rather exciting announcements for their Maps service over the past few weeks, and last night they took to their Google Blog again to detail some good news. Last week they added live traffic alerts to over 130 new cities, and now they are touting more than 1 million transit stops detailed in Google Maps. Pretty impressive if you ask us.

Today the new and improved Google Maps has just hit the Play Store, and is available right now. While it might not offer huge changes over previous models, we do however get a snazzy new icon. I like it and hope this trend continues by Google. The changelog lists one major feature although they’ve added more than a few things with today’s update.

The only change we see listed is “Save maps for use offline.” This feature has been available in beta for a long time already, but today is officially out for anyone and everyone with Google Maps. As long as you have a decently new phone you can save entire maps, and even navigation directions locally on device, and get directs and maps while driving across country where data services lack. Good stuff! That isn’t all either Google also claimed to have updated My Places and Location History displays in Google Maps for Android. Here’s their words:

Now, whenever you search for a city or postal code, the borders of that region are highlighted.
Under My Places you'll notice we've added new tabs, which will help you access all your information from a single place; from your saved maps for use offline to your starred places and Custom Maps created on your desktop.
If you enable Location History, you'll be able to browse the places you've been on a daily basis with an updated Location History dashboard.

The brand new Google Maps with its shiny new icon, offline maps, and multiple other small improvements is available right this minute at the Play Store. You’ll want to check for updates, or hit the link below to get it today. Do you like the new Google Maps icon? Let us know below!

Google Maps Link


Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch hits Verizon with 4G LTE August 17th

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 03:49 PM PDT

This morning along with announcing their new Galaxy Note 10.1 Samsung and Verizon both announced that they’ll be offering up the budget friendly Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch tablet to Verizon customers complete with 4G LTE. This is Samsung’s latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, and now it will be blazing along with 4G LTE speeds.

Not only has the tablet been injected with 4G LTE speeds, but it will be dropped into the market extremely fast. The Verizon Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch will be available starting Friday, August 17th, for the low price of only $349 on contract. It might not be the cheapest tablet, or as powerful as the Nexus 7 — but it has connectivity and a micro-SD slot for expanded storage.

For full details on the Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch be sure and hit the various links below. What you’ll be getting is a 7-inch 1026 x 600 resolution Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (micro-SD support included) Verizon 4G LTE, as well as a IR-Blaster to use it as a full featured remote control. This is Samsung’s most budget friendly tablet, and will arrive just in time for students shopping for a connected tablet.

This tablet comes with both a 3.2 rear camera, VGA front for video chatting with friends, as well as a micro-SD slot capable of accepting 64GB cards. This makes it a relatively good option for those headed to class this fall. It surely can’t compete with the Nexus 7 power, performance, or OS, but if you like the small size and need 4G LTE this is your best bet. As a reminder, for $10 a month you can add this to your new Verizon Share Everything data plan too.

Who’s buying this tablet, or would you rather use the Nexus 7 and just tether your smartphone data connection?

GALAXY-Tab-2-7.0-Product-Image-2 GALAXY-Tab-2-7.0-Product-Image-4 GALAXY-Tab-2-7.0-Product-Image-3 GALAXY-Tab-2-7.0-Product-Image-1 tab7lte
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Tab 2 (7")
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : February 13, 2012
    Release Date : April 22, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1024x600
  • Screen Type : TFT PLS
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.6 Inch
  • Width : 4.8 Inch
  • Depth : 0.41 Inch
  • Weight : 344 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Polymer
  • Battery Capacity : 4000 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • MP3
  • WAV
    Video Playback:
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP 4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 3 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • GPS
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Humble Indie Bundle 3 for Android launches

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 01:17 PM PDT

The latest iteration of the Humble Indie Bundle has arrived, and once again, its indie game goodness is being offered on Android. As with past bundles, the Humble Indie Bundle for Android 3 (which is a ridiculous name) lets buyers name their own price on a collection of indie games. A customizable portion of your purchase price goes to charity, so not only do you get a handful of excellent indie games on the cheap, but you also get to feel good about giving some money where it’s truly needed.


This time around, Humble Indie Bundle fans are being offered Fieldrunner, Bit.Trip Beat, SpaceChem and Uplink. Paying more than the average (which currently sits at $6.04) will net you a copy of Spirits, and all of these games come complete with soundtracks, which are available in MP3 or FLAC format. Not too bad for newcomers to the promotion, but Humble Bundle veterans will definitely recognize a few games featured in this particular pack.

Of course, these games are also playable on Windows, Mac and Linux, so you’re not restricted to just Android if you opt to purchase this latest Humble Bundle. This particular bundle might seem a little light on offerings at first, but like most other promotions in the past, we’re expecting the Humble Bundle folks to add more games as bonuses to those who pay more than the average later on down the road. For now, however, check out the five games that are on offer in the Humble Indie Bundle for Android 3 trailer below.

Most of the past Humble Bundles have managed to raise ridiculous amounts of money for the developers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Child’s Play charity. There are some excellent indie gems included in this bundle, so we’re expecting this one to do the same. The Humble Indie Bundle for Android 3 will be available for almost exactly two weeks, and so far it’s managed to raise over $100,000, despite how early it is. Stay tuned, because this is sure raise a ton of cash.

[via SlashGear]


Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with 50GB Dropbox storage free for 2 years

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 12:20 PM PDT

If you’re one that always needs additional storage for your smartphones and tablets then Dropbox and Samsung have you covered. Just like a few others, including Samsung with their Galaxy S III launch you’ll get tons of free cloud storage with your purchase of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet.

Earlier this afternoon Samsung officially outed their new Galaxy Note 10.1, and that it will be available nationwide starting tomorrow, August 16th, starting at $499. Deep down in their press release they were nice enough to include some small details regarding their Dropbox promotion.

For the many that haven’t been following Dropbox and Samsung smartphones, they’ve partnered to offer free cloud storage for pictures, videos, documents and more all for Samsung customers. This bonus was present on the Galaxy S III, but sadly Verizon and AT&T chose not to participate. Luckily Samsung is back and everyone who purchases the brand new Galaxy Note 10.1 will get 50GB of Dropbox cloud storage completely free for 2 years. That’s a $100 value for free.

For more information on the Galaxy Note 10.1 you’ll surely want to check out our in-depth full Note 10.1 Review. Dropbox has offered similar storage limits with the folks from HTC too, but Samsung appears to be getting the bulk of the treatment as of late. Dropbox should come pre-installed, and once you sign up you’ll have 50GB to use as you please.

Who’s picking up the new Note 10.1 tomorrow?

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note 10.1
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : February 27, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : GT-N8000, GT-N8010 (WiFi only)
Display
  • Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.08 Inch
  • Width : 10.31 Inch
  • Depth : 0.35 Inch
  • Weight : 600 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 7000 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos 4412
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 64 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p 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:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Motorola DROID RAZR HD rumors run wild, No MAXX HD or 13MP camera

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 11:38 AM PDT

Motorola has a lot of eyes on them at the moment. Between the acquisition by Google, and the fact that they’ve promised to finally start unlocking their bootloaders. The big device in the news this month has been their upcoming DROID RAZR HD smartphone. We’ve seen countless leaks and rumors, but new details today (also rumors) are purportedly putting those to rest.

According to sources close to PhoneArena the previous specs were false. Motorola won’t be launching the RAZR HD with a massive 13 megapixel camera on back, and instead will be a quality 8 megapixel camera instead. This isn’t a big deal, but if it wants to compete with the Galaxy S III and HTC One X while being months and months late to the game — it needs better specs.

The other main rumor that has apparently been squashed is the possibility of a DROID RAZR MAXX HD. The original DROID RAZR came with a small 1,780 mAh battery, and later Motorola released a MAXX edition with a huge 3,300 mAh battery. Being the biggest battery in the Android world it lasted longer than anything on the market by a long shot. FCC filings have revealed the new RAZR HD will sport a “happy medium” 2,530 mAh battery instead, and they’ll only release one device.

Personally the less phones the better, offering one model is the right way to go if you ask us, and goes along with recent comments from Motorola themselves. For now we are still expecting Motorola’s DROID RAZR HD to arrive sometime in October, but we are hopeful for a late September release to help rival the Galaxy Note 2 and iPhone 5.

If the DROID RAZR HD is released that late will you jump for another device, or wait it out?

[via SlashGear]


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