Wednesday 19 September 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Samsung takes yet another jab at the iPhone 5

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 11:32 AM PDT

Samsung has been notorious for taking jabs at Apple, especially since they lost to them in court recently. They’ve called out the iPhone 5 just a couple days ago, and now they’re at it again with a new commercial. Samsung mentions in the new ad that “the next big thing is already here”, referring to their Galaxy S III flagship phone.

The commercial pokes fun of Apple’s dedicated user base that are waiting in the line for the iPhone 5, mentioning things like, “I hear the new connector is going to be all digital! What does that even mean? I don’t know, but I’m psyched!” and “I hear you have to have an adapter to use a dock, but they make the coolest adapters!” It’s all fun and games really until we see the Galaxy S III step in.

The iPhone 5 line dwellers soon get a little jealous of the guys with the Galaxy S IIIs and start to contemplate their decision to get an iPhone 5 (that happens all the time, right?). Samsung shows off some of the features of the S III, like a larger display, 4G LTE (which it’s had for a while), and sharing content by tapping phones.

The commercial certainly isn’t Samsung’s worst ad campaign, since they’ve had a couple already that have blown up in their faces. Their Facebook post a couple weeks ago is one example, and Kate Upton showing up with an iPhone at a Samsung event also didn’t go over too well.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S III
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : T-Mobile
    Announced Date : June 04, 2012
    Release Date : June 21, 2012
    Also Known As : SGH-T999 (T-Mobile)
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.8 Inch
  • Resolution : 720x1280
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED HD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.37 Inch
  • Width : 2.77 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 133 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2100 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 : MSM8960 Snapdragon
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 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 :


LG Optimus Nexus could be Google’s next smartphone

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 10:52 AM PDT

We’ve heard a lot about LG’s Optimus G recently. The company unveiled their new flagship phone a couple days ago and we certainly gave it a good look-over. However, word on the street is that Google will be using the Optimus G as their next flagship phone and will call it the Optimus Nexus.

Sources have said that Google may be going with LG to produce the search giant’s upcoming Nexus device, and if that turns out to be true, the Optimus G might be the phone that they’ll base it off of. It’s still running Ice Cream Sandwich as of LG’s unveil a couple days ago, but it will most likely see a Jelly Bean update by the time it hits the States in November.

The only question is, will it go by the “Optimus Nexus” name or stick with “Optimus G” by the time it arrives in US? It’s anyone’s guess as to how LG and Google will proceed from here on out. Not too long ago, there was a leak that mentioned LG, Samsung, and Sony were all interested in creating a new Nexus device, so it may even be possible that we’ll see multiple Nexus phones in the Google Play store in a couple months.

However, the big story right now is whether or not we’ll see an Optimus Nexus come November. The new phone is equipped with a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, a 13 MP rear camera, and 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPSPlus 1280 x 768 display. It would be quite the Nexus device if I say so myself.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Optimus G
    Manufactuer : LG
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 18, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x768
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.19 Inch
  • Width : 2.71 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 145 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2100 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 335 hours
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 : APQ8064
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 13 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:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Android and Me]


U.S. Cellular Galaxy Note II coming late-October for $300

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 10:12 AM PDT

Earlier today, we reported that Samsung’s Galaxy Note II will be arriving on all major US carriers, but so far it’s only US Cellular that has opened its mouth about pricing and availability. If you’re eligible for an upgrade soon, mark your calendars for late-October and set aside $300.

You can actually pre-order the phone right now on US Cellular’s website, with the Titanium 16GB version currently showing up. Plus, if you preorder it, you get the $100 rebate instantly, whereas going into the store on release day will have you waiting a few weeks for the mail-in rebate.

We’re hoping we hear from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile soon as far as their plans for the Galaxy Note II. Since US Cellular doesn’t quite have the established and reputable 4G network of other carriers, we’re curious as to when other service providers will unleash the new phone to diehard 4G users on carriers that have respectable 4G networks. So far, it’s rumored that AT&T will get the Galaxy Note II on October 21. We can only except other carriers will be the same.

The Galaxy Note II features a 5.5-inch 1280×720 HD Super AMOLED display, a quad-core Samsung Exynos processor clocked at 1.6 GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and an 8 MP rear camera with a 1.9 MP front-facing camera, all powered by a whopping 3,100 mAh battery. If you’re curious how the Galaxy Note II stacks up to the iPhone 5, take a look at our comparison.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note II
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : August 29, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : GT-N7100
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.5 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : HD Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.95 Inch
  • Width : 3.17 Inch
  • Depth : 0.37 Inch
  • Weight : 180 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 3100 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.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 : 1600 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 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:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via SlashGear]


Kindle Fire HD 7 can now be rooted

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 09:37 AM PDT

We reported a couple days ago that Amazon locked down the new Kindle Fire HD tablets pretty tightly, making it more difficult to find a workaround for a successful root. However, good news has arrived and it looks like a successful workaround has been established, thanks to some hard-working folks.

Testers and developers were already hard at work right when the Kindle Fire HD 7 hit store shelves, so in a matter of days they were able to bypass Amazon‘s heavily-locked bootloader. It turns out the root method is very similar to how developers managed to break into the Transformer Prime running on Ice Cream Sandwich, so it seems like they had to start from scratch this time.

The exploit simply consists of first downloading Super User, and running a few commands that will eventually lead to a successful installation of Super User and getting a root on the Kindle Fire HD. If you’re having trouble along the way, you can visit the XDA Developers thread that has complete instructions and even a video.

For what it’s worth, it’s only been confirmed working on the new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, but it technically should work on all new Kindle Fires that are running Ice Cream Sandwich. Hopefully, as time passes, we’ll hear more confirmations of successful roots on multiple Kindle Fire devices.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Kindle Fire HD
    Manufactuer : Amazon
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 06, 2012
    Release Date : September 14, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.6 Inch
  • Width : 5.4 Inch
  • Depth : 0.4 Inch
  • Weight : 395 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
    Video Playback:
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP4460
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Android Police]


LG demos Optimus G multitasking and more

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:11 AM PDT

LG isn’t delivering pure Android with the Optimus G, but the company still thinks you’ll like the tweaks it has made. With the quadcore Snapdragon S4 Pro smartphone not expected to hit shelves until Q4, however, LG has figured that the best way to show you just why you’ll like the Optimus G is in video form.

Perhaps most eye-catching is LG’s approach to multitasking. Rather than Samsung’s system, which allows you to “Pop Out” a video during playback and have it float on top of other apps, LG uses a fader which can adjust how much of two apps are simultaneously visible.

So, if you’re watching a video but also want to keep up with a text message conversation, you can quickly dim the playback while you punch out a reply, rather than being forced to pause the clip altogether. There’s also a smart zooming system, which snaps grids of album art or photos to fit the screen, even if you give it a very casual pinch.

LG’s video also lays out some of the other features the Optimus G brings, but if you’re still curious you can find our own hands-on here. Has the company convinced you that customized UIs might not be entirely bad?

[via SlashGear]


Galaxy Note II announced for all major US carriers with quad-core in tow

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Great news folks! We know many of you have been hoping that the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note II phablet would be available from your carrier, and today we have all the details. Just like the Galaxy S III, the Galaxy Note II will be launching on all major US carriers. That means Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and the Now Network will all offer the 5.5-inch Jelly Bean powered smartphone.

This is pretty impressive. It looks like Samsung is getting to that point now where they can muscle carriers into accepting their awesome devices just how they come. The Galaxy S II was changed by each respective carrier — something I wasn’t a fan of — and when the Galaxy S III launched they made sure they maintained control.

The Galaxy Note II will be coming to all major US carriers in the exact same form factor and same specs as the international version we announced last month during IFA 2012. What is even more exciting is Samsung’s managed to keep their quad-core Exynos processor on board this time around too. That means Qualcomm’s S4 (from the GSIII) has been dropped and Samsung has managed 4G LTE radios into their own quad-core processor.

So for the specs, you’ll get the same 5.5-inch 1280 x 720p HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.6 GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor, 2GB of DDR RAM, 16GB storage, 8 megapixel rear and 1.9 MP front cameras and a massive 3,100 mAh battery for all day usage. Carriers with 4G LTE options will have that included while they keep the quad-core processor, and T-Mobile will be running with their HSPA+ network speeds.

Just like the international version this awesome device will indeed ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and you’ll have the latest and greatest from Google including Google Now voice search and that buttery smooth user interface. Samsung has announced the device will be available from ALL carriers by mid-November. This means we could see them launch before that on AT&T or Verizon, or whoever gets it released first. I’m banking on AT&T personally. Pricing and exact dates will be announced and released by their respective carriers. Stay tuned folks and check out our hands-on and additional coverage below.

P1100332-540x405 Screen Shot 2012-09-18 at 3.33.53 PM Galaxy_Note_II_Gray_withcovers
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note II
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : August 29, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : GT-N7100
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.5 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : HD Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.95 Inch
  • Width : 3.17 Inch
  • Depth : 0.37 Inch
  • Weight : 180 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 3100 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.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 : 1600 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 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:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


$25 Google Play credit with Nexus 7 purchase ends September 30

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 04:54 PM PDT

Thinking about getting Google‘s Nexus 7 tablet but aren’t sure if you want to bite the bullet just yet? You better hurry and make a decision before Google ends their promo at the end of the month. Right now, anyone who buys a Nexus 7 tablet will receive $25 Google Play credit, which is good for apps, games, movies, TV shows and books in the Play store.

Google announced via Twitter that it will be ending the promo on September 30. You can pick up a Nexus 7 for $199 (8GB) or double your storage for only $50 more. Technically, with the promo, you’re only paying $175 for a Nexus 7 8GB, but that extra $25 you saved is simply just earmarked for the Google Play store.

If you’re still not sure what to do, take a look at our review to see if that helps you make an easier decision. If you’re weighing in the Kindle Fire HD, have a look at our comparison of the two tablets.

Google announced the Nexus 7 in late June. It comes packing with an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.3GHz, 1GB of RAM, a 1.2MP front-facing camera, and a 7-inch IPS display with a 1280×800 resolution. It also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and built-in compass. All of this fits into a package that’s only 0.41-inches thick.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Nexus 7
    Manufactuer : Asus
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : June 27, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : Google Nexus 7, MeMo 370T
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.81 Inch
  • Width : 4.72 Inch
  • Depth : 0.41 Inch
  • Weight : 340 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 4325 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 3
    CPU Clock Speed : 1300 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • A2DP
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


HTC offering up to $300 for your old phone when you buy one of theirs

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 04:22 PM PDT

If you’re eligible for an upgrade and have been eyeing some of HTC‘s recent offerings, like the HTC One X for instance, you might be excited to hear that the company has launched its own trade-in program. HTC is rewarding those who purchase one of their smartphones by offering up to $300 for their old clunker.

They’re calling it the HTC Trade Up program, and you can get your potential $300 by first purchasing a new HTC phone and then sending in your old phone to HTC. They’ll inspect it and give you your quoted amount if you described your device correctly. The only downside is that you have to buy an HTC phone first before you can get the cash — you can’t use the money from your old phone towards a new HTC device.

Either way, HTC makes it easy to get a quote for your old phone, which might make biting the bullet for a new HTC phone just that more enticing. For instance, HTC will give you $150 dollars for a fully-functional Verizon Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx and $290 for a 32GB Verizon Galaxy S III. HTC’s One X is only $99, so you’ll easily have a handful of cash left over once the deal is done.

A lot of manufacturers and carriers have similar trade-in programs, including Verizon and Samsung. And while HTC won’t let you use the money from your old phone towards one of their new ones, a max of $300 isn’t too bad of an offer if you ask me.

[via Droid Life]


LG Optimus G heading to the US in November

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 03:53 PM PDT

LG has confirmed that its next flagship smartphone, the Optimus G, will be releasing in the US sometime in November. LG officially announced and launched the phone yesterday in South Korea, and we even got our hands on it just to see what we’d be getting ourselves into come November.

We heard about the Optimus G about a month ago at IFA 2012, but it wasn’t until yesterday when LG officially unveiled it to the public. It’s said to be coming to AT&T as the Eclipse 4G LTE, but that’s all we’ve heard as far as potential carriers and names. To see a quick glance of the Korean model of the Optimus G, check out our hands-on video below.

The Optimus G features a 4.7-inch 1280×768 IPS display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a whopping 13MP rear camera. Unfortunately, it doesn’t run Jelly Bean, but here’s hoping that by the time it comes to the States, it’ll be ready for a Jelly Bean update. It’s currently running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

We can only hope that LG can make a dent in the smartphone market with there upcoming flagship device. It will certainly take on the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S III and its domination of the Android marketplace is certainly anyone’s to take.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Optimus G
    Manufactuer : LG
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 18, 2012
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x768
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.19 Inch
  • Width : 2.71 Inch
  • Depth : 0.33 Inch
  • Weight : 145 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2100 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 335 hours
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 : APQ8064
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 4
    Ram : 2000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 13 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:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via SlashGear]


Android 4.1 Jelly Bean user base grew 1,500% in two months

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:59 PM PDT

Since it’s announcement two months ago, Jelly Bean has seen a spike in its users by a whopping 1,500%. Advertising network and research firm Chitika compiled millions and millions of mobile ad impressions from within its network and calculated that Jelly Bean’s market share was at 0.87% at the end of July. In one month’s time, it shot up to 1.47%.

While 1.47% isn’t anything to write home about, it’s clear that Jelly Bean‘s popularity is slowing taking off. Then again, it’s anyone guess as to what devices will receive Jelly Bean updates and when. While some users are complaining about not yet getting a Jelly Bean update for their device, there are still users who are waiting for an Ice Cream Sandwich update. So while Jelly Bean may be popular, it’s ultimately up to the manufacturers to decide what devices receive Jelly Bean.

A majority of Android users are still on Android 2.3 Gingerbread (57% of Android users, in fact). Gingerbread released in late 2010, so it’s taken almost two years for the already-outdated mobile operating system to reach just over half of all Android users. How long will it take Jelly Bean?

Then again, Jelly Bean early adoption rates are a tad higher than Ice Cream Sandwich’s rates — it took Ice Cream Sandwich three months to reach 1.54% market share. So Jelly Bean is already off to a good start. However, we’ll have to wait and see what these numbers look like a few months from now, and whether or not manufacturers will jump on the Jelly Bean train in a timely manner.

[via BGR]


Kobo Arc tablet hitting stores in November, comes in 64GB flavor

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 01:52 PM PDT

If you’re in the market for an e-reader and want something with beefed-up storage space, the Kobo Arc may be your solution. The company announced the Arc tablet earlier this month and now it has announced that it will be hitting store shelves in November. The Arc will support up to 64GB of storage, which is quite a lot of storage for such a small tablet. While you could easily match that with your Nook Tablet using an SD card, the Kobo Arc is one of the few e-readers that comes packing with 64GB of built-in storage.

Of course, Kobo hasn’t really been a true contender in the e-reader battle. Barnes & Noble and Amazon have mostly been dominating the spectrum with their respective Nook and Kindle devices. Then again, Kobo has never really had a large ecosystem of content to provide its users, which is one thing that Amazon is doing a fantastic job at. Kobo tablets are certainly respectable, but the content just isn’t there.

If you’re unfamiliar with Kobo’s latest offering, the Arc sports a 1.5GHz OMAP 4470 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3MP HD front-facing camera, and 10 hours reading time, all topped off with a 7-inch IPS display with a 1280×800 resolution (215 ppi). It runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Wi-Fi capabilities to stream all of your favorite content. Other than a 64GB storage option ($299), you can also opt for 16GB ($199) or 32GB ($249).

The company is planning to bring Jelly Bean to the Arc, but has not set a roll-out date yet. And while there’s no word on a root for the Kobo Arc, it probably won’t take a lot of time at all for testers and developers to find their way to a root. The Arc could certainly benefit from one, since it has some respectable hardware under the hood with Jelly Bean coming in the future.


Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 still banned from store shelves

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 01:16 PM PDT

Samsung was hit with a huge fine during its court battle with Apple in a copyright infringement lawsuit last month. Samsung ended up having to pay just a little over $1 billion to Apple, which certainly isn’t chump change by any means. The good news is that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet was found not to be infringing on any of Apple’s design patents this time around. However, the tablet suffered a different fate back in June, when the court thought that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was most likely infringing on Apple’s designs. That was enough to have the tablet banned from being sold in the US.

Samsung has since been asking the court to lift the injunction, since it didn’t find anything wrong this time around. However, it turns out the court is no longer in the jurisdiction to lift the sales ban. When Samsung appealed one court’s decision during the case against Apple, they ended up going to another court for the appeal, which means that the injunction cannot be lifted until the appeal case is over.

Of course, Samsung must feel like one of the unluckiest companies out there right now (besides RIM), since the judge even said that she would happily lift the ban if the case was still in her jurisdiction. However, Apple will still be offering their resistance to get the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned forever, so even if the ban was eventually lifted, we’d most likely being hearing from Apple again at some point.

The next meeting between Samsung and Apple is December 6, where Apple will most likely be trying it’s best to get eight of Samsung’s devices banned from store shelves, as well as an attempt to get the Galaxy Tab 10.1 permanently banned. At this point, we’ll just have to wait and see what both companies pull out of their hats during the next court ruling.

[via SlashGear]


Twitter for Android adds new profiles, photo streams

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 12:36 PM PDT

Despite the recent shake-up with Twitter limiting third-party clients, the social network is still working on improving their user interface to make it more user-friendly and easier on the eyes. Today they’ve made some significant changes to their web interface, specifically with profile pages. Users can now upload a large header photo to compliment the top of their profile page. The best part of all is that Android users can now join in on the fun.

Users can now view the new profile look on their Android devices and you can even upload your own header photo straight from your phone. The changes will take effect immediately and will be viewable across all devices. The new header photos make Twitter profiles look more like Facebook‘s Timeline, where a large photo is placed at the top with the user’s content down below.

The new update also adds a few more notable features. First, photo streams have been added to provide a slick interface to browse the photos that Twitter users have uploaded. Navigation seems really easy, with swipes to the left or right to browse through thumbnails and tapping on a photo to view it in fullscreen mode. Pinch-and-zoom has also been added to easily zoom in on photos and view them larger.

Twitter has done a good job of updating its mobile apps over the years to include the best new features in their web interface. While the official Twitter mobile app may not be the go-to Twitter client for some users, I find Twitter’s offering to be simple, straightforward, and easy-to-use. And with this new update, I can’t imagine it being any less terrific.


Pocket for Android adds text-to-speech

Posted: 18 Sep 2012 12:09 PM PDT

Sometimes, we all get super lazy and just want somebody to read things to us. Other times, our eyes are so burned out that we can’t stand to look at another sentence or we’re just too busy to focus on reading something that we have to listen to it while we’re working. Either way, the popular bookmarking and read-it-later app Pocket (formerly Read It Later) updated its Android app today with a new “Listen” feature that reads aloud articles to you.

The new text-to-speech feature uses Android’s built-in text-to-speech engine to power itself. It’s also really easy to use. All you have to do is open up an article and press "Listen". From there, the app will start reading the article aloud to you. You can even decide how fast it reads to you and pick the style of speaking voice it uses. It also supports multiple languages.

Pocket also received some other updates as well, including improved full-screen animations, added support for some features across all versions of Android, and some small user interface tweaks. They also fixed a few bugs like random crashing and blank loading of some screens in Jelly Bean.

To start getting your article-listening fix, Pocket 4.2 is available now in the Google Play store. If you prefer to get your apps through Amazon’s Appstore, you’ll have to wait just a little while — the app is coming soon to Amazon’s ecosystem.


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