NEWS
Although it’s rather difficult to say how successful or disastrous RIM’s recent “Be Bold” campaign really is, well, that’s unless we hear the real news directly from the source, it looks like the Waterloo based company is heading yet another mini advertising stint of some kind in hopes of jump starting things.
Specifically, if you happen to live in the US and own any of RIM’s BlackBerry OS 7 devices, then you might be interested to know that 17 apps are being made available for free “courtesy of BlackBerry.” From the sound of it all, this good-natured promotion is being used as a test case right now in the US – with the possibility of it going global if it proves successful obviously.
Rather than giving users some lame apps, RIM has picked out some very solid apps and games for this promotion. In fact, the listing includes Aces 3D Pool, Aces Traffic Pack, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline HD, BeWeather, Color ID, Cribbage, Easy Smiley Pack Pro, Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO, Fixmo Tools, iSpeech Caller ID Reader Pro, Mahjong Solitaire, Modern Combat 2 Black Pegasus HD, Next Dual Pack, PBA Bowling 2, Pinball Deluxe, Popup, Rubik’s Cube, and Screen Muncher.
Not everyone will jump the gun and be attracted by them, but hey, at least you have some quality games named in the listing. Who knows if this will steer people into siding with a BlackBerry OS 7 for the long haul, but nonetheless, there’s no arguing that it’s a pretty nice gesture on RIM’s part.
Specifically, if you happen to live in the US and own any of RIM’s BlackBerry OS 7 devices, then you might be interested to know that 17 apps are being made available for free “courtesy of BlackBerry.” From the sound of it all, this good-natured promotion is being used as a test case right now in the US – with the possibility of it going global if it proves successful obviously.
Rather than giving users some lame apps, RIM has picked out some very solid apps and games for this promotion. In fact, the listing includes Aces 3D Pool, Aces Traffic Pack, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline HD, BeWeather, Color ID, Cribbage, Easy Smiley Pack Pro, Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO, Fixmo Tools, iSpeech Caller ID Reader Pro, Mahjong Solitaire, Modern Combat 2 Black Pegasus HD, Next Dual Pack, PBA Bowling 2, Pinball Deluxe, Popup, Rubik’s Cube, and Screen Muncher.
Not everyone will jump the gun and be attracted by them, but hey, at least you have some quality games named in the listing. Who knows if this will steer people into siding with a BlackBerry OS 7 for the long haul, but nonetheless, there’s no arguing that it’s a pretty nice gesture on RIM’s part.
The ViewSonic ViewPhone 4s is another dual-SIM Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich handset ViewSonic brought to MWC 2012. The ViewPhone 4s has a healthy-sized 3.5-inch display and is powered by a 1GHz processor. On the back, there’s a 5-megapixel camera and up front there’s another VGA shooter.The presence of dual-SIM functionality hints that the ViewPhone 4s aims squarely at developing markets where users can save on their monthly bills by picking the best of two carriers’ offers.The ViewPhone 4s, which bears the same index as the latest iPhone, is a relatively affordable handset for its functions and will set you back less than $499 off contract. The release date is June or earlier in Europe, while stateside it will land around August.
Still well behind the Apple App Store and the Android Market, Windows Marketplace is now up to an app count of 70,784. Each day, roughly 250 apps are being added to the store. Last year, an average 91 apps per day were added showing the increasing acceptance of the platform by developers. In the last 90 days alone, 28,503 apps were added. The total added in the last 30 days is 6,936 apps. On January 22nd, the Marketplace hit the 60,000 app mark while the50,000 app plateau was reached on December 27th. At the current pace, the 100,000 app benchmark will be hit in early July. That takes into account a slowdown that has seen the average number of new apps added drop from 375 in January to its current pace.
Not every app is available everywhere. For example, of the nearly 71,000 apps in the Marketplace, 59,687can be downloaded in the U.S., 57,000 in the U.K., 54.399 in France and 52,346 in India. If the quality of apps can be determined by the number of times an app is rated, than the quality of the inventory in the Marketplace is getting better. Looking at the UK marketplace, 8.5% of the listed apps have been rated 5 or more times compared with 6.6% 6 weeks ago.
The largest category of apps in the Windows Marketplace are "Entertainment" apps with 18% of the total followed by "Tools/Productivity" at 14%, "Games" at 13% and "Books and Reference" at 12%. The top fourmake up 47% of apps in the Windows Marketplace. A vast majority of apps in the online store, 65%, are free while 24% require you to buy them. The remaining 11% are paid apps with a free trial.
For the Windows Marketplace to become a challenger to the Android Market and the App Store, there will need to be more acceptance of the platform overall by smartphone buyers. Back in late 2009, before it was launched, no one could have predicted the impact the Motorola DROID would have on the Android OS and thus the Android Market. That type of dramatic impact in a handset is what Windows Phone needs.
Not every app is available everywhere. For example, of the nearly 71,000 apps in the Marketplace, 59,687can be downloaded in the U.S., 57,000 in the U.K., 54.399 in France and 52,346 in India. If the quality of apps can be determined by the number of times an app is rated, than the quality of the inventory in the Marketplace is getting better. Looking at the UK marketplace, 8.5% of the listed apps have been rated 5 or more times compared with 6.6% 6 weeks ago.
The largest category of apps in the Windows Marketplace are "Entertainment" apps with 18% of the total followed by "Tools/Productivity" at 14%, "Games" at 13% and "Books and Reference" at 12%. The top fourmake up 47% of apps in the Windows Marketplace. A vast majority of apps in the online store, 65%, are free while 24% require you to buy them. The remaining 11% are paid apps with a free trial.
For the Windows Marketplace to become a challenger to the Android Market and the App Store, there will need to be more acceptance of the platform overall by smartphone buyers. Back in late 2009, before it was launched, no one could have predicted the impact the Motorola DROID would have on the Android OS and thus the Android Market. That type of dramatic impact in a handset is what Windows Phone needs.
ViewSonic has just officially lifted the cover off its ViewPhone 5e: one of the first Android 4.0 handsets with dual-SIM functionality, and it's a gargantuan one with a 5-inch screen. It should be a relatively affordable option for those wanting a huge display as it only sports a mediocre 480 x 800 pixel resolution. The dual-SIM functionality hints that it will target developing markets.The ViewSonic ViewPhone 5e arrives with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich pre-loaded, and it’s flavored with a custom skin looking somewhat like HTC Sense with a huge clock widget on top and rounded-icons on the bottom strip. The ViewPhone 5e release date is set for Q3 2012, and the retail price stands at below $599 initially. Sadly, we have no further details about the processor powering this device, but we’ll update you as soon as we get them.
And the leaks keep coming from MWC mere hours before the official events. This time someone has managed to get a picture of the Huawei Ascend D1 Q cage, the handset Huawei was teasing us with a few days ago.This is one of the few quad-core Tegra 3 phones that are paying a visit to the MWC 2012, and is Huawei's strongest effort for a qulaity smartphone so far. "The world's fastest smartphone. It flies" is the newest catchphrase Huawei has slapped under the device"Designed from inside to outside to empower the user" and "Rational intuition, considered details" were the taglines that Huawei used before for its first quad-core phone, and be sure we will be at its event today to handle the Tegra 3 goodness, and relay our impressions to you. The most interesting tidbit we are waiting upon is the pricing details - I can haz quad-core on a budget, please?
The Nokia Lumia 610 has leaked with allegedly full specs list, and it seems destined to usher us in a era of affordable Windows Phones. Running WP Tango, it is likely to feature 256MB RAM, but the leak sources couldn't confirm for sure. What was confirmed, though, was that the Nokia Lumia 610 will have a 3.2" screen and a 3 MP camera, which is made possible by Tango. The pricing details are also very interesting, rumor has it that the Lumia 610 will be priced at around $233 in India when launched, and that's the street price without any contract.If done right, the Lumia 610 might be a huge seller, especially in emerging markets and in Asia. Nokia has a very loyal fanbase there that thinks of its branding first and foremost each time they need an affordable device, but let's see what Nokia announces at its MWC press conference on Monday, February 27.
So, imagine having a 50-inch display that fits inside your pocket. Sounds like an idea belonging to the realm of sci-fi movies, right? Well, theSamsung Galaxy Beam Android smartphone makes that possible with its built-in projector. With a brightness output of 15 lumens, it should be able to display high definition images up to 50 inches wide.
However, just because it is basically a smartphone and a projector fused together, doesn’t mean that the Samsung Galaxy Beam is unbearably bulky. It is 12.5 millimeters thick, which is still within the acceptable range for a modern smartphone. If you are curious about its hardware specs, the Galaxy Beam has a 4.0-inch WVGA display and a 1.0GHz dual-core processor. The 5-megapixel auto-focus camera on its back can capture 720p video at 30 frames per second, and the 1.3-megapixel camera is ideal for video chats. There are 8 gigs of on-board storage expandable via microSD cards, and a 2000 mAh battery ensures that you don’t run out of juice while projecting last night’s photos on the wall of your living room.
The Samsung Galaxy Beam will be shown off at MWC 2012 in Barcelona, so if you would like to learn more about it, stay tuned to our coverage.
However, just because it is basically a smartphone and a projector fused together, doesn’t mean that the Samsung Galaxy Beam is unbearably bulky. It is 12.5 millimeters thick, which is still within the acceptable range for a modern smartphone. If you are curious about its hardware specs, the Galaxy Beam has a 4.0-inch WVGA display and a 1.0GHz dual-core processor. The 5-megapixel auto-focus camera on its back can capture 720p video at 30 frames per second, and the 1.3-megapixel camera is ideal for video chats. There are 8 gigs of on-board storage expandable via microSD cards, and a 2000 mAh battery ensures that you don’t run out of juice while projecting last night’s photos on the wall of your living room.
The Samsung Galaxy Beam will be shown off at MWC 2012 in Barcelona, so if you would like to learn more about it, stay tuned to our coverage.
HTC onex (no longer the One X) rumors have been plentiful over the past few weeks as the device nears launch, but FullGSM looks to have a full spec sheet on it and there are still plenty of surprises. As reported earlier, the HTC onex will feature a Super 4+1 Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board memory (26GB available to the user.) In addition to on-board memory, the HTC onex will give users 25GB of cloud storage via DropBox for 2 years. The 4.7" Super LCD2 display will have a 720p resolution with Gorilla Glass, and the built-in battery will be 1800mAh. All this is packed into an aluminum unibody measuring just 134.4 x 69.9 x 9.3mm thin.Connectivity options are plentiful, with the HTC onex supporting NFC (Google Wallet compatible), wireless HDMI, DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n and GPS. In addition to a microUSB connector, the HTC onex has a 5-pin Pogo connector for audio and charging (think a multimedia dock here). The HTC onex has Beats Audio in tow, has dual microphones with noise cancellation and stereo voice recording and is HD voice compliant.As if these weren't enough, the camera looks to be the real jewel of the HTC onex. The front camera is a standard 1.3MP, but the 8MP rear camera has all kinds of tricks up its sleeve. For starters, there is a dedicated image chip in the HTC onex, which combined with an f2.0 aperture, BSI sensor and 5 stage LED "Smart Flash" should make for vastly improved low-light images. The HTC onex has a 28mm wide angle lens and is capable of 1080p video capture. Thanks to the dual shutter camera module you will be able to snap still images while recording your HD video.In a landscape where the top Android phone seems to vary from month-to-month, the HTC onex is making a strong play as the phone to have this year
As Nokia brings its Windows Phones around the world, Telus has just announced that it will be offering the Nokia Lumia 800. Canadians can get their hands on the Lumia 800 as soon as March 2, 2012.
No price has been announced just yet, but Telus did say that all three colors, black, cyan, and pink would be available. Telus will be the exclusive Canadian provider for the Lumia 800, as its competitor, Rogers, has put all of its eggs into the Nokia Lumia 710 basket.
No price has been announced just yet, but Telus did say that all three colors, black, cyan, and pink would be available. Telus will be the exclusive Canadian provider for the Lumia 800, as its competitor, Rogers, has put all of its eggs into the Nokia Lumia 710 basket.
As we get closer to Samsung’s mystery announcement on Monday, many have been anticipating the announcement of the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 tablet. German tech blog, BestBoyz, posted a shot of two people in Samsung shirts posing with 3 devices.
On the right is the Samsung Galaxy Tab code-named GT-P5100. Not too much is known at this time, but according to BestBoyz, it is a 10-inch tablet running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The tablet does look notably similar to the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, which had its bezel modified to appease Apple after a lawsuit took place in Germany.
On the right is the Samsung Galaxy Tab code-named GT-P5100. Not too much is known at this time, but according to BestBoyz, it is a 10-inch tablet running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The tablet does look notably similar to the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, which had its bezel modified to appease Apple after a lawsuit took place in Germany.
We will be firmly planted in out seats at the HTC event tomorrow, where the company is expected to unveil this season's Android goodness, but alleged renders of the HTC One X (aka Endeavor) and HTC One S (aka Ville) were leaked along with the full specs laundry list.The Italian publication claims that the flagship One X is powered by a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3, and sports a 4.7 "LCD with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, which will make it the largest LCD HD display on a phone, together with the 4.7-incher on the LG Optimus 4X HD.The device sports a generous built-in memory amount of 32GB plus a microSD slot, the rear camera is 8MP BSI sensor with LED flash, recording video at 1080p, and the front camera is 1.3MP. As for connectivity, the HTC One X will have 21Mbps 4G radio, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB, DLNA, HDMI (with special cable not included), audio output (3.5mm), media player, Gyroscope, G-Sensor , digital compass, proximity sensor, light sensor, and stereo microphone. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Sense 4.0 is running the show, all powered by a fairly unimpressive 1800mAh battery. However, 2.72x5.28x0.35" (69x134x9 mm) and a weight of 5.15oz (146g) is very impressive for a 4.7" handset as loaded as the One X. The HTC One S also has 21Mbps radio and is based on Android ICS, but the processor is "only" dual-core, the 4.3" screen res is qHD as opposed to HD, and the internal memory is scaled down to 16GB, so is the battery - to 1650mAh. Same 8MP camera and same connectivity options as in the One X monster. Even more impressive compactness, though - the size is 2.55x5.15x0.31" (65x131x8mm).There you have it, the site is even listing the suggested price range. For the HTC One X unlocked in Europe you will have to part with EUR 699 (~$934), while the One S will set Europeans back EUR 599 (~$800) full price. Now the few mysteries remaining are the software services that come with the new Sense 4.0, as well as whether the camera shoots at 30fps or 60fps that 1080p video. We'll have to wait until tomorrow and see for ourselves, while handling the new thin and capable phones from HTC.
Samsung has flat out said that it wouldn't be releasing any information about the Samsung Galaxy S III at Mobile World Congress this year, but that doesn't mean that the rumor mill is going to stop for the event. Some new information has come out about Samsung's next flagship smartphone, and we are really hoping it is true, because this round of rumors are some of the best we've heard yet. Firstly, as far as we're concerned the top two complaints about Samsung smartphones recently have been: the lack of premium build materials, and the delays in release. Well, if the rumors are true, those problems may be solved. According to the rumor, the Samsung Galaxy S III will feature a ceramic case, which may not be as "premium" in the minds of consumers as glass or metal, but should be quite solid, and not have the reception interference of metal cases. But, the really big info is that supposedly Samsung is aiming to have a simultaneous worldwide release of the Galaxy S III and launch the device in over 50 "markets or cities" at the same time. This means no release in Asia, then waiting 8 months for the release in the US. We're not 100% sure that Samsung is actually capable of pulling off a global release like that, but we certainly hope so. Oh, and supposedly the SGSIII will also feature a 4.8" Super AMOLED Plus HD screen, but that's not really anything new or interesting. 4.8" is pretty big, but assuming the SGSIII will feature the rumored "no-bezel" that we've heard about, 4.8" won't really be that much different from the Galaxy Nexus. The information comes from a trusted source at BGR, and we do have reason to believe BGR's sources with Samsung as the publication did get the accurate info on the Galaxy Nexus specs well before anyone else. We don't expect any confirmation at MWC, but we're hoping Samsung gives out some info soon enough.
Have you ever wanted to get your hands on the latest game, only to find that the Android Market thought it wasn't compatible with your phone? Maybe you don't have a Tegra 2 device, but youre're pretty sure an Adreno 220 could handle it still. Have a Kindle Fire and want access to more than just the Amazon AppStore? Until now you've been stuck, but a new Chrome extension called APK Downloader will allow you to download an apk file from the Android Market directly to your desktop rather than to your device. You'll need the latest version of Chrome with SSL error notifications disabled, then you supply your device ID, email address and password (all stored locally on your computer to grab the Android Market cookie). From there you pick the app you want and you'll have the apk file on your computer, allowing you to sideload it onto any of your Android devices! It is a quite a handy little tool, but we'll be interested to see if anything is done to block this circumvention of the device rules.
John Starkweather is HTC's WorldWide Director of Digital Marketing and on HTC's blog he wrote about his travels to Barcelona. He mentions the long flight from Seattle to Spain and how he unboxed "something amazing" while setting up for Sunday's event. He even included a picture of a box with 54 units of what he called this "amazing thing" covered in pink bubble wrap.
Well, it's not terribly hard to guess what HTC could have brought to Barcelona that's amazing. That would be the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 powered HTC One Xand its fabulous 4.7 inch 720p display with a pixel density of 312ppi. The phone, once known as the HTC Endeavor, is still not official, but that explains why the device is in the box and under bubble wrap.
Do we smell quad-core coming from this box?
HTC is hosting its own special event on Sunday, the day before MWC opens and the HTC One X will be there along with the HTC One S and HTC One V. But with its quad-core power, the HTC One X is bound to grab all of the attention. Speaking of grabbing, even taking into consideration that a few units will be for display purposes, we wonder what HTC has in mind for the rest of the units. Hmm.
Of course, we received our invite to HTC's event on Sunday and we are hoping to get a first-hand look at how fast quad-core is with the HTC One X. Starting with HTC's mixer tomorrow, we will be giving you the most complete coverage of MWC 2012. If you want to be the first among your smartphone lovin' friends to know what's happening in Barcelona, stick with us for the duration.
Well, it's not terribly hard to guess what HTC could have brought to Barcelona that's amazing. That would be the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 powered HTC One Xand its fabulous 4.7 inch 720p display with a pixel density of 312ppi. The phone, once known as the HTC Endeavor, is still not official, but that explains why the device is in the box and under bubble wrap.
Do we smell quad-core coming from this box?
HTC is hosting its own special event on Sunday, the day before MWC opens and the HTC One X will be there along with the HTC One S and HTC One V. But with its quad-core power, the HTC One X is bound to grab all of the attention. Speaking of grabbing, even taking into consideration that a few units will be for display purposes, we wonder what HTC has in mind for the rest of the units. Hmm.
Of course, we received our invite to HTC's event on Sunday and we are hoping to get a first-hand look at how fast quad-core is with the HTC One X. Starting with HTC's mixer tomorrow, we will be giving you the most complete coverage of MWC 2012. If you want to be the first among your smartphone lovin' friends to know what's happening in Barcelona, stick with us for the duration.
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If you are waiting for Samsung to introduce the Samsung Galaxy S III during MWC 2012 in Barcelona, you might be waiting for a long, long time. The Korean based manufacturer has already said that it will introduce the sequel to what has been called the best Android model ever, at a separate event. Besides not showing the Galaxy S III at MWC 2012, Samsung is expected to show off the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 tablet. And looking at the Samsung Tomorrow website, it appears that the manufacturer will have a surprise on Monday for those night owls that like to watch late night television.
On Monday morning, the day that MWC officially begins in Barcelona, Samsung will stream live video from Barcelona to the sourcelink at 9am CET which is the equivalent of 3am Eastern Standard Time in the States.What do you see Samsung announcing Monday morning? Last year at MWC, the Korean manufacturer introduced the wildly popular Samsung Galaxy S II. This model has sold 20 million units in its 10 months on the market. Also introduced at last year's MWC was the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1. Samsung allegedly redesigned the tablet after the Apple iPad 2 was launched, saying it was inadequate. Whatever changes Samsung made to the device did not sit well with Apple. The latter eventually won an infringement on the tablet in Germany, forcing Samsung to once again redesign the tablet so that it could be sold in Germany as the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1N.
We will be in Barcelona next week for MWC 2012, bringing you the most complete and up-to-date coverage of the expo.
On Monday morning, the day that MWC officially begins in Barcelona, Samsung will stream live video from Barcelona to the sourcelink at 9am CET which is the equivalent of 3am Eastern Standard Time in the States.What do you see Samsung announcing Monday morning? Last year at MWC, the Korean manufacturer introduced the wildly popular Samsung Galaxy S II. This model has sold 20 million units in its 10 months on the market. Also introduced at last year's MWC was the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1. Samsung allegedly redesigned the tablet after the Apple iPad 2 was launched, saying it was inadequate. Whatever changes Samsung made to the device did not sit well with Apple. The latter eventually won an infringement on the tablet in Germany, forcing Samsung to once again redesign the tablet so that it could be sold in Germany as the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1N.
We will be in Barcelona next week for MWC 2012, bringing you the most complete and up-to-date coverage of the expo.
We earlier told you about a bug that is spreading throughout the Android community which allows hackers to take control of an Android phone without the user's knowledge. Now, the Sophos security website is tracing the start of a similar problem all the way back to Facebook. The video below shows you how this is done using what seems like a simple invite and is similar to the MO we discussed in our earlier story. You get an invite to join the social network from a person you might think to be a trusted sender. You click on the link and your phone is infected with your secrets compromised. Your calls can be spied on and the hacker could grab any special password or security number off your Android phone. But unlike the tone of the video, which makes it seem as though Android users have no choice in this matter, the truth is that can you easily prevent yourself from becoming a victim.
The first thing is, use common sense. Who clicks on an invite sent to you from an unknown person from Facebook, or from anywhere for that matter? Although some do, just don't do it. Even if you are tempted by a letter that states that you have won the Tatooine National Lottery don't do it! Another good rule that can keep you out of trouble is not to sideload apps or other software. Want to install a cool new game that lets you manage real life players from the National Curling League? Don't do it. Keep the box that asks for permission to sideload apps unchecked so as not to give permission for the phone to load apps not from the Android Market. Most legit apps are in the Market and one that is not, Swype, comes pre-installed out of the box on mnay Android phones.
The price you pay for using an open source system is the possible breach of security by those who would love to disrupt your life. But let's go back to the example from the video. The malware was called any_name.apk and it would make premium priced calls from your handset to certain numbers which would allow the hackers to bill you premium rates for the calls. The app used a class name, com.opera.install,that made it seem it had something to do with the Opera Browser. The software installs on your phone without your permission, making phone calls that drain your bank account. A few days later, another variant of the app was ready to do more dirty deeds.
If you stay away from links from people you don't know, and never, never never sideload apps, you probably will be ok. Just realize that there is a threat out there and it is real. Use common sense so that you won't have to spend uncommon cents.
The first thing is, use common sense. Who clicks on an invite sent to you from an unknown person from Facebook, or from anywhere for that matter? Although some do, just don't do it. Even if you are tempted by a letter that states that you have won the Tatooine National Lottery don't do it! Another good rule that can keep you out of trouble is not to sideload apps or other software. Want to install a cool new game that lets you manage real life players from the National Curling League? Don't do it. Keep the box that asks for permission to sideload apps unchecked so as not to give permission for the phone to load apps not from the Android Market. Most legit apps are in the Market and one that is not, Swype, comes pre-installed out of the box on mnay Android phones.
The price you pay for using an open source system is the possible breach of security by those who would love to disrupt your life. But let's go back to the example from the video. The malware was called any_name.apk and it would make premium priced calls from your handset to certain numbers which would allow the hackers to bill you premium rates for the calls. The app used a class name, com.opera.install,that made it seem it had something to do with the Opera Browser. The software installs on your phone without your permission, making phone calls that drain your bank account. A few days later, another variant of the app was ready to do more dirty deeds.
If you stay away from links from people you don't know, and never, never never sideload apps, you probably will be ok. Just realize that there is a threat out there and it is real. Use common sense so that you won't have to spend uncommon cents.
The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer just started rolling out yesterday, but the mod community doesn't need a lot of time these days, which means that there is already a rooted stock ICS ROM for the tablet. Yesterday, Asus began the rollout for Taiwan versions of the Transformer, and today started the rollout for the worldwide and US versions. So, essentially the rollout began, and MrNago at xda got his work done lickety split. The amazing thing is that this ROM can be flashed very easily, just like any other custom ROM. Usually, OTA updates like this don't allow that, but MrNago has got this working all around. Just one warning: if you have a model TF101G, do not install this as there are a lot of issues with random reboots and bugs. The only known bug so far with the ROM on other TF101 versions is that USB to PC may not work, so you may have issues with ADB.
Clicking on a link in an email that appears to be from a trusted source could lead hackers to take control of your Android handset. A flaw in a component of the open source OS is at fault according to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. Once the link is pressed, the virus takes over the phone allowing the hacker to listen in on phone calls and monitor the location of the phone. It is at this point that the hacker has complete control of the phone.
Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer and co-founder of CrowdStrike, said he researched the problem to point out how mobile devices can be vulnerable to these attacks by hackers. It is the same MO used by hackers on desktop computers. First, find an unknown vulnerability in software, and then take advantage of it by sending malware that is activated via an emailed link or attachment. Alerovitch said, "With modifications and perhaps use of different exploits, this attack will work on every smartphone device and represents the biggest security threat on those devices."
The software used by CrowdStrike to simulate the flaw will attack those phones running Android 2.2, which is 28% of the Android market currently. Next week, the firm says it will have a version of the software that can attack another 59% of Android models, those running Android 2.3. The flaw in the software can be traced to the WebKit browser on the phone.
Back in 2009, a pair of researchers, sent malicious code via text messages on the Apple iPhone. Apple quickly repaired the problem after it was publicized. Hopefully for Android users, Google will be able to do the same.
Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer and co-founder of CrowdStrike, said he researched the problem to point out how mobile devices can be vulnerable to these attacks by hackers. It is the same MO used by hackers on desktop computers. First, find an unknown vulnerability in software, and then take advantage of it by sending malware that is activated via an emailed link or attachment. Alerovitch said, "With modifications and perhaps use of different exploits, this attack will work on every smartphone device and represents the biggest security threat on those devices."
The software used by CrowdStrike to simulate the flaw will attack those phones running Android 2.2, which is 28% of the Android market currently. Next week, the firm says it will have a version of the software that can attack another 59% of Android models, those running Android 2.3. The flaw in the software can be traced to the WebKit browser on the phone.
Back in 2009, a pair of researchers, sent malicious code via text messages on the Apple iPhone. Apple quickly repaired the problem after it was publicized. Hopefully for Android users, Google will be able to do the same.
ust yesterday we showed you an image of the HTC One X, the NVIDIA Tegra 3 packin' smartphone expected to be introduced the day before MWC opens on Monday. Some were surprised by the capacitive Android buttons on the bottom of the device since it is expected to launch with Android 4.0. Pictures of the device snagged by IT Pro Portal seem to confirm that the buttons are there. The photos show a sleek design for the quad-core powered phone and the HTC One X is expected to have a micro SD slot under the battery cover.
Another snapshot shows the HTC One X next to another model that should be introduced at HTC's press event. This is the HTC One S. Unlike the massive 4.7 inch 720p on the former, the latter has a 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display. Both models will have Android 4.0 at launch and Sense 4.0 running on top.
Another snapshot shows the HTC One X next to another model that should be introduced at HTC's press event. This is the HTC One S. Unlike the massive 4.7 inch 720p on the former, the latter has a 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display. Both models will have Android 4.0 at launch and Sense 4.0 running on top.
The Google Chrome team has been hard at work, releasing an update to Chrome for Android a scant two weeks after the app was first released to the teaming masses of Android fans. Sadly, the developers failed to include a changelog with the update (seriously, you’d think Google employees would remember to use this popular feature in the market, wouldn’t you??), but on a Galaxy Nexus the updated version of Chrome sees significant speed and smoothness gains. Sundar Pichai wasn't kidding when he said Chrome for Android would get updated frequently!
With noticeable improvements to page loading, pinch to zoom, and manipulating the tabbed “card stack” view, the only downside continues to be device availability. You already know that the technology behind Chrome for Android requires Ice Cream Sandwich to run, but there are reports that the update doesn’t work on some unofficial ICS builds, so the install base may get somewhat smaller with this update.
Finally, one user reported that it was working in Italy, so Android users outside of North America may want to give this a short to see if that is an isolated incident, or if Chrome for Android is rolling out to more international users.
With noticeable improvements to page loading, pinch to zoom, and manipulating the tabbed “card stack” view, the only downside continues to be device availability. You already know that the technology behind Chrome for Android requires Ice Cream Sandwich to run, but there are reports that the update doesn’t work on some unofficial ICS builds, so the install base may get somewhat smaller with this update.
Finally, one user reported that it was working in Italy, so Android users outside of North America may want to give this a short to see if that is an isolated incident, or if Chrome for Android is rolling out to more international users.
Some juicy details about the upcoming Windows Phone Tango update have leaked, and it seems to be just what the doctor ordered - no skimping on eye candy, but able to run on 256MB of RAM for entry level WP handsets. Tango will allegedly also downsize the minimum camera resolution requirement to 3MP from the current 5MP. Customers with Tango phones that have only 256MB or RAM will apparently be warned by the mobile OS when they try to download a heavy app requesting more than the minimum to run properly that they might experience issues, which is fair game.The update will also bring new features or resolve current issues like contacts management on the SIM card. You will apparently be able to attach multiple items to an MMS message, and have a native voice recording app for multimedia messages as well. Both domestic and international data roaming will be possible for managing now under Windows Phone Tango, with three options to choose from to avoid cell phone bill shocks.The update details are expected to be revealed in full at the MWC expo, and we will be there to follow through. Nokia is also expected to announce there the first Tango handset - theNokia 610 - with lower specs and entry level price point.
If you happen to own one of HTC's recent Android devices, the following news might make you feel a bit envious. Why is that, you ask? Well, we know that an Ice Cream Sandwich update sprinkled with Sense UI on top is to be released by the end of March. However, what we just learned is that a few lucky HTC smartphone users will get to try it out before anyone else.HTC is about to release an “early access preview” of its Android 4.0 update for the HTC Sensation and Sensation XE smartphones. What's more is that similar previews will be done in the future with other devices, confirms HTC. The early Ice Cream Sandwich update will be customized with the HTC Sense interface, presumably a version that we have yet to be introduced to officially. Still, we have an idea as to what it might look like as a whole bunch ofSense 4.0 screenshots surfaced on the web not long ago. Additionally, the new interface will boast simplified outlay, improved typography, Dropbox integration, and more, as long as the rumors are on the right track.Sadly, only a few hundred HTC Sensation and Sensation XE owners will get to try out the Android 4.0 update before it gets released to the general public. Furthermore, the scope of the sneak preview is limited only to European Sensation and Sensation XE users. And don't go asking us how you can be among the lucky few, because this is something that we cannot say. What we can say for sure, on the other hand, is that you can expect seeing a hands-on of the update here on PhoneArena. Stay tuned for more!
HTC reached back more than two years to add to the list of its handsets that can now have the bootloader unlocked. For example, one of the devices on the list is the HTC DROID ERIS. How many of you remember that handset, which was launched via Verizon at the same time as the Motorola DROID? Other phones that you can now unlock the bootloader on include another old-timer, the HTC Hero. The list also has the HTC Legend, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and the T-Mobile myTouch 4G. It should be pointed out that the variant of the Hero included is the GSM model and to unlock that model's bootloader,you might be required to flash a new RUU.
Unlocking the bootloader makes it easier for you to customize the software on your device, but at the same time it voids the warranty on the phone. if you are going to unlock the bootloader on your unit, make sure you know exactly what you are doing. To get started, head over to the sourcelink, select your device and click on the "Begin Unlock Bootloader" button.
Unlocking the bootloader makes it easier for you to customize the software on your device, but at the same time it voids the warranty on the phone. if you are going to unlock the bootloader on your unit, make sure you know exactly what you are doing. To get started, head over to the sourcelink, select your device and click on the "Begin Unlock Bootloader" button.
Sony announced it had completed entirely the Ericsson stake buyout paperwork, and the Sony Ericsson joint-venture of a decade or so is no more, long live Sony Mobile Communications.The PlayStation company has huge plans for a "four-screen" concept by the alleged name of Dot Switch, leveraging its expertise in TVs, laptops, tablets and now smartphones, to allow for seamless integration across all your living room and mobile devices.It might even be planning to leverage the PS Vita mod for its now Google-y devices to differentiate even further and offer unique experiences like PS gaming and PlayMemories, its upcoming cloud service that will sync and share media and info across its devices.The first device with simply Sony branding is to be the Xperia S, and its souped-up AT&T version the Xperia ion, followed by the upcoming Xperia P and U midrangers, which will likely be revealed at the MWC expo in a few days. We'll be there, so stay tuned for the tasty detail morsels.
We are sure that the Samsung Galaxy Note, with its gargantuan 5.3-inch display and blazing fast 4G LTE connectivity, is a device that many of our readers would not mind owning. Some might have even waved $299 goodbye and pre-ordered theirs already straight from the carrier's online store. However, penny pinchers will most likely wait patiently and see how much third party retailers will be willing to sell them a Samsung Galaxy Note for.One of the places that the Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T will be offered may be RadioShack, if the information that an anonymous tipster just provided for us is to be trusted. Unfortunately, all we know is that the phablet is “coming soon” with its pricing and availability being a mystery for now. Still, since the Galaxy Note is launching on AT&T on February 19, it might not be long until we know further details on the matter.
What happens when you put together all of the rumors for upcoming Apple devices - from the most probable, like the next iPhone and Apple's upcoming iTV, through the designer concepts about iCam attachments, to the wacky speculations like the iWatch?
A great concept video for Apple's 2012 lineup is what follows, and the Italian design studio that put the clip together dreams of the next iPhone in aluminum and polycarbonate body with larger, edge-to-edge display - something we may very well see this year. It calls it the iPhone SJ, as a tribute to Steve Jobs, of course.
The iBox concept is of an Apple TV set, which, rumor has it, will run iOS and feature deep Siri integration for saving some batteries on your remote. The rumored size of an Apple television test kit is north of 50", though, so the iBox might remain just a beautiful concept, but we don't know what's in store yet, and how the TV experience will be tied to the iPhone and the iPad, for example.
The iCam is an accessory that allows you to plug in your iPhone, and use interchangeable lens for memorable photographic moments, while the iWatch syncs seamlessly with your iDevices.
A great concept video for Apple's 2012 lineup is what follows, and the Italian design studio that put the clip together dreams of the next iPhone in aluminum and polycarbonate body with larger, edge-to-edge display - something we may very well see this year. It calls it the iPhone SJ, as a tribute to Steve Jobs, of course.
The iBox concept is of an Apple TV set, which, rumor has it, will run iOS and feature deep Siri integration for saving some batteries on your remote. The rumored size of an Apple television test kit is north of 50", though, so the iBox might remain just a beautiful concept, but we don't know what's in store yet, and how the TV experience will be tied to the iPhone and the iPad, for example.
The iCam is an accessory that allows you to plug in your iPhone, and use interchangeable lens for memorable photographic moments, while the iWatch syncs seamlessly with your iDevices.
Steve Jobs was posthumously awarded the Grammy Trustee Award during Saturday's Grammy Special Merit Awards ceremony. It is similar to the Lifetime Achievement Award for those who made important contributions to the field of music other than performing. Back in 2002, Apple received a Technical Grammy, but that went to the entire company. Saturday's Grammy belongs to Jobs alone. Past recipients of the award include someone that Apple's co-founder has been compared to, Walt Disney. And an influential rock band that changed popular culture also has received the award in the past. That band, as you might have guessed, was Jobs' all-time favorite group, The Beatles.
The Beatles on iTunes
Back in December, it was announced that Steve Jobs would be winning a Grammy, but the actual presentation by The Recording Academy was Saturday night. While Jobs could not accept the award, obviously, it was accepted by Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior VP of Internet Software and Services, who said, "Accepting this award means so much to me because music meant so much to him. He told us that music shaped his life. It made him who he was. Everyone who knows Steve knows the profound impact that artists like Bob Dylan and the Beatles had on him."
The Beatles on iTunes
Back in December, it was announced that Steve Jobs would be winning a Grammy, but the actual presentation by The Recording Academy was Saturday night. While Jobs could not accept the award, obviously, it was accepted by Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior VP of Internet Software and Services, who said, "Accepting this award means so much to me because music meant so much to him. He told us that music shaped his life. It made him who he was. Everyone who knows Steve knows the profound impact that artists like Bob Dylan and the Beatles had on him."
Yeah, your mom threw out your complete 1968 Topps Baseball cards, but she won't be able to get her hands on your latest hobby, collecting these miniature Android figures. And while the value of these mini-vinyl toys doesn't approach that 1968 Willie Mays card, the Android collection looks much cooler.
Leaked picture of Series 3
A leaked picture has been obtained by Android Guys of the third series of these Android collectables. Some of the new figures include an all-red Android, one with the Nexus logo, and a cool owl-looking Android. In addition, there are 5 mystery models that remain a surprise, even with the leaked picture. There is no launch date for the 3rd series and pricing is also unknown. Whether you are looking to start a new collection or are adding to an already started one, this mini Android collectable series is like Pokemon, "Gotta
Leaked picture of Series 3
A leaked picture has been obtained by Android Guys of the third series of these Android collectables. Some of the new figures include an all-red Android, one with the Nexus logo, and a cool owl-looking Android. In addition, there are 5 mystery models that remain a surprise, even with the leaked picture. There is no launch date for the 3rd series and pricing is also unknown. Whether you are looking to start a new collection or are adding to an already started one, this mini Android collectable series is like Pokemon, "Gotta
So how many texts do you send and receive each month? No matter how high that figure is, there is no way it can come close to the number of texts that Fred Lidgren sends out and gets in. Lidgren holds the world record with 566,607 text messages sent from his handset during a one month period. That comes out to 18,887 daily or 787 per hour or an amazing 13 texts sent each minute. Those figures point to a lot of group texts sent.
Fred Lidgren's monthly T-Mobile bill
To prove that Mr. Lidgren does have titanium thumbs, take a look at the picture of his T-Mobile bill. Unlike most customers of the nation's fourth largest carrier, his invoice doesn't come in the snail mail in an envelope. Nope. His bill arrives by Priority Mail in the form of a large parcel. We're not sure what Mr. Lidgren does for a living, but we would imagine it has something to do with his world record.
Fred Lidgren's monthly T-Mobile bill
To prove that Mr. Lidgren does have titanium thumbs, take a look at the picture of his T-Mobile bill. Unlike most customers of the nation's fourth largest carrier, his invoice doesn't come in the snail mail in an envelope. Nope. His bill arrives by Priority Mail in the form of a large parcel. We're not sure what Mr. Lidgren does for a living, but we would imagine it has something to do with his world record.
Sometimes it's best to take a step back and look at the funny side of life....or technology.
Enter Saturday Night Live. Earlier tonight, SNL did a parody of Verizon Wireless, where an "average Joe" walks into a Verizon store saying they've heard a lot of Verizon's 4G LTE network. The customer service rep (Bill Hader) starts talking about how fast the speeds are and all the different phones that they sell....making it sound as complicated (and funny) as possible. The end of the sketch simply says "Verizon. It's an old person's nightmare".
Enter Saturday Night Live. Earlier tonight, SNL did a parody of Verizon Wireless, where an "average Joe" walks into a Verizon store saying they've heard a lot of Verizon's 4G LTE network. The customer service rep (Bill Hader) starts talking about how fast the speeds are and all the different phones that they sell....making it sound as complicated (and funny) as possible. The end of the sketch simply says "Verizon. It's an old person's nightmare".
Didn't have a chance to take advantage of T-Mobile's one-day Valentine's Day sale on Saturday? That's okay because it is now T-Mobile's Two-day Valentine's Day sale which has been extended through Sunday. It seems that the carrier's POS (not what you think, but it could apply in this situation) computer system could not keep up with the activations and upgrades that were being entered into it.
New customers or those with an upgrade can buy any T-Mobile phone for free after receiving a rebate. The sale is open to those subscribing to the Classic or Value Plan. Classic Plan customers pay the subsidized price for a handset and will be reimbursed for the full amount after mailing in the rebate card. Those selecting the Value Plan will pay the down payment and be reimbursed via a rebate. The sale is available at the carrier's retail stores, Customer Care and authorized T-Mobile dealers.
As far as tablets are concerned, there are two available for the sale, the T-Mobile G-Slate and the T-Mobile Springboard. And there is one small condition. If you buy either the HTC Amaze 4G or the Samsung Galaxy S II, you need to purchase 5GB of data per month. Now that you have a second opportunity to take part in the sale, don't miss it this time as T-Mobile is unlikely to extend this to a third day.
New customers or those with an upgrade can buy any T-Mobile phone for free after receiving a rebate. The sale is open to those subscribing to the Classic or Value Plan. Classic Plan customers pay the subsidized price for a handset and will be reimbursed for the full amount after mailing in the rebate card. Those selecting the Value Plan will pay the down payment and be reimbursed via a rebate. The sale is available at the carrier's retail stores, Customer Care and authorized T-Mobile dealers.
As far as tablets are concerned, there are two available for the sale, the T-Mobile G-Slate and the T-Mobile Springboard. And there is one small condition. If you buy either the HTC Amaze 4G or the Samsung Galaxy S II, you need to purchase 5GB of data per month. Now that you have a second opportunity to take part in the sale, don't miss it this time as T-Mobile is unlikely to extend this to a third day.
Last month, we told you that the quad-core powered HTC Edge was getting a name change to the HTC Endeavor. That, in turn, could end up being changed to the HTC Supreme Not much was known about the phone back then except for the quad-core processor that the device allegedly would be carrying. Now, a source for MoDaCo has filled in the blanks with a list of specs for what could be the world's first quad-core smartphone.
According MoDaCo's tipster, the HTC Endeavor will be powered by a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor. 1GB of RAM is expected to be aboard and the model should come with a 4.7 inch 720p display. A pair of cameras should be included on the device, an 8MP rear-facing shooter and a 1.3MP front-facer. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are a couple of other features that are being tipped for inclusion on the HTC Endeavor, along with a quad-band HSPA+ radio. The latter is an indication that we could see the handset head to AT&T in the States. Android 4.0 with Sense 4.0 on top will be installed out of the box.
We have already informed you that HTC will be holding an event on February 26th, the day before MWC begins in Barcelona. When you are holding an event on the cusp of a big show like MWC, the ideas is that you have something huge to reveal that will capture the buzz during the subsequent event. With that in mind, we probably will be seeing the HTC Endeavor/Supreme introduced at that time.
According MoDaCo's tipster, the HTC Endeavor will be powered by a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor. 1GB of RAM is expected to be aboard and the model should come with a 4.7 inch 720p display. A pair of cameras should be included on the device, an 8MP rear-facing shooter and a 1.3MP front-facer. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are a couple of other features that are being tipped for inclusion on the HTC Endeavor, along with a quad-band HSPA+ radio. The latter is an indication that we could see the handset head to AT&T in the States. Android 4.0 with Sense 4.0 on top will be installed out of the box.
We have already informed you that HTC will be holding an event on February 26th, the day before MWC begins in Barcelona. When you are holding an event on the cusp of a big show like MWC, the ideas is that you have something huge to reveal that will capture the buzz during the subsequent event. With that in mind, we probably will be seeing the HTC Endeavor/Supreme introduced at that time.
The other day we told you about a phone that could be introduced by LG at MWC in Barcelona. A teaser page and animated video revealed the LG Optimus Vu, an Android powered phablet that offers a 5 inch screen with a 1024x768 resolution IPS-LCD display. That works out to a 4:3 aspect ratio. First, we should let you know that this smartphone has absolutely nothing to do with 2008's LG Vu, a featurephone known for its mobile television function.
LG Optimus Vu (L) meets the Samsung GALAXY Note (R)
A picture of the LG Optimus Vu standing next to the Samsung GALAXY Note has been making the rounds online. While the former device is slightly smaller than the GALAXY Note, the 4:3 aspect ratio on the Optimus Vu makes it wider than the Samsung device. Looking at the 5 inch and 5.3 inch screens on the LG Optimus Vu and Samsung GALAXY Note respectively, we have to ask what the heck is in the Korean water that makes smartphones grow so big there?
The LG Optimus Vu is certainly a model that any smartphone fanatic would love to see more of later this month in Barcelona. Hopefully we will learn about availability and pricing of the phablet at MWC. And who would have thought that the Samsung GALAXY Note would have what appears to be such a strong competitor so soon?
LG Optimus Vu (L) meets the Samsung GALAXY Note (R)
A picture of the LG Optimus Vu standing next to the Samsung GALAXY Note has been making the rounds online. While the former device is slightly smaller than the GALAXY Note, the 4:3 aspect ratio on the Optimus Vu makes it wider than the Samsung device. Looking at the 5 inch and 5.3 inch screens on the LG Optimus Vu and Samsung GALAXY Note respectively, we have to ask what the heck is in the Korean water that makes smartphones grow so big there?
The LG Optimus Vu is certainly a model that any smartphone fanatic would love to see more of later this month in Barcelona. Hopefully we will learn about availability and pricing of the phablet at MWC. And who would have thought that the Samsung GALAXY Note would have what appears to be such a strong competitor so soon?
Well, well, well, what have we here? The snazzy-looking Android handset you see pictured is the Acer CloudMobile, their upcoming flagship smartphone that will be revealed at MWC. Except it was leaked early by….Acer.
How does that work? It turns out that the CloudMobile won an iF design award for excellence in design, and so Acer had to brag about it to someone. Not too much more is known about the device, but it will combine a 4.3” HD screen with a svelte 9mm thickness. It will apparently ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, and also comes with Dolby sound and stainless steel accents. Of course it will also sport the industrial design flair that won it an award.
The phone is also said to be tightly integrated with Acer’s AcerCloud technology, which is said to make the handset even more cloud-centric than other devices. It will be available at the end of February after it’s MWC launch, so one way or another we should know more soon!
How does that work? It turns out that the CloudMobile won an iF design award for excellence in design, and so Acer had to brag about it to someone. Not too much more is known about the device, but it will combine a 4.3” HD screen with a svelte 9mm thickness. It will apparently ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, and also comes with Dolby sound and stainless steel accents. Of course it will also sport the industrial design flair that won it an award.
The phone is also said to be tightly integrated with Acer’s AcerCloud technology, which is said to make the handset even more cloud-centric than other devices. It will be available at the end of February after it’s MWC launch, so one way or another we should know more soon!
The camera on the back of the Nokia Lumia 800 is supposed to be taking great pictures. After all, it has an 8MP sensor and a Carl Zeiss-certified lens. But something is not working out right and Nokia's Damian Dinning sent out a tweet to say that an update is coming although there is no specific date in mind. Last month, when Nokia stated that an update had repaired a problem that the phone was having with the battery, the Finnish based manufacturer admitted that there was an issue with the camera and that it would not be overlooked.
This tweet tells us an update is coming for the Nokia Lumia 800
Apparently the problems with the camera are a software issue which is why Nokia is hopeful that this update on the way will allow the camera to reach its full potential. Late last month, word started leaking out about problems that Nokia Lumia 800 users were having with settings to the camera.
Recently we told you about a camera cowboy shootoutbetween the shooters on the Nokia Lumia 800, the Sony Xperia S, the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Apple iPhone 4S. The Lumia 800's camera made a good showing, but finished behind the Sony Xperia S as far as how quickly the camera app took to open on the phone.
This tweet tells us an update is coming for the Nokia Lumia 800
Apparently the problems with the camera are a software issue which is why Nokia is hopeful that this update on the way will allow the camera to reach its full potential. Late last month, word started leaking out about problems that Nokia Lumia 800 users were having with settings to the camera.
Recently we told you about a camera cowboy shootoutbetween the shooters on the Nokia Lumia 800, the Sony Xperia S, the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Apple iPhone 4S. The Lumia 800's camera made a good showing, but finished behind the Sony Xperia S as far as how quickly the camera app took to open on the phone.
It may be hard to remember now, but the Droid Bionic was one of the most anticipated devices of 2011. The oft-delayed and totally redesigned Bionic wasn’t quite the smash hit that Verizon and Motorola had been hoping for, but quite a few people did snap one up. If you’re one of those people, be sure to head over to your “Settings” menu, select the “About Phone” option, and click on “System Updates”.
You’ll be treated to the 5.9.902 update that was subject to a soak test last week. The update brings a bevy of improvements to connectivity, battery life, and overall stability.
You’ll be treated to the 5.9.902 update that was subject to a soak test last week. The update brings a bevy of improvements to connectivity, battery life, and overall stability.
Nokia Public Transport has matured enough to arrive as an app for Nokia Belle devices, and its next version is already available in the new Nokia Maps Suite in the Beta Labs, if you want to try it out as well.The app now features extensive coverage of Metro, bus, tram, trolleys and ferry networks in 80 major cities worldwide, including US ones like Austin, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Sacramento. It allows you to schedule your city trip with the public transport, instead of a car. Eliminating the need for paper maps and timetables, it can show you the nearest public transport stations or stops around you, and calculate how to get to the desired destination with the Metro, bus, a combination of them plus some walking, and so on.What's even better, the Maps team commented at the end that Nokia Public Transport with full functionality is arriving soon to the Windows Phone Lumia devices of the Finns, so hopefully it will hit by the time the Nokia 900 appears on AT&T's shelves, adding to the free offline voice-guided navigation that will be on there. In fact, Nokia already demoed the City Lens and Transport apps on a Nokia Lumia 900 around the CES show last month.The web version of Nokia Maps also has those public transport routes and can be set for offline navigation from iOS and Android devices, by downloading a precached map of the neighborhood to use for routes.
So, you have bought yourself a new, shiny Samsung Galaxy Nexus and you are looking for a way to protect it from the daily wear and tear? In that case, equipping the smartphone with a nice protective case would be a wise thing to do.Well, we have done a little digging for you and picked five protective cases for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus with each one of them offering a different level of protection. Care to know which ones we have picked?
Apple is once again said to be getting a 7-inch version of its iPadready for release, despite Steve Jobs early comments about the impractical form factor. This time the source of the rumor is Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheli saying Cupertino is preparing to tablets for launch soon.Now, we’d definitely take this with a grain of salt - it’d actually go against Apple’s own principles, and we find it hard to believe that Apple will suddenly change its opinion about smaller tablets, but it’s nonetheless possible.Now, Gottheli specifies that the 7-inch tablet won’t arrive at the same event as the third-generation 9.7-inch iPad, and that it’s also likely to come with a tailor-made keyboard case as an accessory."I believe that's always been in the plan" Gottheil said despite Jobs’ vision of 7-inch tablets being too small."Actually that's a good form factor for some users, and although they will also charge a premium above other similar-sized tablets, they want to protect that price flank."Now, what’s your take on this, possible or not?
The Samsung Galaxy mini 2 S6500, codenamed Jena, has leaked out just ahead of MWC and if we take the tipped February date as a clue, it should arrive just in time for the biggest phone-centric show this year. The Galaxy mini 2 is almost at the bottom of the Android low-end offers, still just above the cheapest Samsung Galaxy Y.It won’t shock you with specs, of course, but it will most definitely do so with its price. Now, it does feature some pretty decent hardware for smartphone entrants on budget. Here are the highlights of the Galaxy mini 2:- 3.3-inch display with an HVGA resolution (480x320),- Android Gingerbread,- 800MHz processor,- HSDPA 7.2Mbps,- 3-megapixel camera,- 3GB of internal storage,- Samsung’s free messaging service ChatON.Now, that’s actually a decent upgrade over the first-generation Galaxy mini which came with a smaller 3.14-inch display with a resolution of only 320x240 pixels, a slower, 600MHz processor, and only 160MB of internal memory. The free messaging with ChatON is also a welcome addition to help you save even more.Designwise, the compact Galaxy mini 2 looks nicely curved with a slick body, though lacking the patterned back of the first Galaxy mini. Nonetheless, it’s a great upgrade, and we’re looking forward to an actual release date and a price. How do you like the Galaxy mini 2?
Having seen their share of the smartphone market eaten away by Apple and Samsung, Nokia, Motorola Mobility and Sony are looking to increase their handset orders in 2012. These orders, which are going to Taiwan based ODMs, are being used by the trio in an attempt to win back the marketshare lost to the Apple iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S II.
While Finnish based manufacturer Nokia recently gave pink slips to 4,000 employees in Hungary, Mexico and Finland to move production to Asia,DigiTimes says that Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) will get more EMS and smartphone orders from Nokia. Compal Communications will also see an increase in orders from Nokia.
Motorola is expected to give more business to Foxconn and Arima Communications with the focus on Android flavored smartphones. Sony also will be lining Foxconn's pockets in return for the production of entry-level and mid-range Android models. Some other Android models will be built by Arima for Sony.
DigiTimes says that its source points out that Motorola Mobility (being acquired by Google) and Sony both could have changes in management which might lead to changes in the ODMs used by both firms. An ODM is an Original Design Manufacturer that designs and manufacturers a product specified by another company that eventually puts its brand on that device.
While Finnish based manufacturer Nokia recently gave pink slips to 4,000 employees in Hungary, Mexico and Finland to move production to Asia,DigiTimes says that Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) will get more EMS and smartphone orders from Nokia. Compal Communications will also see an increase in orders from Nokia.
Motorola is expected to give more business to Foxconn and Arima Communications with the focus on Android flavored smartphones. Sony also will be lining Foxconn's pockets in return for the production of entry-level and mid-range Android models. Some other Android models will be built by Arima for Sony.
DigiTimes says that its source points out that Motorola Mobility (being acquired by Google) and Sony both could have changes in management which might lead to changes in the ODMs used by both firms. An ODM is an Original Design Manufacturer that designs and manufacturers a product specified by another company that eventually puts its brand on that device.
One of the nicer features of Google's new Chrome Beta for Android is the ability to send links to your device from your desktop. This is not a new feature, as it can be done with any device using Chrome to Phone, but there's a cool twist with the new version. Where Chrome to Phone requires both a Chrome extension on your desktop and an app on your phone in order to work, Chrome to Mobile just requires the Chrome extension on your desktop and Chrome Beta on your phone. With the extension, you can send links to your phone, and even set it to save a copy for offline viewing. The cool trick is that you can actually share your device, so anyone you want can send links to your device. This could be useful in a team setting, or if you have a friend or significant other who likes sending you links. How to make this happen is relatively easy. Of course, you need to have the Chrome browser on both your desktop and mobile device, and have the Chrome to Mobile extension installed and set up. Once you've got that done, go to your Google Cloud Print settings, and you should see your Android device as one of the listed devices. Just click on that and use the green share button to send the device to someone else. Once that person accepts the shared device (and of course has Chrome to Mobile installed on their copy of Chrome), they will be able to send links to your mobile. Obviously, you'll only want to share this with people you trust. Otherwise, you could end up with quite a lot of unsavory links flooding your mobile device.
After Sprint reported a controversial third quarter in anticipation of the iPhone, in the last quarter of 2011 the third-largest carrier finally felt theiPhone effect as users arrived on the carrier, but the number wasn’t as much as analysts projected and on the flipside of things, losses widened as the pricey deal with Apple could be felt.Sprint added 161,000 total net subscribers in the Holiday quarter, but still failed to match analysts’ projections about 272,000 added subscribers. Sprint sold 1.8 million iPhones in the last trimester of 2011, and 40% of those were new subscribers arriving on the Now Network.At the same time, the carrier reported a total loss of $1.3 billion, wider than last year’s $929 million. The company’s revenue stood at $8.72 billion.Interestingly, the company sees its future very dependant on 4G LTE adoption, and expects to start growing as the first LTE markets light up and customers hop on the fast new network. Sprint said its home city of Kansas along with Baltimore will be among the first to get an LTE network by mid-2012.
Guys and girls, we are happy to announce that a formal invitation to HTC's MWC event has just landed in our mailbox. It is scheduled for February 26, which is only a day before the Mobile World Congress kicks off. Are we going to attend? You betcha!“Join us to see what's next...” is how HTC is teasing us without actually revealing what will be shown off during the event. Rumor has it, however, that an HTC smartphone with a quad-core processor will be announced. The rumored HTC Ville, powered by Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and the HTC Radiant, which supposedly runs Windows Phone Mango, might also make an appearance.It is also worth noting that the invitation that we have is graced by over a dozen photos, which have been taken “on HTC devices by real users.” Is HTC getting ready to unveil a smartphone with outstanding photographic capabilities?But whatever HTC is planning on showing us on February 26, rest assured that we will report all about it. We have a feeling that it is going to be something exciting so marking the date in your calendars is advisable.
Microsoft Stores will start carrying the Nokia Lumia 800 on February 14, bundled with accessories for $899, tipped insiders. The kit will allegedly include the innovative Nokia Play 360 speaker with NFC and the impressive 20 hours of music playback, the Nokia Purity HD stereo headphones by Monster with its matching Lumia 800 colors, as well as an in-ear Bluetooth headset.
The accessories alone cost north of $400 when added together, so that leaves you a Nokia 800 for less than $400 unlocked and ready to accept an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card.
Unfortunately, it is not clear if and when the Nokia Lumia 800 will be carried as a standalone device outside of the bundle, but there are plenty of retailers which are offering it online anyway.
The accessories alone cost north of $400 when added together, so that leaves you a Nokia 800 for less than $400 unlocked and ready to accept an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card.
Unfortunately, it is not clear if and when the Nokia Lumia 800 will be carried as a standalone device outside of the bundle, but there are plenty of retailers which are offering it online anyway.
The release of Google’s Chrome Beta for Android is a huge milestone - not just because Chrome has been growing in popularity at an astonishing rate, but also because it brings a sense of unification between your personal computer and mobile device. Actually, that’s one of the best features of the Chrome Beta release - being able to almost instantly have the tabs you have last worked on your computer on your mobile device.But as important as the Chrome release is for Android (ICS to be perfectly precise), will we ever see it arrive on iOS?“It’s a tough question for us,” Google SVP of Chrome Sundar Pichai told MG Siegler of TechCrunch.The crux of the problem is the limitations Apple has enforced on iOS. For instance, on one hand, Google would like to use their V8 JavaScript engine - something that’s just not possible. On the other, though, there’s WebKit, the open-source layout engine, that is used by Apple too on its Mobile Safari browser. This is to say, that it will be relatively easy to deliver Chrome on iOS.So overall, it seems that it’s not yet certain whether Chrome will be brought to Apple’s platform. Even if it is - it won’t be the exact same browser you see on ICS, but rather a kind of a repainted Safari. And that’s not a bad thing if you look at the awesome UI of Chrome now, is it?
When HP kicked off the $99 firesale of the HP TouchPad it probably did expect all the craze - what it didn’t expect was that a couple of those webOS-stuffed tablets turned out to be developers’ devices running not on webOS, but on Android. This revealed an internal build of Android and of course this caught enthusiast hackers’ attention.Now, finally, HP has released the Android test kernel to the CyanogenMod team, which is known for its huge efforts in porting first Gingerbread, and then Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to the TouchPad. This move from HP should be helpful for the CM team to deal with some of the issues its facing when porting both Android 2.3.x and 4.0.x to the tablet. One thing that is missing, though, is the Wi-Fi driver, but expectations are that it will also get released, so stay tuned on the progress of ICS ports to the TouchPad. In the meantime, the CM team has said its hard at work on CM9.
Long-time users of CyanogenMod are used to seeing a new version released shortly after the code is deposited to AOSP. That usually places CM users on the latest version of Android weeks, if not months, ahead of all non-Nexus Android phones. This time has turned out to be a bit different, and the CM team posted an explanation on their website today.
The biggest factor seems to be the huge jump in the code base between Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). The CM team indicates that they more or less started from scratch with the ICS build of CyanogenMod (CM9), and have been porting their CM7 customized tools to the ICS code.
While this process takes longer, it’s also allowed them to rethink each step in the process – an example is they will be eliminated the CMParts app, instead they will be exposing the custom features directly inside the main settings menus.
The CM team also is embracing a more user-driven UX, trying to make many of the features “just work”. They felt that CM7 was unduly complicated, with many obscure options that were rarely put to use. Now they feel they are striking a better balance between user customization and a really good out-of-the-box experience. The result should feel like CM9 was intended to ship on your phone, rather than an open source OS that was hacked in at a later point.
So there is a lot to look forward to, it’s just not happening as fast as some people came to expect during previous builds. Not that the CM team expects to be late to the party, they just won’t be as early as they have been. Or as they put it: “As much as we’d like to stay ahead of the manufacturers, it may be a tie this time.”
The biggest factor seems to be the huge jump in the code base between Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). The CM team indicates that they more or less started from scratch with the ICS build of CyanogenMod (CM9), and have been porting their CM7 customized tools to the ICS code.
While this process takes longer, it’s also allowed them to rethink each step in the process – an example is they will be eliminated the CMParts app, instead they will be exposing the custom features directly inside the main settings menus.
The CM team also is embracing a more user-driven UX, trying to make many of the features “just work”. They felt that CM7 was unduly complicated, with many obscure options that were rarely put to use. Now they feel they are striking a better balance between user customization and a really good out-of-the-box experience. The result should feel like CM9 was intended to ship on your phone, rather than an open source OS that was hacked in at a later point.
So there is a lot to look forward to, it’s just not happening as fast as some people came to expect during previous builds. Not that the CM team expects to be late to the party, they just won’t be as early as they have been. Or as they put it: “As much as we’d like to stay ahead of the manufacturers, it may be a tie this time.”
Nokia has just announced one of the biggest job cuts in its restructuring efforts slashing 4,000 positions in Finland, Hungary and Mexico in order to get closer to its Asian suppliers and optimize delivery times and cost.Handset manufacturing will shift to Asia, closer to component suppliers, which makes financial sense. Factories like the one in Salo, Finland and Komarom, Hungary, traditionally responsible for making high-end smartphones for the European market, will now shift their focus on product customization for Europe and America. The company will start the job cuts now and is expected to continue“optimizing workforce” by the end of the year.The company doesn’t quote financials as the main reason for the shift, rather focusing on component suppliers and most important the time it takes a device to reach markets. With the move to Asia Nokia phones should start arriving on shelves faster and that aligns with Nokia’s chief executive plans to speed up deliveries.“Shifting device assembly to Asia is targeted at improving our time to market. By working more closely with our suppliers, we believe that we will be able to introduce innovations into the market more quickly and ultimately be more competitive,” said Niklas Savander, Nokia executive VP of Markets.Nokia closed down its factory in Romania last September, and after that it has also been reevaluating its factories in Finland, Hungary and Mexico. Initially, Nokia tried to not cut the meat so close to the bone, but this time it’s axing jobs in its homeland of Finland as well.
When will we get to see the elusive, but highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S III? The sequel to the wildly successful Samsung Galaxy S II is not making the trip to Barcelona for MWC 2012, as confirmed by the Korean manufacturer. Apparently, the 7 month gestation period between the Samsung Galaxy S II's introduction at last year's MWC and its initial U.S. launch on Sprint was just too much for Samsung.
After the word went out that the Samsung Galaxy S III would be a no-show at MWC, a invitation from Samsung to the media for a March 22nd event in France had everyone hopped up once again, speculating that this would be the date of the Samsung Galaxy S III's introduction. But once again, Samsung has put the kibosh on that idea. The manufacturer told The Next Web that the event in France is merely a way to showcase Samsung's existing portfolio and demonstrate the devices displayed at MWC for those who could not make it to Barcelona.
The Samsung Galaxy S III is still expected to make its debut in the first half of this year. While no one knows for sure what the specs are on the phone, thanks to the use of components that are 10% to 20% thinner than "conventional parts," including the printed circuit board, the latest leak calls for a thinner form factor than the Galaxy S II. This could result in a device perhaps as thin as 7mm (1.5mm thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S II), with a Super AMOLED Plus display and a quad-core processor under the hood. An 8MP camera should be on back, capturing true HD video, and the handset should have an HDMI output with LTE connectivity. And while the latter might give you the idea that the Samsung Galaxy S III will be initially launched in the States, the Samsung GALAXY Nexus was released first overseas with HSPA+ connectivity, followed by the launch of the LTE variant in the States. In the meantime, you may now erase that circle you drew around March 22nd on your calendar.
After the word went out that the Samsung Galaxy S III would be a no-show at MWC, a invitation from Samsung to the media for a March 22nd event in France had everyone hopped up once again, speculating that this would be the date of the Samsung Galaxy S III's introduction. But once again, Samsung has put the kibosh on that idea. The manufacturer told The Next Web that the event in France is merely a way to showcase Samsung's existing portfolio and demonstrate the devices displayed at MWC for those who could not make it to Barcelona.
The Samsung Galaxy S III is still expected to make its debut in the first half of this year. While no one knows for sure what the specs are on the phone, thanks to the use of components that are 10% to 20% thinner than "conventional parts," including the printed circuit board, the latest leak calls for a thinner form factor than the Galaxy S II. This could result in a device perhaps as thin as 7mm (1.5mm thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S II), with a Super AMOLED Plus display and a quad-core processor under the hood. An 8MP camera should be on back, capturing true HD video, and the handset should have an HDMI output with LTE connectivity. And while the latter might give you the idea that the Samsung Galaxy S III will be initially launched in the States, the Samsung GALAXY Nexus was released first overseas with HSPA+ connectivity, followed by the launch of the LTE variant in the States. In the meantime, you may now erase that circle you drew around March 22nd on your calendar.
The latest report from StatCounter shows that as of last month, Nokia handsets had the largest share of the mobile browsing market with a 40% slice of the pie. The Finnish based firm has a nice lead over Apple. That should be no surprise since Nokia had the largest market share among global handset manufacturers according to the latest stats. Mobile Safari accounted for 29% of the planet's mobile web users. It should be pointed out that data from tablets are not included in this study. Samsung placed third with 14% of those using a mobile browser having a Samsung device in their hand. RIM, which placed second to Apple in the U.K., had an 8.3% market share of mobile web browsers globally. At the start of last year, the Canadian based manufacturer had a mobile web share of above 30%. As a whole, Android handsets had just under 25% of the mobile browser market.
Since 2009, the marketshare of mobile web users has nearly doubled each year
Apple, while second globally behind Nokia, actually had the leading marketshare of mobile browsers in the U.K. and in the States. And with the increasing use of smartphones around the world, it is not surprising that the use of mobile browsers has been growing rapidly. Starting from a meager .7% share of global browsing in January 2009, mobile web use has risen to account for 8.5% of all browsing by last month, nearly doubling last January's 4.3% share.
Since 2009, the marketshare of mobile web users has nearly doubled each year
Apple, while second globally behind Nokia, actually had the leading marketshare of mobile browsers in the U.K. and in the States. And with the increasing use of smartphones around the world, it is not surprising that the use of mobile browsers has been growing rapidly. Starting from a meager .7% share of global browsing in January 2009, mobile web use has risen to account for 8.5% of all browsing by last month, nearly doubling last January's 4.3% share.
A breakdown of the Samsung GALAXY Nexus by ABI Research revealed that the Korean based manufacturer used a low cost LTE chip in Verizon's variant of the phone. The newer chip offers the same high-data performance as the older one, but at half the $23 cost according to ABI Research. It is smart purchasing like this that has enabled a company like Pantech to offer an LTE enabled phone like the Pantech Burst, for under $50 with a signed 2-year contract. And by making phones that support LTE cheaper, it helps spread the use of the technology globally.
ABI Research says that the Samsung GALAXY Nexus modem is constructed with the combination of a Via Telecom CDMA/EVDO Rev. A integrated circuit and a Samsung LTE baseband integrated circuit. While this combination is now considered the standard for Samsung's smartphones for Verizon, the new version of the LTE chip is where Samsung is saving half the $23 cost of the older version of the chip, without losing performance.
Another interesting discovery made by ABI Research is that the 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4460 application processor found in the unit matched the performance and power of the 1.2GHz Exynos chip used on some models of the Samsung Galaxy S II. As stated in the report, "The OMAP4460 matched the performance and power consumption for graphics and video test but consumed significantly more power in computational intensive tests."
Other discoveries made in the teardown include the phone's support for NFC with the antenna embedded in the battery (which was also discovered in iFixit's teardown of the same phone), the use of a CSR GPS single chip and ther inclusion of a Broadcom Wi-Fi/BT/FM single chip.
ABI Research says that the Samsung GALAXY Nexus modem is constructed with the combination of a Via Telecom CDMA/EVDO Rev. A integrated circuit and a Samsung LTE baseband integrated circuit. While this combination is now considered the standard for Samsung's smartphones for Verizon, the new version of the LTE chip is where Samsung is saving half the $23 cost of the older version of the chip, without losing performance.
Another interesting discovery made by ABI Research is that the 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4460 application processor found in the unit matched the performance and power of the 1.2GHz Exynos chip used on some models of the Samsung Galaxy S II. As stated in the report, "The OMAP4460 matched the performance and power consumption for graphics and video test but consumed significantly more power in computational intensive tests."
Other discoveries made in the teardown include the phone's support for NFC with the antenna embedded in the battery (which was also discovered in iFixit's teardown of the same phone), the use of a CSR GPS single chip and ther inclusion of a Broadcom Wi-Fi/BT/FM single chip.
Chrome Beta for Android was just released earlier today, and we decided to put the new browser through some HTML5 tests, and the results were not just impressive for a mobile browser, they were impressive for any browser. We're sure that Sencha is working on some more in-depth HTML5 tests as we speak, but based on what we found in some informal testing, Chrome for Android is looking very good. This is probably for the best as Chrome Beta doesn't support Flash right now.First off, Chrome for Android came up with a perfect 100/100 on the Acid3 test, and even better than that, there were no issues with the rendering. The Acid3 test has a habit of giving out a perfect score to browsers even when there are visible mistakes in the reference image, but Chrome nailed it. Next, we went to HTML5test.com and this is where the real power in Chrome was on display. An interesting note here, when the HTML5 test picked up the browser info, it said that we were using Chrome Beta 16.0.912.75 on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.0.2. The interesting thing is the version number for Chrome, which is actually the version number for the current stable release of the Chrome desktop browser, even though the Chrome Beta for Android is listed in the Android Market as version 0.16.4130.199. So, it looks like Google is aiming for the same parity between mobile and desktop that Mozilla has found with Firefox (at least in version number). The results on the HTML5 tests were stellar. Chrome Beta for Android had an overall score of 343 out of 475 points, which not only put it well above any other mobile browsers (the next highest are Firefox 10 at 315 points and iOS Safari at 305 points, with Windows Phone 7.5 coming in dead last in mobile browsers with a score of 141 points,) but it also put the browser second amongst all browsers on mobile or desktop. The only browser higher is Chrome's desktop counterpart at 373 points. Digging into the point system, Chrome Beta stacked up well in most categories, but lost the most points in "User Interaction", WebGL, Microdata, Local Multimedia, Notifications, and Audio API segments of the test. Of course, even in these, Chrome Beta had the same bad scores as Chrome desktop for Microdata and Local Multimedia (meaning neither could access a webcam via HTML5.) Last, we decided to take a run into Google's enemy territory and run some of Microsoft's IE Test Drive HTML5 demos to see how things ran. In these tests, Chrome Beta showed off some impressive muscle when it came to hardware acceleration. It averaged about 15 FPS on the Fish Tank demo, which isn't amazing, but does come in at twice as fast as Firefox 10. Additionally, Chrome Beta logged 43 FPS on the Speed Reading demo, which was quite speedy compared to Firefox's 18 FPS. On the same test we've seen the iPhone 4S with iOS 5 hitting a crazy 60 FPS, and the Nokia Lumia 800 with WP 7.5 coming in at around 40 FPS. Not all of the IE tests worked out so well. It took Chrome Beta a couple tries to get our location correct with the Geolocation test, and the first attempt was off by a mile (literally one mile.) Also, the CPU Power States Meter test came up with a pretty bad score, meaning the callback interval is too short, so the CPU can't enter a sleep state, and it could effect battery consumption. Of course, no browser that we tested could post a high score on that test, including Chrome Desktop. Also, the test didn't accurately pull the browser info, claiming that we were using Apple Safari rather than Chrome for Android. So, we're not sure how reliable that test is. It seems like a test that may have been created to show off something that Microsoft built into IE simply to be able to make a test that all other browsers will fail.Of course, the testing is just one side of it. Simply using Chrome for Android for a few minutes and you'll see how smooth it is and how well it renders pages. Maybe the best thing for us is that Chrome Beta is the first mobile browser that allows us to properly use the PhoneArena Control Panel for creating/editing our posts. That's a pretty impressive feat.It looks like Chrome Beta is setting a new standard for HTML5 performance on mobile devices, and we are certainly impressed. We'll be looking around for more tests to perform, so if you have any suggestions, just let us know. We'll be adding the SunSpider test results to this post in a little while, but if you know any other tests, we'll give them a try. *Update* We've run Chrome Beta through SunSpider a few times and it performed admirably, but not amazingly. Firefox 10 bested it every time, averaging a total time of about 1700ms, while Chrome Beta came in at around 1900ms and the stock ICS browser at 2100ms. So, Google still has some work to do there, but it's still better than the competition as iOS 5 tends to come in at around 2300ms and IE9 on Windows Phone Mango hasn't cracked 7000ms in any test we've seen (and lower is better).
Google has been pretty busy today. First, we finally got a release (albeit beta) of Chrome for Android, and now Google Voice has received an update bringing a new icon as well as a more ICS friendly look. If you've been paying attention to the UI changes and new Google bar that has been rolling out to Google products, you'll likely have already seen the new Voice logo, which puts more of an emphasis on the texting side of the product and not just the voice calls. The update brings a slightly different UI style to Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich devices, so now the menus and layout fit in better with the new look of Android. The app now also includes dedicated user feedback menus on each screen which should help Google make the app better with more targeted feedback. But, the biggest, or at least most useful, update in this version of Voice is asynchronous SMS, which means that if you are offline, SMS messages will be put in a queue to be sent when you get online again. If you need Google Voice, it's available for free in the Android Market, though only US users can sign up for the product.
There have been plenty of rumors, and users have been calling for it for a long time. Well, the time is finally here: Chrome Beta has been released for Android. The browser has some pretty nice features, but one big caveat. The caveat being the one that you never want to hear as an Android user: Chrome Beta is only available on Android 4.0+, which effectively rules out 99% of the ecosystem. Chrome Beta definitely fits in well with the new Ice Cream Sandwich UI. The browser looks great and features the subtle animations that have become standard in Android. Pages render quickly, and overall it feels a lot like the stock ICS browser, just with some added extras. It has the same omnibox and the ability to save pages for offline reading. The extra features come from interacting with your Chrome browser on your desktop. Along with syncing your bookmarks and history, Chrome now also syncs open tabs (and the full history of that tab) from desktop to mobile for easy access. You can also send pages from desktop to your phone much like you could with the Chrome to Phone extension, but now there is also the added option of automatically saving the sent page for offline viewing. Additionally, Chrome Beta offers Incognito Mode for private browsing as well as gestures to easily flip between tabs. It's about time Android had a proper Chrome browser and with luck it will come to older versions of Android sooner rather than later. If you have an ICS device and want to try it out, Chrome Beta is available for free in the Android Market.
Strangely, we’ve come to that point where one day is seemingly the mark we’re content with our modern day smartphones – mainly because it’s seemingly light years better than the 10 hours of usage found with some top-notch devices of late. Then again, as we’re reminded about past devices, mainly the flips phones from yesterday, we’re brought back to the realization that one day is simply not acceptable. Well folks, even though we’ve been treated to killer devices like theMotorola DROID RAZR MAXX of late, which takes battery life on a smartphone to a whole new level, other devices aren’t as fortunate in being blessed with a generous sized batteries, but rather, accessory manufacturers have come along to provide us with a helpful alternative.
Case in point, the Duracell iPhone External Battery Case, which is an up and coming item that’ll surely please iPhone owners all around. Much like its rivals, Duracell’s offering tucks away a 1,300 mAh batteryinside of its shell, though, it’s smaller than the 2,000 mAh batteries found on the Mophie Juice Pack Plusand PowerSkin. Rather, the beauty of the Duracell battery case is that it doesn’t add much bulk to the overall size of the iPhone – and on top of that, it’s form fitting as well to offer a comfortable grip in the hand. Donning a soft touch matte finish, it naturally is able to keep a clean looking appearance, however, we’re not fans of the recessed cut outs for the handset’s buttons, which makes them notorious to feel out. Adding yet more functionality, there is a kickstand in the rear to offer a hands-free experience watching videos.
Specifically mentioned to work with the iPhone 4, where it’s meant to double its battery life, we instead decided to use it with the newer iPhone 4S. Of course, it fits snugly into place, but the top plastic cover tends to come off too easily. In our quick testing, we managed to get the iPhone 4S to a battery level of 60% from a dead charge, which is justified seeing that the 4S packs a higher capacity battery. When it comes down to it, we simply love its compact form versus other cases we’ve checked out. Now it’s worth noting that the Duracell iPhone External Battery Case is not yet available for purchase, but it should hopefully be out soon. Another piece of the puzzle is pricing, which hasn’t been confirmed, but we’re hoping to see this one landing for under the $60 mark to prove to be a justified offering.
Case in point, the Duracell iPhone External Battery Case, which is an up and coming item that’ll surely please iPhone owners all around. Much like its rivals, Duracell’s offering tucks away a 1,300 mAh batteryinside of its shell, though, it’s smaller than the 2,000 mAh batteries found on the Mophie Juice Pack Plusand PowerSkin. Rather, the beauty of the Duracell battery case is that it doesn’t add much bulk to the overall size of the iPhone – and on top of that, it’s form fitting as well to offer a comfortable grip in the hand. Donning a soft touch matte finish, it naturally is able to keep a clean looking appearance, however, we’re not fans of the recessed cut outs for the handset’s buttons, which makes them notorious to feel out. Adding yet more functionality, there is a kickstand in the rear to offer a hands-free experience watching videos.
Specifically mentioned to work with the iPhone 4, where it’s meant to double its battery life, we instead decided to use it with the newer iPhone 4S. Of course, it fits snugly into place, but the top plastic cover tends to come off too easily. In our quick testing, we managed to get the iPhone 4S to a battery level of 60% from a dead charge, which is justified seeing that the 4S packs a higher capacity battery. When it comes down to it, we simply love its compact form versus other cases we’ve checked out. Now it’s worth noting that the Duracell iPhone External Battery Case is not yet available for purchase, but it should hopefully be out soon. Another piece of the puzzle is pricing, which hasn’t been confirmed, but we’re hoping to see this one landing for under the $60 mark to prove to be a justified offering.
Today's modern gamer can quickly be enveloped by some of the 3D intensive titles out there, but for those who are more akin to those titles from yesterday, they'll soak in a good amount of nostalgia thanks to this fitting accessory that brings back a solid dose of nostalgia. Remember some of those old school Atari arcades from back in the day? Well, if you certainly remember them, the Atari Arcade is here to reinvigorate those stagnant memories of yesterday when gaming as we know it, was still in its infancy.
For $69.99 and the aid of your supplied iPad (first or second-generation), the Atari Arcade provides that arcade like feel thanks to its ample sized joystick and accompanying four buttons. Not surprisingly, we're tickled by the fact that we're introduced to that arcade like experience, but it tends to become a bit unstable as we're mashing away at its buttons and joystick. Yes, the Atari Arcade locks the iPad 2 into position and hinges it on an angle, but at times, it feels as though it can come off with enough applied pressure. Moreover, as much as we'd like to play with this thing in our lap, it's best to place it on a level surface to withstand the momentum of our rigorous movements. Nevertheless, this is an essential item you'll want to pick up if you want to relive the experience – without having to fork over your life savings to pick up some of these collector's arcade systems yourself.
Everything about this all-plastic accessory pays homage to those giant-sized arcade systems from the past, but its true worth is found with the free download of the Atari Greatest Hits app for the iPad. Initially, you get Missile Commander for free by simply downloading the free app, but if you want to play some other titles, even ones for the Atari 2600, you'll need to spend some dough on them. Luckily, you can pick up 25 separate packs for a mere 99 cents, but if you're really hardcore, we'd suggest plopping down $9.99 to pick up all 100 titles that are available.
For $69.99 and the aid of your supplied iPad (first or second-generation), the Atari Arcade provides that arcade like feel thanks to its ample sized joystick and accompanying four buttons. Not surprisingly, we're tickled by the fact that we're introduced to that arcade like experience, but it tends to become a bit unstable as we're mashing away at its buttons and joystick. Yes, the Atari Arcade locks the iPad 2 into position and hinges it on an angle, but at times, it feels as though it can come off with enough applied pressure. Moreover, as much as we'd like to play with this thing in our lap, it's best to place it on a level surface to withstand the momentum of our rigorous movements. Nevertheless, this is an essential item you'll want to pick up if you want to relive the experience – without having to fork over your life savings to pick up some of these collector's arcade systems yourself.
Everything about this all-plastic accessory pays homage to those giant-sized arcade systems from the past, but its true worth is found with the free download of the Atari Greatest Hits app for the iPad. Initially, you get Missile Commander for free by simply downloading the free app, but if you want to play some other titles, even ones for the Atari 2600, you'll need to spend some dough on them. Luckily, you can pick up 25 separate packs for a mere 99 cents, but if you're really hardcore, we'd suggest plopping down $9.99 to pick up all 100 titles that are available.
The Apple effect is well known in Chinese countries where massive amounts of workers and factories could get hired virtually overnight to fulfil an order, but now almost the same effect has hit Wolfram Alpha. The knowledge engine that offers not simply search results, but aims to put them into context, now has 25% of its traffic coming from Siri queries.Apple’s humble intelligent voice assistants is smart partly exactly because of Wolfram Alpha that will do funky things like calculate the distance to the moon as well as solve and graph mathematical problems.“Siri accounts for about a quarter of the queries fielded by Wolfram Alpha, whose staff has grown to 200,” a New York Times report said.Should Google be worried? Even with the huge start of the iPhone 4S, it will still take quite a while for Google to feel threatened by Wolfram Alpha. In addition, the two don’t directly compete each other - Wolfram Alpha clearly differentiaties itself by being a “knowledge” engine, not a search engine.But that doesn’t mean that the two don’t overlap at all - actually quite often they do. Wolfram Alpha has just launched a paid feature that will add even more sophisticated features and calculations to answer your queries. The knowledge engine only launched two and a half years ago in the summer of 2009, so it’s definitely moving fast.Here’s scientist Stephen Wolfram, founder of the engine, explaining what was the thing that persuaded Jobs to integrate Wolfram Alpha with Siri:“And just the day before Steve died came the announcement of the iPhone 4S, and Siri, which uses our Wolfram|Alpha knowledge engine. The timing was so tragic. But it was a quintessential Steve Jobs move. To realise that people just want direct access to knowledge on their phones, without all the extra steps that people would usually assume have to be there.”source: NY Times via 9to5Mac
Here’s another shocker from BlackBerry’s DevCon event in Amsterdam - RIM execs brought clarity about the BlackBerry App world saying apps on it are actually more profitable than their counterparts in the Android Market. Newly appointed man-in-charge Thorsten Heins said that the App World is now home to over 60,000 applications. While that’s a mere fraction of the hundreds of thousands on the App Store or the Android Market, Heins said that BlackBerry developers could profit more from their apps than Android programmers. Apps on the App World allegedly bring 40% more profits than Android apps, and an impressive 13% of developers for the platform have cashed in over $100,000 from apps.There are 174 million app downloads each month, equalling 6 million downloaded apps a day, according to The Verge. This brings the total to 30 applications downloaded by each user, which is quite impressive actually.Finally, Heins added that the BlackBerry PlayBook OS now supports Qt, which is an interesting move that can attract disillusioned Symbian developers.
HTC sprinkled its head with ashes at the quarterly results call yesterday, acknowledging that it had become complacent in 2011 due to the raging success in 2010, and stuffed new technology like the bulky first-gen LTE chips into its existing design paradigm, sometimes producing unwieldy devices.
The company is determined not to repeat these mistakes in 2012, though, and CFO Winston Yung reported that it is creating a so-called Studio department, which will be responsible with envisioning and crafting the so-called "Hero Device" strategy everyone is aiming at this year - less, but more distinctive devices.
From the design point of view, from the choice of components, having a lot more open mind as to what components we use, and using the most appropriate components for the phone. By having a more focused approach to our product strategy, and having the organization behind the product strategy to support it. I think I have told some people when talked about the creation of this Studio, which is a department within HTC that reports directly to Peter [Chou, HTC CEO]. And this group of people comprise the team from design, the team from engineering and etc; working on a cross disciplinary approach, and reporting directly to Peter. It has a lot of focus, is spending a lot of time on the key products that we are going to launch this year.
HTC's CFO also hinted that the company doesn't want to feel constrained in its relationship with chip manufacturers, and might diversify from the Qualcomm Snapdragon exclusivity it has been favoring so far:
“I think from these various perspectives, organization more focused on strategy and having a more open mind on components, choosing the best components, will allow us to regain the edge in products … for most components there are multiple sources. And we actually want to and make sure that we do have multiple sources for a single component. So we have, I think, a very good range of suppliers to choose from on CPU, for example, or memory, for example. And I don’t think we are constrained in any way from a component point of view
This is pretty much in line with what we are hearing about an upcoming HTC Edge aka Endeavor or Supreme, with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor. If HTC cuts the umbilical cord with Qualcomm, it will be able to be one of the first with quad-core handset, for example, where NVIDIA beat everybody to the punch again, or it can go with TI's OMAP family for some handsets, as that's the official chipset of Android Ice Cream Sandwich, speeding up the transition to the newest version.
Softwarewise HTC has a lot of good things to leverage, like its cloud services, while the HTC Sense UI needs just a little simplifying and tweaking to become a selling point for HTC handsets again - things that the company is rumored to have done with Sense 4.0 already.
HTC's February 26 event is not far away, and we'll be at the MWC 2012 expo to give you the nitty-gritty of the HTC comeback.
The company is determined not to repeat these mistakes in 2012, though, and CFO Winston Yung reported that it is creating a so-called Studio department, which will be responsible with envisioning and crafting the so-called "Hero Device" strategy everyone is aiming at this year - less, but more distinctive devices.
From the design point of view, from the choice of components, having a lot more open mind as to what components we use, and using the most appropriate components for the phone. By having a more focused approach to our product strategy, and having the organization behind the product strategy to support it. I think I have told some people when talked about the creation of this Studio, which is a department within HTC that reports directly to Peter [Chou, HTC CEO]. And this group of people comprise the team from design, the team from engineering and etc; working on a cross disciplinary approach, and reporting directly to Peter. It has a lot of focus, is spending a lot of time on the key products that we are going to launch this year.
HTC's CFO also hinted that the company doesn't want to feel constrained in its relationship with chip manufacturers, and might diversify from the Qualcomm Snapdragon exclusivity it has been favoring so far:
“I think from these various perspectives, organization more focused on strategy and having a more open mind on components, choosing the best components, will allow us to regain the edge in products … for most components there are multiple sources. And we actually want to and make sure that we do have multiple sources for a single component. So we have, I think, a very good range of suppliers to choose from on CPU, for example, or memory, for example. And I don’t think we are constrained in any way from a component point of view
This is pretty much in line with what we are hearing about an upcoming HTC Edge aka Endeavor or Supreme, with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor. If HTC cuts the umbilical cord with Qualcomm, it will be able to be one of the first with quad-core handset, for example, where NVIDIA beat everybody to the punch again, or it can go with TI's OMAP family for some handsets, as that's the official chipset of Android Ice Cream Sandwich, speeding up the transition to the newest version.
Softwarewise HTC has a lot of good things to leverage, like its cloud services, while the HTC Sense UI needs just a little simplifying and tweaking to become a selling point for HTC handsets again - things that the company is rumored to have done with Sense 4.0 already.
HTC's February 26 event is not far away, and we'll be at the MWC 2012 expo to give you the nitty-gritty of the HTC comeback.
The Samsung Galaxy S II can’t match the iPhone 4S in popularity, but in the Android world it’s simply the single best selling device and for a good reason - it’s extremely thin, packs powerful hardware guts, has an outstanding camera and is soon getting updated to Android 4.0 ICS.What more could you want? Well, while we can get really picky and start dreaming about quad-core phones, even slimmer body and better cameras, in reality, what would matter most is protecting what you already have. And while there aren’t that many cases for the Galaxy S II, it definitely got some attention from accessory makers, so you can dress it up for protection and in style. So here are our top picks for the best cases for the Samsung Galaxy S II in its international version. Be warned that US carriers have slightly different versions of the S II, with different screen sizes, so some of those accessories might not fit a custom carrier version of the device. With that in mind, here’s our selection for the international version of Samsung’s Android flagship:
_Software version 6.12.173.XT912.Verizon.en.US is being pushed to owners of the Motorola DROID RAZR and Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
in the form of an OTA firmware update. The update can also be had by
going to Settings>About Phone>System Updates. And the good news is
that not only will it bring Android 2.3.6 to the two models, it also
brings a ton of new features.
The entire change list is as follows:
APPLICATIONS
Sure, it isn't the Android 4.0 update that you were hoping for, but it does bring enough changes to improve the functionality of both models. And who knows? Perhaps the next update will bring you that Ice Cream Sandwich that you have been craving.
The entire change list is as follows:
APPLICATIONS
- Mobile Hotspot will now successfully allow other devices to connect to all
- Improvements in the Mobile Hotspot security.
- VZ Navigator has been updated with the latest 3D map improvements.
- Visual Voice Mail messages can be marked as read.
- Visual Voice Mail message playback resumes when audio is switched to speaker.
- Visual Voice Mail will successfully subscribe or unsubscribe while connected with Wifi.
- Successfully press back key after playback in Visual Voice Mail without error.
- V CAST App now comes preloaded.
- MotoCast installation steps have been improved for easier use.
- Improved stability of data connectivity after Airplane Mode is disabled.
- Improved data throughput performance in low-signal 4G environments.
- Improved Battery life when using Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) Bluetooth headsets.
- Successfully save multimedia ringtones.
- Favorite Contacts widget has been updated.
- Improved device stability when moving between home screen panels.
- Email icon has been updated for improved visibility.
- When performing an Over the Air (OTA) update, the display will correctly show the remaining download time.
- CMAS (Commercial Mobile Alert Service) feature has been added.
Sure, it isn't the Android 4.0 update that you were hoping for, but it does bring enough changes to improve the functionality of both models. And who knows? Perhaps the next update will bring you that Ice Cream Sandwich that you have been craving.
_
After a long wait, Nokia Belle, the second major update to Symbian^3, starts rolling out to handsets today, Nokia announced in its official blog. The update finally makes Symbian look much more like a contemporary operating system with matching visuals, 6 home screens, a new drop down menu a la Android, neat widgets with a huge clock a la HTC Sense, better maps and plenty of other novelties.Functionality is also improved, with faster browser with a cleaner UI, imaging applications supporting 720p video recording at 30fps and simpler menus. A couple of Microsoft apps like Lync and OneNote will also soon be made available.The Nokia Symbian Belle update is available now for the following models:
After a long wait, Nokia Belle, the second major update to Symbian^3, starts rolling out to handsets today, Nokia announced in its official blog. The update finally makes Symbian look much more like a contemporary operating system with matching visuals, 6 home screens, a new drop down menu a la Android, neat widgets with a huge clock a la HTC Sense, better maps and plenty of other novelties.Functionality is also improved, with faster browser with a cleaner UI, imaging applications supporting 720p video recording at 30fps and simpler menus. A couple of Microsoft apps like Lync and OneNote will also soon be made available.The Nokia Symbian Belle update is available now for the following models:
- Nokia N8,
- Nokia E7,
- Nokia E6,
- Nokia X7,
- Nokia C6-01,
- Nokia C7,
- or Nokia Oro.
_The Apple App Store opened its
doors in July 2008 and since then, growth in online mobile application
stores and the apps available in them, has been nothing short of
phenomenal. Consider that the very first weekend that Apple debuted its
"store", an amazing 10 million apps were downloaded. That October, the App Store had competition when Walmart the Android Market opened with just 50 apps to its name. That same month, RIM announced that it would open BlackBerry App World which started accepting submissions from developers early the next year. In May 2009, Nokia debuted the Ovi Store which briefly was second behind the App Store.
You can re-live the growth of the mobile app store thanks to this graph produced by ShoutEm. It traces the incredible growth in apps available for iOS as the App Store grew from 100,000 apps after its first year to the current 500,000. The Android Market story can be followed from those initial 50 apps to the recent count last summer of 250,000 with 6 billion downloads. Other stores like the Windows Marketplace are also included in the timeline.
The timeline ends in August of last year, so the figures are not the most up to date, but they do present a historical, accurate picture of the exciting growth in the industry.
You can re-live the growth of the mobile app store thanks to this graph produced by ShoutEm. It traces the incredible growth in apps available for iOS as the App Store grew from 100,000 apps after its first year to the current 500,000. The Android Market story can be followed from those initial 50 apps to the recent count last summer of 250,000 with 6 billion downloads. Other stores like the Windows Marketplace are also included in the timeline.
The timeline ends in August of last year, so the figures are not the most up to date, but they do present a historical, accurate picture of the exciting growth in the industry.
_
After a spectacular launch in London, the Nokia Lumia 800 has all the marketing pre-requisites for a great start, and now Nokia decided to give it an extra push at the kick off of sales in Poland. The Finns put out another light show so impressive it was worth a special look - the company lit up Staszic Palace in Warsaw with its Lumia 800. But not only that - the whole place was skillfully illuminated giving the illusion of the palace crashing down, only to get reilluminated in a new set.Passers by should have definitely been enthralled despite the freezing cold weather in the Polish capital.Of course, this - Nokia hopes - will result in big sales of its first Windows Phone, which hasn’t exactly flourished, but again it’s only been selling in limited markets. The Finns have also started the marketing push in other countries like Sweden with some neat ads - check both the light show and the commercials below.
After a spectacular launch in London, the Nokia Lumia 800 has all the marketing pre-requisites for a great start, and now Nokia decided to give it an extra push at the kick off of sales in Poland. The Finns put out another light show so impressive it was worth a special look - the company lit up Staszic Palace in Warsaw with its Lumia 800. But not only that - the whole place was skillfully illuminated giving the illusion of the palace crashing down, only to get reilluminated in a new set.Passers by should have definitely been enthralled despite the freezing cold weather in the Polish capital.Of course, this - Nokia hopes - will result in big sales of its first Windows Phone, which hasn’t exactly flourished, but again it’s only been selling in limited markets. The Finns have also started the marketing push in other countries like Sweden with some neat ads - check both the light show and the commercials below.
_
Mere days ago, we reported that Nokia has most likely killed all of its projects for Symbian based devices, except for one. The device in question was said to be a successor to the popular with its photographic abilities Nokia N8. Well, unless the image that you see below is something that someone forged to show off their Photoshop skills, we might be looking at the rumored Nokia N8 successor.The smartphone in the render below is said to be the Nokia 801, and what runs on it is the Symbian Nokia Belle platform. Obviously, the handset looks nothing like that other Nokia 801 from last year, which could be nothing but a concept. As a matter of fact, the device in the image appears very similar to the Nokia N9, Nokia Lumia 800, and even the Lumia 900 in terms of design. Of course there is nothing wrong with that as all of these handsets look very appealing indeed.In terms of specs, it is rumored that the Nokia 801 has a 4-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display with a rather low for its size resolution of 360 by 640 pixels. Under its hood are expected to reside a 1.4GHz processor and 512 megabytes of RAM. A 12-megapixel auto-focus camera with a dual LED flash and 1080p video recording abilities will grace its back, according to rumors. NFC support should also be in tow.Of course, this rumor should be taken with a huge grain of salt as it might be very inaccurate, even totally made up. On the other hand, one and only Eldar Murtazin confirmed via Twitter that the Nokia 801 is indeed a real device. But will we ever get a chance to hold it in our itching hands? Only time will tell.
Mere days ago, we reported that Nokia has most likely killed all of its projects for Symbian based devices, except for one. The device in question was said to be a successor to the popular with its photographic abilities Nokia N8. Well, unless the image that you see below is something that someone forged to show off their Photoshop skills, we might be looking at the rumored Nokia N8 successor.The smartphone in the render below is said to be the Nokia 801, and what runs on it is the Symbian Nokia Belle platform. Obviously, the handset looks nothing like that other Nokia 801 from last year, which could be nothing but a concept. As a matter of fact, the device in the image appears very similar to the Nokia N9, Nokia Lumia 800, and even the Lumia 900 in terms of design. Of course there is nothing wrong with that as all of these handsets look very appealing indeed.In terms of specs, it is rumored that the Nokia 801 has a 4-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display with a rather low for its size resolution of 360 by 640 pixels. Under its hood are expected to reside a 1.4GHz processor and 512 megabytes of RAM. A 12-megapixel auto-focus camera with a dual LED flash and 1080p video recording abilities will grace its back, according to rumors. NFC support should also be in tow.Of course, this rumor should be taken with a huge grain of salt as it might be very inaccurate, even totally made up. On the other hand, one and only Eldar Murtazin confirmed via Twitter that the Nokia 801 is indeed a real device. But will we ever get a chance to hold it in our itching hands? Only time will tell.
_Hollywood could probably make a decent thriller out of all the geek
drama that is going on at the App Store. Successes and failures, rags to
riches - the $4 billion worth of iOS developers' creations have all the markings of a good flick.
As if to prove that point, now we have a villain thrown in, a 3rd party service that offered a developer to promote his app for $5000 and get it into the top 25, guaranteed. The developer thought this is quite a small price to pay, compared to the established AdMob network he planned to turn to initially. AdMob quoted him quite the steeper amount, and the sales guy mentioned it takes a lot of time, money and traffic to get into the top 10 featured apps.
The developer doesn't mention the name of the 3rd party service that offered him a top 25 position for $5000, but when he asked why so cheap for such a service, the rep disclosed something pretty shocking for the uninitiated into the ins and outs of the application stores business.
He said they have outsourced a server farm that employs bots to robodownload an app numerous times, thus increasing its rankings, and they eventually get it into the top placings.
What's even worse, to try and close the sale, he asked the developer to fire up his phone, and look at the top 25 apps, then walked him through it, and told him which of the applications belong to the bot service's clients - and there were 8 of them! This, of course, means that a third of the top 25 apps were there not based on their merits, which they might or might not have, but on a clever way to game the system.
I was totally SHOCKED when I heard that there were 8 apps on the Top 25 Free App store that were all promoted by them. At this point, I was pretty curious on how he's able to do that (I was told by an AdMob sales person before that it takes a lot of money and traffic to promote an app to the Top 10). That's when he let loose the BIGGEST FRAUD ever, he said he had outsourced someone to build him a bot farm and the bots will automatically download his clients' apps and drive up their rankings!!! He even told me that even though I might see my app climb up the app store, they aren't "REAL" at first until it gets to the top and that's when REAL HUMAN players will start seeing my app and play it.
The rep then told him that the price is just $5000 now, since Apple is aware of this robodownloading thing, and has already cracked down on one developer called Dream Cortex for promoting their apps through such a bot service. This posting has apparently forced Apple to speed up on the crack down process, and it is sending out letters to developers warning them that they could lose their Apple Developer Program membership if robodownload services are used to promote their apps. Yesterday Apple posted this in its developer news website section:
Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership.
Oh, the drama! Where there's a lot of money to be lost and gained, there will always be people that try to game the system, and we are wondering what's the situation with other app stores, too. Hopefully Apple will make an example of several "cheaters" to nip this thing in the bud, as it could really affect the reliability of the App Store rankings.
As if to prove that point, now we have a villain thrown in, a 3rd party service that offered a developer to promote his app for $5000 and get it into the top 25, guaranteed. The developer thought this is quite a small price to pay, compared to the established AdMob network he planned to turn to initially. AdMob quoted him quite the steeper amount, and the sales guy mentioned it takes a lot of time, money and traffic to get into the top 10 featured apps.
The developer doesn't mention the name of the 3rd party service that offered him a top 25 position for $5000, but when he asked why so cheap for such a service, the rep disclosed something pretty shocking for the uninitiated into the ins and outs of the application stores business.
He said they have outsourced a server farm that employs bots to robodownload an app numerous times, thus increasing its rankings, and they eventually get it into the top placings.
What's even worse, to try and close the sale, he asked the developer to fire up his phone, and look at the top 25 apps, then walked him through it, and told him which of the applications belong to the bot service's clients - and there were 8 of them! This, of course, means that a third of the top 25 apps were there not based on their merits, which they might or might not have, but on a clever way to game the system.
I was totally SHOCKED when I heard that there were 8 apps on the Top 25 Free App store that were all promoted by them. At this point, I was pretty curious on how he's able to do that (I was told by an AdMob sales person before that it takes a lot of money and traffic to promote an app to the Top 10). That's when he let loose the BIGGEST FRAUD ever, he said he had outsourced someone to build him a bot farm and the bots will automatically download his clients' apps and drive up their rankings!!! He even told me that even though I might see my app climb up the app store, they aren't "REAL" at first until it gets to the top and that's when REAL HUMAN players will start seeing my app and play it.
The rep then told him that the price is just $5000 now, since Apple is aware of this robodownloading thing, and has already cracked down on one developer called Dream Cortex for promoting their apps through such a bot service. This posting has apparently forced Apple to speed up on the crack down process, and it is sending out letters to developers warning them that they could lose their Apple Developer Program membership if robodownload services are used to promote their apps. Yesterday Apple posted this in its developer news website section:
Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership.
Oh, the drama! Where there's a lot of money to be lost and gained, there will always be people that try to game the system, and we are wondering what's the situation with other app stores, too. Hopefully Apple will make an example of several "cheaters" to nip this thing in the bud, as it could really affect the reliability of the App Store rankings.
_LeVar Burton has had an amazing acting career, bringing life to iconic
characters in many works, but one of his jobs was far more important to
him than others and that had been Reading Rainbow. Reading Rainbow was a
PBS show that encouraged kids to read, and Burton hosted the show for
23 years, starting in 1983 and ending in 2006 when the show was
cancelled. Burton has been looking for a way to
bring back the show, first with a plan to provide webisodes, but that
plan never came through. Now, it looks like Reading Rainbow 2.0 will be
coming to mobile devices in app form. Or at least the reboot of the
beloved program will begin in app form. The plan is to bring streaming
classic episodes and DVDs after launching the app which will feature
hundreds of books with a "Reading Rainbow-like" experience. There's
no word on what exactly that will mean, when the apps will be available
or what platforms it will come to, but having grown up on Reading
Rainbow, we're pretty interested to see it make a comeback.
_It has been far too long in coming, and last we heard, we were supposed
to be seeing the Swype update for Ice Cream Sandwich (and more
importantly, the Galaxy Nexus screen density) by the end of January. Now, it looks like we may finally see the update. There
has been an unofficial cracked version of Swype floating around the XDA
forums that not only works with Android 4.x, but brings theme support
to the gesture keyboard. On February 1st, the Swype team tweeted that
the next update was just "days away", but as yet it hasn't come through.
The team is also promising extra "goodies" in the update, but no one is
quite sure what that will be aside from Nuance's Dragon-powered
dictation.
_Back in December, we first got wind about a possible partnership between Verizon and Redbox,
where it was alleged that the two would combine their efforts in
bringing to market a new kind of video streaming service that’s meant to
rival Netflix. Previously, it was believed that the target launch date
for the project would be May 28th, but it seems that we won’t be seeing it until sometime in the second half of 2012.
Settings their eyes on launching the on-demand video streaming service in the second half of the year, the undisclosed name of the new service is being pegged to use Big Red’s on-demand and download system. However, it’s uncertain right now as to exactly what kind of content will be offered.
Well, it seems as though Redbox and Verizon are looking to make it as some sort of “expanded content offerings,” which would essentially consist of back catalog shows and movies – or as some of us would say, the boring titles that no one would want to see. In contrast, however, newer media would basically stay intact with Rebox’s existing DVD and Blu-ray rentals via its kiosks. Considering the potential surrounding this new service, is wouldn’t surprise us to find Verizon devices being able to stream content directly, but it’s still up in the air as to whether mobile apps would be release for devices on other networks.
Needless to say, Verizon would be benefiting a lot from this if the service is going to be exclusive to them, but in contrast, Redbox’s exposure would be limited. Currently, Verizon is expected to own a 65% stake in the new venture, while Redbox would assume the remaining 35%. As we move closer towards the second half of the year, we can normally expect to hear more information regarding pricing and branding for the service.
Settings their eyes on launching the on-demand video streaming service in the second half of the year, the undisclosed name of the new service is being pegged to use Big Red’s on-demand and download system. However, it’s uncertain right now as to exactly what kind of content will be offered.
Well, it seems as though Redbox and Verizon are looking to make it as some sort of “expanded content offerings,” which would essentially consist of back catalog shows and movies – or as some of us would say, the boring titles that no one would want to see. In contrast, however, newer media would basically stay intact with Rebox’s existing DVD and Blu-ray rentals via its kiosks. Considering the potential surrounding this new service, is wouldn’t surprise us to find Verizon devices being able to stream content directly, but it’s still up in the air as to whether mobile apps would be release for devices on other networks.
Needless to say, Verizon would be benefiting a lot from this if the service is going to be exclusive to them, but in contrast, Redbox’s exposure would be limited. Currently, Verizon is expected to own a 65% stake in the new venture, while Redbox would assume the remaining 35%. As we move closer towards the second half of the year, we can normally expect to hear more information regarding pricing and branding for the service.
_Nokia's camera guru Damian Dinning,
who is behind the award-winning 12MP shooter in the Nokia N8, which is
the sensor to beat in smartphones, has chimed in on an eventual Lumia 910 with 12MP camera.
Answering a fan request to comment on such a Lumia, he tweeted "nope, doesn't exist", but confirmed that the Lumia 900 has the same 8.7MP camera sensor in it that is found in the Nokia N9 and the Nokia 800, with all the bells and whistles.
Still, when asked what if he can disclose something about the next best cameraphone, he enigmatically hinted "sure, it will have a Nokia logo on it, just like the current one :)". If he means the rumored Nokia 803 successor to the Nokia N8 with optical zoom and all that, the Finns better announce it at the Mobile World congress this month because the wait is excruciating.
We'll be at the MWC expo to relay the announcements for you, and will keep tabs on any new gear that appears.
Answering a fan request to comment on such a Lumia, he tweeted "nope, doesn't exist", but confirmed that the Lumia 900 has the same 8.7MP camera sensor in it that is found in the Nokia N9 and the Nokia 800, with all the bells and whistles.
Still, when asked what if he can disclose something about the next best cameraphone, he enigmatically hinted "sure, it will have a Nokia logo on it, just like the current one :)". If he means the rumored Nokia 803 successor to the Nokia N8 with optical zoom and all that, the Finns better announce it at the Mobile World congress this month because the wait is excruciating.
We'll be at the MWC expo to relay the announcements for you, and will keep tabs on any new gear that appears.
_
RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger was key to the platform’s success in the past, and is still one of the best things about BlackBerries. That’s why news about it coming to iOS and Android were particularly exciting, giving ‘Berry loyalists a reason to stick with the declining platform. But it didn’t last long - RIM will drop plans for BBM apps on other platforms in order to be able to go for “direct competition,” if we are to believe the prediction of Jefferies’ analyst Peter Misek.RIM, known for offering top notch security and corporate features, is also said to be working on an enterprise support solution for both Android and iOS, giving better control and monitoring over employees. Work on this won’t be cancelled, but will slow down, Misek adds.The scoops come after the analyst sat for an interview with RIM’s new chief executive Thorsten Heins. After it, the analyst cut his target for RIM shares down to $15 for this financial year.
RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger was key to the platform’s success in the past, and is still one of the best things about BlackBerries. That’s why news about it coming to iOS and Android were particularly exciting, giving ‘Berry loyalists a reason to stick with the declining platform. But it didn’t last long - RIM will drop plans for BBM apps on other platforms in order to be able to go for “direct competition,” if we are to believe the prediction of Jefferies’ analyst Peter Misek.RIM, known for offering top notch security and corporate features, is also said to be working on an enterprise support solution for both Android and iOS, giving better control and monitoring over employees. Work on this won’t be cancelled, but will slow down, Misek adds.The scoops come after the analyst sat for an interview with RIM’s new chief executive Thorsten Heins. After it, the analyst cut his target for RIM shares down to $15 for this financial year.
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Rdio is one of the most popular music streaming services stateside along with apps like Spotify and Pandora, but up until now it lacked the fine polish of its Android app to really make the experience top notch. Now, this changes with the overhauled version of the application, bringing great visuals to Google’s platform and the same simple service.The first thing you’d notice is the new home page which now shows trending tracks and new releases, making it easier to diversify your listening and discover new songs. It also picks up in social - now you can check out user profiles and their favourite songs and even add them as friends (hello, LastFM). You also have better search allowing you to only look into cached items. The updated Rdio app also features lock screen controls for easier access.In terms of service, we mentioned it’s simple and remains that way - there are over 12 million tracks for you to pick from and you can make your own playlists out of that collection. Now all of this costs $10 a month - and that’s what you would need to pay in order to save some time doing endless searches for tracks online. Is it worth it? Are there better alternatives? Chime in with your opinions below.
Rdio is one of the most popular music streaming services stateside along with apps like Spotify and Pandora, but up until now it lacked the fine polish of its Android app to really make the experience top notch. Now, this changes with the overhauled version of the application, bringing great visuals to Google’s platform and the same simple service.The first thing you’d notice is the new home page which now shows trending tracks and new releases, making it easier to diversify your listening and discover new songs. It also picks up in social - now you can check out user profiles and their favourite songs and even add them as friends (hello, LastFM). You also have better search allowing you to only look into cached items. The updated Rdio app also features lock screen controls for easier access.In terms of service, we mentioned it’s simple and remains that way - there are over 12 million tracks for you to pick from and you can make your own playlists out of that collection. Now all of this costs $10 a month - and that’s what you would need to pay in order to save some time doing endless searches for tracks online. Is it worth it? Are there better alternatives? Chime in with your opinions below.
_Early last month, Android users were treated to a free download of Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus via the Samsung Apps hub, while at the same time, its sequel in Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, was reduced in price to a mere 99 cents for a brief time through the Android Market.
Well, there is good news for Samsung Galaxy S II owners out there, seeing that this piece of news is specifically targeting them. Indeed it’s going to be a huge time killer for some people, Gameloft’s ever popular Modern Combat 3 game is being made available for free to Samsung Galaxy S II owners.
Yes, you heard that right folks, this stellar first persona shooter based on modern warfare is absolutely free, but in order to get it, you’ll need to traverse through the Samsung Apps hub – as opposed to the Android Market. So whether you prefer going through the campaign all by your lonesome self or tear it up through its multiplayer modes, you’ll absolutely be immersed in this action packed game.
Before proceeding to download, just be aware that the download sizes up at over 700MB, so be sure to have a sufficient connection to prepare for the lengthy time you’ll need to kill to get the game onto your snazzy Samsung Galaxy S II. It simply goes to show that the handset is still gerring a lot of love!
Well, there is good news for Samsung Galaxy S II owners out there, seeing that this piece of news is specifically targeting them. Indeed it’s going to be a huge time killer for some people, Gameloft’s ever popular Modern Combat 3 game is being made available for free to Samsung Galaxy S II owners.
Yes, you heard that right folks, this stellar first persona shooter based on modern warfare is absolutely free, but in order to get it, you’ll need to traverse through the Samsung Apps hub – as opposed to the Android Market. So whether you prefer going through the campaign all by your lonesome self or tear it up through its multiplayer modes, you’ll absolutely be immersed in this action packed game.
Before proceeding to download, just be aware that the download sizes up at over 700MB, so be sure to have a sufficient connection to prepare for the lengthy time you’ll need to kill to get the game onto your snazzy Samsung Galaxy S II. It simply goes to show that the handset is still gerring a lot of love!
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Apple has finally started to notice clones on its App Store and it’s not happy about having them - the company has pulled clones like Angry Ninja Birds, Plants vs Zombie and Temple Jump from its application catalog.The three games mentioned obviously borrow a lot from the originals: Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies, and Temple Run. Not all of the removed games were extremely popular, but Temple Jump for example climbed to the top of the Paid Apps chart.Interestingly, all of the clones come from the same developer - Anton Sinelnikov. After the sweep, the total number of his apps on the App Store dropped from 68 to mere nine.Game cloning is forming to become the next huge scandal in the mobile industry as some of the largest studios were accused of blindly copying existing titles. Zynga for example has recently made a direct clone to Tiny Tower named Dream Heights, and has now also released a clone of Buffalo Studios’s Bingo Blitz."We're really happy with how quickly Apple responded to the situation and removed [Temple Jump]," Imangi Studios co-founder Natalia Luckyanova said. "The app was clearly a scam that traded entirely on the popularity of Temple Run and was packaged to confuse users."Do you think Apple did right to remove the obviously cloned games, or do you think that they have the right to exist? Let us know why in the comments below.
Apple has finally started to notice clones on its App Store and it’s not happy about having them - the company has pulled clones like Angry Ninja Birds, Plants vs Zombie and Temple Jump from its application catalog.The three games mentioned obviously borrow a lot from the originals: Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies, and Temple Run. Not all of the removed games were extremely popular, but Temple Jump for example climbed to the top of the Paid Apps chart.Interestingly, all of the clones come from the same developer - Anton Sinelnikov. After the sweep, the total number of his apps on the App Store dropped from 68 to mere nine.Game cloning is forming to become the next huge scandal in the mobile industry as some of the largest studios were accused of blindly copying existing titles. Zynga for example has recently made a direct clone to Tiny Tower named Dream Heights, and has now also released a clone of Buffalo Studios’s Bingo Blitz."We're really happy with how quickly Apple responded to the situation and removed [Temple Jump]," Imangi Studios co-founder Natalia Luckyanova said. "The app was clearly a scam that traded entirely on the popularity of Temple Run and was packaged to confuse users."Do you think Apple did right to remove the obviously cloned games, or do you think that they have the right to exist? Let us know why in the comments below.
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_Samsung has reportedly managed to shrink the PCB board and other components in its upcoming Galaxy S III
flagship 10-20% compared to its current achievements in the Galaxy S
II, which is not too shabby at 8.49mm in its thinnest parts either.
This shrinkage has allowed it to make the Galaxy S III just 0.27" (7mm) thin. As far as we understood from Google's Korean translation, the Galaxy S III is expected to feature the same "hump" on the back where currently the 8MP camera on the Galaxy S II resides. In fact, the Korean source says it will feature an 8MP camera as well, capable of 1080p video recording, despite the hinted 12MP shooter that leaked in a shady presentation last year and was also confirmed by Eldar Murtazin not long ago, so the jury is still out on this one. There is also a mention of a 3D-enabled model, though it's not exactly clear if it's for the camera, the display, or both.
The translation is quite murky, but it clearly mentions the months May and March 2011 - May this year seems as a possible launch month, and the latter as the month since Samsung started working on the Galaxy S III. If this rumor holds water, making such a thin 0.27" chassis out of metal seems a bit of a stretch, so Samsung might have gone again with some kind of plastic for the Galaxy S III, despite many people wishing for a metal shell.
There will certainly be a lot more rumors in the meantime to clarify the build material, but a quad-core processor and LTE connectivity are mentioned in this rumor as well as the previous whispers from people in the know, so they seem pretty certain at this point. The mystery is whether it will be the 1.8GHz quad-core Exynos 4412, or the Exynos 5-series monsters that Samsung demonstrated to us recently powering a WQXGA display.
This shrinkage has allowed it to make the Galaxy S III just 0.27" (7mm) thin. As far as we understood from Google's Korean translation, the Galaxy S III is expected to feature the same "hump" on the back where currently the 8MP camera on the Galaxy S II resides. In fact, the Korean source says it will feature an 8MP camera as well, capable of 1080p video recording, despite the hinted 12MP shooter that leaked in a shady presentation last year and was also confirmed by Eldar Murtazin not long ago, so the jury is still out on this one. There is also a mention of a 3D-enabled model, though it's not exactly clear if it's for the camera, the display, or both.
The translation is quite murky, but it clearly mentions the months May and March 2011 - May this year seems as a possible launch month, and the latter as the month since Samsung started working on the Galaxy S III. If this rumor holds water, making such a thin 0.27" chassis out of metal seems a bit of a stretch, so Samsung might have gone again with some kind of plastic for the Galaxy S III, despite many people wishing for a metal shell.
There will certainly be a lot more rumors in the meantime to clarify the build material, but a quad-core processor and LTE connectivity are mentioned in this rumor as well as the previous whispers from people in the know, so they seem pretty certain at this point. The mystery is whether it will be the 1.8GHz quad-core Exynos 4412, or the Exynos 5-series monsters that Samsung demonstrated to us recently powering a WQXGA display.
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_Samsung just sent us an official press release that the Galaxy Nexus
will be coming with its new white color in the UK February 13. As
usual, the face will stay dark, while the sides and back cover will be
in that pure snowy color.
The Android 4.0 poster child of a phone might make its way in the new chassis in other countries as well, but for now the Galaxy Nexus White will only be sold in the UK across all channels, starting next Monday.
What do you think about the Galaxy Nexus new dress, does it suit the monster 4.65" display and the overall curvy shape of the handset?
The Android 4.0 poster child of a phone might make its way in the new chassis in other countries as well, but for now the Galaxy Nexus White will only be sold in the UK across all channels, starting next Monday.
What do you think about the Galaxy Nexus new dress, does it suit the monster 4.65" display and the overall curvy shape of the handset?
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After the Nokia N9 launched in gorgeous white, the Nokia Lumia 800 is the next handset getting a wintery white high-gloss paint-job. The unibody polycarbonate on the Lumia 800 looks gorgeous in white, and as we know from the almost identical N9, the process of making white plastic is more challenging, and that’s why the white version arrives only now.The first countries to get the albino Lumia 800 are Europe’s UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland, Poland and Switzerland, where it will land on shelves by the end of February. The rest of the world will have to wait a bit more for the white version.Currently, the Nokia Lumia 800 is offered in cyan, magenta and black. Nokia’s team of designers has posted a special story dedicated to the white version, explaining Espoo’s passion about the convergence of materials, colors and finishes. The pale flagship of Nokia’s Windows Phone lineup is all dyed in white and milled like metal for a true high-end feel, so you shouldn’t worry about the quality, Nokia reassures.“The story of the Nokia Lumia is one of reduction and purity,” designer Tiina Aarras says. “White is the ultimate colour of reduction. It’s also perfect for emphasising the black polished screen. If you stand a white Lumia 800 on a table the body almost disappears, and the black screen seems to lift up and float.”
After the Nokia N9 launched in gorgeous white, the Nokia Lumia 800 is the next handset getting a wintery white high-gloss paint-job. The unibody polycarbonate on the Lumia 800 looks gorgeous in white, and as we know from the almost identical N9, the process of making white plastic is more challenging, and that’s why the white version arrives only now.The first countries to get the albino Lumia 800 are Europe’s UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland, Poland and Switzerland, where it will land on shelves by the end of February. The rest of the world will have to wait a bit more for the white version.Currently, the Nokia Lumia 800 is offered in cyan, magenta and black. Nokia’s team of designers has posted a special story dedicated to the white version, explaining Espoo’s passion about the convergence of materials, colors and finishes. The pale flagship of Nokia’s Windows Phone lineup is all dyed in white and milled like metal for a true high-end feel, so you shouldn’t worry about the quality, Nokia reassures.“The story of the Nokia Lumia is one of reduction and purity,” designer Tiina Aarras says. “White is the ultimate colour of reduction. It’s also perfect for emphasising the black polished screen. If you stand a white Lumia 800 on a table the body almost disappears, and the black screen seems to lift up and float.”
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HTC was the pure emanation of Android success up until nearly the end of 2011 when something in the system broke, and the Taiwanese company stumbled. And that downfall will continue in the short term - the company just confirmed its expectations for lower-than-expected revenues, worsening investors’ fears about lack of innovation.HTC projected a 36% decline in revenue Q1 2012 to between $2.2 and $2.37 billion (T$65 billion to T$70 billion), down from T$101.42 billion in the previous quarter. The company was optimistic about the long term perspective, though, saying its difficulties were "short term."This aligns with analysts forecasts as the majority saw old HTC phones not selling well, and new products arriving only in late Q1 2012.The Taiwanese company is expected to make a big comeback at MWC late this month with a quad-core super slim HTC Ville with a 4.3-inch display, and reworked HTC Sense. Another high-end device it will bring is the quad-core HTC Edge, Barclays Capital said in a report. HTC is rumored to bring four new devices at MWC, and analysts will be watching close the company’s efforts on differentiation. Margins are also narrowing down. HTC’s relatively healthy 12.7% operating margin is expected to decrease to 7.5%.
HTC was the pure emanation of Android success up until nearly the end of 2011 when something in the system broke, and the Taiwanese company stumbled. And that downfall will continue in the short term - the company just confirmed its expectations for lower-than-expected revenues, worsening investors’ fears about lack of innovation.HTC projected a 36% decline in revenue Q1 2012 to between $2.2 and $2.37 billion (T$65 billion to T$70 billion), down from T$101.42 billion in the previous quarter. The company was optimistic about the long term perspective, though, saying its difficulties were "short term."This aligns with analysts forecasts as the majority saw old HTC phones not selling well, and new products arriving only in late Q1 2012.The Taiwanese company is expected to make a big comeback at MWC late this month with a quad-core super slim HTC Ville with a 4.3-inch display, and reworked HTC Sense. Another high-end device it will bring is the quad-core HTC Edge, Barclays Capital said in a report. HTC is rumored to bring four new devices at MWC, and analysts will be watching close the company’s efforts on differentiation. Margins are also narrowing down. HTC’s relatively healthy 12.7% operating margin is expected to decrease to 7.5%.
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_The Samsung Galaxy Note
has finally landed on US shores and is now available for pre-order
through AT&T and Best Buy stores for $299 and a two-year contract.
Orders are said to start delivering starting Saturday, February 19.
The phone will be available in two colors, Carbon Blue and Ceramic White, and will have a bunch of optional accessories to go with it, such as a desktop docking station, spare battery charger and flip cover case and pen holder.
The AT&T version of the phone looks a bit different due to the four control keys below the display instead of the two touch keys and a physical Home button on the international model. It will also be different on the inside, carrying a 1.5GHz, dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon processor instead of the Exynos processor in the international version. Apart from this, both the AT&T and the international models are identical.
It will be running Android 2.3 at launch but hopefully Samsung and AT&T will upgrade it to Ice Cream Sandwich along with the international version.
The phone will be available in two colors, Carbon Blue and Ceramic White, and will have a bunch of optional accessories to go with it, such as a desktop docking station, spare battery charger and flip cover case and pen holder.
The AT&T version of the phone looks a bit different due to the four control keys below the display instead of the two touch keys and a physical Home button on the international model. It will also be different on the inside, carrying a 1.5GHz, dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon processor instead of the Exynos processor in the international version. Apart from this, both the AT&T and the international models are identical.
It will be running Android 2.3 at launch but hopefully Samsung and AT&T will upgrade it to Ice Cream Sandwich along with the international version.
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One of the biggest selling points of the iPhone 4S - except for the amazing 8-megapixel camera and dual-core processor - is Siri, your humble virtual voice assistant. And for many who are not perfectionists about photography, having Siri on the more affordable iPhone 4 could steer them away from the iPhone 4S.But Apple has not brought Siri on the iPhone 4, and despite Cupertino not giving an official explanation, there’s one possible reason we haven’t looked at before. Linley Group analyst Linley Gwennap looked at how big the A5 chip on the iPhone 4S is and concludes that the extra area on the die is used by Apple for integrating noise-reduction technology. A dedicated chip by start-up Audience allows the phone to pick up voices more accurately. For example, iPhone 4 noise reduction technology only made it possible for the phone to register voice when placed directly near the user’s mouth. So basically, it all boils down to Siri not being able to hear you well on the iPhone 4."This situation helps explain why Apple does not offer Siri as a software upgrade on the iPhone 4. Although the older phone includes an Audience chip, the company has since improved its technology to handle 'far-field speech,' which means holding the device at arm's length rather than directly in front of the mouth," Gwennap explained.Audience’s second-generation technology making all this possible was only launched in 2011, which explains why it’s not in the iPhone 4.Audience's noise-reduction technology.
What’s interesting is that a new and better, third-generation Audience noise-reduction technology is on its way and might arrive on the iPad 3 or next iPhone. Apple is not Audience’s only customer, though - Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony are all on the list of companies using it. Handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S II, the HTC Titan and the Sony Tablet S come with the Audience chip.
One of the biggest selling points of the iPhone 4S - except for the amazing 8-megapixel camera and dual-core processor - is Siri, your humble virtual voice assistant. And for many who are not perfectionists about photography, having Siri on the more affordable iPhone 4 could steer them away from the iPhone 4S.But Apple has not brought Siri on the iPhone 4, and despite Cupertino not giving an official explanation, there’s one possible reason we haven’t looked at before. Linley Group analyst Linley Gwennap looked at how big the A5 chip on the iPhone 4S is and concludes that the extra area on the die is used by Apple for integrating noise-reduction technology. A dedicated chip by start-up Audience allows the phone to pick up voices more accurately. For example, iPhone 4 noise reduction technology only made it possible for the phone to register voice when placed directly near the user’s mouth. So basically, it all boils down to Siri not being able to hear you well on the iPhone 4."This situation helps explain why Apple does not offer Siri as a software upgrade on the iPhone 4. Although the older phone includes an Audience chip, the company has since improved its technology to handle 'far-field speech,' which means holding the device at arm's length rather than directly in front of the mouth," Gwennap explained.Audience’s second-generation technology making all this possible was only launched in 2011, which explains why it’s not in the iPhone 4.Audience's noise-reduction technology.
What’s interesting is that a new and better, third-generation Audience noise-reduction technology is on its way and might arrive on the iPad 3 or next iPhone. Apple is not Audience’s only customer, though - Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony are all on the list of companies using it. Handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S II, the HTC Titan and the Sony Tablet S come with the Audience chip.
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_According to a source for TmoNews,
it looks like T-Mobile will be having another "All Hands Sale" where
the nation's fourth largest carrier calls all of its employees to work
the floor. The expected date of the sale is February 11th which is close
enough to Valentine's Day to consider it the occasion for the sale,
which will be available for new and existing customers. According to the
story, the carrier will be offering all handsets for free after rebate. As far as whether or not both Classic and Value plan customers will be allowed to take part, the site says it is "assured" that both plans will be eligible for the sale. Last time T-Mobile offered free handsets after a rebate, it was for Value plan customers only.
There are some caveats as you might expect. The sale is for just one day only, which is next Saturday, and those purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S II or the HTC Amaze 4G, must sign up for a 5GB data plan. Just remember that this sale has not been confirmed yet by T-Mobile, but if the February 11th date is correct, some word from the carrier will be coming soon.
There are some caveats as you might expect. The sale is for just one day only, which is next Saturday, and those purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S II or the HTC Amaze 4G, must sign up for a 5GB data plan. Just remember that this sale has not been confirmed yet by T-Mobile, but if the February 11th date is correct, some word from the carrier will be coming soon.
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_There are many smartphone users who are hooked on using their handset to play YouTube videos.
Unfortunately for Windows Phone users, there is no official dedicated
YouTube client on the platform. But that doesn't mean that those with a
Windows Phone handset can't enjoy the mobile YouTube site, and thanks to
a recent behind the scene update, those videos are looking better on
handsets supporting Microsoft's mobile OS.
While the browser application remains at v1.0, the actual streaming of the videos via HTML5 has improved to the point that you now have the option of watching some videos in HQ. Windows Phone users also have available some third party YouTube players, like YouTube Pro. Still, when it comes to YouTube, Windows Phone still has a long way to go to match the dedicated client on Android and iOS.
While the browser application remains at v1.0, the actual streaming of the videos via HTML5 has improved to the point that you now have the option of watching some videos in HQ. Windows Phone users also have available some third party YouTube players, like YouTube Pro. Still, when it comes to YouTube, Windows Phone still has a long way to go to match the dedicated client on Android and iOS.
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_On February 1st, Vodafone started selling the Nokia Lumia 800
in Ireland where it has an exclusive on the phone. After just a few
days, the carrier is already out of stock which means that all of
Ireland is currently sold out of the device. Of course, not knowing
exactly what the inventory count was before launch, we can't say if this
is was the result of strong demand, light inventory or a combination of
both. This isn't the first time that the model was cleaned off the
shelf. When the Nokia Lumia 800 launched in the U.K. in November, it quickly sold out.
Sold out in Ireland, the Nokia Lumia 800
So what is the excitement all about? How about a 3.7 inch WVGA ClearBlack display. Under the hood is a Qualcomm MSM8255 single-core 1.4GHz Scorpion processor with 512MB of RAM alongside. The Nokia Lumia 800 is equipped with 16GB of native storage and a rear-facing 8MP camera captures video at 720p (30 fps).
As far as seeing the Nokia Lumia 800 on a carrier in the States, late last year there was some speculation that Verizon and AT&T were testing out an LTE variant of the phone, but so far there has been no word from either carrier about the device joining either operator's lineup.
Sold out in Ireland, the Nokia Lumia 800
So what is the excitement all about? How about a 3.7 inch WVGA ClearBlack display. Under the hood is a Qualcomm MSM8255 single-core 1.4GHz Scorpion processor with 512MB of RAM alongside. The Nokia Lumia 800 is equipped with 16GB of native storage and a rear-facing 8MP camera captures video at 720p (30 fps).
As far as seeing the Nokia Lumia 800 on a carrier in the States, late last year there was some speculation that Verizon and AT&T were testing out an LTE variant of the phone, but so far there has been no word from either carrier about the device joining either operator's lineup.
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_If you're a smartphone fanatic, you might be watching the fourth quarter
of the Super Bowl for reasons other than football. That is when
Samsung's 90 second ad for the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE is supposed to run. But even better, you can now preorder the device from AT&T and Best Buy. The GALAXY Note LTE is expected to be released on February 19th and will cost $299.99 with a signed 2-year contract.
Now available for preorder
Just in case you need to know the specs, the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE has that massive 5.3 inch Super AMOLED screen with a 285ppi pixel density and resolution of 800 x 1280. Under the hood is a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 processor with 1GB of RAM on board. 32GB of native storage is included, which can be doubled using a microSD card. The Samsung GALAXY Note LTE has both a rear and front facing camera coming in at 8MP and 2MP respectively. The former captures video at 1080p (30fps).
In a bid to grab your business, preorder the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE from Best Buy, and as we told you, when you activate it at the store or at Best Buy's web site, the retailer will give you a free flip cover valued at $29.99.
Now available for preorder
Just in case you need to know the specs, the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE has that massive 5.3 inch Super AMOLED screen with a 285ppi pixel density and resolution of 800 x 1280. Under the hood is a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 processor with 1GB of RAM on board. 32GB of native storage is included, which can be doubled using a microSD card. The Samsung GALAXY Note LTE has both a rear and front facing camera coming in at 8MP and 2MP respectively. The former captures video at 1080p (30fps).
In a bid to grab your business, preorder the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE from Best Buy, and as we told you, when you activate it at the store or at Best Buy's web site, the retailer will give you a free flip cover valued at $29.99.
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_Well, here we are – February 2012. Amazing how fast a month can fly by.
It seems like just yesterday we were hashing out our New Year’s
resolutions. If you’re like most folks, getting your fitness and
nutrition in order was probably on that list and like most folks, those
goals are looking pretty lofty now. Before you throw in the towel and
sentence yourself to another year of chips and soda, here are some
Android apps that can help you get back on track without breaking the
bank.
First things first, it all starts with nutrition. There are all different types of diets out there, everything from low carb to vegetarian to the cabbage diet, but the basic rule of thumb is you need to use expend calories than you consume. If you’re not reaching your weight goals, the best place to start is tracking what you eat.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is an all in one food diary. It is very easy to track what you eat by searching its food database that contains over 1 million items. The Android app integrates with barcode scanning software so most of the time tracking your meals is as easy as scanning the package. For those out of the ordinary cuisines or custom meals, MyFitnessPal also allows you to enter your food items and create your own meals. It is also customizable if you want to use it to follow a specific diet such as Atkins, South Beach Diet, or Zone. In addition to Android, MyFitnessPal can be accessed from the web and has apps for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone, so no matter what your phone flavor of the future is; you can stick with the same system. The best part is, it is 100% free. No app charges, no subscriptions, no premium upgrades.
MyFitnessPal [Android Market Link]
Drinking Water by Chickpin
We all know we need to drink water, but most of us don’t drink enough. In addition to hydrating your exercise sessions, water can energize you, clear up your skin, and best off all, promotes weight loss. The Drinking Water app allows you to specify how many cups of water a day you would like to drink and allows you to check off the cups as you go. The app spreads them out throughout the day and sets off reminders every time you should have a glass of water. Drinking Water is free with ads or $1.00 ad-free.
Drinking Water [Android Market Link]
BeerGut Fitness
Not an accomplishment
Some of you may eat well and exercise, but those liquid dinners (or after dinners) are derailing your weight goals. You could cut alcohol our of your diet altogether, but as the great Benjamin Franklin said, “There cannot be good living where there is no good drinking.” With that being said, the best alternative is to work it off. BeerGut Fitness allows you to input what you drank and tells you the amount of calories and about how much exercise you need to do to work it off. It has entries for beer, wine, and mixed drinks and gives you the option of walking, running, swimming, or cycling to work it off. BeerGut Fitness is $0.99 in the Android Market, but will probably pay for itself the first time you hit the bar and have a few less.
First things first, it all starts with nutrition. There are all different types of diets out there, everything from low carb to vegetarian to the cabbage diet, but the basic rule of thumb is you need to use expend calories than you consume. If you’re not reaching your weight goals, the best place to start is tracking what you eat.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is an all in one food diary. It is very easy to track what you eat by searching its food database that contains over 1 million items. The Android app integrates with barcode scanning software so most of the time tracking your meals is as easy as scanning the package. For those out of the ordinary cuisines or custom meals, MyFitnessPal also allows you to enter your food items and create your own meals. It is also customizable if you want to use it to follow a specific diet such as Atkins, South Beach Diet, or Zone. In addition to Android, MyFitnessPal can be accessed from the web and has apps for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone, so no matter what your phone flavor of the future is; you can stick with the same system. The best part is, it is 100% free. No app charges, no subscriptions, no premium upgrades.
MyFitnessPal [Android Market Link]
Drinking Water by Chickpin
We all know we need to drink water, but most of us don’t drink enough. In addition to hydrating your exercise sessions, water can energize you, clear up your skin, and best off all, promotes weight loss. The Drinking Water app allows you to specify how many cups of water a day you would like to drink and allows you to check off the cups as you go. The app spreads them out throughout the day and sets off reminders every time you should have a glass of water. Drinking Water is free with ads or $1.00 ad-free.
Drinking Water [Android Market Link]
BeerGut Fitness
Not an accomplishment
Some of you may eat well and exercise, but those liquid dinners (or after dinners) are derailing your weight goals. You could cut alcohol our of your diet altogether, but as the great Benjamin Franklin said, “There cannot be good living where there is no good drinking.” With that being said, the best alternative is to work it off. BeerGut Fitness allows you to input what you drank and tells you the amount of calories and about how much exercise you need to do to work it off. It has entries for beer, wine, and mixed drinks and gives you the option of walking, running, swimming, or cycling to work it off. BeerGut Fitness is $0.99 in the Android Market, but will probably pay for itself the first time you hit the bar and have a few less.
_
Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners, here is a bit of news that might be of interest to you. An early Android 4.0.4 ROM has showed up on the XDA Developers forum, and those of you who are a bit more tech inclined are free to give it a shot.According to the guys who have already tried it out, the leaked update brings a bunch of improvements, among which a shorter boot time, increased in-call volume, and a boost in signal strength. Besides, the new radios that come along make switching between 3G and 4G much more seamless. Overall, everything seems noticeably faster, and a number of bugs have been squashed.Now for the tricky part, this Android 4.0.4 update will work only on the stock Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Also, you should be familiar and comfortable with flashing ROMs and using ClockworkMod. But most importantly, there is always a small risk of ending up with a bricked device, so proceed with caution and only after you have read and understood all the steps in the how-to guide, available at the source link below. Of course, the wisest thing to do is to wait until Verizon makes the update official and starts rolling it out. If none of the above worries you, however, then we wish you happy flashing and enjoy your newly updated Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0.4! Those who get it working are free to share their experience with us in the comments below.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners, here is a bit of news that might be of interest to you. An early Android 4.0.4 ROM has showed up on the XDA Developers forum, and those of you who are a bit more tech inclined are free to give it a shot.According to the guys who have already tried it out, the leaked update brings a bunch of improvements, among which a shorter boot time, increased in-call volume, and a boost in signal strength. Besides, the new radios that come along make switching between 3G and 4G much more seamless. Overall, everything seems noticeably faster, and a number of bugs have been squashed.Now for the tricky part, this Android 4.0.4 update will work only on the stock Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Also, you should be familiar and comfortable with flashing ROMs and using ClockworkMod. But most importantly, there is always a small risk of ending up with a bricked device, so proceed with caution and only after you have read and understood all the steps in the how-to guide, available at the source link below. Of course, the wisest thing to do is to wait until Verizon makes the update official and starts rolling it out. If none of the above worries you, however, then we wish you happy flashing and enjoy your newly updated Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0.4! Those who get it working are free to share their experience with us in the comments below.
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_Overall, it's widely assumed that smartphones will continue to surge and
take over more and more of the market, but it seems we may need to
reframe the argument of iOS vs Android to be simply Apple vs Samsung.
After the huge numbers the two companies put together in 2011, analysts
think that 2012 will be even bigger.UBS analyst
Maynard Um has looked at the numbers and found that smartphones are now
accounting for 30% of the cell phone market, but more impressively,
smartphones make up "over 75% of industry revenues." More specifically
Um says that we really need to take a look at just Apple and Samsung
because those giants "now account for over 55% of industry revenues and
over 90% of total [profits before tax].”This
comes on the heels of huge fourth quarters for each company, and it
looks like that success is going to continue this year, and given the
excitement for the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III, that's not too
hard to believe.
_
_With Samsung in their backyard, South Koreans have been able to purchase the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE
since the waning weeks of last year. Samsung, of course, is HQ'd in the
country, so it meant that the beast of a handset was available well
before the Super Bowl there. Judging from the numbers racked up in the
country, Samsung has another hit on its hands. So far, 700,000 units
have been sold in South Korea. That figure, which counts sales to
distributors and sales channels, does not include purchases made by end
users. Still, it represents a whopping 66% of all LTE handsets available in the country.
700,000 units of the Samsung GALAXY Note have been sold in S. Korea
South Korean sales are important to Samsung as they often give an early indication that the manufacturer has a hot phone on its hands. When the Samsung Galaxy S II was launched last year, the device quickly took off in the home country on the way to a staggering 5 million units sold in South Korea alone.
Now the smartphone with the huge 5.3 inch Super AMOLED screen is ready for pre-orders in the States starting on Super Bowl Sunday. To help the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE in making its debut in the U.S., Samsung has spent some serious coinage for a 90 second ad that will run during the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest. And exciting as that must be for Samsung, the strong start for the model in its hometown must have the manufacturer's executives thinking that they have another big winner.
700,000 units of the Samsung GALAXY Note have been sold in S. Korea
South Korean sales are important to Samsung as they often give an early indication that the manufacturer has a hot phone on its hands. When the Samsung Galaxy S II was launched last year, the device quickly took off in the home country on the way to a staggering 5 million units sold in South Korea alone.
Now the smartphone with the huge 5.3 inch Super AMOLED screen is ready for pre-orders in the States starting on Super Bowl Sunday. To help the Samsung GALAXY Note LTE in making its debut in the U.S., Samsung has spent some serious coinage for a 90 second ad that will run during the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest. And exciting as that must be for Samsung, the strong start for the model in its hometown must have the manufacturer's executives thinking that they have another big winner.
_
_From the "TTWAGOS" (Take this with a grain of salt) files we have a new report from Digitimes
which comes to them from an unnamed source. According to this tipster,
Windows Phone 8 will be used by more PC manufacturers than handset
manufacturers. PC companies like Acer, HP and Dell are said to be
looking at Windows Phone 8 as a way to get back into the smartphone market. On the other hand, major handset manufacturers like Samsung, LG and HTC are expected to pass on the OS.
One theory mentioned is that certain smartphone manufacturers are
trying to get back at Microsoft for what they perceive is favorable
treatment Nokia is receiving from the Redmond based tech giant for
committing to Windows Phone.
A recent report from Canalys shows that of the 2.5 million Windows Phone equipped handsets shipped in Q4 2011, 1.2 million or 48% were from Nokia. That statistic could lend some credence to the theory that some Windows Phone handset manufacturers are unhappy with the current situation. And who could blame Samsung, LG and HTC from feeling a little left out when the news broke that Nokia received a $250 million "platform support payment" from Microsoft in the fourth quarter, just for making Windows Phone handsets. Nokia CEO Steven Elop, himself a former Microsoft employee, says those payments are supposed to reach the billions mark.
A recent report from Canalys shows that of the 2.5 million Windows Phone equipped handsets shipped in Q4 2011, 1.2 million or 48% were from Nokia. That statistic could lend some credence to the theory that some Windows Phone handset manufacturers are unhappy with the current situation. And who could blame Samsung, LG and HTC from feeling a little left out when the news broke that Nokia received a $250 million "platform support payment" from Microsoft in the fourth quarter, just for making Windows Phone handsets. Nokia CEO Steven Elop, himself a former Microsoft employee, says those payments are supposed to reach the billions mark.
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_Thanks to a new software update (C771M100) from Verizon and Casio, the Verizon Wireless Casio G'Zone Commando will now have Push-to-Talk capabilities. And better yet, that comes at no cost
to the owners of the rugged handset. To enable the feature, you need to
check with Verizon to make sure that the PTT feature code has been
added to your device. Once that is accomplished,
open the Push-to-Talk app and enable the feature by selecting “OK” and
the
side key on the Commando will automatically change to Push-to-Talk
ready
But this firmware update is more than just adding one feature! Other changes include an improvement in security with the latest Google Security Patch, an update in Google Mobile Services to Gingerbread R8, a new video application to replace the VCAST Video app, addition of signatures on text and multimedia messaging, the ability to enter your PIN/Password in Lotus Traveler without error, the screen now locks when a call is ended via Bluetooth headset to prevent unwanted pocket dial, and finally the LED flash for missed call or text has been added back.
But this firmware update is more than just adding one feature! Other changes include an improvement in security with the latest Google Security Patch, an update in Google Mobile Services to Gingerbread R8, a new video application to replace the VCAST Video app, addition of signatures on text and multimedia messaging, the ability to enter your PIN/Password in Lotus Traveler without error, the screen now locks when a call is ended via Bluetooth headset to prevent unwanted pocket dial, and finally the LED flash for missed call or text has been added back.
_
_A new survey showed that Android increased its share of the global
smartphone market by 244% from last year, to finish with a commanding 48.8% share.
237.8 million handsets with the OS were shipped in 2011. Android also
was the leader in the fourth quarter of 2011 with 81.9 million units
shipped, good enough for a 51.6% marketshare. Apple's iOS was second for
the quarter and for the year with 23.5% and 19.1% of the market
respectively. Apple shipped 37 million units of the Apple iPhone in Q4
and 93.1 million for the year. The latter figure represents a strong 96%
increase from the prior year's figure.
While many have counted RIM out, for the year the Canadian based manufacturer increased its shipments by 5% to 51.4 million units. That works out to a 10.4% slice of the global smartphone pie. But things did deteriorate in the fourth quarter for RIM with its shipments for the three month period declining by 9.7% to 13.2 million. That accounted for 8.3% of the market.
Android led the way in 2011 says Canalys
The biggest loser for the last quarter of the year was Symbian, whose shipments dropped 40.9% to 18.3 million phones, good for an 11.6% share. For the year, the OS accounted for 80.1 million smartphones and a 16.4% marketshare. That was off 29.1% from 2010.
The biggest loser for the year was Windows Phone which lost 43.3% of 2010's slice of the market to reach just 1.4% of smartphones shipped in 2011. The 6.8 million handsets shipped with Microsoft's mobile OS installed was even well behind the 13.2 million units that were equipped with Samsung's bada OS.
For the quarter, smartphone shipments rose 56.6% to 158.5 million units. For the year, 487.7 million smartphones were shipped globally, a rise of 62.7% for the year.
While many have counted RIM out, for the year the Canadian based manufacturer increased its shipments by 5% to 51.4 million units. That works out to a 10.4% slice of the global smartphone pie. But things did deteriorate in the fourth quarter for RIM with its shipments for the three month period declining by 9.7% to 13.2 million. That accounted for 8.3% of the market.
Android led the way in 2011 says Canalys
The biggest loser for the last quarter of the year was Symbian, whose shipments dropped 40.9% to 18.3 million phones, good for an 11.6% share. For the year, the OS accounted for 80.1 million smartphones and a 16.4% marketshare. That was off 29.1% from 2010.
The biggest loser for the year was Windows Phone which lost 43.3% of 2010's slice of the market to reach just 1.4% of smartphones shipped in 2011. The 6.8 million handsets shipped with Microsoft's mobile OS installed was even well behind the 13.2 million units that were equipped with Samsung's bada OS.
For the quarter, smartphone shipments rose 56.6% to 158.5 million units. For the year, 487.7 million smartphones were shipped globally, a rise of 62.7% for the year.
_
_A legal brief written by Apple's attorneys in Germany, trying to get
Motorola Mobility to show proof of a cross-licensing agreement between
it and Qualcomm, contains some interesting information according to FOSS Patents. In the brief, Apple claims that Motorola is seeking a royalty fee of 2.25% of Apple iPhone sales
in return for use of Motorola Mobility's standard-essential patents.
The context of the offer, though, is about just one patent which is the
one that forced Apple to remove certain products from its German online store.
Apple wants to show the court by using the Qualcomm-Motorola agreement that the latter's request is too high. Additionally, Apple's lawyers in Germany have started asking the court to grant Discovery motions to allow it to get information from other manufacturers proving the unFRANDness of Motorola Mobility's royalty demand. So far, motions were granted for Apple to contact LG, HTC, Nokia and Ericsson and seeks any information about deals or licensing agreements that each entered into relating to Intellectual Property from Motorola Mobility.
If Motorola Mobility were to get what it is asking for, that would work out to about $15 for each 16GB Apple iPhone 4S sold, $17 for each 32GB version and $21 for each 64GB variant, based on the unsubsidized price of the models. Considering that 93 million Apple iPhones were sold last year (although not all of those were the iPhone 4S) and it would be quite an impressive payday for Motorola Mobility. Which is why Apple's attorneys are working so hard to prove the unreasonableness of Motorola Mobility's demand.
Apple wants to show the court by using the Qualcomm-Motorola agreement that the latter's request is too high. Additionally, Apple's lawyers in Germany have started asking the court to grant Discovery motions to allow it to get information from other manufacturers proving the unFRANDness of Motorola Mobility's royalty demand. So far, motions were granted for Apple to contact LG, HTC, Nokia and Ericsson and seeks any information about deals or licensing agreements that each entered into relating to Intellectual Property from Motorola Mobility.
If Motorola Mobility were to get what it is asking for, that would work out to about $15 for each 16GB Apple iPhone 4S sold, $17 for each 32GB version and $21 for each 64GB variant, based on the unsubsidized price of the models. Considering that 93 million Apple iPhones were sold last year (although not all of those were the iPhone 4S) and it would be quite an impressive payday for Motorola Mobility. Which is why Apple's attorneys are working so hard to prove the unreasonableness of Motorola Mobility's demand.
_
_For some AT&T unlimited plan users, life is not fair. Take John Cozen, for example. With his unlimited plan and his Apple iPhone 4S, he thought life was grand, until AT&T threatened to throttle his data speeds.
After Cozen received that notice, he checked his data usage on the
AT&T iOS app he uses, and was stunned to find he had used just 2.1GB
of data for the month. He was amazed that this put him in the top 5% of
data users in his region. The message from AT&T said that if he hit
that level of data use again, his data would be coming to him at 2G
speeds.
Cozen was threatened with throttling when he used 2.1GB of data in a month
AT&T in October started throttling the top 5% of data users each month so as to keep data use manageable while the latest Apple iPhone model was being launched. But customers like Cozen, allowed to be grandfathered in with his unlimited plan, are actually worse off in some ways than those who selected a tiered data plan. AT&T would rather customers sign up for a tiered plan. For every GB over the cap, customers on a tiered plan are charged a $10 overage, but they are not throttled. On the other hand, unlimited plan customers who are throttled for being in the top 5% of data users in their region are given a notice that strongly suggests that they switch to a tiered plan.
Now it is possible that Cozen actually used more than 2.1GB of data for the month and the up to date figures did not yet reach his AT&T iOS app, which he used to measure his data use. But if it is correct, consider the irony of AT&T's new $30 3GB monthly tiered plan. Those unlimited plan users like Cozen could end up throttled using less data than someone who paid the same monthly rate for a tiered plan. Back in October, AT&T computed that to make the top 5%, an AT&T customer would have to use 12 times the amount of data as the carrier's average customer. Once a customer's account is throttled, it remains at the lower speed until the start of the next billing cycle.
Cozen was threatened with throttling when he used 2.1GB of data in a month
AT&T in October started throttling the top 5% of data users each month so as to keep data use manageable while the latest Apple iPhone model was being launched. But customers like Cozen, allowed to be grandfathered in with his unlimited plan, are actually worse off in some ways than those who selected a tiered data plan. AT&T would rather customers sign up for a tiered plan. For every GB over the cap, customers on a tiered plan are charged a $10 overage, but they are not throttled. On the other hand, unlimited plan customers who are throttled for being in the top 5% of data users in their region are given a notice that strongly suggests that they switch to a tiered plan.
Now it is possible that Cozen actually used more than 2.1GB of data for the month and the up to date figures did not yet reach his AT&T iOS app, which he used to measure his data use. But if it is correct, consider the irony of AT&T's new $30 3GB monthly tiered plan. Those unlimited plan users like Cozen could end up throttled using less data than someone who paid the same monthly rate for a tiered plan. Back in October, AT&T computed that to make the top 5%, an AT&T customer would have to use 12 times the amount of data as the carrier's average customer. Once a customer's account is throttled, it remains at the lower speed until the start of the next billing cycle.
_Global shipments of smartphones increase to 488 million compared to 414.6 million PC’s
_
Global shipments of smartphones surpassed those of PCs for the first time last year according to new figures released by technology analysts Canalys.
In total 488 million smartphones, were shipped throughout the year compared to 414.6 million PCs.
Google’s Android platform accounted for 49 per cent of smartphones shipped in 2011, followed by Apple’s IOS with 19 per cent and Nokia’s Symbian with 16 per cent.
In total 237.8 million Android devices were shipped in 2011 an increase of 244 per cent on 2010.
Canalys said the rise of Android was thanks largely to Samsung shipping 91.9 million devices last year as well as other manufacturers such as Huawei, LG, Sony Ericsson and HTC adopting the platform.
The difference between smartphones and PCs would have been far greater did PC shipments not include tablets, which accounted for 15 per cent or 6.2 million of total PC units.
In the last quarter of 2011 vendors shipped 158.5 million smartphones alone – a rise of 57 per cent from the 101.2 million shipped in the same period in 2010.
Canalys vice president and principal analyst Chris Jones said despite pushing up the amount of units shipped, the growing demand for tablets had contributed strongly to falling PC numbers along with the availability of cheaper smartphones.
“In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads,” Jones said.
“Smart phone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone.The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.”
Despite a bumper 2011, Canalys said it expected smartphone shipments to slow as vendors looked to exercise greater cost control and discipline and focus more on profitability.
This will also include manufacturers who have traditionally focused on the low end of the market such as ZTE and Huawei which will concentrate on higher end devices and selling prices.
Smartphones shipments overtake PC’s for first time
Global shipments of smartphones increase to 488 million compared to 414.6 million PC’s
Global shipments of smartphones surpassed those of PCs for the first time last year according to new figures released by technology analysts Canalys.
In total 488 million smartphones, were shipped throughout the year compared to 414.6 million PCs.
Google’s Android platform accounted for 49 per cent of smartphones shipped in 2011, followed by Apple’s IOS with 19 per cent and Nokia’s Symbian with 16 per cent.
In total 237.8 million Android devices were shipped in 2011 an increase of 244 per cent on 2010.
Canalys said the rise of Android was thanks largely to Samsung shipping 91.9 million devices last year as well as other manufacturers such as Huawei, LG, Sony Ericsson and HTC adopting the platform.
The difference between smartphones and PCs would have been far greater did PC shipments not include tablets, which accounted for 15 per cent or 6.2 million of total PC units.
In the last quarter of 2011 vendors shipped 158.5 million smartphones alone – a rise of 57 per cent from the 101.2 million shipped in the same period in 2010.
Canalys vice president and principal analyst Chris Jones said despite pushing up the amount of units shipped, the growing demand for tablets had contributed strongly to falling PC numbers along with the availability of cheaper smartphones.
“In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads,” Jones said.
“Smart phone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone.The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.”
Despite a bumper 2011, Canalys said it expected smartphone shipments to slow as vendors looked to exercise greater cost control and discipline and focus more on profitability.
This will also include manufacturers who have traditionally focused on the low end of the market such as ZTE and Huawei which will concentrate on higher end devices and selling prices.
Global shipments of smartphones surpassed those of PCs for the first time last year according to new figures released by technology analysts Canalys.
In total 488 million smartphones, were shipped throughout the year compared to 414.6 million PCs.
Google’s Android platform accounted for 49 per cent of smartphones shipped in 2011, followed by Apple’s IOS with 19 per cent and Nokia’s Symbian with 16 per cent.
In total 237.8 million Android devices were shipped in 2011 an increase of 244 per cent on 2010.
Canalys said the rise of Android was thanks largely to Samsung shipping 91.9 million devices last year as well as other manufacturers such as Huawei, LG, Sony Ericsson and HTC adopting the platform.
The difference between smartphones and PCs would have been far greater did PC shipments not include tablets, which accounted for 15 per cent or 6.2 million of total PC units.
In the last quarter of 2011 vendors shipped 158.5 million smartphones alone – a rise of 57 per cent from the 101.2 million shipped in the same period in 2010.
Canalys vice president and principal analyst Chris Jones said despite pushing up the amount of units shipped, the growing demand for tablets had contributed strongly to falling PC numbers along with the availability of cheaper smartphones.
“In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads,” Jones said.
“Smart phone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone.The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.”
Despite a bumper 2011, Canalys said it expected smartphone shipments to slow as vendors looked to exercise greater cost control and discipline and focus more on profitability.
This will also include manufacturers who have traditionally focused on the low end of the market such as ZTE and Huawei which will concentrate on higher end devices and selling prices.
Smartphones shipments overtake PC’s for first time
Global shipments of smartphones increase to 488 million compared to 414.6 million PC’s
Global shipments of smartphones surpassed those of PCs for the first time last year according to new figures released by technology analysts Canalys.
In total 488 million smartphones, were shipped throughout the year compared to 414.6 million PCs.
Google’s Android platform accounted for 49 per cent of smartphones shipped in 2011, followed by Apple’s IOS with 19 per cent and Nokia’s Symbian with 16 per cent.
In total 237.8 million Android devices were shipped in 2011 an increase of 244 per cent on 2010.
Canalys said the rise of Android was thanks largely to Samsung shipping 91.9 million devices last year as well as other manufacturers such as Huawei, LG, Sony Ericsson and HTC adopting the platform.
The difference between smartphones and PCs would have been far greater did PC shipments not include tablets, which accounted for 15 per cent or 6.2 million of total PC units.
In the last quarter of 2011 vendors shipped 158.5 million smartphones alone – a rise of 57 per cent from the 101.2 million shipped in the same period in 2010.
Canalys vice president and principal analyst Chris Jones said despite pushing up the amount of units shipped, the growing demand for tablets had contributed strongly to falling PC numbers along with the availability of cheaper smartphones.
“In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads,” Jones said.
“Smart phone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone.The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.”
Despite a bumper 2011, Canalys said it expected smartphone shipments to slow as vendors looked to exercise greater cost control and discipline and focus more on profitability.
This will also include manufacturers who have traditionally focused on the low end of the market such as ZTE and Huawei which will concentrate on higher end devices and selling prices.
_
_
LG posted its financial report on Q4 and full 2011 and things aren't looking particularly healthy for the Korean giant. The company did better in the holiday season then in either Q3 2011 or Q4 2010, but it still lost money and that doesn't qualify as a good performance.
The good news is that the handset division has made a small operating profit. 10 billion KRW is not much (it adds up to about $8.9 million), but it's still better than a loss and a sign that the LTE gamble is paying off.
LG put most of their eggs in the LG Optimus LTE basket (and its many carrier-specific version) and that obviously turned out enough to drag the mobile business back in the black. Unfortunately for the Koreans, the LTE market is bound to become more and more crowded, so they will need some extra effort to keep their strong position there.
In Q4 LG shipped 17.7 million phones, which is a decrease compared to Q3, but the increased share of smartphone meant that those sales actually brought in more cash. The company hopes to continue that trend as the LTE markets expand and will keep the 4G network support as the focal point of the development of their portfolio.
Follow the source link below to find out the full breakdown of the last financial quarter and the complete
LG posted its financial report on Q4 and full 2011 and things aren't looking particularly healthy for the Korean giant. The company did better in the holiday season then in either Q3 2011 or Q4 2010, but it still lost money and that doesn't qualify as a good performance.
The good news is that the handset division has made a small operating profit. 10 billion KRW is not much (it adds up to about $8.9 million), but it's still better than a loss and a sign that the LTE gamble is paying off.
LG put most of their eggs in the LG Optimus LTE basket (and its many carrier-specific version) and that obviously turned out enough to drag the mobile business back in the black. Unfortunately for the Koreans, the LTE market is bound to become more and more crowded, so they will need some extra effort to keep their strong position there.
In Q4 LG shipped 17.7 million phones, which is a decrease compared to Q3, but the increased share of smartphone meant that those sales actually brought in more cash. The company hopes to continue that trend as the LTE markets expand and will keep the 4G network support as the focal point of the development of their portfolio.
Follow the source link below to find out the full breakdown of the last financial quarter and the complete
_
_We have the first live pictures of the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S Advance, along with details on the expected price and release date.
The price will be 22,990 Philippine pesos, which amounts to around $535 and the Galaxy S Advance is expected to be first seen at the MWC later this month and should become available in the Philippines, at least, around the same time.On the hardware side of things the Galaxy S Advance looks like a cross-pollination of the Galaxy S and the Galaxy S II. The curved screen does set it apart, though at 9.7 mm thick it is more an S than an S II.
The specs are already well known but just in case you've missed them - the Advance has a curved Gorilla Glass 4" Super AMOLED display of WVGA (480 x 800), a dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 processor, a 5 MP snapper on the back with 720p video recording abilities and, upon launch at least, Android Gingerbread 2.3.6.
The price will be 22,990 Philippine pesos, which amounts to around $535 and the Galaxy S Advance is expected to be first seen at the MWC later this month and should become available in the Philippines, at least, around the same time.On the hardware side of things the Galaxy S Advance looks like a cross-pollination of the Galaxy S and the Galaxy S II. The curved screen does set it apart, though at 9.7 mm thick it is more an S than an S II.
The specs are already well known but just in case you've missed them - the Advance has a curved Gorilla Glass 4" Super AMOLED display of WVGA (480 x 800), a dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 processor, a 5 MP snapper on the back with 720p video recording abilities and, upon launch at least, Android Gingerbread 2.3.6.
_
Sony Ericsson announces Xperia active Billabong edition Sony Ericsson and the extreme sports brand Billabong have entered into a partnership, which will bring the Xperia smartphones closer to the adrenaline junkies, who are fans of the popular Australian clothing and gear company. The first product of the partnership is the Sony Ericsson Xperia active Billabong edition. There is no difference between the newcomer and the tough as nails, regular Xperia active, which we came to like quite a lot, save for the Billabong branded back cover and some software additions. The latter include exclusive Billabong screensavers, preloaded videos, and an app to keep you up to date on surfing news.
Yet another product of the newly formed partnership between the two companies is the Billabong Surf Trip - a Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY exclusive video game.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia active Billabong edition is already available in selected markets
Sony Ericsson announces Xperia active Billabong edition Sony Ericsson and the extreme sports brand Billabong have entered into a partnership, which will bring the Xperia smartphones closer to the adrenaline junkies, who are fans of the popular Australian clothing and gear company. The first product of the partnership is the Sony Ericsson Xperia active Billabong edition. There is no difference between the newcomer and the tough as nails, regular Xperia active, which we came to like quite a lot, save for the Billabong branded back cover and some software additions. The latter include exclusive Billabong screensavers, preloaded videos, and an app to keep you up to date on surfing news.
Yet another product of the newly formed partnership between the two companies is the Billabong Surf Trip - a Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY exclusive video game.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia active Billabong edition is already available in selected markets
_
Is the Nokia N8's successor to be the last Symbian device ever? Say 'bye bye to Symbian' is essentially the message coming from Nokia as it looks to bring about the end of its legacy platform sooner than many expected.
Despite talks of Symbian Carla and even Symbian Donna in the works for current and new devices alike, it now appears that the successor to the Nokia N8 might be the last new Symbian device we shall see from the Finns.
Nokia had originally promised continued support for Symbian following their plans to switch to Windows Phone as their primary OS last Mobile World Congress, with the intention of selling 150 million more Symbian devices before completely phasing the OS out.
It would seem their good intentions didn't inspire enough Symbian fans out there and as such last month Nokia admitted that sales of Symbian devices were falling faster than they had anticipated (no doubt due in part to the aggressive promotion of Nokia Windows Phones).
Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop blamed the lackluster figures on ever-changing and increasingly difficult market conditions, influenced in particular by the demand for lower cost smartphones.
"We now believe that we will sell fewer Symbian devices than we anticipated," he explained.
Outside of the passionate Symbian fan base, Nokia's move to hasten the demise of the platform also has implications for a number of key partners as well.
Accenture acquired some 3000 Symbian developers from the Finnish mobile giant last summer and it would appear that now such a resource will be seldom used. A particularly sticky situation for Accenture who's agreement ties them into providing continued Symbian development until 2016.
ST Ericsson hinted at Nokia's unstable Symbian sales figures in guidance to their investors issued last week. The company cited a "very significant decline" in net sales expected this quarter as a result of a “reduction, in the short term, of new product sales with one of our largest customers."
We will have to wait and see how this news develops as there's still time for the trend to change, but is it too little, too late?
Is the Nokia N8's successor to be the last Symbian device ever? Say 'bye bye to Symbian' is essentially the message coming from Nokia as it looks to bring about the end of its legacy platform sooner than many expected.
Despite talks of Symbian Carla and even Symbian Donna in the works for current and new devices alike, it now appears that the successor to the Nokia N8 might be the last new Symbian device we shall see from the Finns.
Nokia had originally promised continued support for Symbian following their plans to switch to Windows Phone as their primary OS last Mobile World Congress, with the intention of selling 150 million more Symbian devices before completely phasing the OS out.
It would seem their good intentions didn't inspire enough Symbian fans out there and as such last month Nokia admitted that sales of Symbian devices were falling faster than they had anticipated (no doubt due in part to the aggressive promotion of Nokia Windows Phones).
Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop blamed the lackluster figures on ever-changing and increasingly difficult market conditions, influenced in particular by the demand for lower cost smartphones.
"We now believe that we will sell fewer Symbian devices than we anticipated," he explained.
Outside of the passionate Symbian fan base, Nokia's move to hasten the demise of the platform also has implications for a number of key partners as well.
Accenture acquired some 3000 Symbian developers from the Finnish mobile giant last summer and it would appear that now such a resource will be seldom used. A particularly sticky situation for Accenture who's agreement ties them into providing continued Symbian development until 2016.
ST Ericsson hinted at Nokia's unstable Symbian sales figures in guidance to their investors issued last week. The company cited a "very significant decline" in net sales expected this quarter as a result of a “reduction, in the short term, of new product sales with one of our largest customers."
We will have to wait and see how this news develops as there's still time for the trend to change, but is it too little, too late?
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Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 5 to be waterproof? We've already heard about a hundred different rumors about the Galaxy S III specs sheet, but this one is by far one of the most exciting. According to an anonymous tipster, who is said to be working for a large UK retailer the next Samsung flagship will be waterproof. And it won't be the only high-end phone to have such a feature, either - the iPhone 5 will also reportedly resist water.
The rumor has it that the two top-shelf smartphones will feature a special nanocoating over their chips, which is impenetrable by water.
The technology is developed by a company called Liquipel and resembles the Nokia water-resisting coating that we saw in October and the HzO thing from last month.
Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 5 to be waterproof? We've already heard about a hundred different rumors about the Galaxy S III specs sheet, but this one is by far one of the most exciting. According to an anonymous tipster, who is said to be working for a large UK retailer the next Samsung flagship will be waterproof. And it won't be the only high-end phone to have such a feature, either - the iPhone 5 will also reportedly resist water.
The rumor has it that the two top-shelf smartphones will feature a special nanocoating over their chips, which is impenetrable by water.
The technology is developed by a company called Liquipel and resembles the Nokia water-resisting coating that we saw in October and the HzO thing from last month.
_Samsung and Corning embark on an OLED joint-venture
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Samsung and Corning embark on an OLED joint-venture Yesterday Corning and Samsung announced that they would be teaming up to provide a product that plays to each of the companies strengths.
Samsung, who alongside their mobile devices are famed for a pretty reputable display manufacturing arm, have joined forces with Corning, best known for their super scratch an shatter resistant Gorilla Glass, which features on a vast number of smartphones and tablets currently on the market
The two names are planning to develop and manufacture a new specialty glass substrate to accommodate the fast expanding OLED market, under the product name of 'Lotus Glass'.
Samsung already have some fine examples of OLED technology under their belt, including the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S II's Super AMOLED Plus and of course their range of OLED televisions too.
The combined forces of these two names will produce an OLED backpane glass substrate for use by Samsung and, as the press release states "the broader Korean market", which could involve the purchase of such a product to companies like LG.
The reasoning behind the joint venture is thanks in-part to Samsung's previous already prevalent presence in the display market.
OLED technology-based revenue was expected to exceed $4 billion in 2011 and by 2018 is expected to reach more than $20 billion (or approximately 16% of the total display industry).
So expect the pair to be riding high within the mobile display market over the next few years as this match, looks to be made in heaven.
Keep on reading for the official press release:
Corning and Samsung Mobile Display Form New OLED Glass Venture New business expands Corning’s long-standing collaboration with Samsung
CORNING, N.Y., February 02, 2012 – Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd. have signed an agreement to establish a new equity venture for the manufacture of specialty glass substrates for the rapidly expanding organic light emitting diode (OLED) device market. The new business will be located in Korea.
Combining Corning’s Lotus™ Glass substrate technology and Samsung Mobile Display’s OLED display expertise, this new entity will be well-positioned to provide outstanding product solutions for current and future OLED technologies, from handheld and IT devices to large TVs and beyond.
The newly formed entity will supply OLED backplane glass substrates for Samsung Mobile Display, as well as for the broader Korean market.
According to a recent NPD DisplaySearch report, OLED technology advanced rapidly in 2011, setting a trend that is forecasted to continue through this decade. They estimate that OLED display revenues will exceed $4 billion in 2011 (approximately 4% of flat panel display revenues), and will reach more than $20 billion (approximately 16% of the total display industry) by 2018.
Samsung is playing a leading role in this emerging market through its Galaxy mobile device products and Super OLED TV technology introduced in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Corning’s ongoing advanced glass technology development includes a strong focus on high-performance displays. Most recently, this focus has been demonstrated through Corning’s new Lotus™ Glass substrates, which deliver the higher processing temperatures and improved dimensional stability needed to produce the new high performance displays.
"Samsung Mobile Display has led the global display industry by constantly seeking innovations and challenging current technologies' limits. We are confident that combining our business powers with Corning's technology leadership will deliver greater value to our clients,” said Soo In Cho, Samsung Mobile Display’s president and chief executive officer.
“Corning and Samsung have a long and successful partnership in the display industry, dating back nearly 40 years to the early days of television,” said Wendell P. Weeks, Corning’s chairman, chief executive officer, and president. “The strength of our business relationship is built on Corning’s ability to develop and make high-technology glass with the key attributes that enable Samsung’s next-generation displays. Together, we have led the evolution of displays – from the high-growth years of CRT, to our current successful business supplying world-leading substrates for today’s high-definition LCD TVs, and now to the launch of this important new venture to advance OLED technology,” Weeks stated.
Samsung and Corning embark on an OLED joint-venture Yesterday Corning and Samsung announced that they would be teaming up to provide a product that plays to each of the companies strengths.
Samsung, who alongside their mobile devices are famed for a pretty reputable display manufacturing arm, have joined forces with Corning, best known for their super scratch an shatter resistant Gorilla Glass, which features on a vast number of smartphones and tablets currently on the market
The two names are planning to develop and manufacture a new specialty glass substrate to accommodate the fast expanding OLED market, under the product name of 'Lotus Glass'.
Samsung already have some fine examples of OLED technology under their belt, including the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S II's Super AMOLED Plus and of course their range of OLED televisions too.
The combined forces of these two names will produce an OLED backpane glass substrate for use by Samsung and, as the press release states "the broader Korean market", which could involve the purchase of such a product to companies like LG.
The reasoning behind the joint venture is thanks in-part to Samsung's previous already prevalent presence in the display market.
OLED technology-based revenue was expected to exceed $4 billion in 2011 and by 2018 is expected to reach more than $20 billion (or approximately 16% of the total display industry).
So expect the pair to be riding high within the mobile display market over the next few years as this match, looks to be made in heaven.
Keep on reading for the official press release:
Corning and Samsung Mobile Display Form New OLED Glass Venture New business expands Corning’s long-standing collaboration with Samsung
CORNING, N.Y., February 02, 2012 – Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd. have signed an agreement to establish a new equity venture for the manufacture of specialty glass substrates for the rapidly expanding organic light emitting diode (OLED) device market. The new business will be located in Korea.
Combining Corning’s Lotus™ Glass substrate technology and Samsung Mobile Display’s OLED display expertise, this new entity will be well-positioned to provide outstanding product solutions for current and future OLED technologies, from handheld and IT devices to large TVs and beyond.
The newly formed entity will supply OLED backplane glass substrates for Samsung Mobile Display, as well as for the broader Korean market.
According to a recent NPD DisplaySearch report, OLED technology advanced rapidly in 2011, setting a trend that is forecasted to continue through this decade. They estimate that OLED display revenues will exceed $4 billion in 2011 (approximately 4% of flat panel display revenues), and will reach more than $20 billion (approximately 16% of the total display industry) by 2018.
Samsung is playing a leading role in this emerging market through its Galaxy mobile device products and Super OLED TV technology introduced in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Corning’s ongoing advanced glass technology development includes a strong focus on high-performance displays. Most recently, this focus has been demonstrated through Corning’s new Lotus™ Glass substrates, which deliver the higher processing temperatures and improved dimensional stability needed to produce the new high performance displays.
"Samsung Mobile Display has led the global display industry by constantly seeking innovations and challenging current technologies' limits. We are confident that combining our business powers with Corning's technology leadership will deliver greater value to our clients,” said Soo In Cho, Samsung Mobile Display’s president and chief executive officer.
“Corning and Samsung have a long and successful partnership in the display industry, dating back nearly 40 years to the early days of television,” said Wendell P. Weeks, Corning’s chairman, chief executive officer, and president. “The strength of our business relationship is built on Corning’s ability to develop and make high-technology glass with the key attributes that enable Samsung’s next-generation displays. Together, we have led the evolution of displays – from the high-growth years of CRT, to our current successful business supplying world-leading substrates for today’s high-definition LCD TVs, and now to the launch of this important new venture to advance OLED technology,” Weeks stated.
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iOS apps crash more often than Android apps, study shows In this episode of smartphone myth busters, we'll investigate the claim that Android apps are often released to the market unstable, whereas iOS apps are always bug-free and buttery smooth.
According to a study by Crittercism, quoted by Forbes, both platforms have their share of apps that crash and, if anything, the iOS ones do so more often. The company which specializes in providing real-time crash reports for mobile apps evaluated reports over a period of one month and found that iOS apps crash quite a lot more than their Android counterparts.
In the first of the three quartiles we got data for, iOS apps crashed after 0.51% of all launches, whereas Android apps only crashed in 0.15%. In the second quartile the picture is similar with iOS apps crashing in 1.47% of the cases, whereas Android apps did so 0.73% of the time. Things are much closer in the third quartile - 2.97% crashes for Android vs 3.66% for iOS.
Crittercism even gave us a detailed breakdown of the most problematic releases by OS. As it turns out, iOS 5.0.1 generates more than a third of all iOS crashes - 33.93%, while iOS 4.3.5 is the second most problematic with 10.62%. That sounds quite believable as these two software versions are the two latest releases of iOS4 and iOS5.
On Android, it's the two Gingerbread releases that generated most of the trouble - 2.3.3 with 24.76% and 2.3.4 with 23.38%.
Of course, those are the most popular releases of each platform, so it's only logical that they will generate the most crashes.
Still, the study warns against making hasty conclusions - despite what the data might show at the moment, iOS isn't a worse system for making more apps crash. It's just that Apple introduced iOS 5 relatively soon, made it available to a lot of devices simultaneously and is still working to fix its issues on all of them. The scales might tip the other way once Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates start hitting more devices.
What the study was bound to show is that every OS has its more stable and its buggier releases and there's a good portion of apps everywhere that don't behave as they should. Now can we put that debate to sleep, please?
iOS apps crash more often than Android apps, study shows In this episode of smartphone myth busters, we'll investigate the claim that Android apps are often released to the market unstable, whereas iOS apps are always bug-free and buttery smooth.
According to a study by Crittercism, quoted by Forbes, both platforms have their share of apps that crash and, if anything, the iOS ones do so more often. The company which specializes in providing real-time crash reports for mobile apps evaluated reports over a period of one month and found that iOS apps crash quite a lot more than their Android counterparts.
In the first of the three quartiles we got data for, iOS apps crashed after 0.51% of all launches, whereas Android apps only crashed in 0.15%. In the second quartile the picture is similar with iOS apps crashing in 1.47% of the cases, whereas Android apps did so 0.73% of the time. Things are much closer in the third quartile - 2.97% crashes for Android vs 3.66% for iOS.
Crittercism even gave us a detailed breakdown of the most problematic releases by OS. As it turns out, iOS 5.0.1 generates more than a third of all iOS crashes - 33.93%, while iOS 4.3.5 is the second most problematic with 10.62%. That sounds quite believable as these two software versions are the two latest releases of iOS4 and iOS5.
On Android, it's the two Gingerbread releases that generated most of the trouble - 2.3.3 with 24.76% and 2.3.4 with 23.38%.
Of course, those are the most popular releases of each platform, so it's only logical that they will generate the most crashes.
Still, the study warns against making hasty conclusions - despite what the data might show at the moment, iOS isn't a worse system for making more apps crash. It's just that Apple introduced iOS 5 relatively soon, made it available to a lot of devices simultaneously and is still working to fix its issues on all of them. The scales might tip the other way once Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates start hitting more devices.
What the study was bound to show is that every OS has its more stable and its buggier releases and there's a good portion of apps everywhere that don't behave as they should. Now can we put that debate to sleep, please?
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If you might remember, a little while ago we discussed about the Liquipel technology which is an almost mystical and invisible formula that lets your treasured gadgets to be safe from water damage by coating them with special materials. If you might remember the demo videos of the technology, it is very simple to apply and we also showed you an iPhone 4S coated with Liquipel waterproof skin and then was floating in a couple of inches of water running App Store games and playing back videos efficiently and without any trouble.
We also reported that Liquipel was in talks with both Samsung and Apple about introducing this coating to the upcoming smartphones right out of the box as a built in feature. Now, it has been reported that the deal has been struck between the tech giants and the Liquipel technology makers and it seems like Apple and Samsung will be using this magic solution at manufacturing level in their respective upcoming devices very soon.
Liquipel actually is very efficient solution in resisting and repelling water and moisture just like wax and provides you a perfect liquid proof device which will be appreciated by a mega large number of users all around the world. The latest report comes from Today’s iPhone which states that according to one of their sources this new technology will “alter the working on the insurance”.
Well, there were no further details provided regarding the limited working on the insurance matter. On the other hand, as we know that Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 5 are two most anticipated smartphones of this year undoubtedly and the rumors and speculations say that both of these devices will be arriving with splash/waterproof features provided by Liquipel’s technology.
Very Few Waterproof Smartphones
In the current times, there are very few smartphones available in the market which have similar features provided by the manufacturers and all those devices are basic, bulky and are targeted to working people only. So, if Apple and Samsung will adapt this new technology then it would really change the mobile world’s scenario and other manufacturers will follow the leaders.
Liquipel has a competitor as well named as HzO which is a very similar company and offers the identical product. So, we can expect more companies to bring the better products like this to improve our gadgets efficiently.
If you might remember, a little while ago we discussed about the Liquipel technology which is an almost mystical and invisible formula that lets your treasured gadgets to be safe from water damage by coating them with special materials. If you might remember the demo videos of the technology, it is very simple to apply and we also showed you an iPhone 4S coated with Liquipel waterproof skin and then was floating in a couple of inches of water running App Store games and playing back videos efficiently and without any trouble.
We also reported that Liquipel was in talks with both Samsung and Apple about introducing this coating to the upcoming smartphones right out of the box as a built in feature. Now, it has been reported that the deal has been struck between the tech giants and the Liquipel technology makers and it seems like Apple and Samsung will be using this magic solution at manufacturing level in their respective upcoming devices very soon.
Liquipel actually is very efficient solution in resisting and repelling water and moisture just like wax and provides you a perfect liquid proof device which will be appreciated by a mega large number of users all around the world. The latest report comes from Today’s iPhone which states that according to one of their sources this new technology will “alter the working on the insurance”.
Well, there were no further details provided regarding the limited working on the insurance matter. On the other hand, as we know that Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 5 are two most anticipated smartphones of this year undoubtedly and the rumors and speculations say that both of these devices will be arriving with splash/waterproof features provided by Liquipel’s technology.
Very Few Waterproof Smartphones
In the current times, there are very few smartphones available in the market which have similar features provided by the manufacturers and all those devices are basic, bulky and are targeted to working people only. So, if Apple and Samsung will adapt this new technology then it would really change the mobile world’s scenario and other manufacturers will follow the leaders.
Liquipel has a competitor as well named as HzO which is a very similar company and offers the identical product. So, we can expect more companies to bring the better products like this to improve our gadgets efficiently.
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The first Nokia Windows Phone - Lumia 800 - is selling really good in Nokia's home Finland. The phone was launched on February 1 there and is already out-of-stock in some retailers, while others expect to deplete their supplies in a few days.
The Finns are really dedicated to own the next big thing from their favorite local company. Whether the good sales are dues to some kind of national pride, good advertising or pure love for the company - it doesn’t matter. The Lumia 800 is selling great, so it should turn out positive in the end of this quarter for Nokia.
The first Nokia Windows Phone - Lumia 800 - is selling really good in Nokia's home Finland. The phone was launched on February 1 there and is already out-of-stock in some retailers, while others expect to deplete their supplies in a few days.
The Finns are really dedicated to own the next big thing from their favorite local company. Whether the good sales are dues to some kind of national pride, good advertising or pure love for the company - it doesn’t matter. The Lumia 800 is selling great, so it should turn out positive in the end of this quarter for Nokia.
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The handsets that are reported to have this bug include the Desire HD, T-Mobile myTouch 4G, Desire S, Sensation, EVO 3D, DROID Incredible, and the Thunderbolt 4G. However, HTC is now reporting that the problem has already been solved on certain devices, although which ones exactly was not mentioned. It also said that the rest of the devices will require the update to be manually applied. The update is not yet available but HTC is requesting users to visit their website again next week for the update.
The bug was apparently discovered back in September 2011 by a couple of security researchers who then contacted HTC and Google, but was kept under wraps until now till the fix was deployed to a sizable number of the affected devices.
If you own one of the above mentioned handsets, check the HTC website mentioned above next week to see if there is an update available for you.
A security related bug was discovered on certain HTC Android smartphones. This bug allowed any application that has access to the ACCESS_WIFI_STATE permission (something that the apps ask you before you install them) will let the application not only check on the status of your Wi-Fi but also have complete access to all your Wi-FI passwords. _
The bug was apparently discovered back in September 2011 by a couple of security researchers who then contacted HTC and Google, but was kept under wraps until now till the fix was deployed to a sizable number of the affected devices.
If you own one of the above mentioned handsets, check the HTC website mentioned above next week to see if there is an update available for you.
A security related bug was discovered on certain HTC Android smartphones. This bug allowed any application that has access to the ACCESS_WIFI_STATE permission (something that the apps ask you before you install them) will let the application not only check on the status of your Wi-Fi but also have complete access to all your Wi-FI passwords. _
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The announcement that the Samsung Galaxy S III won't be unveiled at the MWC wasn’t met with much enthusiasm but Samsung may have something else instead - Galaxy S II Plus.
A device identifying itself as "Galaxy S 2+" showed up in the online test results of benchmark An3DBenchXL. The benchmark results offer the following info about the device: OS version 2.3.4, screen resolution 480x800 and CPU clock 1.5GHz.
The regular Galaxy S II has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor - and so does the regular Galaxy Nexus. But clues to an alleged upgrade of the Galaxy Nexus with a 1.5GHz processor and a new GPU showed up a couple of days ago (again in benchmark results).
Quite a coincidence, but a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket i727, for example, more or less matches the specs - 1.5GHz CPU, Android Gingerbread and WVGA screen (though we know nothing of its size).
This might be an international version of the Skyrocket or S II LTE or another Qualcomm-powered S II, as those are usually US or South Korea only. Or it could be someone fooling the benchmark into misreporting the phone stats.
Still, it's impressive, since the 3D benchmark results from this Galaxy S II Plus are second only to a heavily overclocked Galaxy Nexus. Just don’t take them for granted. Also, an introduction of the device at the MWC might be more wishful thinking than certainty
The announcement that the Samsung Galaxy S III won't be unveiled at the MWC wasn’t met with much enthusiasm but Samsung may have something else instead - Galaxy S II Plus.
A device identifying itself as "Galaxy S 2+" showed up in the online test results of benchmark An3DBenchXL. The benchmark results offer the following info about the device: OS version 2.3.4, screen resolution 480x800 and CPU clock 1.5GHz.
The regular Galaxy S II has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor - and so does the regular Galaxy Nexus. But clues to an alleged upgrade of the Galaxy Nexus with a 1.5GHz processor and a new GPU showed up a couple of days ago (again in benchmark results).
Quite a coincidence, but a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket i727, for example, more or less matches the specs - 1.5GHz CPU, Android Gingerbread and WVGA screen (though we know nothing of its size).
This might be an international version of the Skyrocket or S II LTE or another Qualcomm-powered S II, as those are usually US or South Korea only. Or it could be someone fooling the benchmark into misreporting the phone stats.
Still, it's impressive, since the 3D benchmark results from this Galaxy S II Plus are second only to a heavily overclocked Galaxy Nexus. Just don’t take them for granted. Also, an introduction of the device at the MWC might be more wishful thinking than certainty
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Specifications
At this moment, there is no solid and authentic info about what type of specs this new smartphone will bring. But keeping in mind all the rumors and speculations we can say that the Galaxy S III will be powered with a quad core Exynos chip as well as a 720p Super AMOLED HD display will also accompany the device. Other than these obvious features, the next Galaxy S smartphone is also expected to bring an 8 MP+ camera, 1 GB+ RAM and last but not the least, 4G connectivity.
So, now it seems like Samsung might not be releasing its flagship smartphone at MWC this year, while it surely will bring some other products at the event. On the other hand, many other manufacturers are also scheduled to bring a variety of new products. Stay tuned, as we keep you updated about all that MWC has to offer this year. .
A well known tech blog BGR published a short report today, regarding to which Samsung is planning to announce the next generation smartphone for its wildly popular Galaxy S lineup, the Galaxy S III in April this year.
Boy Genius Report (BGR) reported today that according to the tweet from Eldar Murtazin, who is an industry insider as well as a Russian blogger, we have come to know that Samsung Galaxy S III will be arriving in April. According to BGR:
Samsung may launch the successor to its wildly popular Galaxy S II smartphone this coming April according to a new claim […] industry insider Eldar Murtazin noted on Thursday that he believes the Galaxy S III will launch in April.
Past Reports Of The Source Have Been Proven Right
BGR further added to the report that Eldar Murtazin’s reports are usually reliable and have been proven authentic in the past, so, we should take it seriously here. Previously, we reported that Samsung itself has officially made a statement saying Galaxy S III will not be arriving at the end of this month at MWC (Mobile World Congress) being held in Barcelona. On the other hand, Samsung will be holding another completely separate event to launch this new flagship smartphone of the company, and the date will be set according to the time near to the commercial availability of the device. So, we can say that it really makes sense that the Galaxy S III will be launched in April then. _
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Android Preferred Due To Its Customizability
Previously, if you might remember, Pentagon dropped the BlackBerry and after testing Android devices, they approved one single customized Android device for use. So, if we think CNN is reporting right then from now on US troops will also be getting their hands on Android devices very soon, even maybe this year. The report shows that government is testing out smartphones in recent times and have decided that Android fits their needs best of all due to its customizability. The report also says that Apple did not allow the government to access the source code of iOS and that’s why Apple devices were not able to customized and tweaked for necessary purposes. On the contrary, Android is very customizable due to its open structure and it lets government to do whatever they need to fulfill their purposes here.
Devices Used By Government Will Be Heavily Locked
US Government is going to put together heavily customized and locked down Android builds which will be then loaded up in the commercially available handsets. Other sources have reported that Government might be choosing Dell Streak for these purposes. The main reason why they chose Dell is that its Android partner as well as most of the Dell products are being manufactured inside the US. The report further adds that the main factor which will be very important is secured voice calls and some other features secured to Government’s will.
Well, Android has not been thought as one of the most secured OS and its competitors always talk about its threats and risks. US Government and US Military are undoubtedly most secure organizations in the world and they really take the security very seriously and according to a latest report from CNN, it looks like both of these organizations are going to get Android devices very soon._
Previously, if you might remember, Pentagon dropped the BlackBerry and after testing Android devices, they approved one single customized Android device for use. So, if we think CNN is reporting right then from now on US troops will also be getting their hands on Android devices very soon, even maybe this year. The report shows that government is testing out smartphones in recent times and have decided that Android fits their needs best of all due to its customizability. The report also says that Apple did not allow the government to access the source code of iOS and that’s why Apple devices were not able to customized and tweaked for necessary purposes. On the contrary, Android is very customizable due to its open structure and it lets government to do whatever they need to fulfill their purposes here.
Devices Used By Government Will Be Heavily Locked
US Government is going to put together heavily customized and locked down Android builds which will be then loaded up in the commercially available handsets. Other sources have reported that Government might be choosing Dell Streak for these purposes. The main reason why they chose Dell is that its Android partner as well as most of the Dell products are being manufactured inside the US. The report further adds that the main factor which will be very important is secured voice calls and some other features secured to Government’s will.
Well, Android has not been thought as one of the most secured OS and its competitors always talk about its threats and risks. US Government and US Military are undoubtedly most secure organizations in the world and they really take the security very seriously and according to a latest report from CNN, it looks like both of these organizations are going to get Android devices very soon._
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Windows Phone 8, codenamed Apollo, is the next major version of Microsoft's mobile operating system and is based on the Windows 8 kernel, unlike Windows Phone 7, which is based on Windows CE. Not only will the new mobile operating system will share a version number and UI with its desktop counterpart, it will also share the same ecosystem, along with the underlying code and components.
Thanks to this, applications designed for either platform can work on the other with only minor changes. Not only that, Windows Phone 8 will also be backward-compatible with all of the apps designed for Windows 7, which are expected to reach 100,000 by the time Windows 8 releases.
Microsoft will also be ditching the Zune client in favor of a new dedicated companion app for syncing your Windows Phone 8 with your Windows 8 PC. The Xbox app on Windows Phone will also find a companion app on Windows 8. There will also be much deeper integration of SkyDrive with the two platforms, similar to iCloud on Apple's devices.
Microsoft will also be letting OEM's customize the camera app. There will be the basic Windows Phone camera app, which can then be overlaid by customization from the OEMs.
Lastly, Skype will finally be making an appearance on Windows Phone. It will remain a separate, optional app but once installed will provide much deeper integration compared to other platforms, to the point where regular and Skype calls will be indistinguishable.
Now moving on to the hardware, Windows Phone 8 will be bringing some much requested changes there as well. For starters, WP8 will have support for multi-core processors. Note that we say multi-core and not just dual or quad-core. It will also introduce support for three new resolutions, bringing the total to four (actual resolutions unknown at this point). As you may know, Tango is expected to reduce the hardware requirements of Windows Phone for it to run on lesser hardware. And now with Apollo, you can expect Windows Phone to run on a lot more hardware than before. Lastly, microSD card support will also be added.
Other new features include a new data management system, that will keep a track of your downloaded data to prevent 'Bill Shock'. This includes automatically switching to Wi-Fi when available to prevent cellular data use and also an Opera Mini-like data compression on the new Internet Explorer browser.
NFC (Near Field Communication) will also be fully integrated into the OS. Along with the usual file transferring, you will also be able to use it for making mobile payments with your phone.
For business users, Windows Phone 8 will offer full-device encryption with BitLocker, currently found on Microsoft's desktop operating system. Businesses will also be able to deploy applications to the devices privately without having to go through the Marketplace.
It seems that Windows Phone is slowly starting to catch up with Android and iOS in terms of features and in some cases even outpacing them. Now all it needs are those quality apps found on other platforms and a wider range of handsets and then there will be no stopping it.
Joe Belfiore, manager of the Windows Phone program at Microsoft, has revealed some tantalizing information about the upcoming Windows Phone 8 in a video that was meant for private eyes only. Unfortunately, we don't have the video but we do have all the information it contained, thanks to pocketnow.com. _
Thanks to this, applications designed for either platform can work on the other with only minor changes. Not only that, Windows Phone 8 will also be backward-compatible with all of the apps designed for Windows 7, which are expected to reach 100,000 by the time Windows 8 releases.
Microsoft will also be ditching the Zune client in favor of a new dedicated companion app for syncing your Windows Phone 8 with your Windows 8 PC. The Xbox app on Windows Phone will also find a companion app on Windows 8. There will also be much deeper integration of SkyDrive with the two platforms, similar to iCloud on Apple's devices.
Microsoft will also be letting OEM's customize the camera app. There will be the basic Windows Phone camera app, which can then be overlaid by customization from the OEMs.
Lastly, Skype will finally be making an appearance on Windows Phone. It will remain a separate, optional app but once installed will provide much deeper integration compared to other platforms, to the point where regular and Skype calls will be indistinguishable.
Now moving on to the hardware, Windows Phone 8 will be bringing some much requested changes there as well. For starters, WP8 will have support for multi-core processors. Note that we say multi-core and not just dual or quad-core. It will also introduce support for three new resolutions, bringing the total to four (actual resolutions unknown at this point). As you may know, Tango is expected to reduce the hardware requirements of Windows Phone for it to run on lesser hardware. And now with Apollo, you can expect Windows Phone to run on a lot more hardware than before. Lastly, microSD card support will also be added.
Other new features include a new data management system, that will keep a track of your downloaded data to prevent 'Bill Shock'. This includes automatically switching to Wi-Fi when available to prevent cellular data use and also an Opera Mini-like data compression on the new Internet Explorer browser.
NFC (Near Field Communication) will also be fully integrated into the OS. Along with the usual file transferring, you will also be able to use it for making mobile payments with your phone.
For business users, Windows Phone 8 will offer full-device encryption with BitLocker, currently found on Microsoft's desktop operating system. Businesses will also be able to deploy applications to the devices privately without having to go through the Marketplace.
It seems that Windows Phone is slowly starting to catch up with Android and iOS in terms of features and in some cases even outpacing them. Now all it needs are those quality apps found on other platforms and a wider range of handsets and then there will be no stopping it.
Joe Belfiore, manager of the Windows Phone program at Microsoft, has revealed some tantalizing information about the upcoming Windows Phone 8 in a video that was meant for private eyes only. Unfortunately, we don't have the video but we do have all the information it contained, thanks to pocketnow.com. _
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First of all, the app Network Spoofer is developed by Digitalsquid and it is a very powerful networking app for Android devices. As you might have figured it out with the name, this app is basically used to spoof people on your network. So, this is what it does, the app is loaded with a dozen of hacks, mainly as it redirects all the websites to your chosen URL of your friend sharing the network. Additionally, the app also redirect all their YouTube videos to any of the video you want to set, it also blurs all the images on web pages, flips images, change all the images to a troll and much more. Last but not the least, there is an option which even lets you combine all of these hacks.
According to Android Market:
“Network Spoofer lets you mess with the internet on other people’s computers.
Network Spoofer lets you mess with websites on other people’s computers – flip pictures, change Google searches, redirect websites, swap YouTube videos and many more features to come.”
Network Spoofer; A Strong App
After this app on our personal WiFi network with a rooted Android 2.3 Gingerbread running smartphone and a Windows 7 running laptop, we are saying that this app has almost all those features which are being advertised and it works fine. All those modifications provided within the app are very useful and work most of the time. On the other hand, the rest of the hacks have also worked at some point but sometimes they did not, so you will have to take a chance hereToday, we have brought a networking app for your Android device, it is called Network Spoofer and here are is the detailed review of this new app.This app has a lot of potential but the main point is that users should use it responsibly. I mean you can use it to redirect the websites of your friends for a little time but don’t redirect all the websites to some URL on a public WiFi network, that is really unpleasant and irresponsible.
Download Link
Download Network Spoofer Now For Free (Android Market)
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According to Android Market:
“Network Spoofer lets you mess with the internet on other people’s computers.
Network Spoofer lets you mess with websites on other people’s computers – flip pictures, change Google searches, redirect websites, swap YouTube videos and many more features to come.”
Network Spoofer; A Strong App
After this app on our personal WiFi network with a rooted Android 2.3 Gingerbread running smartphone and a Windows 7 running laptop, we are saying that this app has almost all those features which are being advertised and it works fine. All those modifications provided within the app are very useful and work most of the time. On the other hand, the rest of the hacks have also worked at some point but sometimes they did not, so you will have to take a chance hereToday, we have brought a networking app for your Android device, it is called Network Spoofer and here are is the detailed review of this new app.This app has a lot of potential but the main point is that users should use it responsibly. I mean you can use it to redirect the websites of your friends for a little time but don’t redirect all the websites to some URL on a public WiFi network, that is really unpleasant and irresponsible.
Download Link
Download Network Spoofer Now For Free (Android Market)
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Now, the good news for all those iPhone enthusiasts is that they might not have to wait for another 12 months for the next iPhone release after the iPhone 4S. It is highly expected that Apple might get back to its old iPhone release schedule and we might be able to see the new iPhone launched at Worldwide Developers Conference in June in San Francisco.
The new report comes from Daiwa Securities which states that Apple will be returning to its previous iPhone release schedule and we should expect to see the next generation iPhone, the iPhone 5 at WWDC. You might remember that iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 were announced in keynotes at WWDC.
Glass To Glass Touch Panel Technology
Daiwa further stated that the next generation iPhone will bring glass to glass touch panel technology which is being supplied by TPK Holding and Wintek. We have not found any official reports about this. Obviously, it was very surprising for everyone when iPhone 4S was released in October and that’s why the next launch of iPhone in WWDC does not surprise much people. We don’t have the exact dates of WWDC 2012 but according to a leaked calendar taken from Moscone Center, Worldwide Developer Conference will be held between June 10 and June 15.
Since 2007, when the original iPhone was released, Apple has been keeping the tradition of releasing every new iPhone in the month of June every year until last year when the company released iPhone 4S in October instead of June and released the new device in a separate event named as let’s talk iPhone. So, after the three months of the release of iPhone 4S, now people have started to talk about what’s next from Apple, it might be the iPhone 5.A “Corporate Meeting” is scheduled to be held on these days at the Moscone Center and previously Apple has used same name for the event in the last years to identify a WWDC event. Overall, we appreciate the launch of iPhone 5 in June, but it wouldn’t please all those consumers who have just bought a pricey iPhone 4S in October just eight months ago and they will have to upgrade to a newer device now. Here is the image of WWDC event scheduled at Moscone Center:_
The new report comes from Daiwa Securities which states that Apple will be returning to its previous iPhone release schedule and we should expect to see the next generation iPhone, the iPhone 5 at WWDC. You might remember that iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 were announced in keynotes at WWDC.
Glass To Glass Touch Panel Technology
Daiwa further stated that the next generation iPhone will bring glass to glass touch panel technology which is being supplied by TPK Holding and Wintek. We have not found any official reports about this. Obviously, it was very surprising for everyone when iPhone 4S was released in October and that’s why the next launch of iPhone in WWDC does not surprise much people. We don’t have the exact dates of WWDC 2012 but according to a leaked calendar taken from Moscone Center, Worldwide Developer Conference will be held between June 10 and June 15.
Since 2007, when the original iPhone was released, Apple has been keeping the tradition of releasing every new iPhone in the month of June every year until last year when the company released iPhone 4S in October instead of June and released the new device in a separate event named as let’s talk iPhone. So, after the three months of the release of iPhone 4S, now people have started to talk about what’s next from Apple, it might be the iPhone 5.A “Corporate Meeting” is scheduled to be held on these days at the Moscone Center and previously Apple has used same name for the event in the last years to identify a WWDC event. Overall, we appreciate the launch of iPhone 5 in June, but it wouldn’t please all those consumers who have just bought a pricey iPhone 4S in October just eight months ago and they will have to upgrade to a newer device now. Here is the image of WWDC event scheduled at Moscone Center:_
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The LG Optimus 2X prides itself in being the first dual-core smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy R follows at quite some distance but runs on the same chipset - the NVIDIA Tegra 2. Both have comparable screens too: 4" of WVGA IPS LCD on the Optimus and a 4.2" WVGA SC-LCD on the Galaxy R.
What sets them apart is imaging - the Optimus 2X is in line with the current flagships with an 8MP still camera and 1080p video, while the Galaxy R stops at 5MP/720p.
Here's a quick summary of the ups and downs of the two phones in direct comparison.
Samsung I9103 Galaxy R over LG Optimus 2X:
There are, of course, other differences too. It's between Samsung's TouchWiz and LG's custom skin on top of Android Gingerbread. And there's the design and build quality too: both have metal inlays on the back but the Galaxy R is more than a millimeter thinner.
Yep, you read that right. Affordable and dual core wouldn't normally belong in the same sentence. In 2011. And you don't need to press fast forward. Just sit back and enjoy. There's a lot stewing in the industry's pot and we think the place smells of quad core already.
So, two affordable dual-core Android smartphones it is. The Samsung Galaxy R and the LG Optimus 2X have been duly and thoroughly reviewed but we thought a head-to-head comparison wouldn't hurt - we've certainly been asked plenty of times which one is better._
What sets them apart is imaging - the Optimus 2X is in line with the current flagships with an 8MP still camera and 1080p video, while the Galaxy R stops at 5MP/720p.
Here's a quick summary of the ups and downs of the two phones in direct comparison.
Samsung I9103 Galaxy R over LG Optimus 2X:
- A bigger screen: 4.2" vs. 4"
- Thinner: 9.5mm vs. 10.9mm
- Double the RAM: 1GB vs. 512MB
- Faster HSDPA: 21Mbps vs. 7.2Mbps
- Slightly better battery life
- USB On-The-Go support
- Bluetooth 3.0 vs. 2.1
- Better still camera: 8MP vs. 5MP
- Better video camera: 1080p vs. 720p
- HDMI TV-Out (with cable in the box) over no TV-Out at all
There are, of course, other differences too. It's between Samsung's TouchWiz and LG's custom skin on top of Android Gingerbread. And there's the design and build quality too: both have metal inlays on the back but the Galaxy R is more than a millimeter thinner.
Yep, you read that right. Affordable and dual core wouldn't normally belong in the same sentence. In 2011. And you don't need to press fast forward. Just sit back and enjoy. There's a lot stewing in the industry's pot and we think the place smells of quad core already.
So, two affordable dual-core Android smartphones it is. The Samsung Galaxy R and the LG Optimus 2X have been duly and thoroughly reviewed but we thought a head-to-head comparison wouldn't hurt - we've certainly been asked plenty of times which one is better._
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The Ice White HTC Sensation is supposed to launch on March 1.
The good news for owners of any Sensation (including the XE and XL) is that they'll be getting Ice Cream Sandwich as an Over-the-Air update soon. No separate date was given for the update, but those things are never simultaneous anyway.
The machine translation from Dutch is a little sketchy, but it seems that Sense UI will be updated too, with a shortcut dock at the bottom of the screen.
A Dutch PR site broke the news that HTC will be releasing an Ice White color version of the HTC Sensation. To sweeten the deal, the phone will launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. The whole Sensation line will be getting ICS too.
Update, March 3: It turns out that the Ice White Sensation won't be launching with Ice Cream Sandwich after all. It will launch with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and be updated with the rest of them. Also, some markets already have a white Sensation, so the big news is that the Sensation line is getting ICS.
The press release goes over the selling points of the HTC Sensation - 4.3" qHD screen, 8MP camera and so on. The Ice White version will have all those things too._
The good news for owners of any Sensation (including the XE and XL) is that they'll be getting Ice Cream Sandwich as an Over-the-Air update soon. No separate date was given for the update, but those things are never simultaneous anyway.
The machine translation from Dutch is a little sketchy, but it seems that Sense UI will be updated too, with a shortcut dock at the bottom of the screen.
A Dutch PR site broke the news that HTC will be releasing an Ice White color version of the HTC Sensation. To sweeten the deal, the phone will launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. The whole Sensation line will be getting ICS too.
Update, March 3: It turns out that the Ice White Sensation won't be launching with Ice Cream Sandwich after all. It will launch with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and be updated with the rest of them. Also, some markets already have a white Sensation, so the big news is that the Sensation line is getting ICS.
The press release goes over the selling points of the HTC Sensation - 4.3" qHD screen, 8MP camera and so on. The Ice White version will have all those things too._
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Now there is a new rumor going around that suggests that the launch won't be long from now. Droid Life has heard from its sources that the phone will go on sale on Thursday, February 9, which is a week from now. As its predecessors, the phone will sell for $199 on a two-year contract.
In case you're not aware, the DROID 4 is like the DROID RAZR but with a full QWERTY keyboard. It has dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 processor, 1GB RAM, 4.0inch, 960 x 540 resolution TFT display, 16GB internal memory, 8 megapixel camera and 1080p video recording.
We have been hearing and seeing the Motorola DROID 4 since October, last year and every time we felt we were closer to launch it got delayed further. While most expected the phone to go on sale in December, that clearly did not happen. Instead the phone got a soft launch at CES, along with other Motorola phones but even then Motorola failed to mention a launch date._
In case you're not aware, the DROID 4 is like the DROID RAZR but with a full QWERTY keyboard. It has dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 processor, 1GB RAM, 4.0inch, 960 x 540 resolution TFT display, 16GB internal memory, 8 megapixel camera and 1080p video recording.
We have been hearing and seeing the Motorola DROID 4 since October, last year and every time we felt we were closer to launch it got delayed further. While most expected the phone to go on sale in December, that clearly did not happen. Instead the phone got a soft launch at CES, along with other Motorola phones but even then Motorola failed to mention a launch date._
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_In a news that belongs to 2011, AT&T and Samsung have just upgraded the Samsung Infuse 4G
to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, proving once again how bad the situation is
when it comes to receiving the latest software upgrades on
carrier-locked (or even otherwise) Android devices.
It's difficult to believe that this phone (sold for $200 on contract, no less) was launched with Froyo at launch back in May last year and what's worse is that it managed to make it till 2012 with the same OS. And now when Android 4.0 is out and will slowly be making an appearance on other handsets it's getting the Gingerbread update, something it should have had from the start. Remember the promise Google made to deliver the latest updates to new devices 18 months after the launch? It seems neither Google, the OEMs nor the carriers remember it anymore.
Anyway, coming back to the actual update, it brings the usual Gingerbread features to the device, along with some handset specific updates. The update log is as follows:
It's difficult to believe that this phone (sold for $200 on contract, no less) was launched with Froyo at launch back in May last year and what's worse is that it managed to make it till 2012 with the same OS. And now when Android 4.0 is out and will slowly be making an appearance on other handsets it's getting the Gingerbread update, something it should have had from the start. Remember the promise Google made to deliver the latest updates to new devices 18 months after the launch? It seems neither Google, the OEMs nor the carriers remember it anymore.
Anyway, coming back to the actual update, it brings the usual Gingerbread features to the device, along with some handset specific updates. The update log is as follows:
- Improved Copy and Paste functionality
- Redesigned Multi Touch Software Keyboard
- Download manager for long running HTTP downloads
- Improved power management and application control
- Notification Shade: “Flight Mode” added (“Silent” removed)
- New Fonts options added include Choco Cooky, Cool Jazz, Rosemary
- Keyboard Changes: Android Keyboard with Wider Spaced keys and Quick Keys at the top
- New Widgets: The name of the content provider will be listed on the widget list along with the widget name. Previously only the widget name was provided.
- New Widget: Traffic (Android) added to list of available widgets
- Menu Changes/New Apps: Downloads and Google Books added new, Promotional pre-load of Angry Birds removed.