Maimpok

Here’s to the crazy ones, indeed! Reminiscent of how an iconic ex-CEO once attempted to voice-over an advertisement for his company’s product, Microsoft’s latest Windows Phone 8 ad screams of self-promotion. But this is a different Steve, altogether — someone who does not exactly generate a Reality Distortion Field like the late Steve Jobs. Microsoft’s own Steve Ballmer has narrated Redmond’s latest Windows Phone 8ad, with highlight on the personal touch.

Steve talks about taking advice from all sorts of folks, from his wife, to his Microsoft colleagues, and even Bill Gates himself. But Ballmer’s own advice: get a Windows Phone.
The ad puts a highlight on communication as a central part of Windows Phone 8 (hey, it’s a phone, after all!). This includes the live tiles on the home screen showing messages and the number of Skype calls and emails.
The ad is pretty straightforward, and does not have any allusions to how groundbreaking their platform is (like Apple’s Think Different ads). Apple eventually went for another voice-over in their “crazy ones” ads, a spot that eventually went to Richard Dreyfuss. Will Microsoft eventually hire other voiceover actors, too?
Check out the video ad below.

SOURCES Windows Phone on YouTube

12.1.1
This latest version of Opera Mobile contains a variety of bug fixes, along with stability and performance improvements.
Fixed issue with commenting on Facebook
Fixed issue with embedded Youtube videos
Fixed issue with incorrect external URLs opening
12.1
Opera Mobile 12.1 for Android comes with fraud protection, best-in-class support for web standards and improved compatibility with mobile sites.

Overview:
The premium web experience for rich, interactive content on mobile devices.
Fast, smooth and easy to use, when you’re browsing on a tablet or smartphone, Opera Mobile helps you get more out of your time online, whether you’re finding information or relaxing with entertainment. It’s the ideal web browser to use on fast network connections such as Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G. It’s designed to make the most of your Android device!
Opera Mobile adapts automatically to the way you read, watch or interact on a smaller screen. You’ll enjoy all your favorite websites even more in Opera Mobile.
Features:
- Opera Mobile offers a full-featured interface that lets you surf the way you want.
- Keep all your stuff in one place! You can synchronize bookmarks, Speed Dials and more with your computer or other mobile devices via Opera Link.
- With support for Twitter and Facebook built in, sharing is a snap.
- From text wrapping to zoom, page size and orientation, Opera Mobile always gives you the best view on your favorite webpages.
Also check out Opera Mini, the fastest browser on Earth. Opera Mini compresses data by up to 90% and is the best choice for slower or limited data plans.
Discover more at http://opera.com/mobile/
Keep in touch with Opera:
Twitter – http://twitter.com/opera/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Opera/
Download this file

0.17.6
1. UPDATE: goagent 2.0.13
0.16.7
1. UPDATE: goagent 1.8.11
0.16.6
1. FIX: some users cannot access google play
2. FIX: cannot visit twitpic
3. UPDATE: bypass LAN addresses
0.16.5
1. UPDATE: built-in python module

0.16.3
1. FIX: browser bugs on Android 4.0
0.16.2
1. FIX: small bugs in DNS Proxy
0.16.1
1. UPDATE: rebuild python w/ pyOpenSSL (need reinstalling python module)
2. UPDATE: new certificate faking module
3. FIX: some small bugs
Overview:
GAE Proxy App is a GoAgent client for Android System.
Now, use Google App Engine as a HTTP / HTTPS proxy. For more information, please visit our website: http://gaeproxy.googlecode.com
Download link for users in China：http://www.coolapk.com/apk/4143/
BEFORE YOU START
1. ROOT your android devices.
2. Update your server to goagent 2.0.
WARNINGS:
1. This app is DESIGNED ONLY FOR those guys blocked by their country’s firewallI.
2. There exists a DNS Proxy function to solve the DNS Pollution problem in China, which would fetch pre-defined HOSTS files from our server. All these HOSTS files and source codes are open to public.
3. The default server (proxyofmax.appspot.com) with a free quota of 1G bandwidth per day is only for testing. To use this app securely and safely, please deploy your own server and use it instead of the default proxy.
Follow us on twitter: @gaeproxy
This project is licensed under GPLv3, you can find all source codes from our project site.
Tag: GFW, AppEngine, Google, Proxy, Firewall, Twitter, Facebook
Download this file

Verizon’s upcoming 5-inch 1080p device named HTC Droid DNA has been published as a registered device on its support page before the official announcement.
The screenshot above reveals that the ADR6435 will be known as HTC Droid DNA, a name that was revealed in a MAP listing a week ago. The same leak suggested the device will be sold starting at $199 in the near future. However, such MAP lists are known to change constantly and won’t always offer reliable information. And while Verizon’s support page does list the device, the Droid DNA is still not officially announced.

The device is rumoured to be announced mid-November and feature a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor, 16GB of internal storage, 2GB RAM, an 8MP camera, and run Jelly Bean.
As expected, the HTC Droid DNA is most likely going to be Verizon’s HTC J Butterfly version, which happens to be HTC’s most recently launched device. Waiting for the 5-inch HTC handset to hit Verizon, we have already compared the HTC J Butterfly with the Galaxy Note 2. Which one would you rather buy?

Thought that flexible displays were a long way off before they could start showing up on smartphones? Think again. Samsung is leading the way towards producing the very first such displays that could be part of its next  smartphones generations. This has been a big year for Samsung and its work on flexible displays is another step in the right direction.

The company has already submitted a number of patent applications that detail the intriguing folding display designs for its smartphones. All along, since back at CES 2009, Samsung had presented a prototype of the unit and promised to deliver on it. The new flexible displays are expected to replace the traditional LCD displays by 2015-2016, at least according to a recent Samsung announcement. But in the mean time, it looks like Samsung has filed a new flexible display patent, this time describing a tri-fold panel.
The patent includes a number of representations that clearly show how a tri-fold display unit would work in a smartphone:
If delivered successfully, the tri-fold display could be revolutionary and would likely be the display of choice that allows a smartphone to be expanded into a mini tablet that would let users enjoy surfing the web, watching movies or playing games. It could also allow Samsung to produce the gadget of choice for cool Internet devices and unseat competing Apple products in the products. This would also help clean up Samsung’s image, which has already been marred by the copycat designer accusations and reveal it to be the true innovator in the mobile device space.
Currently, Samsung’s handsets shipments give it a 2-to-1 ratio lead over Apple’s iPhone shipments in Q4. Clearly, the mobile device war is only going to accelerate, especially if the Samsung tri-fold flexible display kicks off.

A few weeks ago we showed you a video comparison between the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3 in which were revealed 50 reasons why the Android smartphone is better. The same guys behind that clip are now back with a rebuttal video, just as they promised. This time around PhoneBuff gives us 50 reasons why the iOS smartphone is better.

The freshly uploaded video is just under 12 minutes long, and shows users various reasons why the iPhone 5 can be considered better than the Galaxy S3. Just like in the previous video, not all the listed reasons depict must-have features of today’s high-end smartphone, but they may be appreciated by users nonetheless.
In case you need a reminder of the 50 reasons why the Android smartphone is better, here’s the first video:
 In case you need a reminder of the 50 reasons why the Android smartphone is better, here’s the first video:
However, if you are going to buy a top device this holiday season, we’ll remind you that the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3 are the current flagship devices for iOS and Android, respectively. While they are exponents of two different mobile platforms and ecosystems, it’s ultimately up to you to choose which one to get, although we’ll point out that they aren’t the only available choices out there, especially considering the recent Galaxy Note 2 launch or the Nexus 4 announcement. Not to mention that a slew of Windows Phone 8 handsets are about to hit stores also.
In case you’re only looking for more iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3 coverage before you make your purchase then we’ve got you covered. From drop tests and hands-on videos to benchmarking results, battery performance comparisons and display quality tests. We even talked about yearly charging costs and web traffic stats for these two smartphones.
What video did you like better?

In a press release today, T-Mobile and AT&T announced that they will be entering a temporary agreement to allow roaming for customers of either network in the areas hit by Hurricane Sandy.
While the worst of the storm has passed, Hurricane Sandy left a lot of damage in its wake, and at one point millions were without power. While a lot of people are working to help get things back in order as quickly as possible, some of the hardest hit areas are still looking at a difficult time ahead. There is no doubt that T-Mobile and AT&T had this in mind when they began their temporary agreement.

Customers of either network don’t have to do anything special to take advantage of the additional coverage. Just place a call as you normally would, and whichever network is working best in your area will automatically carry the call. Both voice and data are covered by this agreement, so there is no need for customers to worry about being hit with hefty fees if their phone connects to the wrong network by accident.
While the press release states that this agreement applies to New York and New Jersey, it may be worth checking to make sure your area is covered before connecting to avoid any unwanted fees.
Are you located in an area that was hit by Hurricane Sandy? Will this roaming agreement make it easier for you to stay in touch with friends and relatives in areas hit by the storm?
Source: Androidauthority

While ZTE’s smartphone sales for this year are expected to top off at around 25 million, 10 million less than predicted, it seems to take more than that to take the wind out of the company’s sails. ZTE has announced that it expects to sell 50 million smartphones in 2013.

Executive Director for ZTE, He Shiyou, told Reuters that “We think next year will be very good (for smartphones).” That seems to be the case looking at the company’s sale projections for 2013, especially after failing to reach their goal for 2012.
While it may seem like a bold statement, it’s important to keep in mind that ZTE is the world’s fourth largest smartphone manufacturer, with around 7.5 percent market share. Even though they fell short of their goal for 2012, ZTE’s sales have grown dramatically each year.
In 2011, the company sold around 15 million phones, and in 2012 they sold 25 million phones. While the company would still need a big boost in sales to reach their goal of 50 million, it is not completely out of the realm of possibility.
ZTE seems to be putting a lot of faith in its Nubia line of high-end devices. There isn’t currently much known about this line, with the only announced device, the ZTE Z5, still being a bit of a mystery spec-wise. What we do know is that the phone will have a quad-core processor, 5-inch screen and a 13-megapixel camera.
With so little being known about its upcoming devices, whether ZTE will see a boost in sales as a result of the release of the Z5 remains to be seen. ZTE does continue to capture market share, however, so as ambitious as they may seem, the company’s expectations to sell 50 million phones in 2013 may turn out to be well founded.
Do you think that ZTE will reach its goal of selling 50 million phones in 2013? Or do you think that, like last year, they will fall short of their goal? Do you think the Z5 will bolster sales as much as ZTE hopes?

If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer who has been waiting for Google Play Store carrier billing, the wait is over, as the feature is now live.
While other carriers have had this feature available for some time, Verizon was slower to catch up. We mentioned earlier this month that carrier billing for Play Store purchases was on the way for Verizon customers and, as of today, they can now use this payment method.

You don’t need to do anything special to start using this new payment option. Simply select the “Bill my Verizon Wireless account” option as your payment method for Play Store purchases.
Whether or not Verizon customers will actually want to use this feature depends on their own preferences. Some users prefer to pay for their Play Store purchases immediately, while others would rather receive one monthly bill that encompasses all their wireless-related expenses.
Those on family plans may want to set up a PIN on some phones. This can restrict purchases to keep family members from running up to large a bill. Those who would rather turn off the carrier billing feature can do so through their Verizon account.
This may not be necessary, as we’re hearing that there is a $25 limit on purchases within each billing cycle, but whether this is true and how it would apply to those on family plans remains to be seen. Apparently some Verizon customers aren’t seeing the new payment option in the Google Play Store, so don’t worry if you’re not seeing it yet; be assured that it is on the way.
Are you a Verizon customer who has been waiting for Google Play Store carrier billing? Are you a fan of carrier billing in general, or do you prefer another method for Play Store purchases?

Earlier today U.S. Cellular announced they will dramatically expand their 4G LTE network to 30 new markets beginning on November 5th. U.S. Cellular also mentioned they plan to have about 58 percent of their customers covered by LTE service by the end of 2012.

Some of the states that will begin to see this expanded 4G LTE coverage include Iowa, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Oklahoma. Additionally, several new 4G LTE markets will be established in cities such as Rockford (Illinois), Medford (Oregon) and Knoxville (Tennessee). This is great news for U.S. Cellular customers. While they might be a smaller carrier, that clearly doesn’t mean U.S. Cellular can’t offer competitive services and plans.
Unfortunately there isn’t a master list of all the cities and markets that will be seeing 4G LTE coverage this year, but the carrier does promise to update its 4G coverage map on November 5th to give its customers a better idea if they are going to get high-speed access in their area or not. Any U.S. Cellular subscribers excited about this news?
Source: Androidauthority

USB chargers are everywhere. They’re online, at your job, in your home, and in any electronics store. Typically, we don’t pay much attention to them. As long as they charge the phone without mucking things up, most of us are pretty happy. However, how well these chargers work is something that can be measured.

Ken Sheriff’s Blog recently conducted a study to see which chargers were the best. For some, it was necessary. Some chargers work fine the way they are. Some may not deliver adequate power, mess with things like touch screen use, and even self destruct.
The criteria for the rankings are pretty in depth. Tests were conducted in efficiency, delivery of advertised power, power quality, power curve, and there was a general analysis of the hardware. During the tests, several OEMs are represented. They include Samsung, Apple, Monoprice, HP, Belkin, KMS, and Motorola. Included also are a few counterfeit chargers to see if they can compare to the OEMs they’re ripping off.

Which of the chargers was the best?

According to the results, HP, via the HP Touchpad, scored the highest in all fields. Who’d have thought HP did something right with the Touchpad? Apple, Motorola, and Samsung all scored very high. In fact, in most results they were nearly identical to one another. In the mid-range, Monoprice, Belkin, and KMS were average or better. To the surprise of no one, the counterfeit chargers were garbage.
The non-counterfeit chargers did pretty well in all the tests. None of them were deemed unsafe, even if some were more efficient than others. The counterfeit chargers, though, showed that they are a real danger to pretty much anyone who uses them. While all the aforementioned chargers scored three out of five or higher, none of the counterfeit chargers made it passed two out of five.
So the lesson is, spend a few extra bucks and buy the real thing. The fake ones could cause some real damage to your property. Has anyone been fooled by the fakes before? Let us know.

While the holidays are still technically a month off, October has felt like Christmas for Android enthusiasts. We saw the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 32GB and the Nexus 10 get a final specs sheet as well as a release date. To add to the awesome, there are bits and pieces of Android 4.2 out there for people to download. So have you ever wondered what goes into making a Nexus device?

The Verge was recently invited to Google headquarters to learn more about the Nexus family, Android 4.2, and pretty much anything regarding those two. For those who’d rather watch then read, then skip to the bottom where the video is.
The video tour starts out by introducing people to the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10. No more leaks or fakes. They got the real deal over there at Mountain View. We’ve known the specs for these devices for some time and you check out the link above to see what them.
Google execs in the video explain how they chose ASUS, Samsung, and LG to be their Nexus crew for this release. Essentially, it was because their designs were the best out of everyone’s and they were the designs that fit Google’s needs. Samsung’s beautiful display along with their Exynos chips helped Google decide to use their design for the Nexus 10. LG won out because of their screen technology and inductive charging design.

So these awesome Nexus devices will all be powered by Android 4.2?

Yes, and Android 4.2 looks like it’s going to be the best version of Android to date. In the video below, there is a walk-through of some of the many new features in Android 4.2. They mention the new gesture typing keyboard, which analyzes gestures in real time to show predictions as you swipe.
Also mentioned is the ability users will have to add widgets to their lock screen, essentially making it a second home screen. You can add a number of widgets and check things like your email or open the camera without unlocking the device.
There were some little things mentioned as well. Such as the ability to open up the quick settings menu by using two fingers to swipe down on the notification pane. Additionally, Google Now got a big upgrade. It will be able to show users even more information than ever before.
With the release of the Nexus devices and Android 4.2 right around the corner, it’s hard to not get excited for the future of Android. This is arguably the best year for Nexus ever. Has anyone committed to buying a Nexus yet? Let us know your thoughts and check out the video below for all the details.

Halloween is upon us, and the dark streets are teeming with ghouls, skeletons, and zombies. This year, the undead are invading the TegraZone, but worry now, they are the slow moving, not too bright, and make great targets for you to mow down.

Zombie Driver THD

Developed by Exor Studios, Zombie Driver THD was just released as a TegraZone exclusive. Quoting from the game’s descriptions, Zombie Driver THD provides an “insane mix of cars, speed, explosions, blood and zombies!” What more could a guy want for Halloween?
As the name indicates, Zombie Drive combines a racing game with a zombie survival game. The premise is simple, yet incredibly fun – drive your way through the hordes of undead, on one of the 13 available vehicles, including a school bus, a fire truck, and even a tank. Your ride can also be fitted with a variety of weapons, from flamethrowers to rocket launchers. Long story short, the zombies are in for a smack down.
Here are the key features of Zombie Driver THD:

• Epic story campaign with 31 diverse missions featuring boss fights, night missions, special vehicles and more…
• Blood Race mode with 30 unique events offering the best arcade racing experience in 3 distinct game types:
• Race: classic racing spiced up with guns and loads of zombies
• Eliminator: take down as many vehicles as you can before the time runs out
• Endurance: there is a bomb on your car and its ticking. Race through checkpoints to extend your time
  • Survive endless zombie waves on 7 twisted slaughter arenas
  • Drive 13 insane zombie killing machines including a school bus, a fire truck, a bulldozer or even a tank
  • 9 different upgrades, which can transform an innocent Taxi into a Chariot of Death
  • Vehicle mounted weapons including miniguns, flamethrowers, rocket launchers or even dual railguns
  • All weapons have 3 upgrade levels which come with unique features
  • Dynamic combo system with tricks to help fight off the hordes of zombies
  • PhysX by NVIDIA

Zombie Driver THD is now out on the Play Store and the TegraZone and goes for $6.99. Happy zombie smashing!

Nexus 7 Halloween giveaway

To celebrate the launch of Zombie Driver THD, we’ve partnered with Nvidia to give away two Nexus 7 16GB to two of our loyal readers. What better way to enjoy high octane zombie smashing than on a supercharged Tegra 3-powered device?
All you have to do to enter the sweepstakes is follow the instructions in the widget below.
This giveaway is open to residents of the following countries: US (excluding Puerto Rico and its other territories and possessions), Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Australia, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India (excluding the State of Tamil Nadu), and Brazil. For those of you outside these countries, we’ll hold more international giveaways soon!
We’ll announce the winners soon, so stay tuned. Happy Halloween and good luck everybody!
Source: Androidauthority

Samsung has recently announced a new accessory for the Galaxy Note 2. At first glance this latest accessory appears to be a dock, say maybe, a charging dock. But in reality, this offers quite a bit more. The product is called the Samsung Galaxy Smart Dock and it brings goodies such as HDMI and USB connectivity.

Simply put, this means you can dock your Galaxy Note 2 and with the correct devices connected, use your phone like a desktop computer. Granted, things will not be exactly the same given you will still be using Android and the power of your device. But on that thought, you will be using it will a full-sized display, keyboard and maybe even a mouse.

The Galaxy Smart Dock is available direct from Samsung. It is priced at $99.99 and in addition to the HDMI (which supports 1080p video), it has three USB 2.0 ports and a 3.5mm stereo out. The dock also has microUSB for your charging needs. Samsung also stated that the Galaxy Smart Dock will work with your Galaxy Note 2 even if it is in a Flip Cover or a slim case.
Bottom line, this is certainly not going to be an accessory that everyone is looking to get. But hey, neither is the Galaxy Note 2. The price seems a bit high at $99.99, but I must say that I am a bit interested. I may have to set aside a few bucks before Verizon decides to ship my Note 2 and see how useful it proves to be.

The budget Sony Xperia J has been unleashed on parts of the world. Specifically you can buy it right now in the UK, Russia, Hong Kong and India.
We brought you news of the release back in August, but we’ve learned more about it since then. It is sporting a 4-inch touchscreen with an 854×480 pixel resolution; it’s got a 1GHz single-core Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM and it’s running Android 4.0 (ICS). It also has a 5MP camera with LED flash and there’s a microSD card slot, which is just as well because there’s only 4GB of storage. It also has a nice big 1,750mAh battery and a front-facing VGA camera.

The specs aren’t going to blow you away, but it’s a nice-looking phone and it comes in black, white, pink or gold. The obvious attraction is price. This is an entry-level device which you can pick up in the UK for £170 on a pay-as-you-go contract at O2 or you can get a SIM-free version direct from Sony for just £219.
In Hong Kong it is selling for HK$2,098, in India it will cost you INR 16,490, and in Russia it will be around 11,000 Rubels. It will be rolling out elsewhere in the very near future.
It also supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, aGPS, DLNA and it has a Walkman app and Facebook and Twitter integration. Network-wise it’s GSM GPRS/EDGE and HSPA. What do you think? Is the Sony Xperia J a good bargain? We think it is.

We don’t know if it’s because it didn’t get the gala presentation we were all expecting to (damn you, Sandy!), or because it’s double the price of the Nexus 7, but the Samsung-Google Nexus 10 doesn’t seem to be in the spotlight much.

I mean, we heard about its specs and we saw it starring in some official pics, but that’s pretty much it. No hype, no marketing and very few things about availability. Until now, at least, because we finally have something that could bring a sense of excitement around the “iPad killer”.
Upon announcing the 10-incher on its official website, Samsung Korea might have spilled the beans – intentionally or not – on one particular feature of the tab we didn’t know about. In a promotional spec image, the Nexus 10 was listed with 16, 32 and 64 GB of on-board storage, despite Google only announcing the former two versions on Monday.

Sammy’s Korean branch quickly backed out and corrected the “mistake”, now listing the Nexus 10 with just 16 and 32 GB of internal memory. Needless to say that we aren’t very convinced this was an error in the first place and we think this was either a well-thought tactic of raising some buzz or a mistake in the sense that the detail wasn’t supposed to be revealed at this point.
Either way, we really hope the 64 GB Nexus 10 will prove real, especially that the tablet, just as any other Nexus device, lacks a microSD slot. Of course, if there is such a model, it will most likely cost $599, but that might be a small price to pay for Nexus 10’s display, performance, software and storage space. Do you guys agree? Would you welcome a 64 GB version of the tab?

We last mentioned the Samsung GT-N5100 tablet just a few days back. At the time the tablet, which is said to be a 7-inch Galaxy Note was getting the Wi-Fi and DLNA certifications. Interestingly enough, those certifications showed the tablet as the GT-N5100 and GT-N5110, which could indicate a Wi-Fi only and a cellular connected device. More recently here, it looks like another little tidbit has been revealed. This latest bit is the display resolution.

And yes, before anyone goes any further wondering — the device will have an HD display. A bit more specifically, the GT-N5100 will have a display resolution of 1280 x 800. On this note, given the resolution of the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 — we are not all that surprised. The one catch here, while all of this is beginning to sound good — we have yet to get any sort of official announcement from Samsung. Still, those who may have been hoping to get a Galaxy Note 7 (GT-N5100) may soon be in luck.
Otherwise, there is some mixed feelings in terms of the display size. Some are suggesting it will be a straight 7-inch display and others feel that it will be a 7.7-inch display. Aside from the display, the Galaxy Note 7 is also believed to have a quad-core processor, and of course, the S Pen which is already available with the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. We would also expect, or hope, that this device will launch with Jelly Bean.
Finally, the timing for an announcement could be interesting. It seems we have not seen all that much in terms of leaked detail just yet. Or in other words, it appears as if the release date is not close. Unfortunately what that could mean is an announcement in the early part of 2013 — possible at Mobile World Congress which takes place in February.

The Nexus 7 is currently the undisputed leader in the Android tablet universe. The tablet’s price-and-specs ratio is hard to beat, and the halo effect that it has helped generate for the ecosystem deserves nothing short of a medal of honor.

Praises aside, there’s a gap of information concerning the Nexus 7 that’s missing even after Google and Asus released their Q3 financial reports. We’re still left guessing just how many units of the quad-core slate have been sold in the market.
Thankfully, Asus Chief Financial Officer David Chang is here to give us some numbers.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Chang reveals that the sales figures for the 7-inch tablet have been on the up since it was launched. “At the beginning, it was, for instance, 500K units a month, then maybe 600, 700K,” he said. “This latest month, it was close to 1 million.”
So it looks like the sales numbers are much higher than the recent estimate made by one analyst, who said that only a million of Nexus 7 tablets in total have been sold so far.
It’s safe to say that the figures will rise even further with the release of the Nexus 7 3G and a price cut for the 16GB model.

We’re sure many of you are still fawning over the LG Nexus 4 and its incredible price, especially considering the goodies that it packs inside. Speaking of specs, and looking at the phone’s manual, you may have noticed that the Nexus 4 comes with a SlimPort-enabled microUSB port. Wondering what exactly does it do? This is where Analogix Semiconductor comes into the equation.

The SlimPort allows you to tether the Nexus 4 to the big screen. Aside from the standard content mirroring, it also does Full HD and 3D media sharing. Another thing that sets it apart from MHL is that the DisplayPort-based solution simultaneously charges your smartphone’s battery during playback.
Though Google’s Nexus 4 won’t be out until November 13, Analogix has released the first of many SlimPort accessories for the phone. The SP1002 HDMI adapter is already out now on Amazon US and Europe for $30. Analogix will release the HDTV cable, VGA adapter, and HDMI/VGA combo adapter next month.
If you prefer to go wireless, there’s always the Miracast route.
Source: Androidauthority

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Note 2 in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Canada and the US. And coming up, Samsung will be launching the oversized smartphone for those in Australia. The launch event is scheduled for the middle of next month. More specifically, Samsung has the launch event scheduled for November 14.

There is still some speculation in terms of which carriers will be offering the handset. Of course, we suspect those details, along with a release date and hopefully some pricing will be made available on the 14th. Otherwise, AusDroid believes that the Galaxy Note 2 will launch in Australia with support for the 1800MHz band, which means 4G network compatibility for Telsra and Optus.
Aside from the question in network support, the Galaxy Note 2 will bring the 5.5-inch (1280 x 720) Super AMOLED display, quad-core 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, microSD card slot (with support for cards up to 64GB in size), 3100 mAh battery, S Pen and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with the TouchWiz user interface.
All said and done, it looks like another market which means additional Galaxy Note 2 sales for Samsung. And for those who may have missed the Galaxy Note 2 sales expectation, back in September Samsung said they were expecting to sell more than 20 million Galaxy Note 2 smartphones.

Archos has come forward with an announcement for the third tablet in their Elements lineup. This newly introduced model is the Archos 80 Cobalt, which follows the 97 Carbon and the 97 Xenon. The Archos 80 Cobalt, as the name would imply, is an 8-inch device. That said, while Archos has announced the 80 Cobalt and offered a complete set of details in terms of specs, they have yet to say anything in terms of availability or the price.

While we wait for something from Archos on that front, lets talk specs. The Archos 80 Cobalt has an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen with a 1024 x 768 resolution, dual-core 1.6GHz processor, quad-core GPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a microSDHD card slot (with support for cards up to 64GB in size), a 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a 2 megapixel rear-facing camera.

In addition, the 80 Cobalt has Wi-Fi for connectivity and is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The tablet also has access to Google Play. Otherwise, Archos notes that the tablet is sporting a smooth-touch, easy-grip body. Finally touching back on the price, Archos claims that the Elements line of tablets gives “complete access to the Google Play store and Google mobile applications combined with the maximum in affordability.”

Bottom line here, even as a person who has purchased and supported Archos in the past, I have to say that this price truly needs to be on the affordable side for it to see anything in terms of success. After all, Google has set the Android tablet bar pretty high with the Nexus 7 which has a nice set of specs and a low price.

Although we don’t have psychic abilities as far as we know of, we were ready to bet that ZTE was going to counter Huawei’s newly unveiled 5-inch Ascend D2 phablet with a super-phone of its own soon. It only took around 24 hours or so for that to happen, so we’re proud to have been proved right and to be able to present to you the ZTE Z5.

However, the world’s fourth smartphone manufacturer couldn’t have only presented a top-notch phone to make people forget all about Huawei so soon, so instead they announced an entire new family of high-end gadgets.
The Nubia line will include a still unrevealed number of devices, of which the only name mentioned so far is the Z5. So, after all, the Z5 is the only gadget to be unveiled at the moment, although ZTE has to be appreciated for its marketing strategy and for knowing how to build hype and keep the suspense going.
As a matter of fact, even the Z5 is still pretty much wrapped in mystery, the only confirmed specs being the display’s 5 inch diagonal size, the CPU’s number of cores (four), and the rear-facing camera’s 13 MP sensor.

There’s also a bizarre, but intriguing mention about “Italian” design, which goes well to increase the mystery with the only official pic of the phone showing just the back. Well played, ZTE, well played!
We don’t even know if the Z5 will run Android, though it would be a terrible waste of uber-cool hardware if the phone were to be powered by Windows Phone 8. As for availability, ZTE says that the 5-incher will hit China in December, while the rest of the world will have to wait for after CES 2013 to find out something.
With so little known about the Z5, we can either wait to hear from ZTE again or start the day-dreaming. I’ll rather go for the latter, so my wishlist of specs and features for the beast includes a 1080p screen, an S4 Pro CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and a 3,000 mAh battery. As for the Italian design, I’d rather not speculate. Oh, okay, if you insist, I’ll say this – I hope it has something to do with Ferrari or Lamborghini.
What about you? What is your dream spec sheet for the ZTE Z5?

In the old days (of like 24 hours ago) companies like Samsung, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments made ARM chips, while Intel and AMD made x86 based CPUs. Simple. Well not any more. AMD have announced that not only will it make x86 based CPUs but it will now make ARM based chips as well.

ARM based processors, which tech companies license from the British company ARM Holdings,  are the most widely used 32-bit CPUs around. They can be found in a whole variety of devices including the majority of Android, Apple and Microsoft based smartphones and tablets.
By making this radical move and having one foot in each camp, AMD is taking a new direction where it no longer has to directly fight with Intel. AMD won’t be making ARM processors for mobile devices but instead it will create 64-bit multi-core processors built especially for energy-efficient servers. Traditionally servers have run on x86 based platforms which is dominated by Intel. Although there are some exceptions to this, like IBM’s Power systems and Oracle’s SPARC processors, Intel has a huge server market share. AMD has tried competing with Intel with its Opteron processors but it has never managed to have more than 10% of the market.
However things in the chip world are changing. With Microsoft now supporting Windows 8 on ARM (Windows RT) it is feasible that Microsoft could release a version of Windows Server for ARM, however it has stated publicly that it has no immediate plans to do so. Most people forget that the modern versions of Windows are based on Windows NT (and not Windows 3.1, 95, 98 etc) and that Microsoft used to sell a version of Windows NT for Digital’s 64-bit Alpha CPU. If Microsoft do release a server version of Windows for ARM, it won’t be the first time Microsoft stray away from Intel.

AMD will market the ARM server chips under its existing Opteron brand with the first chip expected to appear in 2014. If you looked at the recent photos of Google’s data center you can see just how many servers a big tech company uses. All those servers require power and I am sure Google’s electricity bill isn’t small. The trend is now for higher performance-per-watt systems for cloud computing applications.
This isn’t the first time AMD have made such a bold move. Today we take 64-bit x86 (x86-64) chips as the normal, but it wasn’t always that way. When 64-bit was becoming popular, Intel refused to make an  x86-64 CPU and instead invested millions into the doomed Itanium CPU. AMD on the other hand released the 64-bit x86 based AMD Opteron processor. That was in 2003. This new move by AMD makes it the only processor maker bridging the x86 and 64-bit ARM ecosystems.  ARMv8 based CPUs are also fully compatible with software compiled for ARMv7, which will simplify the transition to 64-bits.
Linux will benefit immediately. Red Hat, the popular Linux server distribution, was on-hand during AMD’s announcement. Jon Masters, its Chief ARM Architect said, “we’re excited about sharing our enterprise Linux expertise with AMD and the ecosystem as they are striving to become a disruptive force for choice in the emerging ARM-based server market.” He went on to say that future releases of  Fedora and Red Hat would support AMD’s ARM chips.
There will then be a knock on effect for Android. There are days coming when smartphones and tablets will run on 64-bit ARM chips and AMD will be there somewhere in the mix.
What do you think? Good move for AMD? Good news for ARM? Please leave a comment below.

Google-owned Motorola Mobility is about to embark on two trials over its standard-essential patents (SEPs). It’s up against Microsoft in Seattle and faces Apple in Madison. Apparently there may be overlaps between the two trials and some of the pretrial rulings don’t look great for Motorola.

We knew the patent portfolio was a big part of Google’s acquisition and it has allowed the company to fight back against its two main competitors in the courts where Android manufacturers have been under siege. Motorola is claiming SEP infringement and hoping to force import bans that could be used as leverage against Apple, in particular, and its patent infringement claims on Motorola.
The whole idea of FRAND is that it is “Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory” with regard to patent licensing terms. Motorola has to offer licensing terms on its SEPs, but it asked for 2.25 percent of the total retail price of devices, which Apple felt was unfair. According to Florian Mueller at FOSS Patents the risk here for Motorola is that Apple wins a “court-ordered FRAND license”. That’s exactly what happened in a trial in Germany recently.
Apparently much will depend on previous negotiation between the companies. How hard did they negotiate? We simply don’t know. Mueller does also point out that Motorola could get some mileage from the reciprocity clause. Apple may have refused to provide a license for its own patents which could impact on whether Motorola is at fault.
In any case the judges in both cases have made it clear they want to find a definitive solution that will preclude further litigation and that’s likely to mean a court-ordered FRAND license where they will set fair terms. This could have knock on effects for all future infringement cases involving FRAND patents.
We will keep you posted.

The next wave of processors from ARM is the Cortex A50 series offering 64-bit processing technology and greater energy efficiency than ever before. Apparently the Cortex-A57 and the Cortex A-53 are based on ARM v8 architecture and they are going to bring us two standout benefits – faster speed and greater power efficiency.

The Cortex-A57 is the headliner and it will deliver incredible performance without needing to suck down an obscene amount of power. The press release (in full below) describes it as offering “enhanced performance” which is “up to three times that of today’s superphones in the same power budget”. We are talking about “computer performance comparable to a legacy PC” here and that includes 32-bit and 64-bit processing.
The Cortex-A53 is all about conserving power and it’s the “world’s smallest 64-bit processor” capable of “delivering today’s superphone experience while using a quarter of the power”.

If you combine the two to take advantage of ARM’s big.LITTLE processing technology then you end up with an energy efficient system that has a huge performance range, switching between the A57 and A53 depending on demands.
Pretty exciting stuff, but the bad news is that they aren’t due to ship until 2014. Check out the full press release for more details.

If anyone was to tell you three or four years ago that today’s high-end mobile devices would reach the point where quad-core processors inside would become standard, what would you have said? It seemed crazy, not to mention that less than a decade ago we probably didn’t even dream of multi-core CPUs altogether.

Heck, let’s be completely honest – who knew that you can even cram a processor inside a phone, say, back in 2003, when the Nokia 1100 was the coolest thing on Earth? So, after all that, can anyone be shocked or even surprised when Intel announces that it is currently working on 48-core mobile chips?
Well, I don’t know about shock, but we can certainly be amazed about this crazy pace at which mobile technology seems to advance. Now don’t get ready to throw your quad-core Galaxy S3s in the garbage just yet, because while Intel hopes to bring 48-core processors to phones and tablets soon, the entire development process might take up to ten years.
The CPUs already exist, being created back in 2009, but until now they’ve only been used in academic institutions in the world of fluid dynamics and linear algebra, so, as you can imagine, it will be a challenge to make them fully functional and ready for production in the mobile business.
“If we’re going to have this technology in five to 10 years, we could finally do things that take way too much processing power today.” says Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights and Strategy, although Intel officials are insisting that the experimental chips could be commercially available even sooner than five years from now.


But why would someone need 48 cores when it seems that four or even two can get the job done in so many areas these days? I mean, you have your gaming, your social networking, browsing and multimedia playing, all of which are smooth as silk on an S3, for instance.
Would 48-core chips make smartphones alternative power sources for spaceships? Or tablets miniature time-travel devices? Nope, sorry to disappoint you, nothing as critical or major. However, you might be able to encrypt an email while working on other high power demanding apps. Or watch an HD video in higher quality than ever before with the 48 cores of the mobile chip decoding different video frames at the same time. Or just multitask like crazy while saving up energy.
Again, nothing very critical or groundbreaking, unless software developers will be able to keep up with hardware advancements and find new and innovative ways of taking advantage of multi-core processing. And I’m not (only) talking about Angry Birds 10: The Final Frontier, where birds and piggies will battle it out in an apocalyptic décor filled with James Cameronian special effects.
Jokes aside, let’s keep our fingers crossed for Intel, because it’s pretty obvious that future mobile processors with 12 times as many cores as today would open a sea of endless possibilities for software development. Do you agree? Or do you think 48-core CPUs will be a waste of time, money and resources for Intel?

After the semi-failed Galaxy S3 Mini whose purpose not many understood, Samsung pulled a pretty nasty stunt, scaring us with what looked like another mess of a mid-range phone. Thankfully, many of the rumors surrounding the Galaxy Premier’s specs have proven fake, and now that the handheld is official, we can definitely start feeling relieved.

Basically, the Galaxy Premier is an ever so slightly downgraded version of the Galaxy S3 who only makes a few performance sacrifices in order to reach a wider audience. Sounds great to us, but let’s see exactly what downgrades we are dealing with.
First off, let’s talk design, although there’s not much to discuss here. The Premier looks almost identical to the S3, weighing 130 grams (3 grams less than the flagship) and measuring 8.99 mm in thickness (a tad more than the S3).
The Premier sports a Super AMOLED display that, although has a slightly shrunken 4.65-inch diagonal compared with its “cousin”, still boasts a generous 1280 x 720 pixels resolution and an impressive 316 ppi pixel density.


The 1.5 GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4470 ticker under the hood can’t compare with the quad-core Exynos or dual-core Krait CPUs of the S3, but is definitely no pushover either. There’s also only 1 gig of RAM on the Galaxy Premier, but the international S3 has the same amount of memory and there’s nothing wrong with its multitasking whatsoever.
As for the cameras, those are actually identical to the ones featured by the S3, with the rear-facing one being equipped with an 8 MP sensor and the front-facing having 1.9 megapixels. One of the major sacrifices you’ll be asked to make with the Premier involves storage space, which has been shrunken from 16, 32 and 64 GB on the S3 to just 8 and 16 gigs.
Still, there’s microSD support allowing you to expand storage with an additional 32 GB, so all in all this doesn’t seem like a big issue either. The software is another area where all’s good, with the Premier being ready to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box with Touchwiz on top, as well as other Samsung exclusive goodies like S Beam, AllShare Cast, AllShare Play or S Voice.

The battery is itself more than decent, at 2,100 mAh, and we should probably expect a higher autonomy than on the S3, given the Premier’s slightly smaller screen and slower CPU. Finally, in terms of connectivity, you get all you could ever need, including Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and 4G LTE.
Now for the details you’re all so eager to hear about – pricing and availability. Well, we know that the Galaxy Premier will be available in parts of Europe, South East Asia, China and Korea. We also know that Russia will get it in November, while the Ukrainian release is scheduled for December.
Finally, we know the price in Ukraine, which will be of 5,555 hryvnias, or around $680. We don’t know however other pricing details or anything about a possible US release. Hopefully, we will find out something on that soon, so stay tuned, and, in the meantime, tell us what you think of the Galaxy Premier. Could the phone find a niche for itself? Is it a disappointment or a hit in the making?

When the iPhone 4S was launched last year, one of the most well-marketed features was Siri. The speech-powered interface brought about a change in how users interacted with devices. Sure, voice-control was not entirely new. But Apple wanted to marry interface with content and control. Siri accepted natural speech instead of memorized commands, and users could directly command their iPhones to do their biding.

Android users may actually have a better speech-powered interface than Siri, although with Google being the central platform, the focus here is on search rather than spoken commands. Google Now on Android Jelly Bean uses the company’s Knowledge Graph to put better context to a user’s information, connections and actions through the various Google online services.
With Google’s latest update to its iOS Search application, it might pose a more serious challenge to Siri on its iOS home turf. An iOS Search app review by The Verge reveals that Google’s latest Search app may not be Google Now, but is “still a big step forward.”
Some highlights:

• Fast and accurate voice recognition. The review resulted in a fast and fairly accurate recognition of spoken commands both through a WiFi and cellular network. Search doesn’t try to answer questions in natural speech like Siri, but it offers relevant search results within context faster than Siri.
• Google Now style functionality.  Search does not offer phone-level control, which means you cannot ask it to set appointments for you or accept SMS dictations. But it offers search results in an interface similar to Google Now, particularly the card-style items. The app can read back certain items, such as weather updates, sports scores, flight info, stock prices, and translations.
• Google app integration. The new Search app is well-integrated with Google apps and services like YouTube and Maps. Asking for directions will open Google Maps — within mobile Safari — complete with the route you asked for. You can directly speak to Search when looking for YouTube videos.
• Support for iPad and iPhone 5. The search app supports different displays and formats, particularly the latest iPhone and on the iPad.

What makes Google’s latest Search app attractive is its great combination of interface and content. It’s a polished app that combines speed, good voice recognition, and Google’s vast stores of information, the review says.
Check out the video below:
Are there any iPhone users out there who think the same?

Even with doomsdayers saying email is dead, the fact is that email is still an essential means of communication. Even with the popularity of IM, SMS and social networking, users still turn to email when signing up for online services.

But email has its inherent disadvantages, and services like Gmail have tried to innovate. For one, Gmail’s threaded view came with a learning curve when it was first introduced by Google. But conversation views made it easier to put emails into context. Google is gradually introducing changes to Gmail aimed at making it easier to communicate.


The latest change involves a new “compose” interface. Gmail developers are turning the compose interface into a popup window, very much similar to chat.

This makes it easy to reference any other emails without ever having to close your draft. You can even do a search or keep an eye on new mail as it comes in. And because the compose window works the same way as chats, you can write multiple messages at once and minimize a message to finish it later.

The new update is still in the works, though, and Gmail developers will be releasing these once ready. But the devs have already given us a sneak peek. Gmail seems to have taken a page out of the IM playbook. Here are a few highlights:

• Popup window. Gmail compose will now be a popup window, which makes it easy to switch back and forth through other email conversations. The window automatically resizes depending on the length and size of the message.
• Recipient avatars. You now see recipient avatars when adding contacts to the To, CC and BCC fields. The names also work similar to how you add names when sharing items on Google Plus.
• Movable recipients. Recipients can now be moved across the To, CC and BCC fields.
• Replying. The reply interface is also being revamped, which will automagically adjust to fit your content.

This update is rolling out in the next few months, as Google finishes up with polishing the new interface. This is for the web interface, though, but Google is probably working on improving its smartphone and tablet interfaces, too.

We still have no idea when Android 4.2 Jelly Bean will be rolled out to existing Nexus devices, but at least we can tell you that an early version of the new keyboard app found inside Google’s latest Android update is now available to download for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich or higher.

As you may already know, the new keyboard app comes with a new interesting feature called Gesture Typing, which is what Google calls its own Swype-like keyboard. In case you want to experience without having to wait for the actual Android 4.2 roll out to come out, you can do so right away.
The only caveat is that you’ll need a device that doesn’t run stock Android ICS or higher to enable it. Otherwise you’ll have to root your handset before enjoying Gesture Typing.
As always, remember that we’re not encouraging you to install any unofficial software on your devices and you’re the only person responsible for whatever happens with your device during such procedures. But we’ll also remind you to back up sensitive data before doing anything that you’re not entirely comfortable doing.
Have you tried the Android 4.2 keyboard app yet?

The Galaxy Note 2 is slowly making its way to North American buyers, so what better way to promote the gigantic phone than by associating it with the gigantic basketball player that’s LeBron James?
That’s apparently exactly what Samsung Mobile USA thought too, and the company has prepared a Galaxy Note 2 clip starring LeBron to be released on YouTube just in time for today basketball event – in case you don’t know, the NBA season starts today, with LeBron to receive his first ever championship ring.

The Galaxy Note 2 commercial, entitled “LeBron’s Day with the Samsung Galaxy Note II” is almost two minutes long and shows LeBron in a variety of instances in which the Galaxy Note 2 can be used. And according to the script it happens apparently all today.
While we won’t spoil it for you, we will tell you that those special edition Nike sneakers he’s wearing today to celebrate that first ring are also part of the story.
So let’s hear it from North American Android fans, have you purchased a Galaxy Note 2 already?

Yesterday Google posted the official specs for the LG Nexus 4 on its Google Play Store and in doing so created more than a little confusion. The problem was that Google’s specs claimed the Nexus 4 would only work with HPSA+ 21. This was in stark contrast to T-Mobile’s press release, which suggested the Nexus 4 did in fact have HSPA+ 42 support. Essentially this meant that either LG had more than one version of the Nexus device or someone had made a mistake. The good news is that Google was at error here, not T-Mobile.

Google has since confirmed that the they had posted incorrect specs and that the LG Nexus 4 did in fact offer 42Mbps support through HSPA+. This is great news for T-Mobile users planning on purchasing the LG Nexus 4. The only news that could be better is if Google and LG announced that the Nexus 4′s lack of LTE was just a typo, too. We can dream at least.
Are you excited for the upcoming LG Nexus 4? If so, are you buying it off-contract from Google or will you get it at a subsidized price?

At some point, we all wonder how Google makes the decisions they do. Especially regarding Android. While most of their efforts are widely liked by nearly everyone, there are some things we wish they’d explain in greater detail. Things like how they came up with the Tablet UI. Okay, what we really want to know is why no SD card love in the Nexus devices. Matias Duarte sat down to help explain things.

His explanation about Tablet UI is truly fascinating. Duarte explains that the Tablet UI in Jelly Bean was the result of market research done to see how people use devices. It was concluded that pretty much everyone uses their phone in portrait mode most of the time.
With tablets, though, it was found that people hold tablets in all sorts of ways. Upside down, right side up, and any other orientation. So the tablet UI design in Jelly Bean was done to help accommodate people who hold their tablets any which way.
Duarte goes on to explain that with the tablet UI, the three navigation buttons we’ve all come to know are always where you need them. It doesn’t matter which way you hold it. That helps bring uniformity to the platform and users don’t need to learn how to use their tablet a new way just because they’re holding it differently.

Cool stuff, so why no MicroSD cards in Nexus devices?

Not a lot of people are going to be happy with that answer. As Duarte explains, “We take a different approach. Your Nexus has a fixed amount of space and your apps just seamlessly use it for you without you ever having to worry about files or volumes or any of that techy nonsense left over from the paleolithic era of computing.”
Thus, Nexus devices don’t have MicroSD card slots. They are simply too old of a technology and apparently they confuse people. Many people probably wouldn’t mind this if there were better storage options.
While the Galaxy Nexus had 32GB of storage, the LG Nexus 4 has been reported as only having 8GB and 16GB offerings. It’s disappointing that Google believes everyone would be happy with only 8GB or 16GB of space with no room for expansion. Many people use much more than 16GB of space.
If you’d like to read a transcript of the answers Matias Duarte gave, you can find them over at Droid-Life. Is anyone satisfied with Matias Duarte’s answers? Or are they rather disappointing? Let us know your thoughts.

While there are several new features coming to the recently announced Android 4.2, the most exciting addition is the support of multi-user accounts. Unfortunately, Google has made it clear that the new account option will only be supported by tablets. Wondering why? While Google hasn’t officially given us a reason, it could have to do with an existing Nokia patent for “multi-user mobile telephones”.

The Nokia patent was granted in 2005 and highlights a system where users are able to utilize different settings and account information on one shared mobile phone. Here is the exacting wording from the older Nokia patent:

A mobile telephone is designed to be used by several different end-users at different times. A first end-user can alter the mobile telephone so that it operates in a manner specific to that first end-user and a subsequent end-user can alter the mobile telephone so that it operates in a manner specific to that subsequent end-user; wherein each end-user has only to respond to prompts displayed on a screen in order to alter the mobile telephone so that it operates in a manner specific to that end-user.

The word “mobile telephone” is mentioned four times in the Nokia patent, but obviously it says nothing about tablets. The wording of the Nokia patent could very well be why Google left the feature off of smartphones. If Android-based phones would have supported multiple users it could have opened up the door to a lawsuit, or even required Google and its partners to pay licensing fees to Nokia. Keep in mind this is just speculation at this point.
Is the lack of multi-user support on smartphones really a big deal? For most consumers, probably not. Most of us think of our phones as something very private. Still, it could have a potential purpose in situations such as enterprise use and other areas where this level of account-based control might be useful. What do you think, should Google have included the feature on smartphones running Android 4.2 or not?

The big day is finally here! After months of hyping up the next big thing, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Note 2 in Canada. While theoretically the phone is available on most carriers in the country, finding one in stores may prove to be a tricky task.

As announced on the company’s Facebook page, Samsung is apparently still working hard to ship the flagship device to carriers and retail partners. Given its popularity and red-hot demand, expect in-store availability of the Galaxy Note 2 to be rather scarce for the next two weeks.
We can understand if you’re rather frustrated to hear about the news. To avoid more disappointment, it’s best to make some phone calls before you head to the store(s) with the hope of picking one up. If you’re thinking of buying it online instead, here’s what can tell you after our little investigation.
Rogers has the Galaxy Note 2 up on its online store for $200 with a three-year service contract and $650 off-contract. Unfortunately, it doesn’t list the delivery time frame. The phone is offered at the same on-contract price at Bell, though you’ll have to shell out $730 to get it outright. It will be shipped in 6 to 8 days. Meanwhile, Telus, WIND, Videotron and SaskTel are still showing the Galaxy Note 2 as “coming soon” on their websites. Lastly, the S Pen-equipped phone is offered off-contract only on Mobilicity for $660.
So, have you had any luck finding the Galaxy Note 2 in stores?

The Nexus 4 and iPhone 4 seem to share some similarities. Both were lost in bars in California by testers working for Google and Apple, respectively, and both share the same interest in glass. Yes, the front and back of the LG Nexus 4 are made of glass also, and it looks like the device will get bumper accessories when it launches, but not for the same reasons.

The iPhone 4 was plagued at launch by an unexpected problem, the Death Grip, also known as Antennagate, which prompted Apple to offer free bumpers to users that observed cellular signal attenuation when holding the handset “the wrong way.”
The bumpers were supposed to serve as protection for the device, without hiding the front and back glass panels, but they ended up protecting the antenna of the iPhone 4 from human touch as well.
The LG Nexus 4 doesn’t come with an Antennagate problem out-of-the-box but buyers will apparently have access to a similar accessory to protect the glass design.
Moreover, the handset has an edge-to-edge screen, so a bumper may be indeed needed to protect it. Google’s Dan Morrill revealed on Google+ that such accessories will be indeed in stock:

We’ve actually got some bumpers (ring-like cases that wrap the side but not the back) coming as accessories for Nexus 4, if that’s how you roll.
On the back, there is indeed a small raised ridge, which should prevent scratches if not breaks.

He answered thus to comments to a recent posting in which he explained that his favorite Nexus 4 feature is that edge-to-edge glass finish, applauding LG’s design in the process.
So, will you buy Nexus 4 bumpers to go with the device?

Hurricane Sandy made landfall last night in the Northeastern United States and the damage has been dreadful. Currently, there are millions without power, millions upon millions of dollars in damages, and the worst part, the death toll is at 33 in the United States alone. Unfortunately, the storm is far from over.
Google is trying to help those still in the path of the storm. Yesterday, they released a brand new feature called the Crisis Response Map. It shows Hurricane Sandy and the path it’s cutting into the United States.
It helps give people a visual representation of the storm and where it’s going much like a weather map.
That isn’t all that Google is currently doing. They have added public alerts on many of their services to help warn more people. As of now, Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Now are all sending out alerts for Hurricane Sandy. In addition, you can use the alerts posted to see things like power outage maps. They have also added blips on Maps to show evacuation centers.

Isn’t Hurricane Sandy over?

Not by a long shot. While the coastal cities will be seeing some relief from Hurricane Sandy, it still rages on inland. Winds on the coast are still hurricane force in some areas. In addition, there is a huge blizzard in the Appalachian Mountains region. According to weather authorities, the storm will affect people as far West as Chicago and as far South as Georgia over the course of the next few days.
So if you’re in the path of Hurricane Sandy, check out virtually any Google service. It’ll show you where the storm is right now, what parts will be affected, and can even show you the locations of emergency shelters. It could be an invaluable resource for those that need it. To everyone dealing with the storm, stay safe, warm, and dry.

Samsung’s brand new Galaxy Note 2 phablet is still somewhat hard to procure in its subsidized flavor in the US and Canada, but if you want to break free from carrier restrictions, here’s a deal that will make you burst with excitement.

The factory unlocked GNote 2 goes for just $579.99 from DailySteals, down from a “list price” of $999.99 and a real price of around $670-700 on other retailers. The catch? Well, there doesn’t seem to be one, as far as we can tell, unless you count the limited time you have to take advantage of the deal.
As its name clearly points out, DailySteals is a website that offers special offers valid for 24 hours only, and this particular promotion is no exception, being ready to run out in around 12 hours… and counting. Both the white and gray versions of the Galaxy Note 2 model number GT-N7100 are being sold for 580 bucks, and no matter which version you’ll choose you will get a one year international warranty.


While this international Note 2 should work fine on any and every network around the world, including on US carriers, do keep in mind that the phablet comes with EDGE/GPRS support on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequencies and HSPA+ speeds, but not 4G LTE.
Other than that, you shouldn’t sacrifice much, because all the other expected treats are there, including Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a super-snappy 1.6 GHz quad-core CPU, a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 pix res, 2 gigs of RAM, 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD support, a 3,100 mAh battery, NFC and so on and so forth.
There’s also S Pen support for those of you more creative than the average, and we’ve all seen what that can mean in a skilled hand. Any takers?