Android Central

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• Checking in on Google Currents - 80,000 subscribed to Android Central
• Hands on with the Motorola XYBOARD 8.2
• RuFraud malware causes premium SMS charges for folks in Asia and Europe, apps pulled from Market
• Best Buy called, Rezound as a multimedia device? [From the Forums]
• Adobe Flash Player for Android updated with bug and security fixes, still no Ice Cream Sandwich support
• Verizon prepping a 4G LTE Xperia Play?
• Toshiba Thrive 7-Inch tablet now available in Canada
• HTC Amaze 4G update starts rolling out today, brings bug fixes and Wifi calling
• How to use Google Music
• 3G version of Sony Tablet S showing up in the UK
• Bolt Browser discontinued
• Droid XYBOARD tablets are now on sale in stores
• Samsung announces 300 million handsets sold in 2011
• Rogers LTE goes live in greater Vancouver, Toronto metros
• BBC iPlayer update coming in the new year, finally bringing 3G streaming
• Google Wallet rumoured to land in the UK before 2012 Olympics
• Start your week with the Greatest Android Podcast in the World!
• NOOK Color to receive OTA update this week, includes Netflix support
• Deal of the Day: OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Motorola Droid Bionic
• My Logitech Revue is lying to me, and I'm afraid to argue with it again
• Monday Brief: December 12, 2011
• Day 7 of Google's 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration
• Video unboxing of the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus
• The Week in Android News
• Android Central members get lucky as Best Buy sells Verizon Galaxy Nexus a bit early

Checking in on Google Currents - 80,000 subscribed to Android Central Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:36 PM PST So we're less than a week out from the launch of Google Currents, the Flipboard/Pulse competitor that presents your favorite websites in an easy-to-read magazine-type format. And we were lucky to get in on the ground floor. Question was, would anybody be using it? I posed the question to ol' CrackBerry Kevin. "How many subscribers do you think we have?" I asked. "Oh, I dunno," he said. "Maybe 4,000." Try 80,000, Mr. Michaluk, according to the tally in the app. That's 80,000 and counting. We'll all have to see how much of an effect Currents has on our analytics before declaring it a success, of course. Subscribers are one thing. (Scratch that, they're 80,000 very awesome things.) But we've still got to see how much everybody's using Currents to actually read content. So for now, be sure to subscribe. Be sure to read. And be sure to tell your friends. Hit up the link below to subscribe. Subscribe now to the Android Central Edition on Google Currents

Hands on with the Motorola XYBOARD 8.2 Posted: 12 Dec 2011 03:38 PM PST Behold, the Verizon Motorola XYBOARD 8.2. In a nutshell, it's a scaled-down, slimmed-down, sexed-up verison of the original Motorola Xoom, and it fits right in with the likes of the Motorola RAZR. It's a bit angular, it's industrial design is, well, industrial. But it's also plenty powerful under the hood. We're very much digging the 8.2-inch screen size (at 1232x800 resolution for, even if it's only 179 pixels per inch. It's a tablet, so it's not as close to our face as a phone might be in normal use. And we're also very much digging that it's using microUSB to charge, instead of, like almost every other tablet out there, a proprietary charger. We'll have to see how much of a difference that makes in how long it takes to chage, though. The volume and power buttons have a new home, too, and they're going to take a little getting used to. A quick tour through the software on the XYBOARD 8.2 and you'll find Android 3.2. Yes, it's a Honeycomb tablet, but it's already been promised an update to Ice Cream Sandwich. Hopefully sooner rather than later. And while the original Xoom was very much a Nexus-like developer device, the XYBOARD is very much a Verizon and Motorola device. It's chock-full of Verizon and Motorola goodness (or bloat -- one man's trash and all that ...), with the framework in place for a dock connector and the MOTOPRINT wireles printing service. Anyhoo, check out some more pics and quick video after the break. More: Xoom 2/XYBOARD forums read more

RuFraud malware causes premium SMS charges for folks in Asia and Europe, apps pulled from Market Posted: 12 Dec 2011 03:32 PM PST The folks over at Lookout have warned us about a new malware threat, this time targeted at users outside of North America.  The RuFraud malware will sign up users in Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Czech Republic, Poland, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Estonia, Great Britain, Italy, Israel, France, and Germany to a premium SMS service by hiding inside apps that pretend to be download helpers for popular games and utilities, or wallpaper apps from movies like Twilight.  This particular bit of malware does not affect users in other countries. While most of the affected applications are found on file-sharing sites and unofficial markets, some have appeared in the official Android Market.  The first batch were removed by Google after Lookout contacted them, and having only a "handful" of downloads they did not affect very many users.  Unfortunately, 13 new apps were later uploaded that had been downloaded over 14,000 times before they were pulled.  Lookout has been updated to remove and clean these apps from your phone if you downloaded them, and we expect other malware scanning applications will have followed suit. A quick tip: It really sucks when popular applications (or Nexus phones) aren't available in your location.  We understand.  But any app that claims to be a helper to download an app that's otherwise unavailable is definitely suspicious.  Don't use them.  If the apps are free, ask your friends.  Ask on forums.  Root your phone, or use an app that disguises your location and opens the Market.  I'm not condoning piracy here, but I'm a realist -- if you're going to circumvent measures that keep these apps from you, do it the smart way. Source: Lookout

Best Buy called, Rezound as a multimedia device? [From the Forums] Posted: 12 Dec 2011 03:21 PM PST With another week now kicked off, we're getting stoked for what this week will bring and hope you'll join us for it all. If you missed out on anything from the weekend, be sure to get caught up. Plus, our forums are open 24/7 so jump on in if you've got something to say. Galaxy Nexus Forums - Best Buy Finally Called and Asked Me To Return The GN HTC Rezound Forums - Can the Rezound really be a multimedia device? Battery? Droid RAZR Forums - Smart actions and data connection HTC Vivid Forums - Quality concerns with the Vivid? HTC Amaze 4G Forums - Possessed HTC Amaze - software or hardware issue? If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

Adobe Flash Player for Android updated with bug and security fixes, still no Ice Cream Sandwich support Posted: 12 Dec 2011 01:55 PM PST Adobe has updated Flash Player for Android to version 11.1.111.5, which fixes video streaming issues on the Galaxy S II, adds support for 1080p video on Tegra 3 devices like the Transformer Prime, and generic fixes for video decoding and playback.  It's a recommended update, even if you don't own one of the aforementioned devices, so hit the market and update or grab the link after the break.  Adobe did promise to keep supporting the Android Flash Player, and while nobody doubted them, it's still nice to see them hold true to their word. Unfortunately, this update doesn't yet enable Flash on the Galaxy Nexus or any preliminary ICS build for other devices.  We still expect to see that soon, and we'll let you know as soon as it's available. More: Adobe read more

Verizon prepping a 4G LTE Xperia Play? Posted: 12 Dec 2011 01:54 PM PST Are you a fan of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, but not so much a fan of it only being a 3G device on Verizon? You might well soon get to have the best of both words, if this internal traning registration is on the level. We're told the Dec. 12 and Dec. 14 training indeed is for Big Red, and we've confirmed with a second source that indeed an LTE Xperia Play exists.  So will we see it? And when will we see it? News at 11.

Toshiba Thrive 7-Inch tablet now available in Canada Posted: 12 Dec 2011 01:46 PM PST Back in September when it was intially announced Toshiba had stated an expected release date of December for the Toshia Thrive 7-Inch and they've managed to stick to that -- at least in Canada. The Android 3.2 powered 7-Inch tablet brings a 1280x800 resolution with Toshiba's Adaptive Display and Resolution+ video enhancements, stereo speakers, a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera, in either 16 or 32-gigabytes sizes with a NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual processor. Plus, you get plenty of ports to make use of such as a miniUSB, microHDMI and a microSD card slot. When it comes to price, you're not totally breaking the bank here. You'll be able to pick one up right now from Future Shop for only $370 -- that's not bad, all things considered. Source: Futureshop

HTC Amaze 4G update starts rolling out today, brings bug fixes and Wifi calling Posted: 12 Dec 2011 12:42 PM PST It's not Ice Cream Sandwich. Now that we have that out of the way, the HTC Amaze 4G has a new OTA starting to roll out today, one that brings Wifi calling and a few software fixes to users of the best looking phone ever made.  Besides Wifi calling, the fixes are: Improvements to Bluetooth connection Clock widget not updating with time zone change Improvement to Twitter and Peep application Improved Wifi  connection So we're not looking at a huge milestone in the software development of the Amaze, but take it from me -- Wifi calling is sweet and reason enough to look forward to this one.  You'll see it soon (the initial rollout begins today, and continues until Jan. 20 2012), and it promises to be a painless update.  Like all promises, that can be broken, so keep an eye on the Amaze 4G forums to stay abreast of any issues folks are finding.  Source: T-Mobile; via TMoNews

How to use Google Music Posted: 12 Dec 2011 12:16 PM PST Make no mistake -- Android is multimedia-centric, and it does a darn fine job of it.  Whether you want to copy media to your device's storage, or want to stream from the cloud, Android, especially since the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, can turn your phone or tablet into a great media player.  We're going to have a look at using Google Music, Google's storage-locker style streaming music application. Read on for a walkthrough of how to use Google Music on the web and adding media, as well as playing it back on your Android device. read more

3G version of Sony Tablet S showing up in the UK Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:39 AM PST A new variant of the Pope's favourite tablet, the Sony Tablet S, is now showing up for sale in the UK, the promised 3G version of Sony's Honeycomb offering.  Costing £449 and shipping with Android 3.2, the 3G Tablet S is only available in the 16GB size. It also weighs a touch more than the wifi only version as you would expect, but otherwise all specs remain the same. Check the source link for more information. Source: Sony

Bolt Browser discontinued Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:10 AM PST Bad news for fans of the Bolt browser for Android -- it's been discontinued follwing the split of its parent company, Bitstream. The message at boltbrowser.com says it all: The free BOLT mobile browsing service will be discontinued. Unfortunately, the economic circumstances prevent us from running a free service going forward. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your loyalty and support.  And that, folks, is that. Source: Bolt; More: BitStream; via CrackBerry

Droid XYBOARD tablets are now on sale in stores Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:28 AM PST If you've been itching to get your hands on a Droid XYBOARD, the sequel to Motorola's XOOM, you can now purchase one at your local Verizon Wireless retail store. The XYBOARD packs a 1.2 GHz dual core processor, an IPS, Gorilla Glass-coated display, and an LTE radio, and comes in 10.1 and 8.2-inch flavors. The 10.1-inch XYBOARD is priced at $529.99, $629.99, and $729.99 for the 16, 32, and 64GB models respectively, while the 8.2-incher will set you back $429.99 and $529.99 for 16 or 32 GBs.  Source: Verizon Wireless read more

Samsung announces 300 million handsets sold in 2011 Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:01 AM PST Samsung announced today that it has reached a major milestone in global sales, with 300 million handsets sold in 2011. Driving the momentum, Samsung says, is its Galaxy S line, which includes the original Galaxy S devices as well as the Galaxy S II smartphones, the latter having reached 10 million units sold faster than any device in the company's history. With the American release of the Galaxy Nexus, ongoing patent battles with Apple, and next year's revamped Galaxy tablets all on the horizon, it'll certainly be worth keeping an eye on whether or not Samsung can keep its momentum going into 2012. The full presser follows the break. read more

Rogers LTE goes live in greater Vancouver, Toronto metros Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:58 AM PST Rogers announced today that its LTE service is now live in more cities in the greater Toronto and Vancouver area. Rogers says that its 4G network will cover 30% of the Canadian population by year's end. Cities in the Toronto area that are now covered include: Mississagua Brampton Vaughan Richmond Hill Markham And in the west: West Vancouver North Vancouver Port Coquitlam Delta Langley Surey Maple Ridge Sounds like it's time for you all to treat yourself to the Galaxy S II LTE, HTC Raider, or the HTC Jetstream LTE.  Source: Roger's Redboard

BBC iPlayer update coming in the new year, finally bringing 3G streaming Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:49 AM PST The BBC have come out today with some information regarding a future update to their Android offering, which will finally bring 3G streaming to the application.  With 1.2 million downloads on Android alone, the decision to bring 3G streaming to the iPlayer will prove to be a popular one. The BBC have been working alongside British carriers to introduce the feature while keeping the viewing experience of a high quality. They're not quite finished with the Android version yet, as there's still work to be done "to improve the video playback experience." They expect to launch the updated app in the new year. Source: BBC

Google Wallet rumoured to land in the UK before 2012 Olympics Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:02 AM PST 2012 is a big year for the United Kingdom, with London playing host to the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. According to a French newspaper, Google might also be along for the ride launching Google Wallet in the UK in time for the games.  A report in Les Echos suggests that Google is in talks with banks and retailers on our side of the pond to get the service up and running by March next year. Otherwise the article is pretty vague, and we've yet to hear anything from Google on the matter. Source: Les Echos via Techradar UK

Start your week with the Greatest Android Podcast in the World! Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:42 AM PST Oh, my. If you missed Thursday night's podcast live, you've got to be sure to check it out in recorded form this week. We kicked off with the launch of Google Currents, talked up Google's 10-cent app promotion, and then dived into a whole bunch of questions about the Samsung Galaxy Nexuxs, and when we might finally see it on Verizon here in the United States. You absolutely cannot miss this one. The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. Plus, we answer your e-mails and voicemails. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast.

NOOK Color to receive OTA update this week, includes Netflix support Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:20 AM PST Barnes & Noble has announced that they will roll out a software update for the NOOK Color that includes Netflix support. The update will be software version 1.4.1 and will include: Netflix support, as mentioned above Comic and graphic novels New PagePerfect NOOK books The ability to read books in portrait or landscape mode The update will be an OTA that will roll out beginning today. It will automatically download to your NOOK once you're on Wi-Fi and the device is idle. If you absolutely have to have the update right now, here is the link to the manual update. Source: Barnes & Noble; More: Nook Color forums

Deal of the Day: OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Motorola Droid Bionic Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:15 AM PST The Dec. 12 Deal of the Day is the OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Motorola Droid Bionic. It's got three layers of protections -- a self-adhering clear protective film, a durable silicone mid-layer and a one-piece custom molded polycarbonate shell. Protection, indeed. And it does it while still allowing full access to the camera, ports and buttons. And best of all, it's available today only for just $19.95 -- that's 43 percent off! Get yours while supplies last!

My Logitech Revue is lying to me, and I'm afraid to argue with it again Posted: 12 Dec 2011 06:47 AM PST Yes, my Logitech Revue is a liar.  I've been waiting patiently for the mythical Honeycomb update for my Revue for at least a month, I even got a friendly e-mail from Logitech telling me I would be getting an update soon.  Then last Wednesday, Logitech came out and said everyone should be getting an update "this week."  Well, it's midnight Sunday night/Monday morning, and officially next week and still no update for me.  I'm sure it's a conspiracy of some sorts, and I know if I look deep enough I'll find out how it's tied to the release of the Verizon Galaxy Nexus.  I'll get to the bottom of this! In the meantime, I figure "Hey, I'm an Android nerd.  I'll manually update from a leaked file on the web!"  Yeah, that didn't go over so well.  Turns out that leaked file wasn't the correct update path from stock 2.1 to 3.1, and hilarity bricks ensued.  Not just to me (so maybe this one isn't a conspiracy) either.  Seems like more than a few people took matters into their own hands and made their Revue a $99 paperweight.  Including Kevin Pereira, host of "Attack of the Show" on G4TV, who knew just what to do to fix it. Before After   There's nothing a hammer won't fix.  Nothing. So I've replaced my Revue, and this time I'm going to wait for the update to push to me, like a normal person.  I don't like it very much, but there's nothing I can do about it.  And about that leaked update firmware?  You'll find it at GTVHacker.com with updated instructions that plainly say you shouldn't use it unless you're running one of the earlier leaks.  You're on your own if you go that route, so be careful.  The Revue is still the best $99 I ever spent, I just want to it be better.  Hurry, Logitech! Source: @kpereira (Kevin Pereira) 1, 2 read more

Monday Brief: December 12, 2011 Posted: 12 Dec 2011 05:41 AM PST Youtube video link for mobile viewing   Mobile Nations Podcast Feed Superfunctional 21: Putting the fun in functionality Iterate 12: Iconfactory ZENandTECH 26: Self-esteem LG Nitro HD review Google announces Currents, its finger-friendly, Flipboard-esque news reader OnLive gaming launched for Android, free game included Android Central Podcast Exclusive: First Image of BlackBerry Milan BlackBerry 10 new official name of the next generation platform for BlackBerry DingleBerry Rooting Tool for BlackBerry PlayBook Now Available! CrackBerry.com Podcast HP to open source webOS; may make new webOS tablets, but not smartphones webOS is dead, long live webOS Introducing webOS Nation; still your home for all things webOS! PalmCast Podcast Vote now: 2011 TiPb readers choice awards iPhone 4S: 2 months later Weekly Mod: How to replace an iPhone 4 battery iPhone Live / iPad Live   Xbox Companion Windows Phone app now available Dance Central 2 coming to Windows Phone T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 - confirmed through FCC manual WPCentral Podcast

Day 7 of Google's 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:42 AM PST It's Day 7 of  Google's 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration. Here's what we're seeing so far this fine Monday morning: Doodle Jump Flight Control Blow Up When I Get Bigger Block Breaker 3 Roll in the Hole (Rest of World) Flick Soccer Super KO Boxing 2 And a couple more repeats today as well -- Beautiful Widgets and Sound Hound. Also: Day 1 apps, Day 2 apps, Day 3 apps, Day 4 apps, Day 5 apps, Day 6 apps

Video unboxing of the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus Posted: 11 Dec 2011 07:37 PM PST Youtube link for mobile viewing Yeah, yeah. We don't do unboxings. We know. But that doesn't mean it's not awesome when our readers uboxing unreleased phones. And that's what we've got here -- a proper (and rather decent) video unboxing of the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus. (Only makes sense since we're seeing some sold a tad early, no?) Not a whole lot here you wouldn't already know from reading our Galaxy Nexus review. And, yes, it's yet another teaser for a phone that still doesn't have an official release date. (Dec. 15 is the current unofficial favorite.) Anyhoo, enjoy. And thank, anon, for sending it in! More: Galaxy Nexus forums

The Week in Android News Posted: 11 Dec 2011 07:37 PM PST Pssssssttttt. Samsung Galaxy Nexus please come out from hiding, Verizon Wireless customers would love to have you! Aside from some on again - off again drama with the Galaxy Nexus there was a bunch of other news this week, so let's take a look below at some of what you may have missed! General News Google shows off Ice Cream Sandwich features -- including on tablets -- at LeWeb Editorial: Is the Verizon Galaxy Nexus really a Nexus? You betcha Android Central on Google Currents What an open-source webOS means for Android Hardware News Verizon's Galaxy Nexus training materials Verizon announces Droid RAZR in white Sprint Epic Touch 4G OTA update rolling out now LG Nitro HD review Tablet News MIPS Tablet promises 7 inches of Ice Cream Sandwich for $99 HTC: Honeycomb coming 'soon' to the Wifi-only HTC Flyer Root your BlackBerry Playbook? Now you can with Dingleberry Verizon officially announces pair of XYBOARD tablets Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Archos G9 series in Q1 2012 Coby Electronics announces collection of Android 4.0 tablets

Android Central members get lucky as Best Buy sells Verizon Galaxy Nexus a bit early Posted: 11 Dec 2011 06:15 PM PST Confused? That'd be the Galaxy Nexus with AndroidCentral loaded up Verizon still doesn't have the Galaxy Nexus for sale yet, but that didn't stop Best Buy from selling a couple to two lucky AC forum members this morning.  Members sfbates and dubya.t both got their Nexus on, and are in the forums talking it up.  The Best Buy folks went to great lengths to sell these, as the normal procedures didn't work out, and we imagine very few people got this lucky this afternoon, as others reporting their Best Buy experience are all coming up empty handed.  Congrats, fellas, and thanks for sharing with everyone in the forums.  Enjoy those rare animals and feed our addiction with pics and details until Verizon decides to take our money.  If you want to join in the fun and talk to who may just be the luckiest Android geeks in America, hit the forums and give them a shout! Source: Android Central Forums

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