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- Verizon Galaxy Nexus date of Dec. 15 looking likely according to this Costco document
- Google Maps updated to version 6.0.2, brings bug fixes for 'newer devices'
- Sprint Epic 4G Touch gets unofficial CyanogenMod 7.2 port
- This is not an official Verizon Galaxy Nexus announcement
- Verizon Galaxy Nexus threads of the day
- Droid Incredible 2 gets an update for bugfixes
- More 'Xperia Arc HD' photos leak, along with rumored specs
- Samsung Stratosphere Review
- Android Quick App: Bird Poop (no, really)
- NTSB recommends that states ban all driver cell phone use
- DroidDoodle - Carrier IQ
- Skype for Android adds file sharing, improves battery life and video quality
- Hands-on with the Motorola XYBOARD 10.1
- Hands-on with the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Huawei Honor
- Carrier IQ gives a lengthy look into how it works
- Motorola Droid Bionic major maintenance update rolling out
- Day 8 of Google's 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration
- Contest Winners: AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G, TAB Rests, and iBOLT charging docks
- CyanogenMod team dropping support for Samsung Vibrant because of 911 issues
| Verizon Galaxy Nexus date of Dec. 15 looking likely according to this Costco document Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:50 PM PST We got this gem from a Costco Ninja, and when added to the rest of the leaks and pictures pointing to a December 15 release date of the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, the evidence is getting pretty strong. Maybe not strong enough for a certain editor who want's an officially official announcement from Big Red, but enough that we want to pass it all along. Engadget also got in some new leaked docs which point to Dec. 15, from Verizon corporate and Costco, you can check those out at the source link. Our tipster also stated that the Galaxy Unicorn has a price of $289 with a new contract at Costco. Will Dec. 15 be the day? Heck, I dunno. It's as good a day as any to release a phone, and it is before the end of the year. We just want the damn thing released so we all can play with it, then maybe other carriers here in the states can get a version of their own. Thanks Anon! More: Engadget 
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| Google Maps updated to version 6.0.2, brings bug fixes for 'newer devices' Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:20 PM PST If you have an Android phone chances are that you use Google Maps, and you've got a new update waiting for you in the Android Market. Usually when we see an update for Maps, we see features like indoor mapping, or updates for places and check-ins, but this time around it simply states that this version is a bug fix for "newer devices". We have no idea if newer devices means yet-to-be-released Verizon devices, or current devices (we're not hearing about any glaring bugs in Google Maps for the latest phones), but in any case bugs have been fixed. Go grab it from the market, or hit the jump for the quick link. Thanks, brianalley! 
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| Sprint Epic 4G Touch gets unofficial CyanogenMod 7.2 port Posted: 13 Dec 2011 02:59 PM PST It's not anything official, but enterprising Android developer bubby323 has ported CyanogenMod 7.2 to the Sprint Epic 4G Touch. Yes, 7.2 is Gingerbread and not the Ice Cream Sandwich everyone wants, but CM9 (the ICS-based build number) isn't quite ready for any unsupported devices. We'll manage with Gingerbread for a while longer. Using device files from the TeamHacksung Github, bubby and friends have got a semi-complete ROM built and running, and while probably not ready for a daily driver, it's more than complete enough for anyone who wants to test an AOSP-like experience on this hardware. Notable missing functions include 911 calling (let's hope it isn't an issue similar to the Vibrant), Wimax data, SMS and MMS from the native messaging client, GPS and external SD card mounting. Early reports seem positive, and users certainly love the freedom from TouchWiz. The folks are hard at work fixing the bugs and getting all the features up and running, if you're rooted and up to helping test be sure to hit the source link and have a look. Source: XDA-Developers. Thanks everyone who sent this in! 
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| This is not an official Verizon Galaxy Nexus announcement Posted: 13 Dec 2011 02:27 PM PST With all due respect to the Mobile Generation Verizon retailer in Bloomington, Minn., we're pretty sure the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus hasn't actually been announced yet. And we're pretty sure when it is, it won't be done with the GSM version shown in the pictures. Stay tuned, folks. We're sure it'll happen soon. Source: Facebook; thanks, @andrew_53517 
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| Verizon Galaxy Nexus threads of the day Posted: 13 Dec 2011 02:08 PM PST Depending on who you ask, we might finally see the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus this week. There's still no announced date, and, frankly, we're just going to wait until Verizon announces the damn thing to worry about that. It'll be soon enough. But that doesn't mean you guys haven't had a lot to say about it. Here are a few choice threads from our Verizon Galaxy Nexus forums:
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Have at it, folks!
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| Droid Incredible 2 gets an update for bugfixes Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:58 PM PST Verizon's HTC Droid Incredible 2 is getting an over-the-air update today that brings the following improvements: Security features:
Device features:
Hit Menu>Settings>About Phone to check for the update now. Source: Verizon (pdf); More: Droid Incredible 2 forums 
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| More 'Xperia Arc HD' photos leak, along with rumored specs Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:28 PM PST Another week, another 'Xperia Arc HD' leak. The latest batch of pictures showing the device codenamed "Nozomi" come from GSMArena, and are of considerably higher quality than what we've seen so far, showing the phone from quite a few different angles. The photos confirm the presence of a dedicated camera button and HDMI connector (just like the original Arc), along with a curious capacitive button setup. It seems that the phone's button labels sit below the screen in an illuminated cut-out area, while the capacitive area just above it consists of three glowing dots. The original source also reports a familiar list of rumored specs -- a 4.3-inch, 720p screen powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon chip, with 1GB of RAM and 16 or 32 GB of internal storage, and no SD card slot. Camera-wise, GSMArena reports a 12-megapixel rear sensor, and we can see what looks like a front-facing camera above the screen, too. The phone's also said to be running Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread rather than the shiny new Ice Cream Sandwich, but that shouldn't surprise anyone given that the ICS source has been available for less than a month. Hit the source link for the full compliment of photos from various angles. Hopefully we'll get to see more of the Arc HD (or whatever it's called) at CES or Mobile World Congress in the months ahead. Source: GSMArena 
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| Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:28 PM PST We live in a world of large displays and touchscreen keyboards. As phones continue to evolve, it seems as though physical keyboards and smaller screens are fading out. Not everyone is enthralled by this notion, however. There are many who still prefer to text or write an email with physical keys. Why should those users be left out of cutting edge technology such as 4G LTE? Enter the Samsung Stratosphere. It boasts a beautiful 4-inch screen, a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard and runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE service. On top of all that, it is a cheap alternative at $99 when compared to the rest of Verizon’s 4G LTE lineup, which run from $199 - $299 with a 2-year contract. It is a beautiful device that runs very smoothly and should be a consideration for many this holiday season. So let's dive in to see how the Stratosphere stacks up.
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| Android Quick App: Bird Poop (no, really) Posted: 13 Dec 2011 12:12 PM PST Let's not mince words here. You're not going to play Bird Poop for hours. You're not going to stay up nights hoping to level up a character. Hell, you're not even going to want people to know you're playing it. But Bird Poop, from Paramobile Games, is strangely fascinating. You're a bird on a wire, hanging out above a city street, doing what birds do. Pooping. Only, this bird's got a bombsight, the better to pepper cars and pedestrians. It's also got an interesting three-dimensional perspective, and the graphics are quite smooth. It's bizarre, to say the least. If you don't want Bird Poop mucking up your downloads list, we've got some hands-on video after the break. That's right ... we're givers. 
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| NTSB recommends that states ban all driver cell phone use Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:47 AM PST The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that states ban the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices by drivers of vehicles, except for in an emergency. That doesn't mean you have to immediately stop using your Android smartphone for navigation or music playback -- there's still some legislating that needs to be done for that to happen. But a recommendation from the NTSB certainly holds some water. Here's the crux of the recommendation:
The recommendation stems from a crash in Missouri in 2010 that involved a pickup truck, two school busses and a teenage driver who apparently had sent 11 text messages in as many minutes before the crash, which killed two and injured 38. It's tough to say that phones don't distract drivers -- they most certainly can. But is a blanket ban too much? And would it even be effective? Source: NTSB; via Associated Press 
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| Skype for Android adds file sharing, improves battery life and video quality Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:55 AM PST Adds support for the unannounced Motorola Droid 4Android's Skype app got itself a nice little update today, with improvements to battery life and video quality, the ability to send photos and videos to your contacts, and it's now much easier to sign out. (That'd be the little arrow button in the top right of this picture.) Skype says tablets with the NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor will greatly benefit from the battery and video improvements, with full-screen chat looking better than ever. Also, the HTC Amaze 4G, Motorola Droid RAZR and We've got download links after the break. More: Skype 
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| Hands-on with the Motorola XYBOARD 10.1 Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:39 AM PST This Motorola XYBOARD 10.1 looks a little familiar, eh? It should. Take the Motorola XYBOARD 8.2 (see our hands-on), add a couple inches, and that's what you've got. It's the same redesigned Motorola Xoom 2 with a larger screen and a third option for storage -- 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. Otherwise, pretty much the same thing here. You've got angled corners, the metallic section on the back, 5MP rear camera, microUSB and microHDMI. You've also got a 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor and 1GB of RAM running Android 3.2 Honeycomb, with an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich already promised. No microSD card, however. Check out our quick hands-on after the break. 
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| Hands-on with the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Huawei Honor Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:55 AM PST We have seen some manufacturers talk about what goes into bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to their devices, but Huawei has skipped the talking part and gone right for the releasing part. Subtly on their site they released a demo ROM for the Huawei Honor. Of course we had to take it for a spin and see how it all played out, so check out the video above to see some of our thoughts! Release-ready? Probably not, as it could use a little more polish and needs access to Google Apps, but it sure is nice to see the support for ICS so early on such a powerful device. More: Huawei 
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| Carrier IQ gives a lengthy look into how it works Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:13 AM PST Carrier IQ, the company that everyone -- for right or wrong -- has come to hate of late has released a document explaining in plain English how it does what it does. "Understanding Carrier IQ Technology -- What Carrier IQ Does and Does Not Do" was released on Carrier IQ's website late Dec. 12 and is a PDF that details what Carrier IQ is, how it's loaded on devices (and what kinds of devices it can be used on), what information is collected, how it can be used by Carrier IQ's customers, and how the data is protected in the process. Let's break it down. 
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| Motorola Droid Bionic major maintenance update rolling out Posted: 13 Dec 2011 05:21 AM PST Judging from the excitement in our inbox and in the Droid Bionic forums, it looks like that major maintenance update is rolling out. Here's what you get, and it's a pretty long list: E-mail, messaging and data
Device features
Lapdock
You can check for the update now by going to Menu>Settings>About Phone>System Update. And hit the fourms link below to let us know if things are going better for you. Source: Verizon; More: Droid Bionic forums 
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| Day 8 of Google's 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:32 AM PST
Welcome to Day 8 of Google's 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration. We're waiting on Google to update its landing page, but note that the banner's changed from "10 Days of Offers - Top Premium Apps - 10¢" to what you now see above -- 90 percent off. Google's actually upped things to 12 apps to day. Here's what's listed:
Also: Day 1 apps, Day 2 apps, Day 3 apps, Day 4 apps, Day 5 apps, Day 6 apps, Day 7 apps 
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| Contest Winners: AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G, TAB Rests, and iBOLT charging docks Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:09 PM PST If you're a registered member here at Android Central then you know our forums always have a contest happening. And if you're not registered, well -- now is as good a time as any. This week's winners are as posted after the break, and if you were chosen watch your email as we'll be following up shortly. Stay tuned for more upcoming contests folks. Congrats to this week's winners! 
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| CyanogenMod team dropping support for Samsung Vibrant because of 911 issues Posted: 12 Dec 2011 06:46 PM PST The Samsung Vibrant (the first of the original Galaxy S devices to hit the U.S.) is no longer supported by CyanogenMod. According to developer Abhisek Devkota, issues with the way the radio interface layer interacts with the audio layer leads to a loss of the ability to dial 911, and this issue can not be solved without source code from Samsung. In his own words:
We'll have to second his recommendation -- if you're currently using CM or another AOSP-based ROM on your Vibrant, you should look at Samsung TouchWiz based ROMs as an alternative. Having cool open-source software on your phone is great, but not at the expense of losing the ability to call emergency services. It was fun while it lasted though, and thanks for all the hard work gentlemen! Source: +Abhisek Devkota 
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