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ITC to investigate Apple over HTC's patent complaints

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 04:11 PM PDT

Hammertime

Tech Armageddon continues, and now the ITC (International Trade Commission) will be launching an investigation against Apple Computer Corp. over disputes brought by HTC earlier this year.  TechCrunch reports (by way of BusinessWeek) a basic description of the patents in question as:

The patents in the ITC case relate to an interface that lets the user add identifiers such as .com or .org; an interface that enlarges characters being typed; a way to display information on mobile devices; and status bars that let a user check phone calls, text messages or calendar events.

The investigation itself goes well beyond the smartphone arena -- the ITC states it will cover "computers, tablet computers, and smartphones."  It's worth noting that some of the patents in question were granted to HTC by Google, who so far has stayed out of the current tech courtroom drama it's OEM's are involved in. 

As always, it's the consumer who will be the biggest loser here.  Licensing agreements will be worked out, and that cost will be funneled down to all of us.  It's a war with no winners.

Source: ITC; via Tech Crunch

Android 201: How (and when) to clear app cache or data

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT

App cache-data

Apps sometimes can misbehave. Before you go reaching for that task killer (don't do it!) here's something else to try. Above is the screen you'll see if you go to Settings>Applications>Manage appliations and tap on an app. You've got a bunch of buttons and numbers. The top buttons are pretty self-explanatory -- force stop makes an app quit. Uninstall either uninstalls an app -- or if it's permanently loaded onto the phone (like the Android Market should be), you'll have the option to uninstall updates.

But when we have a misbehaving app, first thing we'll try is to clear the cache. That wipes out temporary files that might be causing trouble. Your app's still there, as are all your settings.

Clearing data is a little more drastic, basically giving you a clean installation of the app, with all of your settings and log-ins returned to zero. It's pretty much the same as uninstalling and reinstalling, just quicker.

So if you're having trouble with an app, try clearing then cache, or go all-out and clear data and see if that doesn't do it for you.

Amaze 4G, Separate Android Market accounts [From the Forums]

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 02:57 PM PDT

From the Forums

We're rocking through this week and the celebrations continue for our 500,000-member giveaway in the Android Central forums. You can check in there for your chance to win some cool prizes. Check out some of the threads below or start up your own today!

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

Qualcomm and BSQUARE announce the Dragonboard - a reference platform for the S3 Snapdragon series

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Enter the Dragon

Qualcomm and partner BSQUARE announced the APQ8060 S3 reference development  Dragonboard today.  Besides having a cool name that conjures up images of Bruce Lee, it's a great way for hardware and software developers to work with Qualcomm's latest and greatest gear without the bulk (and locked hardware silliness) of the typical OEM Android phone.  The Dragonboard includes an APQ8060 processor (think the T-Mobile Galaxy S II or HP TouchPad), and two pre-installed daughterboards with sensors and wireless (802.11 b/g/n Wifi and Bluetooth) complete with a full build of Android and all hardware drivers for just $299.  Other packages include a 480x800 touchscreen, camera, and earpiece for $199, or you can get the whole bundle for $498.

The benefit of using this type of kit for design and testing is the wide open hardware, and the ability for expansion.  The board has all the connectors we're used to on our phones, like USB, as well as test points and a JTAG connector.  You wouldn't use this to build your next custom Android ROM, but it sure would be handy when designing and building an Android powered home automation system, or even the mythical Android powered toaster.  If you're interested in more details or purchasing, hit the source link and have a look.

Source: Qualcomm

ROM review: CyanogenMod 7 (VALPHA 2) for EVO 3D

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 01:18 PM PDT

CM7 for EVO 3D (VALPHA2)

I'm an AOSP man. Sense has gotten good, but I just can't seem to tear myself away from vanilla Android, and more specifically, CyanogenMod.

The speed, the themes, and the customizability are just a few of the reasons I'm always drawn back into Steve Kondik's world, so the night the EVO 3D alpha went live, I flashed it.

If you're curious about the goods, follow me after the break.

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Google Maps updated, brings improved location accuracy and more

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 12:10 PM PDT

Maps Update

Today we see an update to Google Maps. The update bumps us up to version 5.10.1, and brings some bug fixes, as well as improved location accuracy for Transit Navigation. So, why wait any longer? Hop past the break for download links, or head into the market and grab your update.

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Motorola Atrix 4G case review: Seidio ACTIVE case

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 12:08 PM PDT

Motorola Atrix 4G Seidio ACTIVE Case

 

Looking for the right case for your Android smartphone is not always as easy as it should be, especially when shopping online.  Getting to feel a case and seeing how it fits on your device is always an advantage when buying cases at a local store, so we'll be taking an in-depth look at the Seidio ACTIVE case for the Motorola Atrix 4G and how it holds up in terms of protection, functionality and overall comfort.  

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Sprint’s new Push-to-Talk Service launches Oct. 2

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 11:32 AM PDT

Sprint

Sprint Direct Connect -- that's the name of the new Push-to-Talk service coming from Sprint  next week (Oct. 2, to be exact), is bringing a lot of changes to Push-to-Talk as we know it today according to Paget Alves, president-Sprint Business.

“We’ve seen steadily increasing demand for faster data speeds, better and broader coverage, and more applications on push-to-talk devices. Sprint Direct Connect is designed to solve for all three.”

Sprint’s 3G data network will be used now instead for Push-to-Talk services instead of the aging iDEN system and while coverage support for Direct Connect won't be as broad at first, Sprint expects that by 2012 direct connect coverage will be almost three times the square miles covered by iDEN.

When it comes to compatible devices, Sprint has stated three new devices will be released in Q3 that are compatible with the new direct connect service. The Kyocera DuraMax and DuraCore will both be available but Sprint left out the other. We're guessing that's because they've not yet announce the previously outed Motorola Admiral, which should support the services as well. Full press release from Sprint is past the break for you all or you could just "chirp" Sprint for more details.

Source: Sprint

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Xobni launches Smartr Contacts for Android - makes your address book smarter

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 11:01 AM PDT

Xobni

If you came to Android from the BlackBerry world then there is a good chance you've heard of the folks behind the newly released contact management app Smartr. Xobni, while having first made their app available on BlackBerry has now launched Smartr to the Android Market after a long beta and alpha testing phase.

Rather then just simply offering you another address book, Smartr organizes your address book and takes it to the next level by offering a solution of making sure the people you contact the most, are always at your fingertips. Contacts are no longer arranged alphabetically, your contacts are now ranked by how often you reach out to them -- bringing the most important to the top. In addition to the better organization, profiles can be completely filled out with a photo, job title, company details, email history, common contacts and info from social networks.

Acessing your Smartr contact information is easy as well, you have access to them from the home screen, via the main search bar, the widgets, or the Smartr app. If you're in need of a better contact management system for your device, give Smartr a look. Couple it with Smartr contacts for GMail and you have a pretty awesome solution for keeping your contacts organized. We're going to have a full review up soon but for now -- it's available in the Android Market for free and you'll find the download, press release and a video further explaining the services past the break.

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Android App Review: Sandisk Memory Zone

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 10:38 AM PDT

Android Central

Better known for its microSD cards, Sandisk has released its own memory management application onto the Android Market. Whereas popular file management apps like Astro allow you to dive deep into the file system on your device, Sandisk aims to cast a wider net by linking into cloud storage services as well. 

The underlying intent is to assist you with backing up your device's contacts, photos, music, videos, documents and even apps to either your memory card, or to your Dropbox and Box.net accounts. It also works the other way allowing you to restore from these locations. You can set up your backups to occur automatically at different time intervals using the "Backup/Restore" function. This only allows you to utilise automatic backups over wifi by default, so you don't need to worry about gigabytes worth of data uploading in your pocket while you're sat on the bus. There is still an option to allow upload over cellular data though should you want it. 

The app also allows you to access your Picasa and Google Docs accounts. Through both of these services you can both upload to and download your content from the cloud to your device as well as deleting files from your cloud storage.

The app has a really nice looking UI, and splits all your files into type; music, images, videos, documents, and applications. If theres something specific you have in mind that you're trying to find, a little of the work is taken care of. 

It comes at the moment with the beta tag, but feels really polished and could well replace a number of memory management applications by combining so many services into one.  

Sandisk Memory Zone is available free in the Android Market. Download links and screenshots available after the break. 

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