Android Central |
- Acer Iconia A500 Android 3.2 update slowly rolling out
- LG Esteem for MetroPCS gets unboxed
- Samsung and Google appear poised for some possible Ice Cream Sandwich at CTIA
- Ice Cream Sandwich supposedly seen in short video - is it the real deal?
- Sprint saying so long to 1-year contracts
- Isis NFC mobile payment group gets backing from handset manufacturers
- Kindle Fire, Xoomin' LTE [From the Forums]
- Motorola Xoom finally getting its 4G LTE upgrade starting Sept. 29
- Yahoo releases official Flickr app for Android
- Rogers turns LTE on in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
| Acer Iconia A500 Android 3.2 update slowly rolling out Posted: 28 Sep 2011 06:22 PM PDT For those of you who picked up an Acer Iconia A500 you might want to go ahead and check for system updates. It appears as though the Android 3.2 update for the device has been very slowly rolling out to users for the past couple of days. In order to get the update you need to return back to stock and unroot but keep in mind if you accept the official update, you won't be able to root it. That said, there are a few ROMS now built off of the Android 3.2 update so best to look around before you go diving in. Source: Android Central Forums; via: XDA Thanks, smokediver61!
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| LG Esteem for MetroPCS gets unboxed Posted: 28 Sep 2011 05:34 PM PDT
We're all over the place, but we can't always be everywhere. That's where you come in. And sniper1087 has done an excellent unboxing of the LG Esteem for MetroPCS. He'll walk you through the UI, benchmarks, and don't blink, or you'll miss the very cool boot sound. Need a reminder on specs?
There you have it. Peep the video. It's well worth a watch. Thanks, sniper1087!
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| Samsung and Google appear poised for some possible Ice Cream Sandwich at CTIA Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:39 PM PDT Allow us a little inside baseball here. We normally don't post every event we're invited to at the usual trade shows. We'll be there, and you know we'll be there. But this one's a little different. Behold the invitation to the Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2011 "Google Episode" at CTIA in San Diego. So, first, it's the "Google Episode." That's new. Second, they're going to stream it for everyone to see, live on Youtube. Normally such bandwidth is reserved for Google events. And this very much appears to be a Google event. So we're going to figure we've got some Ice Cream Sandwich in our future in San Diego. Some Nexus Ice Cream Sandwich. Some Samsung Nexus Ice Cream Sandwich. We'll see you there.
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| Ice Cream Sandwich supposedly seen in short video - is it the real deal? Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:31 PM PDT So here's the story -- supposedly an anonymous fellow purchased a Nexus S on eBay, and to his surprise found it running Ice Cream Sandwich. There are quite a few visual differences, namely a new launcher style, a new "Google Apps" folder, a new notification bar, and a new lockscreen. There's also what looks to be a panorama feature in the camera, and the "Movie Studio" icon in the app drawer. Everything is nice and fluid -- at least everything we get to see. Here's where things get sticky -- those things can all be (and have been) faked. Would it be easy? Hell, no, but it's entirely possible. With ICS coming sometime soon, this very well could be a development unit that somehow slipped away from Mountain View -- we've been expecting a leak or two for a while now. But we have to hold off judgement and will let you guys decide and discuss yourselves. Be sure to hit the source link and check out the video after the break if you haven't already. Source: Engadget
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| Sprint saying so long to 1-year contracts Posted: 28 Sep 2011 02:50 PM PDT Like doing one-year contracts on Sprint? Hope you're not married to the idea, because starting Oct. 2, they're history. Kaput. As in, you're not going to get them anymore. That goes right along with the mobile hotspot changes we brought you last week, and the changes we've already seen to the Premier program. Guess it's just a sign of the times. Thanks, anon!
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| Isis NFC mobile payment group gets backing from handset manufacturers Posted: 28 Sep 2011 02:33 PM PDT Isis, a joint venture of Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, has announced that the major hardware makers of Android (and Windows 7) phones have climbed on board and will offer hardware that implements Isis' NFC tech and standards. The press release names LG, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and BlackBerry manufacturer RIM as hardware partners, as well as DeviceFidelity to offer solutions such as NFC enabled memory cards for phones built without NFC hardware. Scott Mulloy, chief technology officer at Isis, says the following:
While we can't see the future, we're going to have to assume this isn't good news for Google and their own NFC payment system, Google Wallet. Mired in some unknown exclusivity agreement with Sprint, Google Wallet was not provided for any unlocked, non-carrier branded Nexus S devices, though they would be fully capable. With carriers and OEM's on board with Isis, it looks like another uphill battle for Google. The good news for us is that now companies are seeing the value in devices with NFC technology, and the manufacturers are ready to provide it. There's still one major player who hasn't chimed in yet, though -- Apple. Only time will tell if Apple jumps on board with the upcoming "standard" or if they implement iWallet themselves in pursuit of a bigger cut. The press release is after the break. Read more about RIM and Isis at Crackberry
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| Kindle Fire, Xoomin' LTE [From the Forums] Posted: 28 Sep 2011 02:32 PM PDT Exciting day with the announcement of the Amazon Kindle Fire and Motorola finally offering Xoom 4G upgrades. If you're looking to discuss more, you can head on into the Android Central forums. Jump into some threads or feel free to start up your own today!
If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.
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| Motorola Xoom finally getting its 4G LTE upgrade starting Sept. 29 Posted: 28 Sep 2011 01:25 PM PDT Xoom 4G LTE starts shipping Oct. 13 for $499We're starting to get word that the Motorola Xoom is finally getting ready for its upgrade to 4G LTE on Verizon. If you'll recall, the Xoom was the first Honeycomb tablet, announced at CES in January. At the time, we knew it was going to launch as a 3G-only device, with a hardware upgrade to come sometime later. And later. And later. Many moons came and went. Scores of other excellent Honeycomb tablets have been released. Samsung released a 4G LTE version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on Verizon. And there still sat the Xoom, with its promise of an upgrade looking more and more tarnished. Add to that the fact that you'll still have to actually relenquish your Xoom and send it in for the upgrade, and the whole thing was looking even sillier than it did at first blush. But that brings us back to now. Starting Thursday, you can go to Verizon's website for complete instructions on how to get your upgrade. You'll have to part with your Xoom for six days. The upgrade is free, and you don't have to change your data plan. Also of note: Motorola Xooms with 4G LTE baked in -- aptly named the Xoom 4G LTE -- will start shipping Oct. 13 for $499. Full press release is after the break. More: Motorola Xoom forums
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| Yahoo releases official Flickr app for Android Posted: 28 Sep 2011 01:21 PM PDT Flickr, one of the most popular photo sharing websites, has finally come to Android. Yahoo held off releasing a native app for a while, frustrating many Android users who love Flickr. Good news for both sides as the app is now available for free from the Android Market, and it's pretty good. With the release, you can take photos from an in-app camera function, filter the images as you see fit and then share them with the world to Flickr, Twitter and Facebook. Here are the full features:
To get Flickr for your Android device, hit up the links after the break. Heavy and casual Flickr users, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Speak out in the Android App Forum. Source: Flickr Blog
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| Rogers turns LTE on in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver Posted: 28 Sep 2011 12:16 PM PDT In what is great news for Canadian consumers, Rogers announced that its 4G LTE network is now available in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. This expansion brings the total number of people who can access LTE service up to 5.5 million. The first LTE Android device will be launching on October 18th and will be the HTC Jetstream. The Honeycomb tablet will cost $499.99 with a 3-year service agreement and $799.99 off contract. The first LTE-compatible smartphone will be the Samsung Galaxy S II and can be had for $199.99 with a 3-year contract or $649.99 without. Both the Galaxy S II and Jetstream can be reserved via Rogers website today. Further LTE expansion is always great to see, especially for major cities like the ones listed above. Source: Rogers
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