Considering the device isn’t even officially acknowledged yet, there’s a surprising amount of information available about the LG Nexus 4.
The latest leaks of the upcoming Nexus 4 smartphone, indicate that the device will indeed launch with a new version of Android, 4.2, but will still be called Jelly Bean. Well, Jelly Bean Maintenance Release 1.
There is only one precedent for this in the Android world. The Motorola Droid was released in late 2009 with Android 2.0 Eclair, and when the Nexus One debuted a few months later it also ran Eclair, albeit with a few updates in Android 2.1. Google could be holding off launching a new version of Android — Key Lime Pie — because Jelly Bean hasn’t proliferated to enough devices yet, and due to its low market share very few users have been able to take advantage of its features.
Android 4.2 will look and feel identical to Android 4.1, but will come with a number of security enhancements and will coincide with a new version of the Gmail app. It may also have an updated notification bar with faster access to quick settings, but that remains to be seen.
The rest of the specs of the LG Nexus 4, as provided by the reliable evleaks, have already been confirmed: 4.7-inch 1280×768 True IPS display, a 1.5Ghz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, 2GB RAM, 8/16GB internal storage, 8MP camera/2MP front camera, 2100mAh non-removable battery, 9.1mm thick, 139g. For comparison, the Galaxy Nexus is 8.9mm thick and 135g.
So, presumably the LG Nexus 4 will be announced at a Google event on October 29th.
Facebook for Android is now available for download in version 1.9.11, and, while the latest update is not very special compared with recent ones, it does come with three straightforward and important changes.
Photo functionality should be improved with these three tweaks, which allow for faster photo tagging and a better organizing of your pics in albums. Finally, there’s also the customary bug fix, which this time helps solve a problem that was restricting “people using certain languages” from uploading images from time to time.
For an app build almost entirely in HTML5, Facebook for Android is actually quite spritely, especially when run on more modern hardware. We’re excited for the day when Facebook for Android is built on native code, but for the time being enjoy your improved photo uploading experience.
Facebook also made the “biggest overhaul of [its] Android SDK so far,” making it easier for developers to integrate the social network into third-party apps. These features include the Friend Picker and Places Picker, which apps can use to access the Open Grap in more comprehensive ways.
The Federal Trade Commission of the United States is raising the ante in its antitrust confrontation with Google with the commission staff preparing a recommendation that the government sue the search giant.
Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the F.T.C., said the agency would decide whether to sue Google by the end of the year while Joaquín Almunia, competition commissioner for the European Union, said he was troubled by Google’s dominance.
The government’s escalating pursuit of Google is the most far-reaching antitrust investigation of a corporation since the landmark federal case against Microsoft in the late 1990s. The agency’s central focus is whether Google manipulates search results to favor its own products, and makes it harder for competitors and their products to appear prominently on a results page.
The staff recommendation is in a detailed draft memo of more than 100 pages that is being shared with the five F.T.C. commissioners, said two people briefed on the inquiry.
The memo is still being edited and changes could be made, but these are mostly fine-tuning and will not alter the broad conclusions reached after an inquiry that began more than a year ago, said these people, who spoke on the condition that they not be identified.
Google rivals specializing in travel, shopping and entertainment have accused Google, the world’s No. 1 search engine, of unfairly giving their web sites low quality rankings in search results to steer Internet users away from their websites and toward Google products that provide similar services.
Computer users are overwhelmingly more likely to click on the top results in any search. The low ranking often forces companies to buy more ads on Google to improve their visibility, one source said.
The agency also is examining whether the company is using its control of the Android mobile operating system to discourage smartphone and device makers from using rivals’ applications, two of the people said.
The FTC began making calls to high-tech companies to gather information for its probe in April 2011 and Google disclosed in June of that year that the FTC had begun a review of its business practices.
On the patent investigation, the agency is scrutinizing whether a strategy of seeking court orders to ban Apple Inc. and Microsoft from using mobile and video compression technology is anticompetitive, said the people.
Meanwhile, Google has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
We have some exciting news for long-suffering Android users patiently waiting for a feature that arguably should have been included since the beginning. Google is set to add pinch-to-zoom to its next version of Gmail, presumably to be added to the final build of Android 4.2 when the Nexus 4 launches next month.
AndroidPolice obtained exclusive access to the .APK file, which seems to work without issue on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Besides the obvious improvements, Google has added some subtle things such as swipe right to archive/delete, as well as reporting phishing from inside the app.
Even more features are said to be on their way, including the ability to swipe an email in the inbox view left or right to either archive or delete, always delete, or do nothing when in the All Mail or Sent views.
We imagine the “archive or delete” option will hit you with a prompt asking you which one you want to do. You’ll also be able to do this for labels. Performing the gesture on “regular labels” will remove that label.
Finally, a new “Report Phishing” feature has been added. Google probably wanted to give users a way to report the far more serious problem of phishing instead of the more generalized spam. This should hopefully allow them to bust these malicious emails more effectively and efficiently.
You can check out a preview video after the break. Android Police says it’s working on obtaining permission to release the .APK to rooted Android users running Jelly Bean, but we’re sure other copies will crop up in the near future.
The new iPhone 5 has topped the Samsung Galaxy S III’s Web traffic in just 18 days, according to stats from mobile ad firm Chitika.
Chitika based its findings on millions of mobile ad impressions from the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III across its U.S. and Canadian network between Oct. 3-9. By Oct. 9, about 56 percent of impressions were from Apple’s new smartphone, while 44 percent were from the Galaxy S III.
[quote]Following the release of Apple’s iPhone 5 on September 21st, Chitika Insights was interested in comparing the Web usage rates of the newest phones from both manufacturers. To quantify our latest study, we conducted a user agent analysis on millions of mobile ad impressions, spanning a 7-day time frame from October 3rd through October 9th, 2012. Looking solely at impressions coming from the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, we were able to observe the difference in Web traffic volume between the two devices, depicted in the figure above.[/quote]
Earlier this month, mobile-app analytics firm revealed that Galaxy S3 sales are growing. When the iPhone 5 was announced last month, Galaxy S3 sales grew by 15 percent. At the end of September, sales growth was at 9 percent.
Google+ for iOS and Android now seem to be iterating at the same pace, after months of what seemed like preferential treatment by Mountain View for the latter version.
The most recent update adds Pages administration abilities, so you can add, view and comment on posts if you own a company or a brand. This is one of the most helpful new additions, as it doesn’t you to your computer when performing social media-related work duties. Facebook already has a separate app for its Pages administration.
Google+ for Android also received a new widget design (above), while iPhone 5 users can now stretch out in front of your 4-inch display. iOS users can now edit posts, while both versions have gained the ability to search for people and posts.
Google announced today that it is rolling out a minor update to Jelly Bean in the form of Android 4.1.2. This minor bump brings performance and stability improvements to the Android Open Source Project, on which many custom ROMs are based, as well as specific improvements to devices like the Nexus 7.
The software update also adds a key feature to devices running the Jelly Bean software: home screen rotation support. Prior to this update, all Android 4.1 devices use portrait mode for the home screens, even when the smartphone or tablet is in landscape mode, making for a disjointed experience.
In fact, upon the announcement it was discovered that the update is already being pushed to Nexus 7 devices all over the world, with the added bonus of bringing landscape support to the stock launcher.
According to Google’s resident AOSP guru, Jean-Baptiste Queru, the update is especially important for the Nexus 7 as it corresponds with a slight hardware change.
[quote]
We’re releasing Android 4.1.2 to AOSP today, which is a minor update on top of 4.1.1. As a note to maintainers of community builds running on Nexus 7: please update to 4.1.2 at the first opportunity. Future variants of the grouper hardware will have a minor change in one of the components (the power management chip) that will not be compatible with 4.1.1.
The build number is JZO54K, and the tag is android-4.1.2_r1.
– Jean-Baptiste M. “JBQ” Queru Technical Lead, Android Open Source Project, Google
[/quote]
It’s expected that Android 4.1.2 will roll out to other Nexus devices, including Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom, over the next few weeks.
In a CyberMedia Research it has been revealed that Micromax leads the Indian tablets market with 18.4 percent share in the second quarter of 2012. Samsung is in second position with 13.3 percent market share. Apple has a market share of 12.3 percent in terms of unit shipments during the 2Q 2012.
India tablet market sales touched 0.55 million units in 2Q 2012, up 673 percent y-o-y.
Entry of new tablet vendors and introduction of offerings from existing vendors at low to medium price points have contributed to the significant growth.
Though the tablet PC market in India is still at a nascent stage, but at the same time, has become competitive due to entry of new vendors with entry-level offerings, the report said.
Close to 90 vendors launched their tablets till Q2 2012. The average selling value (ASV) in the said period dropped to little above Rs 13,000 from Rs 26,000 in the January-March 2012 period as a majority of vendors launched their products in the Rs 5,000-10,000 price range.
[quote]”During 2Q 2012, 47.4 per cent of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong focus on addressing application areas in the Education and Entertainment segments,” CMR Lead Analyst (Telecoms Practice) Faisal Kawoosa said.[/quote]
This trend demonstrates clearly that vendors are positioning their devices at India’s youth, he added.
Some of the key trends in terms of specifications of media tablets inIndianoted in 2Q 2012 are listed in the table below.
Android operating system had the lion’s share of the market at 87.5 per cent.
“As Android devices become increasingly popular with users across the world, competition is increasing in the India tablets market with more and more vendors launching devices based on the Android OS,” he said.
Angry Birds is flapping its wings to a galaxy far, far away next month. Rovio today announced a partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd. for Angry Birds Star Wars, a new entry in the series hitting iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Mac, PC, Windows 8, and Windows Phone on November 8.
According to the game’s announcement, Angry Birds Star Wars will tap into the science fiction franchise’s characters and settings, including the desert world of Tatooine and the supermassive Death Star ship.
[quote]“This is the best Angry Birds game we’ve ever done. It’s the best parts of Angry Birds with all new cutting-edge gameplay set in in a galaxy far, far away,” Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka said in a statement. “As a big ‘Star Wars’ fan myself, I’m really excited about this new universe. The Force is definitely strong with this one.”[/quote]
Not only will Angry Birds Star Wars invade smartphones, tablets, and computers, but various merchandise will hit retail beginning on October 28 (in the US that is!). These offerings will include Halloween costumes, apparel, action figures, and plush toys.
The hits just keep on coming for the rumoured LG Nexus device we spoke about yesterday.
According to various sources, the next-generation Nexus device will indeed be built by LG, and will be based in part on the Optimus G. While the phone won’t look that similar to its non-stock peer, its insides will bear a remarkable resemblance.
According to MoDaCo, LG’s Nexus smartphone will be derivative of its beefy Optimus G. MoDaCo says it has “confirmed” the following specs for LG’s Nexus: quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 1280×768 resolution display, on-screen soft keys, 8-megapixel camera, 8GB and 16GB internal storage models (no microSD card slot), non-removable battery and wireless charging.
What do you think? Would the inclusion of wireless charging impact your decision to buy the upcoming Nexus in a positive way?
The latest version of Android, 4.1 codenamed Jelly Bean, is slowly making its way towards tablets, and as before, ASUS is one of the companies rushing to update its products. The Transformer Pad 300 received the update at the end of August, so now it’s time to update the premium Transformer Prime TF201 and the Infinity TF700T. The former can be updated right now, over the air, while for the latter you’ll have to wait some more, as ASUS said it had to perform a last hour update to the keyboard app, to play nicely with the new Facebook app. Don’t despair, as the update was delayed just a few days, which means it will arrive over-the-air sometime at the beginning of next week.
Asus is doing well in the U.S. mobile market and recent tie-up with Google even resulted to better sales. Being one of the tablets that come packed with quad-core processor, Transformer Prime TF201 has actually garnered massive following from both average users and tech enthusiasts.
The Jelly Bean update for Transformer Prime is believed to bring hundreds of improvements on top of JB stock features. TP has been a subject of criticisms shortly after its release because there were software-related flaws. The Ice Cream Sandwich fixed most of them including poor GPS performance and Wi-Fi problems.
It has already been reported a few months ago that Adobe will not support Android 4.1, so that means flash support will be gone for good. But Asus said owners can still be able to download and install Flash Player to play typical videos found on the web. Moreover, the company didn’t provide information explaining why Wi-Fi Direct feature will be removed from Jelly Bean but whatever the reason is, owners cannot be able to connect their devices to other Wi-Fi Direct-supported devices after the update.
View the Change Log Below :
[toggle_box title=”Change Log” width=”Width of toggle box”]
Asus Transformer Prime Jelly Bean Change Log
Upgrade OS from Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
The quest for mainstream acceptance is a difficult one for CyanogenMOD and its open-source peers. Users have to sift through countless forums and lists of instructions to learn how to root and hack their Android phones, often with disastrous results. While the initiation process is getting easier, it’s still not as easy as we’d like.
CyanogenMOD has been great about installing features for existing users that make their lives easier. They had a Do Not Disturb mode long before Apple or Samsung, and integrated quick settings into the notification bar long before HTC. Now, they’re bringing back a feature from CM6, over-the-air updates, with a hardier back-end server to provide the speed and reliability users expect from their ROM downloads.
The menu is available from the Settings/About/CM Updater screen, and while the app won’t push updates to your device, it can be set to check once daily or several times a day, and is granular enough to search only for stable versions, or download nightlies, too.
The feature is available in the latest CM10 nightlies based on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean.
Sony today launched their first sub-10,000 rupee Android smartphones, the Xperia Tipo and Xperia Tipo Dual. The smartphones, priced at Rs Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 10,449 respectively are powered by Snapdragon processors and run Android Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box.
Sony highlighted that the phone is targeted at the youth, and is designed for music and multimedia lovers, bringing back memories of their famous Walkman Series phones.
The phones are built on strong battery life and expandable storage of up to 32GB, in addition to a free 50GB cloud offer from Box. On the back there is a 3.2MP, auto-focus camera.
The two new devices be available to Vodafone subscribers with an exclusive offer of 500 GB per month for three months, with the offer being valid till 31st December 2012.
[quote] Launching the new Sony smartphone, Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India said, “We are happy to announce the intergration of Sony Mobile Communications India into Sony India. Mobile has been an integral part of the brand’s growth in India and we are working together to deliver products that are relevant for Indian consumers. With the XperiaTM brand, our aim has always been to innovate ahead of consumer demand. After the launch of XperiaTM NXT series earlier this year, we are now launching the phone that will reach out to entire India. We have expanded our XperiaTM range with Tipo – Sony’s first entry level price category smartphone under XperiaTM brand. Committed to the Indian market, these devices have been designed for selective markets; including India.”[/quote]
The Xperia™ tipo comes bundled up with pre-loaded apps such as Bollywood Hungama, Dainik Jagran, and Cricbuzz, on both – single and dual SIM devices. In addition to this, Xperia™ tipo users will enjoy access to appXtra, for exclusive access to music applications.
[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]
Sony India unveils the Xperia™ tipo smartphone – perfect for music lovers – with exclusive Vodafone offer
Available now, and priced affordably at Rs. 9999, the Xperia™ tipo comes power-packed with Android 4.0 ICS, Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor, pre-loaded apps, free music content and accessories
Available in single and dual SIM versions for consumers looking for a stylish, fun, and easy to use smartphone
Exclusive offer for Vodafone subscribers – 500MB data free, per month, for 3 months
September 26, 2012, New Delhi – Sony India today announced its latest smartphone – Xperia™ tipo – in the Indian market. The Xperia™ tipo, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor,which is now available across the country, is designed for music and multimedia lovers who want to listen to playlists, and watch their favourite music videos, on-the-go. The new smartphone comes with the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system that enhances the user experience, and is built on strong battery life and expandable storage of up to 32GB, in addition to a free 50GB cloud offer from Box.
The entry level Xperia™ tipo, priced affordably at Rs. 9,999, comes in two versions: single SIM and Dual. The single SIM tipo comes bundled with exciting new apps and accessories to let consumers feast their senses, and be immersed in music. The Xperia™ tipo Dual is priced at Rs. 10,449, and is perfect for consumers who do not wish to carry two mobile phones for different SIM cards.
The two new devices be available to Vodafone subscribers with an exclusive offer of 500 GB per month for three months, with the offer being valid till 31st December 2012.
Launching the new Sony smartphone, Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India said, “We are happy to announce the intergration of Sony Mobile Communications India into Sony India. Mobile has been an integral part of the brand’s growth in India and we are working together to deliver products that are relevant for Indian consumers. With the XperiaTM brand, our aim has always been to innovate ahead of consumer demand. After the launch of XperiaTM NXT series earlier this year, we are now launching the phone that will reach out to entire India. We have expanded our XperiaTM range with Tipo – Sony’s first entry level price category smartphone under XperiaTM brand. Committed to the Indian market, these devices have been designed for selective markets; including India.”
Sony India also announced its new marketing campaign ‘Feast your senses’ supported by a TV ad campaign. It aims to bring alive the music experience that consumers can expect on Xperia™ tipo, and enhances the company’s existing global campaign – Made of Imagination that highlights the seamless experience that Sony India brings across the multiple screens.
Now retailing in over 3,000 stores across the country, Xperia™ tipo offers a simple and easy-to-use smartphone experience targeting consumers who may be purchasing their first smartphone. With a dedicated set-up guide, and a built-in application enabling users to monitor their data usage – consumers can make the most of their smartphone experience. The Xperia™ tipo comes bundled up with pre-loaded apps such as Bollywood Hungama, Dainik Jagran, and Cricbuzz, on both – single and dual SIM devices. In addition to this, Xperia™ tipo users will enjoy access to appXtra, for exclusive access to music applications.
Colours available in India| Red, white, blue and black
Key features
3.2” scratch-resistant mineral glass display
Launching on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
3.2MP camera
Powerful battery, 1500 mAh, with >24hrs usage time
Data management solution to identify data usage
32 GB expandable storage
xLOUD & TrackID for better Music experience
Dedicated set-up guide
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi™ for easy content sharing and web access
Free 50 GB Box Cloud offer
Pre-loaded applications like Bollywood Hungama, Dainik Jagran, Cricbuzz
To download high res. pics, click, Sony Mobile| media library
About Sony India Pvt. Ltd
Sony India is one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand in the country, with a reputation for new age technology, digital concepts and excellent after sales service. In India, Sony has its footprint across all major towns and cities in the country through a distribution network comprising of over 10,400 dealers and distributors, 270 exclusive Sony outlets and 23 direct branch locations. Sony India also has a strong service presence across the country with 255 service outlets. Manned by customer friendly and informed sales persons, Sony’s exclusive stores ‘Sony Center’ are fast becoming the most visible face of the company in India. A distinctive feature of Sony’s service is its highly motivated and well-trained staff that provides the kind of attentive and sensitive service that is rare today.
For more details, please visit: http://www.sony.co.in/xperia
Google has now added India to the list of countries from where developers are allowed to sell paid apps on the Google Play Store. This move will allow individual app developers and development companies from India to sell their apps on Android devices and also enable in-app purchases.
Until now, developers were figuring out ways to circumvent the restriction. In some cases, this meant having to travel to the U.S. to create a local bank account there in the name of relatives and friends or even floating a company there for this purpose.
On its official Google Developer support page, Google listed India as one of the countries from where developers could register as Google Check-out merchants and sell paid Applications.
Next Wave Multimedia in Chennai, which has published more than 10 Apps each on both the Apple iTunes and the Android Marketplace over past three years, was one of the early entrants in the mobile Apps space.
