Is new Google Nexus device imminent? Sensible?
I typically don't write about rumors, since too many are obvious (and so look like someone simply guessed and wrote a story), while others aren't adequately sourced (who and why is uncertain). But readers have asked me today about the next Google Nexus device following new rumors it's coming within 30 days.
Duh, I can reasonably speculate that based on Google's past two Nexus phone launches October is reasonable debut. But something is different this year: Way fewer rumors, which could mean: 1) There is no imminent Nexus; 2) Google has cooked up something special. Or 3) You tell me another reason. It's the silence that has my interest more than the noise.
CyanogenMod 10 now comes with in-house updater. Say goodbye to ROM Manager
Great news for CyanogenMod 10 nightly users as the popular Android custom distribution now comes with a new feature named CM Updater. It brings OTA updates, and is designed to make upgrading a breeze between nightly builds, replacing ROM Manager in the process.
CM Updater has been recently implemented, and is available in the latest nightly builds for CyanogenMod 10-supported devices. Just like with stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean the OTA update feature is located in "About phone" for a more vanilla-like experience, and delivers a number of useful features.
AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4 now available
A week after the Android Open Kang Project team announced the implementation of a new release schedule, they delivered on their promise by releasing AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4, providing along with it a number of interesting statistics.
Since June, the Android distribution reached a little over 180,000 official installations worldwide, and that is impressive for what is basically a small team of developers. The number of custom Android distributions based on AOKP code reached almost 430,000. The focus is still on AOKP Jelly Bean Build 4 that is based on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean build number JRO03R, so what does it bring to the table?
Acer Iconia Tab A700 gets a dose of Jelly Bean
Say goodbye to Ice Cream Sandwich and hello to Jelly Bean! Acer's flagship Android tablet, the quad-core nVidia Tegra 3 Iconia Tab A700 gets an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean adrenaline shot in Europe, with extended availability likely to follow in the near future.
According to XDA Developers members, the Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update for the Acer Iconia Tab A700 tablet is available only in Germany at the moment. The update brings along a few notable changes, the biggest of which obviously is operating system upgrade in itself, but it is reported that Google Chrome as well as Acer Cloud are included in the update among the usual Google Currents, Play Books and Play Music. Allegedly, there is an effect on touch sensitivity as well which, according to the same user that reported the changes, is an improvement over the previous version.
Happy Birthday Google (belated)
If you went to Google.com today, you probably noticed the logo was replaced with a fun little birthday cake animation celebrating 14 years of incorporation. Google was incorporated on Sept. 4th 1998, but chose today to celebrate the birthday. What does it matter when they celebrate, after all, Google has had a great year.
In April, Google released a concept video about Project Glass, fancy glasses with computers in them. In May, the search giant closed the purchase of Motorola Mobility. During the annual developer conference in June, Google made a lot of announcements, among them: Android 4.1, Nexus 7 tablet, Nexus Q and creepy but useful Google Now. The fun: skydiving, bicycles and rappelling down the side of a building. Big surprise: event participants could purchase a developer version of Google Glasses.
CM10 Downloader -- the go-to app for CyanogenMod 10 nightly users
If you are a CyanogenMod 10 nightly user, then CM10 Downloader is a must-have on your Android device.
The app is designed to download CM10 nightly builds for your Android smartphone without involving the use of other apps, and it provides the option to download the necessary Google Apps package. If you don't want to manually check for a new build, and if you're trying to avoid using cellular data, it also comes with a scheduler option that will automatically check for you, and download updates via Wi-Fi. Pretty nice, isn't it?
AMD-optimized Android apps could be suffering chipmaker's post-PC cure
Today, Android virtualization company BlueStacks announced it has optimized its Android App Player for all existent and upcoming AMD GPUs and APUs under the name "AMD AppZone." AMD AppZone includes a Web-based Android app store, and the AMD AppZone Player for Windows 7 and Windows 8. This announcement highlights AMD's rather precarious position ahead of the launch of Windows 8.
Earlier in September, Citigroup analyst Glen Yeung downgraded Intel, AMD, and Nvidia on the basis that the consumer PC market has fully matured, and is no longer the growth segment it used to be, and that the real growth is in the "post-PC" businesses of mobile devices and cloud-based services.
Samsung says remote wipe exploit is moot on Galaxy S III, might still work on others
The recently-revealed security exploit on Samsung Android phones running the TouchWiz interface appears to have already been fixed, Samsung said in a statement to the media Wednesday.
The exploit, which allowed maliciously-crafted sites to remotely wipe Android phones, was shown publicly at a conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week. Samsung on Wednesday said the software build which contained the exploitable loophole was an early production version, and the public should not be at a significant risk because it was already patched.
Who puts faith in Apple, who in Google
Some companies really know how to maximize marketing, and drive up their share price in the process. In March, Apple used a countdown clock to boast about 25 billion App Store downloads. Google's mobile store reached the same number this week, announced with little fanfare today.
Apple shares traded for about $531 then, but rose sharply following the app milestone and thereafter fairly consistently in the wake of a series of well-marketing managed announcements or product releases, topping $700 this month. There are daily reports across the InterWebs about record share price. Meanwhile, more meager marketer Google, which share price also flies record high this month -- above Apple, at $764.89 peak -- is largely ignored. Perhaps pro-Apple bias contributes to the silence? Whatever, Google has big numbers of its own.
ScreenShare beta lets Android tablets act as second screens for Android smartphones
Spring Design, the company that made headlines two years ago for its a dual-screen Android-powered e-reader, is keeping its dual-screen Android tradition alive with a new app that launched in public beta today called ScreenShare.
ScreenShare is an application that lets you connect your Android tablet with your Android-powered smartphone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so you can utilize the tablet's screen to access data on the smartphone. In a roundabout sort of way, it is a way to connect your Wi-Fi-only tablet such as the Nexus 7 to a mobile data connection.
Google posts Jelly Bean factory image for Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Update at will!
Great news for Verizon Wireless Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners -- Google posted the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean factory image for the "forgotten" users of the big red.
The LTE Galaxy Nexus can be updated to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, build number JRO03O using the factory image posted on Google Developers website. The recent development comes almost two months after the Mountain View, Calif.-based corporation released the factory images for the Samsung/Google Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ model, and represents a significant delay for the update to reach the LTE model.
So long robot, I'm ditching Android
Dear Google, that's it! I've had enough! Enough of the random lockups and reboots. Enough of the buggy browser and convoluted multitasking. Enough of Android!
Google, I've given you a fair shot. I drank the Kool-Aid. I joined the Android Army. And I wore my green robot tattoo thingy with pride. However, I could never shake the feeling that I've been running with the wrong crowd.
AOKP Jelly Bean Build 3 available, now supports Galaxy S III
Great news for modding enthusiasts, the Android Open Kang Project team announced the availability of the new Jelly Bean build 3, one week after Jelly Bean build 2 was released.
The current iteration of the Android distribution is based on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, build number JRO03R and takes a focus on stability rather than on implementing numerous new features like with the previous build.
Google Nexus 7 launches in Android-dominated Japan
In the land of the rising sun a new tablet --the Google Nexus 7-- is making its first appearance.
The popular 7-inch tablet sporting Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was launched by Google in Japan. Like with the European launch, the Nexus 7 only comes in one flavor -- the 16GB model and it is available for purchase directly from Google's local Play Store for a price of 19,800 Japanese Yen, which is roughly $255.
Afraid of getting hit by lightning? WeatherBug Elite for Android might help
Weather apps consistently rank behind games as the second most popular class of mobile applications (Source: Nielsen) but does your weather app tell you where you're most likely to be hit by a bolt of lightning?
WeatherBug Elite for Android, which received a major version update today, includes that very feature, called "Lightning Alerts."
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