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Android 4.0 ROM for Samsung Galaxy Note Leaked, not all models supported

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:30:00 -0100

We’ve known for some time that Samsung intended to upgrade its gigantic flagship to Ice Cream Sandwich, and it looks like work is well under way to do so. A new alpha ICS ROM for the Galaxy Note has been posted to XDA Developers, and it looks like it’s an official Samsung release (complete with TouchWiz). The ROM was spotted on a Chinese forum. Don’t boot up your recoveries just yet, Note users: this software only works with the I9220 model number, and it’s localized for the Chinese market. The standard international GSM version, and presumably AT&T’s version set to go on sale on Sunday, are not supported. Flashing to these devices may brick them.

The ICS build itself is in the very early stages. Early users are reporting decent but not fantastic performance, and certainly not up to par with the Galaxy Note’s Gingerbread software. The file is huge, about three to four times the size of a standard ROM, presumably to include Samsung’s TouchWiz additions and custom apps that take advantage of the Galaxy Note’s S-Pen stylus. Testers are reporting issues with various kernels, and flashing this ROM without the correct kernel files seems to be a recipe for everyone’s favorite modder-themed breakfast cereal: Boot Loops.

Samsung previously stated that the Galaxy Note would see an update to Ice Cream Sandwich in the first quarter. That gives them about six weeks to get it out on time, though that timeframe is almost certainly only intended for the international version (i7000). Who knows when Samsung and AT&T might get together and update the US Note, which will launch with Gingerbread. In the meantime, modders can turn to the aftermarket, where modified versions of CyanogenMod 9 are already available.

Source: androidcommunity

ASUS Transformer Not Get ICS Until March

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:32:00 -0100

ASUS Transformer owners will be forced to wait even longer for a promised update to Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), the company revealed on its Singapore Facebook page late last night. Here's the statement:

ASUS Singapore
Dear fellow Asus members, we would like to say that we appreciate all the support we see in our Asus Facebook page every day. It makes our contributions worthwhile and fulfilling.
We are informed that the ICS upgrade for TF101 will be ready within the Feb/March 2012 period. You will be able to receive the upgrade notification via FOTA once we have a confirmation date.
We thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter

While ASUS had initially promised the update "ASAP" after the Prime received its update to Android 4.0, it later clarified this to mean the end of January. Then we learned from our own sources inside the company that early February was the target window. Now, it appears that ASUS has once again had to push back the promised OTA, for reasons unknown.

This is on the company's Singapore Facebook page, though, so this timeline may not be exactly reflective of the company's plans for the US. However, given that it's a Wi-Fi device, there shouldn't be too much discrepancy between OTA updates in major markets.

Source: androidpolice

HTC Radar 4G Software Update Incoming

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:14:00 -0100

Good news for HTC Radar 4G owners as a new software update begins Yesterday bringing forth a list of new features and improvements:

Improvements to proximity sensor

Arizona time zone not updating is resolved

Gmail contact sync improvements

Visual voicemail error resolved

Microsoft security fix

Customers will receive pop-up notifications advising them an update is available beginning today, February 15th. There is no expected completion date for the software update listed. The update takes Windows Phone 7.5 up to software version 7.10.8107.79.

Source: tmonews

Twitter enables HTTPS for all users

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:34:00 -0100

To strengthen the security and confidentiality of trade, Twitter has just activated the default HTTPS encryption, which is or will be soon (the time of deployment) available to all.

Now, HTTPS will be on by default for all users, whenever you sign in to Twitter.com. If you prefer not use it, you can turn it off on your Account Settings page. HTTPS is one of the best ways to keep your account safe.

The little bird is not out!

Until now the user could choose whether to enable HTTPS encryption (encryption layer that enables secure HTTP traffic, based on two security protocols: SSL / TLS), whereas now it will be enabled by default. However, social network users can always disable this option in the account settings, this is why it is important to remember that this option will allow you to secure your connection and protect your session. It is highly recommended if you happen to connect to a wireless network unsecured (public hotspot).

Source: twitter blog

Acer Iconia Tab A500 to Get Android 4.0, Will Arrive In April

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:33:00 -0100

Acer ANZ just announced a distant April timeline for the Ice Cream Sandwich update to float all the way to Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, this doesn't tell us anything about the rest of the world, but unless they're delivering it by pigeon mail, I see it as a pretty good indicator of when it will hit the States, Europe, and other continents as well. Unfortunately, ........facebook

Great news, everyone! We’ve just got confirmation from HQ that the Iconia Tab A500 will be getting Ice Cream Sandwich in April. No exact date yet, but we’ll let you know when we have it. What are you looking forward to most in ICS?

Apparently, numerous (and quite vocal) Acer A500 owners aren't as close to the top of the upgrade list as the A200 ones, whose tablets just started receiving ICS a couple of days ago. A 6-month upgrade cycle, while pretty lengthy, is still not such a bad deal (remember, some tablets won't ever see it officially) and will make Android 4.0 that much sweeter when it arrives.

Source: androidpolice

Huawei Ascend D1 Q and new MediaPad at MWC

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:55:00 -0100

Huawei is set to rollout new products a Mobile World Congress when the show kicks off. Some of the new products debuting will be in the company’s new Diamond line of devices. All the products are expected to run Android 4.0. The new products will include a 10-inch MediaPad tablet, which is a follow-up to the original 7-inch tablet, and the company will also unveil the Ascend D1 Q.

The D1 Q will be a quad core device, hence that Q designator in its name. It is expected to be the first Diamond smartphone, and we don’t really know anything about the hardware at this point. We’re hoping the new MediaPad has better software than its 7-inch sibling we are familiar with. The hardware was never an issue with that tablet; it was the software that bothered us.

We don’t have hardware details on the 10-inch MediaPad right now. There is no indication that it will be a Diamond series device. Scuttlebutt says that there will be a pair of Diamond devices unveiled at MWC, so we are expecting at least one more major product announcement from Huawei at the show. Details are scant right now, but with Mobile World Congress only a few weeks away we don’t have long to wait.

Source: slashgear

Google Wallet Security Hole, gets patched

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:47:00 -0100

That recently discovered security hole in Google Wallet was something that even those with little to no hacking skills could exploit. It was even simpler than the brute force attack method that we reported of last week. All that was needed in order for the hack to be performed is to wipe the data in the app settings, after which the app resets itself and requests a new PIN. Once a new Google prepaid card got activated on the app, all the funds that were previously available on Google Wallet magically became accessible.

Fortunately, Google has already patched that security hole, and Google prepaid cards can be issued once more. Here is a statement that was posted on the official Google Wallet blog:

Yesterday afternoon, we restored the ability to issue new prepaid cards to the Wallet. In addition, we issued a fix that prevents an existing prepaid card from being re-provisioned to another user. While we're not aware of any abuse of prepaid cards or the Wallet PIN resulting from these recent reports, we took this step as a precaution to ensure the security of our Wallet customers. If you are unable to access your previous prepaid card balance for any reason, please contact our toll-free support for assistance.

So, Google Wallet appears to be safe once more. But have all those recent hacks affected your trust in Google Wallet in a negative way? Is it only a matter of time until another exploit gets discovered?

Source: phonearena

Diablo III, finally in the second quarter!

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:45:00 -0100

Blizzard has narrowed down the release window for keenly anticipated action RPG sequel Diablo 3 to the second quarter of 2012 - so some time between 1st April and 30th June.

CEO Mike Morhaime announced the news during an investor call earlier today.

"We can also confirm that we are targeting a Q2 launch for Diablo 3. We expect to announce more details about the release schedule in the coming weeks," he said.

Elsewhere during the call, Activision-Blizzard CFO Thomas Tippl confirmed that "at least" two Blizzard games will launch this year, though didn't specify what the other one might be.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm and Blizzard DOTA are among the other titles it currently has in development.

Source: eurogamer

Portal unofficially comes to Android - Video

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:28:00 -0100

There's been a deluge of classic games making their way to Android smartphones and tablets lately, and it appears there's another one on the way..though it won't be coming through official channels. Some enterprising developers have ported Valve Corporation's Portal over to Google's mobile platform using the Unity

development environment and game engine (Unity is also used by Android games like ShadowGun and M.U.S.E.). This is still very clearly a work in progress ..it's listed as version 0.004 Beta ..so the glitchy performance is to be expected, and it's certainly not sanctioned in any way. Still, we can't help but get excited at the prospect of one day carrying an official Portal port around in our pocket.

Source: theverge

HTC working on a streaming music service

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:14:00 -0100

HTC Corp., one of the earliest champions of Android-based smartphones seems to have fallen on hard times, thanks to growing power of Samsung and Apple. But the Taiwanese phone maker isn’t ready to call it quits and is said to be working on a slew of new products including a new tablet, new phones and possibly a music streaming service, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans.

My sources say that HTC, which last year acquired a substantial stake in Beats Audio, a company started by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, is said to be working with Iovine, a music industry iconoclast to develop a streaming service that will be offered as a default music client on HTC phones and tablets. My sources say that the company is still working on pricing plans and other details. It has long harbored ambitions of offering a music service on HTC devices, folks familiar with HTC say. A spokesperson said that the company doesn’t comment on rumors and speculation.

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times last year, Iovine had said:

“Getting Beats audio into HTC phones is one of the first things we’re going to do…We are going to be in business with HTC and they’re going to help us and were going to help them in every way they can. And you’ll see Beats audio in just about every phone or tablet they want it to be in, but they know what we’ve built and respect the brand and will help us continue to innovate and push Beats further.”

HTC in the past is said to have held talks with companies such as Spotify, but those talks didn’t go anywhere. Iovine is perhaps one man who could get the record labels to sign up for this streaming service. Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Iovine is viewed as one of the most powerful men in the music industry. Apparently Iovine isn’t a fan of Spotify. Many executives in the music industry are fearful of creating an iTunes-like monopoly in Spotify and thus can band together.

The company is also working on a wireless boombox that would most likely stream music from HTC phones over Bluetooth. The company currently sells a wireless boombox that is made by Monster, till recently a partner of Beats Audio. Iovine has been very public about his desire to go after other audio products as well. Beats Audio recently had a very public and ugly divorce from Monster, the stereo accessory maker. In January Business Week reported:

Though both companies publicly say the separation is amicable, the relationship turned sour over financial terms, with divergent views on which side deserves the most credit for the line’s success and Beats balking at its share of the revenue, according to two people who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. While Monster manufactures and helped design the headphones, and even takes credit for the idea …. ”We have very big ambitions for Beats beyond headphones,” says Iovine. “Music has got to succeed on the phone or else the record industry will never thrive.”

But back to the music service — my sources say that it could be launched later this month at Mobile World Congress. In addition to the streaming service, HTC is going to announce a number of new products including a new tablet , at the trade show in Barcelona. During a recent conference call with analysts, the company indicated that it would be making a major push during Mobile World Congress and is said to working on LTE-based devices. LTE is the newest wireless broadband technology and a growing number of mobile carriers including Verizon and AT&T have launched superfast networks. These new phones are likely to hit shelves in the second quarter of 2012 as the company tries to stave off competition.

Source: gigaom

32GB Version of The GSM Galaxy Nexus Cancelled?

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:02:00 -0100

Adding to further speculation that Samsung could be phasing out the 32GB Galaxy Nexus is the news that some online retailers have received cancellation orders from Samsung on the GSM version of the device. Many would-be Galaxy Nexus owners have been waiting since the device was announced for the unlocked 32GB version, only to find they’ve been waiting in vain.

Expansys-USA mentioned in a comment,

We’ve just been notified this morning that Samsung have dropped the Galaxy Nexus 32GB from production. At this time it looks like they will not be releasing it. Not good news at all.
Corey
EXPANSYS-USA

But all hope isn’t lost. It’s possible Samsung could be diverting shipments of the 32GB G-Nex to other major carriers, saving them for a big launch like when the device is officially released on Sprint later this year. Who knows, maybe even T-Mo and AT&T will get some as well? Okay, it sounds farfetched, but seeing how Verizon could soon be switching to the 16GB only version, it’s starting to all make sense.

If this news pans out, will a 16GB only version of the Galaxy Nexus really change anyone’s plans on picking up the device if/when it launches on their carrier?

Source: phandroid

BlackBerry Playbook OS 2.0 now coming February 21st?

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:51:00 -0100

We’ve heard it time and time again: RIM’s long-awaited Playbook 2.0 software will be released some time in February. Well, February is almost halfway done, and last week it was rumoured to be available on the 17th, but now there’s possibly a new upgrade date: February 21st. That’s next Tuesday.

The Playbook 2.0 release is going to pave the way for the future of the BB10 platform, including excellent multiple coding language support, native email and calendar apps, improved BlackBerry Bridge and many other upgrades. We took a thorough look at the update during CES, in case you haven’t had your fill.

Updates to BlackBerry Bridge for smartphones should be coming some time next week, though N4BB is claiming BBM for Playbook will not be ready in time for the Playbook 2.0 release.

Source: mobilesyrup

Facebook For Windows Phone getting huge Update Today

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:47:00 -0100

Good news for you Facebook users out there not yet content with the official app, today you should be receiving an update to version 2.3 which from the looks of it is quite significant. From the Facebook page

Focus areas for the v2.3 release:

News feed performance improvements
New panorama design
New profile design.
Banner Images
Improved navigation
Pages
Groups
View “likes”
Feed filters
Posting privacy
Bug fixing

Pick up.....Facebook app here in the Marketplace.

Source: wpcentral

Nokia Lumia 710, 800 priced and dated for Australia, in March

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:14:00 -0100

Nokia has announced the pricing and availability of its Lumia 710 and 800 Windows Phone 7 handsets in Australia.

Nokia managing director for Australia and New Zealand Chris Carr said the Lumia 710 would sell in Australia from March for $379 outright, alongside the Lumia 800 which will retail unlocked for $699.

The Lumia 800 will be available through all 3 major Australia carriers (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone) while the 710 will sell through Optus and Virgin Mobile, as well as retail outlets.

The handsets will come with Nokia Music, with a library of 15 million tracks, Nokia Mix Radio, a streaming music service, Nokia Drive a turn-by-turn navigation system, and Nokia maps are among app offerings.

The Australian models of the Lumia 800 will come in four colours: black, blue (cyan), pink (magenta) and white. The Lumia 710 handset will be available in black and white variants, but consumers can choose from black, white, cyan, pink and yellow backplates to mix and match the look of the handset.

Handsets are expected to be available at the beginning of March, with each carrier making their own specific announcements.

Source: wmpoweruser

Motorola DROID 4 rooted already, now available

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:55:00 -0100

The Motorola DROID 4 QWERTY keyboard slider has only been available for a few days and was just released late last week. Thanks to those awesome developers it appears that we already have a full root method for the device, as well as a script to make the entire process simple for those looking for a little root access.

We recently reviewed the new DROID 4 from Motorola and our full thoughts and pictures are linked to below. Got Root? Because the method is freely available now and we have all the details. Thanks to Dan Rosenberg and the folks at MyDroidWorld for the below method. Originally Dan was looking for some supporters to donate and get him a Droid 4 but we are hearing he’s now donated the entire bounty to the American Red Cross. Support our developers guys!

The exploit is actually quite easy and all it takes is a simple file to be downloaded and a script ran and you’ll be rooted in no time. Most likely we’ll see a 1-click-root method from XDA shortly but for now this will work just fine. All it takes is a Windows PC. Download the file, unzip, and run and you’re good to go. All the details along with the download and donate links are available from the source link below. Enjoy that root access on your shiny new DROID 4.

DROID 4 Root Download

Source: androidcommunity

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-inch), runs Android 4.0

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:38:00 -0100

Samsung has officially announce their first tablet running the latest Android OS. The Galaxy Tab 2 runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and is somewhat similar to the original Galaxy Tab. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM and features a 7-inch WSVGA display (1024×600) PLS TFT LCD, Wi-Fi, 3MP rear-facing fixed focus camera, VGA camera on the front, HSPA+ support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS, 8 or 16 or 32GB internal memory, microSD card slot and 4,000mAh battery.

The 10.5mm thin tablet is also loaded with Samsung services like TouchWiz UI with Live Panel, Samsung Apps support, Hub support, S Suggest which is a real-time app recommendation engine, Kies Air, ChatON, Allshare Play and more.

The Galaxy Tab 2 will first be available in the UK in March, but pricing info for the UK hasn’t been released yet. Sammy Hub got pricing information for Scandinavian countries, but it certainly doesn’t look like Samsung is going for a Kindle Fire-like $199 USD price range:

The rest of the Galaxy Tab 2

10.5 mm thin

VGA front camera, 3 MP rear camera

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS support, HSPA+ optional

8/16/32 GB internal memory, expandable via microSD slot

4000 mAh battery

Sweden:
Wi-Fi: 2,995SEK (450USD)
3G: 3,695 SEK (556USD)
Finland:
Wi-Fi: 349EUR (463USD)
3G: 429EUR (568USD)
Norway:
Wi-Fi: 2,400NOK (420USD)
3G: 2,990NOK (523USD)
Denmark:
Wi-Fi: 2,350DKK (419USD)
3G: 3,995DKK (712USD) (We think this one’s a typo. We’re reconfirming this)

Source: sammyhub

iPad 3 with quad-core A6, announcement March 7?

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:21:00 -0100

iMore‘s Rene Ritchie reports that Apple currently plans to announce their next-generation iPad on Wednesday March 7th. We recently noted that March 7th was an open day for events at San Fransisco’s Yerba Buena Center (and the first Wednesday of the month). This is the hall in which Apple introduced both the first iPad and iPad 2.

iMore also adds its voice to the string of iPad 3 Retina Display confirmations, and also says the new iPad will have a quad-core A6 processor. This agrees with both our own code findings and Bloomberg’s report. iMore says Apple is working on LTE mobile devices, they mention the iPhone 5 specifically, but LTE is noted as a possibility for this new iPad.

Source: 9to5mac

Samsung:expects to sell 25 million smart TV in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:42:00 -0100

Samsung has been pushing its smart TVs pretty hard, and now it says it expects half of its flat-screen TV sales in 2012 to be models with internet connections and increased interactivity. The company's television head, Kim Hyun-Suk, told reporters that he projects Samsung will sell 50 million flat-screen TVs worldwide this year, of which 25 million will be "smart" models. Samsung's projection is slightly higher than the one it made in 2011,

when it expected to sell 45 million flat-screen TVs. The company introduced a line of new TVs at CES with voice and motion controls, and there's still a planned Google TV to come, so we'll see if the company hits its projection because of consumer demand or because all its TVs are getting smarter, just as 3DTV sales have increased despite a general lack of content.

Source: theverge

photos of the LG Fantasy E740 WP phone crop up

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:33:00 -0100

By mistake, someone put photos of the yet unannounced LG Fantasy E740 on a Romanian online trading site. The photos were quickly taken down, but one of our tipsters managed to save them.

The device is clearly a prototype (there's a big "Not for sale" label on it) but it is a working unit. The device has the ScanSearch and SmartShare (formerly PlayTo) apps that were exclusive to the Optimus 7 back when it launched so it seems legit.

Upon closer inspection, it becomes pretty clear that this is in fact the LG Miracle we saw a few days ago. Fantasy E740 sounds more like a retail name but we first heard of the LG Fantasy back in December last year, so it's still anyone's guess what the final name of the device will be.

Here's what we know of the specs so far - 4" WVGA NOVA display, 1GHz Scorpion CPU, 5MP main camera and VGA front camera. Curiously, it will sport NFC connectivity, which is confirmed by the specs posted on the trading site (though they might have been specs for a different device).

Anyway, the LG Fantasy E740 is expected to be announced in Q1, so pay attention to LG's announcements at the MWC.

Source: gsmarena

Sony exploring Vita OS to Mobile Phones and Tablets

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:30:00 -0100

Sony’s soon-to-be President and CEO, Kazuo Hirai, has hinted that the company is investigating porting the Vita OS to other mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Japanese site AV Watch reported on Friday that Hirai told reporters at a Q&A session that the company doesn’t want us to forget Vita OS as a mobile (i.e. not just gaming) platform. The report goes on to quote SCE’s Senior Vice President Yoshio Matsumoto as saying, "if you’re asking if we’ve made it in a way that’s expandable, so that it’s possible to apply to smartphones and tablets on top of achieving the high responsiveness we need for gaming devices it is possible," hedging his comment with, "that doesn’t mean that we’re applying it to smartphones and tablets at this point in time, but it’s been designed with expandability in mind."

The company’s efforts to compete in the low-margin Android handset business haven’t been a huge financial success Sony Ericsson posted a €247 million loss (about $325 million) for fiscal 2011, citing intense competition, despite a 65 percent year-on-year increase in Xperia Android smartphone sales. A wholly-owned platform building on the company's strengths in gaming could provide a key differentiator as Sony expands its mobile operations. When asked about the feasibility of porting smartphone apps to the Vita platform, Sony’s deputy president Kunimasa Suzuki responded by saying, "that’s exactly why we’re going to be putting energy into building up PlayStation Suite this year."

Source: theverge

Sprint unveil early upgrade buyout program

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:23:00 -0100

Sprint wil launch the early upgrade buyout program that will be known as “Upgrade Now.” Set to run from (Yesterday) 2/12/12 – 4/14/12, it will allow select Sprint customers to buy their way out of their contract in exchange for an early upgrade. Aside from the applicable Upgrade Now fee, the customer will also need to commit to a new two-year contract.

Not all customers will be able to take advantage of this offer. Among those that are not eligible are customers that have upgraded less than 8 months ago, corporate accounts, customers in collections, airave and tablet accounts, and those with iDEN devices.

The Upgrade Now fee will be based on the remaining term of the account holder’s contract. For instance

The "Upgrade Now" fee will depend on your last upgrade, as follows:

- $165 if you have upgraded 9-11 months ago

- $125 if you have upgraded 12-14 months ago

- $95 if you have upgraded 15-17 months ago

- $55 if you have upgraded 18-21 months ago

- $36 which is the standard Upgrade Fee if you upgraded more than 22 months ago.

It is said that the offer will be available at Sprint stores only, after a customer’s account has been reviewed by a corporate store rep

Source: intomobile

HTC Ville leaks again in new spy photos

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 12:15:00 -0100

HTC just can’t keep a lid on its new workhorse model, code-named the HTC Ville. The phone leaked in render form months ago, then in a surreptitious spy video showed the slinky phone running Ice Cream Sandwich. The Ville has once again popped up before its debut, this time in a series of blurrycam photos from Japanese site Ameblo. They don’t show anything we haven’t seen before, but the photos confirm the design, including its impressive thinness, a first among HTC’s usually chunky smartphones.

The Ville is expected to be HTC’s mid-range entry for 2012, matching the relative market location of the Sensation in 2012. Leaked specs include a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, and a 4.3-inch QHD screen with an AMOLED panel. Details on other phone specifications are scarce, but the device is said to be a mere 8.9mm thin – a record for HTC, and admirable even in today’s crowded market. Naturally the phone runs Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC’s Sense 4.0, though you’d be hard pressed to spot the differences from these photos alone.

The smaller size and lower power of the Ville contrast with the HTC Edge, expected to have a 4.7-inch screen, Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and a 720p screen. The Ville’s relatively mid-market status gives credence to the idea that we’ll see it first on T-Mobile in the US, probably replacing the Amaze 4G. While there’s certainly something going on at HTC’s pre-MWC event on February 26th, there’s no telling what it might be though the quick removal of a previous version of the Ville video indicate that the company would prefer you don’t know about this phone just yet.

Source: androidcommunity

New Android Malware Threat Arises , And Google "Bouncer"

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 12:02:00 -0100

If you thought Google’s newly introduced malware detection tool, Bouncer, would be enough to allow you to go download crazy in the Android Market, you may want to have a seat.

According to Forbes, a North Carolina State University professor detailed on his blog how he and his team discovered a new malware threat that when installed, can evade virus scans and permission requests, making any wrongdoing virtually undetectable. Dubbed “Rootsmart, ” the app uses a process called “privilege escalation” that after having been installed for a few hours (days even), will begin downloading new code from a remote server hiding the data transfer in the phone’s normal communications.

The downloaded code is the ever popular “Gingerbreak” exploit that we’ve told you guys about in past which is able to gain complete access to a device’s SMS, phone calls, data even recording sensitive phone conversations. Theoretically, Bouncer wouldn’t be able to detect malware in the app because the known malware (Gingerbreak in this case) wouldn’t initially be found in the app.

The cat-and-mouse game continues and like we’ve learned so many times in the past, where there are evildoers, nothing can ever be 100% full proof. Although the offending code has yet to be found anywhere in the Android Market (only 3rd party Chinese app site) one should always be cautious when installing apps from unknown sources especially sketchy sites offering free pirated apps online.

Source: phandroid

U.S. Government wants military to use Android phones

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 11:54:00 -0100

According to reports online, some U.S. officials this year are expected to get Android devices for the handling of classified government documents over cellular networks. While the issue has been discussed in the past before, it looks like the plans have finally been set into motion. The Android phones will first roll out to U.S. soldiers, federal agencies and then local governments and corporations eventually.

And if you’re wondering why the government has decided to go with Android instead of an alternative operating system like iOS the government has the permission and ability to modify Android to suit its own purposes, while Apple has been reported to have denied the government such privileges.

The military will be given commercially available Android devices running a modified version of the Android operating system. It will be safer, more reliable and secure enough for storing classified documents, while retaining the core features of Android to function as a regular smartphone. The rollout of these Android phones is expected to happen sometime in the next few months.

Source: ubergizmo

Cryoscope: a haptic device for forecasting weather

noreply@blogger.com (الصحة الاول) — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 07:26:00 -0100

Since you do not possess the mutant powers of Storm and cannot influence the weather one bit, you might as well go for the ride, and not get caught by surprise with a weather predicting device. Sure, we have fancy widgets on our smartphones these days that let us know what kind of weather it will be like outside for the day (and the week ahead), but there is nothing quite like remembering it through touch. After all, touch is one of the most efficient methods of knowing whether something is hot or cold, leading Rob Godshaw to work on what he calls the Cryoscope, a device that offers haptic feedback to the daily weather forecast, as you can feel tomorrow’s temperature.

An Industrial Design student at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Associate Engineer at Syyn Labs, Godshaw encased a thermoelectric Peltier element, heat sink and cooling fan inside an aluminum cube, which in turn is hooked up to an external power supply and an Arduino controller, allowing it to detect tomorrow’s weather forecast, and pumping in heat to depict hot weather, while taking account humidity and wind chill.

.

Source: ubergizmo