Discovered by Android and Me, CyanogenMod’s founder Steve Kondik is joining Samsung as a Software Engineer according to a Facebook posting. Sadly, Steve says CyanogenMod won’t be affiliated with Samsung in any way, but Steve told Android and Me he will be working on making Android more awesome. Luckily, it doesn’t appear he will be shutting down CyanogenMod.
”I won’t be blogging about Samsung, especially not in relationship to CM. I will be working on making Android more awesome, though.”
This is an exciting development. Hopefully Samsung devices will get updated much quicker now. Expand Expanding Close
GigaOm is reporting that many companies were in the race to buy Motorola Mobility, including Microsoft. GigaOm contributes this as one of the reasons why Google made the purchase for such a high price, so other manufacturers couldn’t hurt their ecosystem even further with IP lawsuits.
The reason Motorola didn’t go with Microsoft was due to the fact Microsoft only wanted the company for its patents, rather than running a hardware business.
Talks between Google and Motorola began five weeks ago, reports GigaOm. Their sources say CEO Larry Page and Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha were talking directly and only a few other executives were brought in. Also, Android co-founder Andy Rubin wasn’t bought into the talks until recently. The deal Google has struck gives the company 17,000 current patents and 7,500 patent applications.
Discovered by TechCrunch, Google now has control of the Android.me domain — either by nicely asking or forcing. Of course, Google could be on their way to making a whole new product around the domain (maybe a central hub?), but we don’t think that will be the case. It’s more likely Google just wants control, which is understandable.
In their case against Samsung in many European countries, Apple may have provided wrong evidence to the judge. As found by a Dutch IDG publication called Webwereld.nl, Apple has provided photoshopped images of a Galaxy Tab side-by-side an Apple iPad 2.
The image above was found on Page 28 of the German legal documents, showing the Galaxy Tab and iPad 2, and Apple saying that the “overall appearance” of two products is “practically identical.” But what’s funny is that’s not really what the Galaxy Tab looks like..
The image that Apple’s lawyers provided is cropped and the aspect ratio is distorted. Samsung’s official measurement for the aspect ratio is 1.46, but in the image above it is 1.36. This leaves the bottom actually 8% wider than it really is. This photoshop maneuver made the Galaxy Tab appear more like the iPad, Apple’s actual argument, than it really is. The iPad’s aspect ratio is 1.30. Now, it’s up in the air if Apple’s lawyers did this on purpose or not. (via Computerworld)
Check out an image with measurements after the break:
In a press conference this morning Fusion Garage has unveiled their new Grid OS, Grid 4 phone, and Grid 10 tablet. Grid OS is based off Google’s Android OS, but with much customization from Fusion Garage on top. Users can use preexisting apps from the Android Market, new “Grid Store”, or Amazon Appstore. The homescreen is based off a grid design that allows users to create “clusters” of applications that span over an infinite amount of space.
Grid OS is running on the company’s Grid 4, a 4-inch touchscreen smartphone that rocks a 800 x 400 res, front-facing VGA camera, and 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video recording. The phone will be available for $399 unlocked, and carriers will announced as the time comes closer in Q4.
The Grid 10 is a 10-inch tablet rocking Grid OS, a 1366 x 768 res, Nvidia’s dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2, 3G, Wi-Fi, and a front-facing camera. The 16GB Grid 10 will be available for $499 Wi-Fi only and $599 for Wi-Fi + 3G. Pricing sounds familiar, huh? The Grid 10 will ship September 10th, but in the mean time give it a nice pre-order and take a gander at few accessories. Users who have Fusion Garage’s existing JooJoo tablet will receive a free upgrade.
Check out a few more images and teaser after the break.
This is my next has obtained quotes from the leading manufacturers using Android in their devices, regarding Google’s acquisition of Motorola for $12.5 billion earlier this morning. Google dropped Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, and LG a note yesterday letting them know the acquisition was going down, so obviously the companies have prepared statements.
Nokia
“This further reinforces our belief that opportunities for the growth of Nokia’s smartphone business will be greatest with Windows Phone. This could prove to be a massive catalyst for the Windows Phone ecosystem. Additionally, with our respective intellectual property portfolios, Nokia and Microsoft are working together to build and nurture an innovative ecosystem that benefits consumers, operators, developers and other device manufacturers.”
Samsung’s JK Shin, President of Samsung Mobile’s global operations
“We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.”
Newsweek Technology Editor Dan Lyons makes some great points this morning regarding Google acquiring Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. First he talks about TechCrunch MG Siegler’s remarks that Google made themselves “look like huge asses in retrospect”. Lyons pretty much says Siegler’s opinions were just foolish. Lyons also makes an interesting point that Google most likely didn’t actually want the Nortel patents, they were just driving up the price for Apple and Microsoft with their PI (3.14 billion) bid.
And today it all makes sense. Google just sandbagged its rivals. The whole thing was a rope-a-dope maneuver. Google never cared about the Nortel patents. It just wanted to drive up the price so that AppleSoft (those happy new bedmates) would overpay. Today, with the Motorola deal, Google picks up nearly three times as many patents as AppleSoft got from Novell and Nortel. More important, Google just raised the stakes in a huge way for anyone who wants to stay in the smartphone market.
In the end of things, Google is earning 3 times the patents than they would have in the Nortel deal, but for three times the price. One last word from Lyons:
Social postings from Twitter, Youtube, and Flickr have appeared in Google Search for quite awhile, and with the launch of Google+ it was only a matter of time until public Google+ posts were appearing too (as seen above). Google announced via their blog Friday that public Google+ posts are now available in Search.
Note, ONLY public posts will be appearing — private posts will not. To see this feature you will need to have a Google+ account and be logged in to your Google account. Expand Expanding Close
ABI Research analyst Jeff Orr is reporting that Android tablets captured 20% of the iPad’s market share this past year. Orr lists high prices and fragmentation as to why it wasn’t more.
Many vendors have introduced media tablets, but none are separating themselves from the pack to pose a serious threat to Apple. In fact, most have introduced products at prices higher than similarly-configured iPads. Apple, never a company to be waiting for others, has introduced its second-generation iPad media tablet while keeping product pricing unchanged.
If Google and manufacturers can become competitive in pricing, which to their credit we are seeing, and less fragmentation — which Honeycomb seems to be addressing, Android should be off to the races. (via CNet) Expand Expanding Close
Android Police and RootzWiki have both obtained exclusive shots of Google’s next version of Android, Android 4.0 dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich. Interestingly, RootzWiki says there aren’t many changes, but a couple of UI — mainly everything’s Blue.
Blue Themed – Like our site (Change theme on bottom)
Camera has built in panorama mode
Will launch with Google Shopper and NFC Enabled devices will be able to utilize those features
Google has begun rolling out the new look that is being spread all over its services to Google Apps accounts. The new look will appear across Google Mail, Calendar, and Docs over the coming weeks. Regular Google users have enjoyed the new look for about a month now. (via The Next Web)
Also for apps users, Google has a little update regarding Google+ availability:
Google+ is not yet available to Google Apps users, but we’re working hard to bring the features of Google+ to Apps users in the future. In the meantime, if you want to use Google+ during field trial, you can use an existing personal Google Account or create a new Google Account with a Gmail address or a non-Google Apps email address…
Tab for Google+ is an app available on the Mac App Store that brings Google+’s web functionality to the Mac desktop. The app is available for free and offers just about every feature plus.google.com offers — except Hangouts. Upon logging in via your Google account, you’ll be greeted with the main sections of the app: Streams, Photos, Circles, Profile and Notifications.
The sections follow suit with the functionality of the website. Streams and Photos curates content from the people you’re following. Circles allows you to see your list of circles and the content coming in from each specific one. Lastly, Notifications let’s you know what’s going on with your account.
Of course, this application won’t replace Google+’s website, rather it’s just a nice app that sits in your applications bar to view while you work. Perhaps if the website is more your thing, check out Google+ for Mac which is essentially just a browser window. We’re hearing the developer is working to make it native though. Check out another screenshot after the break:
So the war continues… Motorola has been around for quite a long time, so it’s no secret they have a pretty big patent portfolio. During a keynote at the Oppenhimer Technology & Commmunications conference Motorola’s CEO Sanjay Jha had this to say regarding their pool of patents:
I would bring up IP as a very important for differentiation (among Android vendors). We have a very large IP portfolio, and I think in the long term, as things settle down, you will see a meaningful difference in positions of many different Android players. Both, in terms of avoidance of royalties, as well as potentially being able to collect royalties. And that will make a big difference to people who have very strong IP positions.
To sum it up Jha and company may plan to collect royalties from other Android handset manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, etc.
Mobili Inija has leaked Samsung’s roadmap, leaving us very impressed with what’s ahead. A 7-inch Galaxy Tab, supercharged smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich, and entry level phones are coming up soon — hopefully by the end of the year.
The supposed 7-inch Galaxy Tab is codenamed the P6200, running Honeycomb on a 1024 x 600 display, with HSPA+, a 3-megapixel shooter on the back, and 2-megapixels up front. Samsung will also make it available in a Wi-Fi only version — the P610. We’re assuming it will be much thinner and faster than the current model which also carries the above specs.
As for the supercharged smartphones, there will be two. The GT-I9250 packs a 4-inch screen with a 1280 x 720 resolution, 5-megapixel camera, an unspecified processor (probably dual-core), and Ice Cream Sandwich. The GT-I9220 is the bigger version, packing a 5-inch screen with a 1280 x 820 Super AMOLED Plus panel, dual-core 1.4GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread (where’s the ICS LOVE!). These phones look very similar to HTC’s rumored Vigor. Could this be the Nexus 4G?
Lastly, the GT-I8150 will pack a 3.7-inch screen, 4GB of internal storage, HSPA+ connectivity, and a 5-megapixel camera. It will have a VGA front-facing camera and 720p 30fps HD video recording.
According to the leaks there are also entry level devices coming up in Samsung’s lineup. Hear about those after the break. (via Slashgear)
Rumors of the HTC Bliss have been floating around since May, but new details have emerged regarding the phone aimed at girls. The device is no powerhouse, reportsHTC Inside. On the software side the device will feature Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) with a HTC Sense 3.5 as an overlay..bleh. On the hardware side the device will reportedly ship with a Qualcomm MSM7x30 processor running at 800 Mhz. This device will likely be a mid-range phone, like the Desire Z, and will most likely land at Verizon next month. Now for the girls part…
The device will come preloaded with apps aimed at women — like a calorie counter and a shopping app. More interestingly, as an accessory there will be a charm that will hang off the phone and lights up when you have a notification (seen after the break).
Does the world really need a phone aimed at girls? TechCrunch’sSarah Perezweighs in..
There have been rumors floating around that Motorola Mobility may be bought ought by Carl Icahn and KKR. The buyout would include both paying $34.25 per share, financed with $3 billion cash and other tricks. These rumors have caused a spike in Motorola’s stock (as seen above). (via Benzinga) Expand Expanding Close
We’ve showed how Google+ Hangouts has been used for politicians to connect with citizens and to host live concerts, but Lee Allison has another cool take. Lee Allison, a technology consultant in New York, hosts a hour long cooking show on Google+, called Google+ Cooking School, three times a week. He uses multiple camera angles to show his viewers exactly what he is cooking up. Allison posts the ingredients for the food he is making on the show, and invites his viewers to cook with him — or he says you can just sit back and relax with a glass of wine.
Since Google+ Hangouts does have limits to only 10 people and people constantly popping in and out, Allison is moving part of his show to WebEx. Though he will continue his show on Hangouts, he will charge $20 for his show on WebEx dubbed The Social Skillet.
Last month, Google announced that the company will be shutting down Google Labs — a hub for the testing of new products. Google said that while most of the products were being shut down, a few products from Labs will be saved, but it appears the Android App Inventor, announced late last year, will not be one of them.
App Inventor was aimed at providing an educational bridge for people who wanted to create Android Apps but weren’t versed at Java. The app was even used at many camps to teach early programming. It’s sad to see such a great educational tool go and we wonder if it is a sign of something bigger in the tools area or maybe a sign of Android divesture of Java. Luckily for those who don’t want to let go, the project will be open-sourced. (via Hack Education) Expand Expanding Close
Facebook has released Facebook Messenger, an app available for both iPhone and Android. The app is an extension of Facebook’s Messages service and will allow you to send a text message to your phone’s contacts and a Facebook message to your Facebook contacts.
Besides messaging one person, you can message a group, and it even lets you send and receive photos. Messenger is available in both the iTunes App Store and Android Market and is based off the Beluga technology which the company recently acquired.
Vizio has announced the VIZIO 8″ Tablet, available at retailers for $299. The tablet is aimed at being a tool to control your home theater with the ability to be paired with many of Vizio’s TVs and Blu-Ray players. Besides the controls, the tablet features the normal set of Android 2.3, featuring the Android Market and pre-loaded Google Apps.
Hardware on the device includes a 8-inch display, 1GHz processor, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 16GB SD card, and a front-facing VGA camera. To interact with your home theater setup the tablet features a HDMI output, an infared transmitter, universal remote app, and HDCP streaming. Check it out over at Vizio.
Bloomberg has discovered Google’s recently released social network Google+ is gaining ground fast — with 13% of U.S. males registered. Interestingly, Bloomberg doesn’t think Google+ will lose much traction, because they predict the service will gain 9% of U.S. males within the next year — making a grand total of 22%. If Google+ does gain this much ground they can pass LinkedIn and Twitter to become the second most popular social network, in only a year.
Google Inc.’s new social-networking service may grow to claim 22 percent of online U.S. adults in a year, passing Twitter Inc. and LinkedIn Corp. to be the second- most-used social site after Facebook Inc., a survey found.
HTC has just hit the live switch on their HTC Developer website. The website provides developers with HTC’s OpenSense SDK, tools to unlock the bootloader on a few select phones (showing coming soon), and kernel source code.
The tools to unlock the bootloader seems to be the big gem here, but the OpenSense SDK features the S3D SDK for HTC’s 3D stereoscopic interface and a nifty pen SDK for the Scribe feature found in many of their devices. Let us know if you find anything! (via Engadget)
The above video is reportedly Chrome OS running on a tablet, looking very unfinished, but hey, at least it’s something. This isn’t an official video by any means, but put together by web developer Francois Beaufort. You’ll notice that icons look much different, being bigger and more tablet optimized. The QWERTY keyboard looks very familiar, almost Honeycomb-like as well.
We don’t expect this to be close to even the final build of the Chrome OS that will ship on a tablet — if it ever does. It’s cool nonetheless. Check out a few shots after the break. (via Lilputing)
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