Jordan Kahn

With just about every smartphone and tablet manufacturer announcing new devices this week for the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, Asus also just introduced a new variant of the Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet (via The Verge). The device’s biggest upgrade is its display, jumping up to a full 1080p 1920 x 1200. It definitely is not the first Android 4.0 tablet announcement at CES, as just yesterday Acer unveiled its Tegra 3-powered Iconia Tab A700.

The device’s casing was also apparently altered to allow for improved Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, while Android 4.01 will come preinstalled when it ships in North American in Q2 2012. Most of the other specifications from the previous generation Transformer Prime (pictured above) are the same, but the front-facing camera was given an upgrade to 2-megapixels.

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LG announced (via The Verge) a new proprietary chipset dubbed “L9” that will be powering Google TV devices from OEMs in 2012. There are not many details regarding the new chipset, which will also be used in LG’s 3D television lineup, but you can expect “enhanced 3D” and much faster performance thanks to support for quad-core GPU and dual-core CPUs.

The company is also showing off its new lineup of Google TV-powered smart televisions at 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. LG did not specify plans for pricing and release, but to Venture Beat the TVs are expected sometime in the first half of 2012.

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Barnes & Noble is optimistic for Nook devices this year, and to help along sales the company is offering discounts on all models with subscriptions to The New York Times or People (via TechCrunch).

Through this limited-time offer, customers will have access to the NOOK edition of The New York Times, plus all their favorite content on the go, through Barnes & Noble’s critically acclaimed devices. In addition to automatically delivering The Times directly to the customers’ NOOK device each day, NOOK subscribers will also receive unlimited access to The Times’ award-winning website, NYTimes.com, including regular news updates, opinions, blogs, video, interactive graphics and more. The NOOK subscription to The New York Times is $19.99 per month for full digital access on NOOK and NYTimes.com.

B&N announced the $99 Nook Simple Touch would be available completely free for users who purchase a one-year subscription to The New York Times. As for the Nook Color (usually $199), NYT subscribers will be able to pick it up for $99. The full-access NYT subscription currently costs $19.99/monthly.

The Nook Tablet, which usually retails for $249, will be available for $199 to users who sign up for a $9.99/montly, one-year People subscription. The promotion is running through March 9, 2012 at more than 700 Barnes & Nobile locations and at www.nook.com/nyt. The entire press release is available after the break:

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Huawei just unveiled its latest Android-powered, super-thin Ascend P1 S smartphone as part of the company’s 2012 Consumer Electronics Show announcements. The device’s most impressive specification is probably its profile measurements, coming in at just 6.68mm, or 0.26-inches. Engadget pointed out that the size is even slimmer than Motorola’s 7.1mm Droid RAZR.

As for specifications, the Ascend P1 S packs in a 4.3-inch (540 x 960) qHD Super AMOLED display, 1080p video support, SGX 540 GPU, 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 dual-core processor, 8-megapixel main cam, 1.3-megapixel back cam, LED flash, and 1 GB of RAM. There is also a lesser model called simply the “Ascend P1” that packs in similar features, but it has a wider profile of 7.69 mm and most likely a lower price point.

Both devices will land in the United States, and just about every other market, sometime in the second-quarter of 2012. Pricing has not been announced.

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Previously only available as an iOS and web application, Vimeo announced today that Android and Kindle Fire specific versions are available now. For the most part, the apps mirror the functionality of the iOS app, with the ability to upload, watch video, share, and view profiles, stats, and subscriptions. The only feature that remains iOS-only appears to be video editing.

When the app eventually lands in the Android Market sometime today, it will be available to all devices running Android 2.3 or higher.

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Reports flew yesterday that Samsung’s 5.3-inch Galaxy Note would make its United States debut sometime in early 2012. The rumors came from accessory maker Anymode who sent out the CES Media Alert below confirming the device would be “available in the United States in early 2012 through AT&T.” While Anymode later retracted its statement, we have heard separately that Samsung and AT&T will officially announce the U.S. Galaxy Note at CES 2012 set to kick off Jan. 10.

Anymode provided the following retraction since issuing the media alert  (via Engadget):

Anymode Introduces First Accessories for Samsung Galaxy Note” contained inaccurate information pertaining to AT&T and the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note. The information was not provided by Anymode, AT&T or Samsung , nor did Anymode, AT&T or Samsung approve it. The issuing party apologizes for the publishing of the inaccurate information and any inconvenience it may have caused.

Samsung recently announced it shipped over 1 million Galaxy Notes worldwide since the device first launched abroad in November. 9to5Google will be bringing you live updates from the floor at CES 2012 Jan. 10 to Jan. 13 in Las Vegas.

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Google announced on the Chrome Blog today that the latest Chrome Beta release rolled out with a number of new improvements to speed and security. When it comes to speed, the beta release of Chrome will now pre-render pages you visit most often. When typing a URL into the omnibox, URLs that auto-complete will now also start loading before you hit enter.

To get you where you want to go even faster, Chrome will now start loading some web pages in the background, even before you’ve finished typing the URL in the omnibox. If the URL auto-completes to a site you’re very likely to visit, Chrome will begin to prerender the page. Prerendering reduces the time between when you hit Enter and when you see your fully-loaded web page–in some cases, the web page appears instantly.

The release also includes a number of security improvements including updates to Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature that allows executable files, including “.exe” and “.msi”, files to be scanned after downloading. If the file is found to be malicious, Chrome will warn the user to delete it. Google further explained the matter below:

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=equJOSW_eCM&feature=plcp&context=C3bbf57bUDOEgsToPDskI_HBS9UrIGAhSKEuqJ9Z29]

Google just dropped a new Galaxy Nexus advertisement on the device’s official YouTube page that carries on with the aesthetic of its original “Calling all” video, which featured a small snippet from the new ad. The new ad (above) shows off the device’s panorama mode as part of Android 4.0. We found the device to be half decent, but not great, in our review. Google dropped two other Galaxy Nexus ads last month, showing off Google+ Hangouts and Face Unlock. If you missed them, both ads are available after the break.

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We reported last month that AT&T was beginning to roll out LTE to parts of Los Angeles and today the nationwide expansion continues with 11 new markets getting access to the carrier’s 4G LTE network. President and CEO of AT&T Business Solutions John Stankey announced at Citi’s 22nd Annual conference in San Francisco that the New York City metro area, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in addition to eight other markets now bring the total number markets with AT&T LTE access to 26. Stankey commented in a statement earlier today:

“We’re building a 4G LTE network that’s blazing fast, and we offer dual layers of 4G technologies to provide customers with a more consistent speed experience. Our network, together with our unsurpassed 4G device portfolio and innovative applications, will give our customers an industry-leading mobile broadband experience.”

The 11 new markets include: New York City metro area, Austin, Chapel Hill, Los Angeles, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose. This adds to the 15 markets previously with access, including:  Athens, Ga.; Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Charlotte; Chicago; Dallas-Fort Worth; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Oklahoma City; San Antonio; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Washington, D.C.

The devices AT&T currently offers that take advantage of the network include the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, HTC Vivid, Galaxy Tab 8.9, and a handful of other Android devices. Our tests in Los Angeles showed about 18mb/s up, 5mb/s down on the Galaxy S II Skyrocket.

The full press release is available after the break.

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Set-top box maker Roku -one of Google TV and Apple TV’s biggest competitors- unveiled a new iteration of its award-winning Smart TV solution today. However, this time, they shrunk it down to the size of a USB stick that allows you to plug it right into your TVs MHL-enabled HDMI port. The device, called the Roku Streaming Stick, packs in built-in Wi-Fi, a processor, and memory, and includes all of the features currently available in their current set-top box.

According to Roku’s press release, the new cable-free, smaller form factor is ideal for delivering smart TV capabilities to consumers who typically do not replace their TVs often. That model differs from both Apple and Google, especially with Apple expected to launch an HDTV and Google pushing the GoogleTV platform built-in to TVs from vendors like Sony:

Today’s Smart TVs become outdated in just a couple of years because as software evolves the hardware needs to be upgraded to keep pace. While short hardware product cycles are expected with mobile devices such as smart phones, consumers generally keep their TVs for six to eight years. By moving the streaming platform to a stick that’s easily replaceable, consumers no longer have to worry about their large-screen Smart TV becoming obsolete before its time.

Official pricing has not been announced, but CEO Anthony Wood told All Things D the device would be available in the second half of 2012 for between $50 and $100. Roku also plans to have TV vendors bundle the Roku Streaming Stick with new TVs.

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Contract-free carrier MetroPCS is teaming up with 15 major broadcasters to bring “local broadcast television” to its lineup of smartphones that mainly includes Android handsets. The content will be available through a new “Dyle Mobile TV” app, and Samsung is set to ship the first device with Dyle preloaded. That device has yet to be announced.

President and Chief Operating Officer of MetroPCS Tom Keys said this in a statement earlier today:

We’re excited to be the first mobile service provider to deliver a unique entertainment offering like Dyle, but more important than being first is our belief that this service will meet the needs of our customers and deliver an exceptional mobile experience. We know that our customers have a desire to take entertainment with them wherever they go and understand that they want premium services at an incredible value, which we will continue offering by supplying services like Dyle.

MetroPCS partnered with 15 broadcast groups to provide content, some of which include Cox Media, FOX, NBC, and Gannett Broadcasting. The carrier plans to make more than 72 stations available to 32 markets at launch, accounting for more than “50 percent of the U.S. population”.

Markets to have access to the service include: Atlanta, Ga., Boston, Mass., Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Detroit, Mich., Jacksonville, Fla., Las Vegas, Nev., Los Angeles, Calif., Miami, Fla., New York, N.Y., Orlando, Fla., Philadelphia, Pa., Sacramento, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., and Tampa, Fla.

MetroPCS and Samsung will be showing of the Dyle app at CES in Las Vegas Jan. 10 to 13. The full press release is available below.

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If you still have not picked up a Samsung Galaxy Nexus on contract, one of the best prices we have seen for an unlocked version of the device is currently offered through DailySteals.com. For just the next 10 hours, the website is offering an unlocked 16GB Galaxy Nexus for $559.99, down from their usual list price of $749.99 – a savings of $190. Head over to their website now and grab it while the sale lasts.

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A report today from USA Today claimed the “big buzz” leading up to Consumer Electronics Show 2012 is smart TVs, specifically due to the biggest TV vendors anticipating the launch of an Apple branded HDTV. On the Google TV side of things, Sony TV Vice President Brian Siegel cleared up some misconceptions and said HDTVs integrated with Google TV are among their best-selling TVs.

Google TV has come under criticism since its launch for having a clunky user interface and meager app offerings, among other issues, but that has not hindered sales of Sony TVs incorporating it. “They’re among the best-selling TVs we have. Media has done a real good job of beating it up,” says Brian Siegel, Sony TV vice president.

However, Siegel noted there are “lots of opportunities” to improve their Google TV offerings, but said built-in Google search is providing them with “good insight” on user behavior for the latest run of new smart TVs. He declined to comment on whether we would be seeing new Google TV-powered products or updates from Sony during CES.

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When Google unveiled Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, we quickly learned that a refined version of the “Holo” system theme would be used throughout the operating system. Now, Google has announced in a blog post on the Android Developers website that it will require vendors to use the theme to gain access to the Android Market and Google apps and services. Android Framework engineer Adam Powell explained:

In Android 4.0, Holo is different. We’ve made the inclusion of the unmodified Holo theme family a compatibility requirement for devices running Android 4.0 and forward. If the device has Android Market it will have the Holo themes as they were originally designed. This standardization goes for all of the public Holo widget styles as well.

The benefit, according to Google, will be easier to implement future updates for vendors. As The Verge pointed out, “it most definitely does not mean that Google is enforcing usage of the theme on” third-party developers. It will, however, allow developers to avoid using the system themes of TouchWiz and other third-party skins, and instead they can utilize Holo. Powell wrapped up Google’s final thoughts on the decision below:

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Have you ever wondered just how much being highlighted as a “Featured” application in any given category within the Android Market increases downloads for an app? According to one developer’s account, being featured could provide more than a 600 percent increase to daily average downloads.

The developer’s of the free fitness-tracking app “RunKeeper” were more than pleased to find out their app was featured in the Health and Fitness category of the Android Market. According to RunKeeper’s blog, the news came at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and three days later the app experienced a 637 percent increase in daily app downloads. It also catapulted from the mid 20s to No. 3 within the Health and Fitness category, and it currently ranks No. 288 in the Market as a whole.

According to Google Product Manager for Android Market Fernando Delgado, Google has a “team of editors and category managers that proactively look at new apps being released on Android Market. If an app is determined to have high potential, it is thoroughly reviewed to make sure it meets the high bar for being featured.”
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Samsung just announced a new low-end addition to the Galaxy smartphone lineup with the new Galaxy Ace Plus. Although there does not appear to be plans to ship it in the United States, it seems Europe and most other markets will be able to get their hands on the device starting this month.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus packs in a 3.65-inch HVGA TFT display, 1GHz processor, 5 megapixel main cam with flash, and TouchWiz on top of Android 2.3. It also comes with 512MB RAM and 3GB onboard memory (expandable to 32GB via microsSD).

The full press release from Samsung is available after the break.

“Samsung Mobile is opening 2012 with the introduction of the Samsung GALAXY Ace Plus, which will help enhance the GALAXY brand following the huge success of the GALAXY S, GALAXY SII, GALAXY Ace and GALAXY mini. The GALAXY Ace Plus benefits from the Android™ Gingerbread platform and Samsung services, which provide a better mobile experience for more consumers,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “In 2012, we will continue to make every effort to create an easy and fun mobile experience by expanding our incredibly popular GALAXY smartphone range, which is now one of the most recognized and successful mobile brands in the world.”
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Update: Google provided the following official statement to All Things D:

“Google never agreed to anything more than online ads. We have consistently avoided paid sponsorships, including paying bloggers to promote our products, because these kind of promotions are not transparent or in the best interests of users. We’re now looking at what changes we need to make to ensure that this never happens again.”

Google has not officially responded to accusations that they are going against their own paid link policies by running a sponsored ad campaign promoting Chrome. Now, the company apparently behind the campaign has spoken to All Things D to clarify the matter.

We told you about a discovery made by SEO Books yesterday, detailed by Search Engine Land, that Google appeared to be sponsoring over 400 pages of content promoting Google Chrome. The content is revealed through Google search for the phrase “This post is sponsored by Google.” As Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan pointed out, the campaign goes against Google’s own policies on paid links and it is attached to the type of poorly generated content they are trying to combat.

Google has not officially responded, although Vice President of Chrome Linus Upson commented on Sullivan’s Google Plus post claiming he was unaware of the problem and would investigate the issue:

“News to me. Looking in to it…”

Scott Button CEO of video advertising firm Unruly —Google’s ad company behind the campaign– claimed the only thing wrong is “one link in one post that was not marked nofollow.” Here is what he said regarding the matter:

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Following Google Cofounder Larry Page taking over as CEO of the company in April, Investor’s Business Daily named Page its “CEO of the Year.” While noting that Google has increased revenues over the last two quarters by approximately 32 percent, IBD said Page took an “aggressive approach to inspiring one of the Internet’s top performers into something even better.”

Here is an excerpt from IBD’s announcement detailing some of Page’s accomplishments that landed him CEO of the Year:

He reorganized the company’s management structure, redesigned the face of the company’s products and pushed forward with a multibillion dollar deal to acquire a cellphone manufacturing outfit. He also launched two other products aiming at Groupon, the leader of online coupons, and Facebook, the top social networking site.

Google’s Senior Vice President of Search Alan Eustace commented on Page’s transition into the CEO role following his previous position as president of products:

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A new Japanese comic called “Sweet Android High-school” chronicles the relationship between major Android vendors and the rest of the smartphone market (Apple) as students each representing a company.

Some of the characters include Laura Moto-chan representing Motorola and Sam-Sung-chan representing Samsung. Other students include HTC, LG, Sony Ericsson, and Apple. As an example of what might take place in the comic’s storyline, Laura Moto-chan apparently married the character representing Google (the school’s teacher) to mirror the Google/Motorola acquisition.

The comic runs in “extra editions of Weekly ASCII, a PC magazine with long history in Japan,” and a breakdown of the characters can be found here.

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Previously only available to Egyptian users, Google launched (via Mashable) a new “Politics & Elections” landing page today for the United States – a day ahead of the Iowa Caucuses at Media Filing Center on Tuesday. The website acts as a hub to information on the 2012 elections, providing the ability to filter news articles and video by candidate or specific issues like the economy, immigration, or healthcare.

Along the right side of the page are links to resources like the Google+ Politics & Elections page, the YouTube Politics channel, and the 2012 Political Calendar on PBS. Also available are two interactive tools: “Trends” and “On the Ground”.

Clicking Trends gives you an interactive graph and timeline that charts trends for each candidate based on search volume, mentions in Google News articles, and views on YouTube channels. Clicking Play will let you watch how trends have changed for each candidate through the days, month, or years. The On the Ground tool provides a Google Map with links to election related events as shot by YouTube users.

According to Mashable, Google will also display content from the new website on large screens at the Iowa Caucuses on Tuesday. They will also be holding Google Plus hangouts live from the event.

The Pentagon officially certified an Android device alongside Android 2.2 for use on Defense Department networks, which would be the first smartphone -other than RIM’s BlackBerry- to receive approval.

Spotted in a Security Technical Implementation Guide (via Stripes and Stars), the latest approval only extends to Dell’s Venue. Dell’s now discontinued Streak tablet was approved previously. Android devices from other vendors, such as HTC, Samsung, Motorola and others, were not covered in the recently published document.

DoD employees have limited access to the device’s feature set, though. The Android Market will be off limits and all web browsing will be done through a DoD proxy server. Moreover, classified information cannot be sent/received or accessed by Android handsets.

Apple’s iPhones and iPads are already being tested by the Defense Information Systems Agency for use on DoD networks; however, the agency is not commenting on when iOS devices might get approval. The Defense Information Systems Agency creates guidelines in cooperation with The National Institute of Standards and Technology for devices operating on military networks.

Restricted access to the Android Market is due to “security reasons,” but the DoD is prepping their own, secure application store. In an interview with Bloomberg earlier this month at the Pentagon, the United States Defense Department’s Chief Information Officer Teri Takai talked about plans to build a “secure network of smartphone apps to help soldiers fight in new ways.” In other words, an app store dedicated to the DoD and accessible from all devices:

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