Android

Just as we reported on this morning, Samsung has just officially announced a new Galaxy Pro line of tablets. The line-up includes four models, coming in at 8.4-inches, 10.1-inches and 12.2-inches. All of the models include the same specifications. The WiFi-only models are powered by an octa-core processor, while the LTE models will have a Snapdragon quad-core chip under the hood. The WiFi models will have 2GB of RAM, with the LTE models coming in with 3GB, presumably to make up for the processor difference. The 8.4 and 10.1-inch models come with either 16 or 32GB of storage, and the 12.2-inch model comes in a 32 or 64GB flavor.

Samsung has also unveiled the Galaxy Note Pro, which features the same 12.2-inch display and processor and RAM configuration as the other models. Of course, the only difference is that the Note Pro includes the famous S Pen. All four of these devices include a high-resolution 2560×1600 display.

Samsung has also refreshed the software on the device, which if you’ve used a Samsung tablet recently, is definitely not a bad thing. The company has also added multi-window support, and will also give users a “content gift package” with paid content from apps like Evernote and Dropbox.

The Galaxy Pro line of tablets will be available “globally” starting from Q1 2014.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ztsmusDQ9jU

Samsung’s CES 2014 keynote kicks off in just a few minutes at 2PM PT/5PM ET. Check out the live stream up above and stay tuned for more info as it hits.

Just a few minutes after announcing the hybrid Transformer Book Duet, Asus has unveiled an entirely new line of Android devices dubbed ZenFone. Asus hasn’t had much luck in the Android phone market, due in large part to its odd choice to only release phones that dock in tablets. The company hopes that these ZenFone devices will bring it some commercial success, though.

The ZenFone devices will come in three sizes, 4-inches, 5-inches, and 6-inches. All models will be powered by a dual-core Intel Atom processor and be available in a wide-variety of colors. The devices will ship with Android 4.3 on board, but don’t get too excited, as Asus has decided to overlay its ZenUI on top of the operating system. Asus promises that ZenUI will be simply, beautiful, and easy to use. One feature Asus is heavily promoting is a What’s Next feature that keeps track of your daily schedules.

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Hybrid devices that dual-boot both Android and Windows have become all too common over the past year or so, and as the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show kicks into full force, it only seems fitting that we’d see just a few more. Asus has just announced the Transformer Book Duet TD300. As the Duet name implies, the device is a convertible laptop and tablet hybrid that dual boots Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Windows 8.1.

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AT&T has just announced that it will be the exclusive United States carrier of the ASUS PadFone X, although the carrier has no detailed information on pricing or availability at this point. The PadFone X is a 5-inch Android device, running 4.4 KitKat, that that you can dock to turn into a full 9-inch tablet. ASUS touts that the integration between the tablet and phone interface is seamless and that the docking process will automatically resize all apps to fit the larger display.

The PadFone X is a 5-inch full HD smartphone that activates a 9-inch full HD tablet when the phone is docked. It runs Android KitKat 4.4. and features a thin and light design with a brushed metal frame, a soft-touch back cover and dual front speakers that deliver captivating audio.

At this point, we don’t know all that much about the PadFone X, including specific specs, such as what sort of processor is powering the device. Rumors suggest that it’s a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip with 2GB RAM, although that has not been confirmed.

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Just a few minutes ago during its CES 2014 press event, LG announced that its highly-anticipated G Flex device will be making its way to the United States in Q1 and is destined for Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. We’d heard rumors of United States G Flex availability for a while, but this is the first time LG has confirmed its plans.

Early reviews of the self-healing G Flex were rather mixed. The main issue most reviewers had, however, was the price tag for the device. Presumably, when it hits United States carriers, it will be subsidized, which will reduce the initial up-front cost. Reviewers also remarked that the curved design made the device’s size more manageable and ergonomic. They also had positive things to say about the G Flex’s performance, and camera, though they were somewhat skeptical of the “self-healing” back.

The big question surrounding the device now is its subsidized price on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint. We should hear more about that as we progress further into the first quarter.

Samsung has put up banners at CES for a new Galaxy Note PRO and Tab PRO, which it is expected to unveil tonight (photo courtesy of Engadget) – and thanks to leaked specs from the generally dependable @evleaks, we think we have a good idea what to expect.

The leak suggests that four new models will be launched, with 3G and LTE variants, in 8.4-, 10.1- and 12.2-inch sizes.

[tweet https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/420094062390431744]

The 12.2-inch NotePRO and TabPRO devices appear to be identical bar the S-Pen of the former. Specs are said to be a quad-core Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz processor for the LTE version, and Samsung’s own quad-core Exynos 5 Octa chip running at 1.9GHz in the Wifi/3G variant. Other specs are said to be identical for both versions … 
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A company that makes smartphone-controlled door locks for hotels has announced its first home door lock system, going by the rather cringeworthy name Okidokeys.

Once fitted, you’ll be able to unlock your front door from your Android handset via Bluetooth. The locks are also compatible with RFID chips, allowing you to open them with a keycard or wristband in case your phone battery goes flat. As you’d expect from a hi-tech lock, you can also manage access and accounts online … 
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Left: Pebble Steel. right: original plastic Pebble

If you like the functionality of the Pebble smartwatch but are less keen on the plastic finish, it looks like you won’t have long to wait for a metal version. We’ve seen a couple of leaks of the Pebble Steel, seemingly the exact same innards as the existing Pebble watch but with a stainless steel casing and Gorilla Glass.

There are said to be two versions, one in brushed stainless steel (shown alongside the original plastic version above) and a matte black one (shown below the fold) … 
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In a Blogpost today, Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA). The move seems to indicate that Google is hoping to repeat its Open Handset Alliance but with cars. It currently has Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Nvidia signed up but is open to anyone who wants to join.

The OAA would bring open source Android to cars and a common platform that could go from tablets to phones to cars and back again. For Google, it gets to spread its influence to yet more places and in turn gather more data for advertising and other purposes. 
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Hot on the heels of Acer announcing a pair of Android-powered all-in-one desktop computers, HP has just taken the wraps off of its own model. Dubbed the Slate 21 Pro, the device is an all-in-one targeted at business users. HP’s biggest selling point with the device is the fact that it comes pre-loaded with a variety of services and apps, including Kingsoft Office, Evernote, Skype, HP Classroom Manager, 50GB of lifetime Box storage and Citrix Receiver for remote Windows access. Of course, you also have access to the full Google Play Store for apps, as well.

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During its press conference to officially kick off CES 2014, NVIDIA has announced its latest next-generation mobile processor. Dubbed the NVIDIA Tegra K1, the processor is the world’s first “192-core Super Chip.” The K1 will begin to make its way into mobile devices, more than likely several Android ones, sometime this year. In addition to mobile Android devices, NVIDIA also plans to implement the Tegra K1 into cars, gaming consoles, and 4k televisions.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nupabf5zsGg

For those of you that aren’t going to make it to CES this year, Qualcomm has released several videos to its YouTube channel, showing off some of the features of its Snapdragon 805 processor. The videos focus mainly on the enhancements the chip can make to camera technology and styluses (via Engadget).

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In a surprising weekend announcement, Bitspin has announced that it has been acquired by Google (via Android Police). Bitspin is the company behind the Timely alarm clock app, which has become one of the most popular and well designed apps on the Play Store. It has received between 1 million and 5 million downloads since it’s release and has an overall rating of 4.4 stars out of 5. The developers are also the minds behind the Tasks to-do app, although it’s published under a different name on the Play Store.

We’re thrilled to announce that Bitspin is joining Google, where we’ll continue to do what we love: building great products that are delightful to use.

For new and existing users, Timely will continue to work as it always has. Thanks to everyone who has downloaded our app and provided feedback along the way; we truly appreciate all your support.

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Recently, we’ve been taking a look at some game controllers for the iPhone over at 9to5Mac, such as offerings from Logitech and Moga. Now another company is looking to get into the market, but this time with Android. Today, Wikipad announced its new Gamevice controller for Android devices. The device is a detachable controller, similar to those made for the iPhone (via Android Central). The Gamevice fully encloses your Android device, allowing only access to the screen.

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Intel is about to introduce new “Dual OS” devices in partnership with PC manufacturers that will boot both Android and Windows during its appearance at CES next week, according to a new report from TheVerge. Android will apparently run in virtualization software within Windows, allowing users to use apps from both operating systems side by side:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FwJ9QlXwVSU

After teasing the app for what seemed like years, BlackBerry finally released its BBM client to Android last October, to a somewhat surprising number of downloads. Today, the company has released a private beta of the app that includes the promised Channels feature, as well as voice chat support (via Engadget).

Channels is BlackBerry’s stab at a social network. The company describes it as something similar to Tumblr. Voice chat is exactly what it sounds like. It’s essentially Skype, but baked right in to the BBM app. Users can call each other, for free, over WiFi networks. This is something that Android users have been wanting for a while now in Google’s Hangouts app, so it’s surprising to see BlackBerry beat Google to the punch.

The update is available via the BlackBerry Beta Zone now. There’s no word on public availability, or when/if the update will come to iOS.

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Ahead of an official appearance at CES next week, Acer today announced a number of new products including two new additions to its Android tablet lineup. Both of the two new models will arrive this quarter including the Acer Iconia A1-830 7.9-inch tablet, which will start at $149 in the US, and the 7-inch Iconia B1 starting at €129 (no word on US availability). 
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Just ahead of CES next week, Acer has announced a handful of new hardware and devices including two desktop-sized All-in-one computers powered by Android.

The Acer DA223 HQL runs Android Jelly Bean with a 1.7 GHz quad core Snapdragon 600 processor on a 21.5″ touch screen HD display. It also runs Windows.

It features a built-in rechargeable battery so you can move it from one room to another without being plugged in.
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