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Dec

[Update: Sony Ericsson Joins In On The Fun] Motorola Details What Needs To Be Done Before Existing Devices Will Receive Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Motorola, News

Motorola has already let us know that it will be bringing ICS to most of its high-end devices, and now we have the details of what goes on behind the scenes to make an update like that happen. The blog post explaining the process gives a good look at the whole shebang, from start to finish.

Ready for a glimpse into Moto's world? Check it out:

1. Merge and adapt the new release for different device hardware architecture(s) and carrier customizations

This means that we take the source code and incorporate it into upgrades for devices on which this can perform well, along with making sure the carrier requirements are met. Silicon partners such as Qualcomm, TI, and nVidia adapt this to their chipsets in parallel and we incorporate these as they become available.

Dec

Google+ Update Brings High Res Photo Upload, Ability To +1 Comments, And More

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Android's Google+ app got a big update today, bringing several handy new features to the mobile version of Google's social networking venture. The update allows users to upload high-res photos, +1 photos and comments, add videos to instant upload, and more, while also bringing several unspecified bug fixes.

Here's the full list of updates, from the Android Market's Google+ listing:

Search
+1 photos
+1 comments
High resolution photo upload support
See if someone's online and currently typing in Messenger conversations
Start Messenger conversations by just entering a phone number
Links to posts or profiles can now open inside of the app
Instant Upload supports videos again
Several stability improvements and bug fixes

If you haven't already, hit the link below and grab the update!

Dec

Google Goggles Gets Ginormous Update With Continuous Scan, Document Recognition

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

Google Goggles, the app that lets you "search the real world with a picture," just received a pretty major update to version 1.7. The update brings some very cool features, like continuous scan mode, which lets Goggles do its thing without having to constantly hit the shutter button.

One of the coolest new features in this update is enhanced text recognition, which can detect the same text an online document and provide a link directly to the page. The update also brings better search functionality and improved item recognition.

Goggles 1.7 is available now in the Android Market, hit the widget below to grab it.

Dec

[Rumor] Verizon's Galaxy Nexus May Not Be Available On December 9th After All

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Nexus, News, Rumors, Verizon Wireless

Ready to add another rumor to the pile surrounding the US Galaxy Nexus release date? No? I don't blame you. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to stop this whirlwind of release date madness.

We've been hearing December 9th as the final release date for the Galaxy Nexus on Big Red for several days now; heck, an orgy of proof showed up yesterday that all but confirmed it - or so we thought. Now we're hearing that 12/9 isn't the day after all. No one is sure what's actually going on, but we can say that we're not alone - a slew of other sites are hearing the same thing.

Dec

Samsung Galaxy Note Rolls Through The FCC Sporting AT&T Bands

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Galaxy Note (GT-N7000), News

We've been wondering whether or not the gargantuan Samsung Galaxy Note would ever make its way stateside, and I believe we just got our answer. This tablet-phone hybrid device (or as I like to call it, a phablet) just passed through the FCC, and it's sporting AT&T 2G/3G bands.

If you need a refresher on what makes the Note so unique (aside from its massive 5.3-inch display), watch this:

And a quick look at the specs of the international version:

5.3-inch 1280x800 Super AMOLED HD display
1.4GHz dual-core Exynos processor
1GB RAM
32GB built-in storage, microSD card slot
8MP rear shooter, 2MP front camera
Android 2.3.5 with TouchWiz

Keep in mind that these specs could change for the US release, but that's probably not likely.

Dec

34 Best New Android Games From Last Week (11/28/11 - 12/6/11)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News

Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous week or so.

This edition focuses only on new games. The app roundup is coming up soon, and you can find the tablet app roundup here.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Games

Android Police coverage: Twisted Physics Game 'World Of Goo' Now Available In The Android Market

World of Goo Demo

World of Goo is the most awaited game since Minecraft.

Dec

Official: Android 3.1 Update Now Rolling Out To The Logitech Revue

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Revue

We learned a few weeks ago that a software update would soon be rolling out to the Logitech Revue, finally bringing Honeycomb to the unit. That time has finally come; as posted on the official Logitech blog, the Android 3.1 update is now making its way to Revue units across the country.

Android 3.1 brings a lot of welcome features and enhancements to the Google TV box, including access to the Android Market, improved search and browsing capabilities, a simplified user interface, and improvements to the Logitech Media Player.

To receive the update, you need only ensure that your Revue is on and connected to the web - the update will be rolling out throughout the week, and you'll be prompted to install it once it's available on your device.

Dec

[Updated With #10] Android Market "10 Billion Promo" Day Two Deals: Beautiful Widgets, Fruit Ninja, Reckless Racing, AirSync, And More Just 10¢ Each

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Applications, Apps/Games, Deals, Games, News

It's day two of the Market's "10 Billion Promo," in which 10 different apps are offered for 10 days at just $0.10 each. While the official page listing still shows yesterday's deals, a little digging by redditors has revealed 9 of today's 10:

Update: And the 10th app is... Bedtime Battle!

We have yet to figure out what the last one is, and Google has yet to update the promo page, but we'll be sure to update this post when we have more information.

Dec

Avast Launches Mobile Security App With Root Functions, Firewall, Free Theft Aware Integration, And More - A Strong Contender For The Best Overall Security App On Android

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Applications, News

Avast has just launched its Mobile Security app for Android, integrating the pure power of Theft Aware (see our review) with some amazing new features. If you remember, Avast swallowed up ITAgents, the small company behind Theft Aware, back in September and promised to integrate it with its upcoming software. Even in its beta state, Avast's Mobile Security looks to be a very strong contender among the dozens of other security apps floating around in the Android Market. I dare say it has the potential to overshadow just about all of the apps in our Mobile Security App Shootout.

Dec

Verizon Equipment Guide Says To Expect Samsung's Galaxy Nexus December 9th

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy Nexus, News, Verizon Wireless

Confirming recent rumors, a Verizon equipment guide has cropped up showing December 9th as the official launch date of Samsung's long-awaited Galaxy Nexus with VZW.

For those who have forgotten why they should be excited about the Galaxy Nexus, here are it's awesome specs one more time:

TI OMAP 4460 Dual-core processor at 1.2GHz
1GB RAM
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
4.65" SAMOLED display at 1280x720
NFC Capability
4G LTE Connectivity
A slender frame measuring 5.33"x2.67"x0.37"
1080p Video recording

The Galaxy Nexus is certainly a beastly phone, and looks like it will be well worth the wait when Verizon customers can get their hands on the device in just a couple of days.