04
Jan
PR-ASUS-Eee-Pad-Transformer-Prime-front-Amethyst-Gray_thumb1

A Breakdown Of Why GPS Sucks On The Transformer Prime (And Why It Can't Be Fixed With A Software Update)

Posted by in Eee Pad Transformer Prime, News

At  this point, I'm sure you've heard that the Transformer Prime has GPS issues. Issues so bad that ASUS even removed GPS from the Prime's list of features. Under normal circumstances, we would all sit back and wait for a software update to roll out with a fix, but that's not going cut it this time.

This is serious.

ASUS has already acknowledged that the Prime's GPS issues are due to its all-aluminum construction. But what does it mean? It basically means that someone at ASUS didn't think things through completely. Or maybe they did and hoped no one would notice.

12
Dec
carrierIQ

[Updated: More Details Added] Carrier IQ Is Ready To Tell Us What It's All About, Releases Nineteen Page Document Detailing What It Collects And Who Gets To See It

Posted by in News

Carrier IQ has been a hot topic as of late, but not without good reason. The "service" that no one had really heard of before October of this year has been raising eyebrows for the last couple of months, leaving us all wondering how much data was actually being extracted from our devices.

While it definitely has a deep ditch to dig its way out of, CIQ has started on that long and tedious process by releasing a nineteen-page document detailing exactly what information is collected. The document gives a pretty in-depth explanation of what CIQ is really doing with the data being collected, how much of it is actually human-readable, and even goes as far as to address (and justify?) many of Trevor Eckhart's findings from a few weeks ago.

27
May
paypal-android1

Google Responds To PayPal Trade Secret Lawsuit - What Does It All Really Mean? An Explanation

Posted by in Android OS, Editorials, News

Disclaimer: I'm not an attorney. This is not legal advice.

The PayPal and Google lawsuit is just another one of Google's seemingly endless big-name legal tangles over the last couple of years. Why is Google litigation such a frequent topic?

At least in part, it's because Google has one of the most aggressive stances towards litigation of any member of the tech industry. Google's reputation for taking its battles to court has become almost notorious (well, except for the "Buzz" incident) - regardless of cost or, sometimes, likelihood of victory. Google's approach is one of the modern corporation - during the 1990's and 80's, when civil litigation was actually more prevalent, in-house counsels for major corporations often preferred to settle potentially high-dollar suits rather than risk wasting piles of cash on defending them, only to lose in the end.

14
Dec
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Your Battery Gauge Is Lying To You: Everything You Need To Know About Bump Charging And Inconsistent Battery Drain

Posted by in Editorials, Tips & Tutorials

This article was written by a guest poster Byron G and originally posted to his blog. It is reprinted here with Byron's full permission.

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Your Smartphone Is Lying To You (And It’s Not Such A Bad Thing)

Climbing out of bed, about to start your day, you unplug your new smartphone from its wall charger and quickly check your email. You’ve left it plugged in overnight, and the battery gauge shows 100%. After a quick shower, you remember that you forgot to send your client a file last night. You pick up your phone again, but the battery gauge now reads 90%.

01
May
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Custom ROMs For Android Explained - Here Is Why You Want Them

Posted by in Development, Tips & Tutorials
Last Updated: August 20th, 2012

Introduction

Ever wondered what the whole Android custom ROM scene was about?

What is all this talk of installing "aftermarket", custom upgrades on your phone?

Who needs it? Why do it? Is it safe?

Don't fret - I'm here to explain - the AndroidPolice Academy is now in session.

By the way, the word ROM means Read Only Memory, but has migrated in the modding community to mean an actual custom OS image that you install into the ROM area of your phone.

Also, the word kernel essentially means the heart of the OS - it's the barebones operating system components.