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Jun

[Update: Rollout Begins On June 22] Verizon's DROID RAZR/RAZR MAXX ICS 4.0.4 (Build 6.16.211) Update Docs Now Live

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, RAZR / RAZR MAXX, Verizon Wireless

Update: Verizon just posted on its official blog that the rollout is slated to begin today, June 22.

Verizon has just uploaded the official support documents for the RAZR / RAZR MAXX Ice Cream Sandwich update (which by the way will be build 6.16.211 – the same build that recently leaked). With the docs going live just moments ago, users should expect the update to officially start rolling out any day now.

The update, besides upgrading your device to Android 4.0.4 (including many of the features we've come to love like folder creation, data usage, etc), brings global roaming, improved Bluetooth audio quality for music enjoyment, and other various other improvements to Verizon apps and basic phone functions.

Jun

Google Expands Live Traffic Info Into 7 New Countries, Updates 19 Others

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Google, News

One of the coolest features of Google Maps is the ability to show live traffic patterns on major roadways. Now, Google is rolling out this feature to seven new countries, as well as expanding coverage in 19 others. The new countries in the inner circle are Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Romania and South Africa. Exciting!

As users of the service are no doubt aware, having your country or city covered doesn't necessarily mean every street is covered. So, Google is expanding to include more of the roads a man must walk down. Here's the full list of expanded territories:

Australia

Belgium

Brazil

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Israel

Italy

Japan

Netherlands

New Zealand

Puerto Rico

Russia

Spain

Sweden

Taiwan

UK

All in all, it's a solid update to a valuable service.

Jun

First Batch Of CyanogenMod 7.2 (Stable) Builds Now Available For A Ton Of Devices

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Development, Gingerbread 2.3, News

Those of you who have been waiting for a stable Android 2.3.7 build for your device from CyanogenMod are in luck - the first stable CyanogenMod 7.2 builds have just been released for an absolute slew of devices. For those who don't feel like decoding all the code-names for themselves, here's a handy list of supported devices (at the time of writing – more devices are being added):

Barnes&Noble

NOOK Color (encore)

HTC

Hero CDMA

myTouch 4G (glacier)

myTouch 3G Slide (espresso)

Desire (bravo)

Desire HD

Tattoo (click)

Wildfire (buzz)

Incredible (inc)

Incredible 2 (vivow)

Droid Eris (desirec)

LG

myTouch T 4G (e739)

Optimus Sol (e730)

Optimus Hub (e510)

Optimus Pro (c660)

Motorola

Droid 2 (Global)

Samsung

Galaxy S (galaxy smtd/sbmtd)

Galaxy SII (AT&T and international)

Fascinate

Nexus S/4G (Crespo/4G)

Galaxy Ace

Sony Ericsson

Xperia Pro MK16 (iyokan)

Xperia Neo (Hallon)

Live w/ Walkman (coconut)

Xperia Arc (Anzu)

Xperia Ray (urushi)

Xperia Play (zeus)

Xperia Mini/Pro (smultron/mango)

ZTE

Blade

Arcee notes in a post to the CyanogenMod blog that 7.2 brings a few backported ICS features and a few important bug fixes to a list of devices which includes 20 more than the list of 7.1 recipients.

Jun

Android Gets Its Very Own Official Xbox LIVE App From Microsoft- In Other News, Pigs Now Fly

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Well, this sure came out of left field. Microsoft has released an official Xbox LIVE app for Android! The app can be used to view and modify your 3D Xbox avatar, track your achievements, connect with Xbox LIVE friends, and even get news and information from the Xbox Spotlight feeds. Color us surprised at how fully featured this app is.

The app has a distinctly Metro UI feel to it, which is unsurprising as Redmond has been keen to slather the vector-based UI on all of its properties these days, but the theme definitely clashes with Android. Functionally, however, it's very robust.

Jun

[LIVE: The Android Police Podcast] The Live Premiere

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Podcast

Welcome to the very first live episode of the Android Police Podcast. We apologize in advance for any technical snafus, random outbursts related thereto, and bad puns. We're not actually sorry about the last one.

Jun

AT&T Goes Live With Samsung Galaxy SIII Pre-Orders

Posted by Liam Spradlin in AT&T, Galaxy S III, News

As promised, AT&T has gone live with pre-orders for the hotly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy SIII, which was just confirmed for the carrier three days ago. Customers are now free to stake claim to the phone that may indeed change the way Android phones are sold in the US. AT&T is the second carrier to officially launch pre-orders, following Sprint. Verizon's pre-orders are also expected to begin today.

In case you've forgotten what makes the Galaxy SIII an awesome device, here's a quick look at its specs:

4.8" Super AMOLED 720p display
Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor at 1.5GHz
16GB onboard storage, expandable to 64GB via microSD
Ample 2100mAh battery
2GB RAM
Android Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz overlay

To earmark your own unit (in either Pebble Blue or Marble White), just head over to AT&T's preorder page here.

May

Roland-Garros® 2012 Is The Official App Of The French Open, Tennis Fans Rejoice

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

If tennis isn't your thing, then I'll see you later! Now, for the rest of you, get ready to download one of the most important tennis-related apps of the year. The French Open has its own app in the Play Store right now. The app allows tennis fans to keep track of the schedule of the two-week event, get alerts before and during the event, and integrates relevant Facebook and Twitter updates, as well as real-time stats.

The event starts on May 27th and lasts for two weeks. The app will start warming up on May 22nd, though, so sports fans can get started scratching that itch early.

May

[Live Blog] Samsung's "The Next Galaxy" Unpacked Launch Event In London

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Galaxy S III, News, Samsung

Last Updated: May 3rd, 2012

Finally, an end to all rumors about the Galaxy S III and its variants. Or is it? We'll find out at Samsung's launch event, which we're covering live on location in London. My hat's off to Samsung for creating more buzz about this phone than any other company making Android devices has ever made about any Android phone or tablet, all without actually revealing it .

The action starts May 3rd at 11AM PDT, 2PM EDT, 7PM BST (London time) - the live coverage form on this page will automatically update when the wheels are in motion.

In the meantime, sign up for a reminder below - we'll see you back here soon (Note: May 3rd, not 2nd - I'm just giving you a sufficient heads-up).

Apr

Official Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012 App Hits The Play Store – Track (And Watch) Sammy's "Next Galaxy" Event From Your Device

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News, Samsung

Samsung Mobile, as part of what has certainly been an epic lead-up to a new flagship so far, released an official Unpacked 2012 companion app to Google's Play Store today, bringing some awesome functionality both to those lucky enough to attend the event and everyone else.

One of the most impressive features of the app is that it allows users to watch the event in real time. This means users can watch the unveiling of the "Next Galaxy" live no matter where they are. The app will also show the new product's details, an official press release, and give helpful venue and transportation maps, as well as a map of London.

Mar

[Updated: Here Are The Winners!] Giveaway: Want To Learn How To Develop For Android, But Don't Like Books? Try Android App Development Fundamentals LiveLessons

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Contests / Giveaways, Development

Last Updated: March 31st, 2012

It's no secret that we work with a number of publishers to give away a steady stream of books to aid aspiring developers - after all, if we help developers, the entire Android ecosystem as a whole is enriched. But for some people, simply reading a book isn't the ideal way to learn. It's for these people that informIT has released Android App Development Fundamentals LiveLessons - a series of downloadable videos that are designed to teach Java developers how to build apps for Android.

This contest is now over. Here are our winners, selected at random: