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Though it has yet to be officially acknowledged on the CyanogenMod blog (and Cyanogen himself posted an official progress update on CM9 just a few days ago), it appears that CM7.2 Release Candidate (RC) 1 is nearly here - an official changelog has been posted to the CM source review.
Nowadays, it's not often that we come across some blurrycam shots of a device and don't know what it is, but that's exactly the case here. Luckily, the shots do reveal some information, and there a few other things we can surmise from there.
Mobile gaming giant Gameloft has released yet another new title to the Android Market, and this time it's a soccer simulator: Real Soccer 2012. The game packs impressive graphics and customization options, and is even licensed by FIFPRO - meaning real players and leagues are used. Perhaps one of the most impressive features, though, is the ability to replay real-life games through an in-game news feed.
You're already a web developer, master of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You have a great idea for an Android App, but your particular skill set doesn't help you create that app. Or does it? O'Reilly media just released a 176-page 2nd edition of "Building Android Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript" by Jonathan Stark and Brian Jepson that explains how to do just that.
As Android has grown from a small hobbyists OS to the mainstream-conquering behemoth it is today, so has the amount of malware directed towards it. A large chunk of the problem comes from malicious apps that make it into the Android Market - often times, duplicates of popular apps with a few strings of code thrown in that allow the app to transmit personal information or hijack the device.
The Sensation is one of HTC's most popular handsets overseas, and despite being launched nearly a year ago (May 19,2011), the company just announced a new "Ice White" version. While there are no differences in hardware, the outside will obviously be white (à la Amaze 4G). More importantly, though: it will launch on March 1, and run Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) out of the gate.
Yesterday afternoon, @SamsungMobileUS revealed that the company would be launching a "device so revolutionary only an ad in America's biggest game [the Super Bowl] can do it justice." Many on Twitter and across the web assumed it would be the Galaxy S III or a new tablet; while it was doubtful in light of recent rumors that it would be the SGSIII, the new tablet idea was at least feasible.
Thanks to our two-dozen (or so) previous book giveaways, you probably now know how to develop for Android. If so, it's probably time to kick your game up to the next level by mastering application security. Luckily for you, O'Reilly Media recently published a new book on the topic, titled "Application Security for the Android Platform: Processes, Permissions, and Other Safeguards." Written by Jeff Six, the book is a concise (112 page) treatise on the subject.
As promised, the ultra-impressive DROID RAZR MAXX went on sale today, but for a premium price of $300 with a new two-year contract at Verizon. Not so, says Wirefly, who is charging just $230 for the thin-yet-juiced phone.
Google's latest wunderphone, the Galaxy Nexus, normally runs a pricey $300 on contract when purchased through Verizon. Luckily, competition brings down prices - sometimes dramatically - and it's on sale now at Amazon for just $99.99 with free 2-day shipping for incoming Verizon customers (it's still $259.99 for those who are upgrading). Quite the discount, and 100 bones for such a mind-blowing device is quite the steal indeed.
A software update for the HTC Rezound is coming soon, according to Verizon's support page for the device. Hoping it's the update Rezound owners have been waiting for - you know, the one to ICS? Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's nothing to it but minor bugfixes and changes. But hey, you can't complain about them fixing things in the interim, can you? The update bumps things up to version number 2.01.605.11 and baseband 0.95.00.1118r.
Owners of the Lenovo Thinkpad tablet have long been waiting for a way to root their devices... in fact, the situation is so dire that there is a 5 bounty for root. Or was, anyway: Dan Rosenberg has figured out a way to root the device, and Justin Case and utkanos have managed to get ClockworkMod Recovery (CWM) up and running without a hitch. Luckily, both rooting and installing CWM are quite simple (though you do need an SD card to install CWM).
Just last week, LG revealed the Spectrum, an impressive new flagship phone for Verizon. A glance at the spec sheet showed some impressive numbers on paper, and we went hands-on during CES and came away impressed. The essential specs:
The ridiculous and wasteful patent war continues, with a German court confirming that Apple has filed two new suits against Samsung. The first is against 10 phones including the SGSII, and the second against 5 tablets. Details are light at the moment, but evidently Apple is using these two (unsurprisingly very vague) patents in the smartphone suit:
All-around awesome guy Andrew Neal has released the result of his project in recent months: a new music app that will be coming soon to CyanogenMod 9. The good news is that you can download it now, before it's merged, and install it on your device. The (pretty major) bad news: it's only available for phones running Ice Cream Sandwich. So unless you've got a Galaxy Nexus, ICS-running Nexus S, or any phone rocking CM9, you're pretty much S.O.L. on this beauty.
