Friday, October 28, 2011

Google Maps Expands Street View To Include 360-Degree Business Interiors

7:07 AM Simranpal SIngh No comments

As a former process server (think Seth Rogan in Pineapple Express), Google Maps pretty much changed my life. I could leave my house on a job and know that no matter where I end up, I will never be lost. Street View has long been another great feature in Maps allowing you to view businesses, hotels and and stalk Kelly Ferguson’s house, all from the comfort of your computer or handy Android phone.

Since the engineers at Google never sleep and are constantly improving on their services, Street View is getting a new addition by way of business interiors, allowing for users to get off the street and inside of businesses. It doesn’t end there, Google is also reportedly working with some businesses to add additional content like pictures of food being offered at restaurants.

The way it works is a business must opt-in for interior view by submitting an application to Google and scheduling a day for the photo shoot. Google Places will then show up and snap 360-degree shots of the interior of their store and whammy — a new virtual tour via Google Maps. Google is apparently adding interior view content from 37 different cities around the world from countries like the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France and the UK.

If you want to check out interior view in action, click this link to scope out Comics Toons N Toys.

[AtlanticWire via Electronista]
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Possible Dolphin Browser security and privacy issues found

7:04 AM Simranpal SIngh No comments

Dolphin Browser HD is one of the most popular 3rd-party browsers in the Android Market, and with good reason. But an issue with version 6 and the current version 7 have raised the eyebrows of some users over at the ever-inventive XDA-Developers forum. According to forum poster “Fnorder”, the new Webzine feature records every link, search and visited page and sends them to a remote server. If true, the breach of Dolphin users’ privacy is very disturbing indeed.
The issue only affects Dolphin Browser HD, not the less resource-intensive Dolphin Browser Mini, which does not use the RSS-based Webzine feature. There’s no mention of logging in the app or its end-user license agreement, though mention is made of “user experience data” being collected. There’s also no way to disable the logging within the app, though a few XDA members note that you can exclude the “en.mywebzines.com” server from your Android hosts file via some root-enabled apps.

The accusation is a serious one – theoretically, the company could be recording your phone’s entire web history. After skimming through the EULA, there’s no mention of anything that would stop them from doing so, since it isn’t explicitly outlined. I don’t want to an unwarranted sound an alarm here – there’s no corroboration of Fnorder’s evidence, and neither has their been any indication that any data collected has been used at all. I’ve contacted Dolphin Browser’s developer MoboTap for their input on the matter, but have yet to receive a response from the company.
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Samsung Confirms: Galaxy Nexus hitting Europe November 17

7:01 AM Simranpal SIngh No comments

Samsung is busy throwing a Galaxy Note world tour today and you can watch the live stream here. While the Samsung Galaxy Note is extremely awesome and unique they've also shared a few details that you all might be interested. Samsung has confirmed the new Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich will be available across Europe starting November 17th. Who is ready for some ICS? I know I am.

This has just hit the wires so we are still sifting through the details. We’ve seen the Galaxy Nexus up for pre-order at Amazon.uk for a few days now and the shipping date went from the 17th to the 7th and back. Now that this is official the price has also dropped to a more reasonable £549.99.



This was confirmed watching the live stream linked to above, as well as tweeted by the offical@SAMFirmware account. This is about as official as it gets for now, and users across Europe will be able to get their hands on some tasty Ice Cream Bars soon enough. For all of our coverage of this awesome device feel free to look over our Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich portals, then enjoy the hands-on videos below.
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Motorola reports smaller losses, expects to close merger this year

6:57 AM Simranpal SIngh No comments

Motorola has done well out of Android, and vice versa, culminating in Google’s plans to buy the hardware company outright. At their quarterly earnings report, Motorola reported $3.3 billion USD in total revenue, and a $32 million dollar loss – not terrible in a down economy, and better than last quarter’s $52 million. They also extemporized on the Google sale, with enthusiastic plans moving forward.

According to Motorola, the sale of the company to Google should be complete before the end of the year, or early 2012 at the absolute latest. That doesn’t include any sort of integration, and of course, it’s contingent upon stockholders’ approval at the meeting on November 17th. The company was quick to highlight the new Motorola DROID RAZR, releasing on November the 10th on Verizon in the United States and elsewhere in the world as just the RAZR. Motorola is putting a lot of emphasis on MotoACTV, the new fitness sensor-service combination, currently slated for a $249 starting price at an indeterminate date.

Motorola still isn’t where they’d like to be – no company in the red is, and celebrating the fact that you’re losing one less cent a share compared with last year doesn’t exactly warrant champagne. But things are looking up, and with the R&D muscle of Google bolstering their efforts next year, not to mention a possible inside line on Android, things could be a lot worse. Now if only they’d get off that non-removable battery kick that seems to be continuing with the DROID 4…
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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Samsung Appeals Australian Galaxy Tab Ban

9:36 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


Not that anyone thought they wouldn’t, Samsung has formally filed to appeal an Australian court’s decision to ban importation and sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the country. The ruling was made after Apple took its global patent war down under, making claims that Samsung has infringed on Apple’s product design. As part of their appeal, Samsung counsel Neil Young — not the guitar-weilding folk singer, though his penchant for standing against social injustice would be fitting in this case– argued that Justice Annabelle Bennet, the judge presiding over the original trial, made her decision based on “irrelevant considerations.” Samsung has been granted an appeal hearing, which is expected to begin the week of November 21st. Regardless of the final verdict, Samsung will likely miss any chance of delivering the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in time to make a big holiday splash.
[via Wall Street Journal]


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LG Prada K2 Pictured in the Wild

9:34 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


Back in August we caught a glimpse of the LG Prada K2 on video, but since then have seen little of the Android 2.3 handset. While tipsters say the design is still in flux, the phone was captured in a series of images obtained by the guys over at Phone Arena. The handset was referred to as the LG Prada P940 and is said to measure in at under 9mm thick. It also gets a 4.3-inch NOVA display (think Optimus Black), 8MP camera, and a dual-core processor of unknown clock speed. While we most likely won’t see the phone get a US release, the latest Prada is expected to launch in other parts of the world sometime this quarter. If the final design is truly in flux, we somehow don’t see that happening.


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Samsung’s dual-screen SCH-W999 bound for China Telecom

9:31 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


While flip phones have largely fallen out of fashion here in the States, especially when it comes to smartphones, the form factor remains popular in many Asian markets. Samsung appears to be capitalizing on that with the new SCH-W999, an Android phone in the classic flip style with a screen on both sides of the top section. Keep it closed and it’s a rather thick slate, open it up and you’ve got access to a full touchscreen and number pad.



The screens have to be shrunk somewhat to fit the frame of course, but at 3.5 inches it still makes for a sizable device. 800 x 480 resolution on an AMOLED panel should make for a pretty solid viewing experience, and hardware nav buttons on the dial pad will make it easy for users to get around Android when the screen is flipped up. A 1.5GHz processor and 5 megapixel camera round out the package.
The SCH-w999 is joined by the more pedestrian SCH-i929, yet another Samsung Galaxy S II variant with a 4.5-inch screen and an 8 megapixel camera. The photos are courtesy of a Chinese standards office, which says that both phones are headed for China Telecom in the near future. Specific Android versions aren’t mentioned, but Gingerbread seems to be a safe bet. There’s no word on pricing or availability yet, not that it’ll matter for most of our western readers – unfortunately, high-powered flip phones don’t seem to make it out of Asia in most cases.
[via Engadget]

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HTC ThunderBolt gets an Ice Cream Sandwich SDK port

8:10 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments



Stock ThunderBolt users are just now getting their first taste of Gingerbread, but all the cool kids are already running versions of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich based off of the Software Development Kit. Verizon’s first LTE phone is the latest to get the treatment, courtesy of the fine folks at RootzWiki. Experienced custom ROM users can flash the software in the usual way via a custom recovery – don’t forget to do a backup!



SDK ports are usually a stop-gap before the source code for the latest version of Android becomes available, and that seems to be the case here. Major functions like the touchscreen, audio and data aren’t working – basically the only thing that the port is good for at the moment is booting up and looking pretty. That isn’t a put-down, mind you; this stuff isn’t easy, and I commend the developer “jdkoreclipse” for his or her efforts. Asimilar port on the Nexus S is a lot more complete, probably because of the ease of creating ROMs for a developer device.

HTC has committed to bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to as many devices as possible, and to my mind, that certainly includes the high-powered ThunderBolt. But given HTC and Verizon’s pretty dismal upgrade path to Gingerbread, who knows how long it will take. Custom ROM junkies can take solace in the fact that true Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs will probably start popping up only a week or two after the open source code dropslater this year.
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Breaking: Sony Buys Sony Ericsson For €1.05 billion

2:08 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


We heard the rumors circulating for awhile now and it looks like the inevitable has happened — Sony has just bought Sony Ericsson for €1.05 billion. I’m sure some of you are confused with the news thinking, “Wait. Sony bought Sony?” Not quite. Sony Ericsson was actually its own separate company (Ericsson) that turned into a joint venture when Sony essentially bought half of the company back in 2001. This buyout now gives Sony full ownership of the company and allows them to expand their portfolio beyond audio, tablets, laptops and gaming and allows Sony to make a big splash in the smartphone market as well. The agreement also gives Sony a leg up thanks to “five essential patent families” that come with the deal. Nothing is finalized yet with the deal closing January 2012 (pending regulatory approval of course). Full press release can be found below.
Ericsson: Sony to acquire Ericsson’s share of Sony Ericsson
October 27, 2011, 08:16 (CEST)
Sony Ericsson to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony and integrated into Sony’s broad platform of network-connected consumer electronics products
The transaction also provides Sony with a broad IP cross-licensing agreement and ownership of five essential patent families
Ericsson to receive EUR 1.05 billion cash payment
Sony and Ericsson to create wireless connectivity initiative to drive connectivity across multiple platforms
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (“Sony Ericsson”), making the mobile handset business a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.
The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers – for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.
As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 billion.
During the past ten years the mobile market has shifted focus from simple mobile phones to rich smartphones that include access to internet services and content. The transaction is a logical strategic step that takes into account the nature of this evolution and its impact on the marketplace.
This means that the synergies for Ericsson in having both a world leading technology and telecoms services portfolio and a handset operation are decreasing. Today Ericsson’s focus is on the global wireless market as a whole; how wireless connectivity can benefit people, business and society beyond just phones. Consistent with that mission, by setting up a wireless connectivity initiative, Ericsson and Sony will work to drive and develop the market’s adoption of connectivity across multiple platforms.
“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four-screen strategy is in place. We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment. This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. Mr Stringer also noted that the acquisition will afford Sony operational efficiencies in engineering, network development and marketing, among other areas. “We can help people enjoy all our content – from movies to music and games – through our many devices, in a way no one else can.”
“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones. Today we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realize a truly connected world” said Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson.
When Sony Ericsson started its operations on October 1, 2001, it combined the unprofitable handset operations from Ericsson and Sony. Following a successful turnaround the company has become a market leader in the development of feature phones by integrating Sony’s strong consumer products knowledge and Ericsson’s telecommunications technology leadership. The WalkmanTM phone and Cyber-shotTM phone are well known examples.
With the successful introduction of the P1 in 2007, Sony Ericsson early on established itself in the smartphone segment. More recently, the company has successfully made the transition from feature phones to Android-based Xperia(TM) smartphones. By the end of the third quarter of 2011, Sony Ericsson held a market share of 11 percent (by value) in the Android phone market, representing 80 percent of the company’s third quarter sales. During its ten years in operation Sony Ericsson has generated approximately EUR 1.5 billion of profit and paid dividends totalling approximately EUR 1.9 billion to its parent companies. Prominent models include “XperiaTM arc” and “XperiaTM mini” which received 2011 EISA Awards, while recent notable additions to the lineup include “XperiaTM PLAY” and “XperiaTM arc S”.
The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
Ericsson has accounted for its 50 percent share in Sony Ericsson according to the equity method. Following completion of the transaction, Ericsson will have no outstanding guarantees relating to Sony Ericsson and will no longer account for Sony Ericsson as an investment on balance sheet. The transaction will result in a positive capital gain for Ericsson which will be defined after closing of the transaction.
SEB Enskilda is acting as Ericsson’s sole financial advisor in the transaction.
[Via Engadget]


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