Judge Rules Law Enforcement Must Have a Warrant To Access Your Location Data

Good news today from our judicial system thanks to United States Judge Lynn Hughes who put the smackdown on a recently passed law that allowed for law enforcement to obtain location data records without a warrant or probably cause. Judge Kibosh ruled the law “unconstitutional” saying,

“When the government requests records from cellular services, data disclosing the location of the telephone at the time of particular calls may be acquired only by a warrant issued on probable cause. These data are constitutionally protected from this intrusion.”

As a refresher, the government’s argument for warrantless access to cellular data records claims that the Stored Communication Act eliminates the need for a warrant or probable cause on the idea that users give up a certain amount of privacy rights (all of them) when they sign up for service from a 3rd part company like as carrier.
Score 1 for the people.
[WSJ via Electronista]

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Evernote Updated In The Android Market – Adds Note Collaboration, Privacy Filters and Separate Widget App

Popular note taking app, Evernote, has been updated in the Android Market today. The most notable additions to the app are it’s sharing tools allowing for users to fine tune exactly who they want to share their notes or notebooks with. You can add specific people to your shares or filter out specific users from seeing your goods. The new and improved sharing feature also allows for others to edit your notes but is only available for premium members (they gotta make their money somehow).

Also new today, is the Evernote Widget which is a separate app for those users who have moved Evernote onto their SD card in an effort to save internal memory — something that’s long been known as a widget killer in the past. Can’t say I’ve jumped on the Evernote wagon but I think it may be time to see what all the hype is about. You can find Evernote and the Evernote Widget for free, right now, in the Android Market.

[Evernote | Evernote Widget]

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Samsung Galaxy Note vs Nokia Lumia 800

Nokia's first Windows Phone device has been under a lot of scrutiny since its inception and now it's finally here we have a chance to fairly judge the Lumia 800, rather than speculating, moaning and generally being doomsayers.
To run the nice looking device through its paces we've chosen the biggest Android handset out there – the Samsung Galaxy Note. But can the new Nokia/Microsoft joint hold its own?

We aim to find out!

Software

Nokia announced that it would be joining forces with Microsoft earlier in the year and the Lumia 800 is the first device to come to fruition from that union.
The Lumia 800 runs on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango and, as you'd expect, performs very well thanks to the rapidly maturing mobile platform.
You get plenty of upgrades over the launch version of Windows Phone in Mango, including support for (select third party) multi-tasking, social networking support, Internet Explorer 9 (which now supports HTML 5, which is a very important addition in light of Adobe's recent abandonment of Flash mobile).
Windows Phone 7.5 is a great choice for Nokia and makes the Lumia 800 a viable choice for any mobile fan.
Samsung's Galaxy Note runs on version 2.3 of Android and the Google software is a delight to use.
There's apps aplenty available via the Android Market, loads of customisation potential and, most importantly, the platform runs fast, safe and smooth.
Samsung has amended Google's vanilla software with its own TouchWiz UI 4.0, which means you get extra eye-candy, widgets, apps and the company's 'hub' system for downloading additional content and staying up-to-date with your social networks.

Winner - Draw

Display

Nokia has chosen to imbue the Lumia 800 with a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen that operates at a resolution of 480x800 and has a pixel density of 252PPI.
Choosing AMOLED was a great choice by Nokia and the Lumia 800 thoroughly lives up to its name thanks to the delightfully bright, vivid screen.
The Galaxy Note features AMOLED technology though too. But seeing as AMOLED is Samsung's baby the device gets a Super AMOLED screen, which operates at a resolution of 800x1280, features a pixel density of 285PPI and measures a whopping 5.3-inches!
The Galaxy Note's display is a great performer and the size adds so much to the device. If you're viewing photos or exploring the wonders of the World Wide Web then it's a fantasic device to choose.
Both AMOLED's benefit from the same level of responsiveness and low power demands, making them real rivals to Apple's Retina Display tech.
Put simply: the Nokia Lumia 800 is a very good mobile display, but the Samsung Galaxy Note is a brilliant one.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy Note

Power

Nokia hasn't scrimped on the power for the Lumia 800. It runs on a single-core CPU clocked at 1.4GHz and also features an Adreno 205 GPU, giving the device plenty of grunt and the inclusion of 512MB RAM will help the device chew through even the most testing apps, games or other tasks.
Samsung's Galaxy Note offers more though, in the form of a 1.4Ghz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-400MP GPU and 1GB RAM, which drives the device to perform with blistering pace.
In terms of storage space the Galaxy Note wins too, with 16 or 32GB available internally and a micro SD slot which supports up to 32GB cards. The Nokia can only offer 16GB internally, and doesn't support micro SD.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy Note

Camera

Nokia's relationship with Carl Zeiss has produced some great camera-phones over the years and while the Lumia 800 is a good device, it's by no means great.
The 8-megapixel camera, which benefits from autofocus, dual-LED flash, geo-tagging and 720P movie capture, is a nice performer but doesn't live up to the standards we've come to expect from a company with Nokia's nous.
If you're willing to invest time in taking a picture with the device you'll be fine as it's fully capable of producing stunning results. Nonetheless, the device does struggle to focus and can seem laboured to start from cold, which is never a winner when you're trying to snap an impromptu photo
These minor gripes can be ironed-out with a software update though, so don't let this put you off the device entirely.
Samsung's Galaxy Note features an 8-megapixel camera too, which comes with an LED flash, autofocus, image stabilisation, geo-tagging, touch focus, face & smile detection and 1080P video capture!
The Galaxy Note's results are very much in keeping with the standard set by the Galaxy S2, which is by no means a bad comparison to make.
The camera interface could do with a smarten-up and maybe a hardware shutter key could be added as well. Aside from this the Galaxy Note is a solid performer.
The device also comes with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for all your video conferencing or humorous self-portrait needs.

Winner - Samsung Galaxy Note

Form & Build

Samsung Galaxy Note - 146.9 x 83 x 9.7 mm, 178g
Nokia Lumia 800 - 116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm, 142g
Samsung has stuck firmly to its tried and tested 'plastic über alles' approach for the Galaxy Note. The device is light, thin and doesn't really feel as if it should cost a fortune.
Sure, there are no creaks and the device is fairly robust, but the general feel and aesthetic isn't something we recommend.
The display benefits from a Gorilla Glass coating though and we can't fault the device for comfort (considering it's such a big-screened smartphone) so we'll take our minor gripes and stow them.
The Lumia 800 feels fantastic in the hand and exudes class. It's polycarbonate chassis feels strong and looks great and the device is thin enough to not feel like a brick in your pocket.
We really can't fault the device's design or build. Nokia is very much still Nokia.
Winner - Nokia Lumia 800

Despite a valiant effort by the Nokia Lumia 800, Samsung's Galaxy Note has won the day.
Its power is immense, its screen is delightful and it feels like you're using a sheet of cardboard to surf the Web. What's not to like about that?!
Nokia's Lumia 800 is a great stride forward for the company though. The device is solid as rock and performs well thanks to Microsoft's excellent operating system.
The Lumia 800 really is a contender for any new user looking to choose a mobile phone. But if you're looking for the most power and functionality on offer it isn't able to oblige.

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Motorola Stockholders Give The Greenlight For Google Merger

Motorola has just announced that 99 percent of shares voted in favor of their proposed acquisition by Google. Motorola is attempting to move quick to complete the deal but the company still faces a few more hurdles to they will have to jump over. First off, regulatory approval is still needed before anything else can happen and don’t forget the Department of Justice launching an investigation on the proposed merger, which could pose even more problems for Google and Motorola. Just don’t expect the deal to officially go through until early next year.
Motorola recently laid off 5 percent of it’s workforce in an anticipation of the Google acquisition (even thought they deny that was the reason) attempting to bring down operating costs continually hitting the company hard year after year. You can check out Motorola’s full press release down below.

Nov. 17, 2011
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. - Nov. 17, 2011 - Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) ("Motorola Mobility") today announced that at the Company’s Special Meeting of Stockholders held today, stockholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the proposed merger with Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) ("Google").
Approximately 99 percent of the shares voting at today’s Special Meeting of Stockholders voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, which represented approximately 74 percent of Motorola Mobility’s total outstanding shares of common stock as of the October 11, 2011 record date for the Special Meeting.
Sanjay Jha, chairman and CEO of Motorola Mobility, said, "We are pleased and gratified by the strong support we have received from our stockholders, with more than 99 percent of the voting shares voting in support of the transaction. We look forward to working with Google to realize the significant value this combination will bring to our stockholders and all the new opportunities it will provide our dedicated employees, customers, and partners."
As previously announced on August 15, 2011, Motorola Mobility and Google entered into a definitive agreement for Google to acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $12.5 billion. The Company previously disclosed that it expected the merger to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012. While the Company continues to work to complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible, given the schedule of regulatory filings, it currently believes that the close is expected to occur in early 2012. It is important to note however, that the merger is subject to various closing conditions, and it is possible that the failure to timely meet such conditions or other factors outside of the Company’s control could delay or prevent the Company from completing the merger altogether.
Business Risks
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, for example, the expected closing date of the transaction. Forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the ability of the parties to consummate the proposed transaction and the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed transaction, including the ability to secure regulatory and other approvals at all or in a timely manner; and the other risks and uncertainties contained and identified in Motorola Mobility’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof Motorola Mobility does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances or update the reasons that actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

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Firefox alpha adds Flash support and really bad timing

Flash developers and enthusiasts are still reeling after Adobe dropped support for the mobile version. But the convergence of Flash users and Firefox fans (including yours truly) should get a little joy out of the fact that Mozilla is going forward with its Flash support. So far the Android version of Firefox doesn’t work with Flash, but you can head over to Mozilla’s web page and download the latest “Aurora” alpha to give the just-added feature a try.

Naturally the implementation is a little buggy, and it doesn’t help that Firefox Mobile isn’t a speed demon in the best of conditions. But it works, sort of, and if you live in Firefox and rely on that one extension or Sync’s bookmarks, you’re one step closer to a single browser solution. Flash is expected to be available for the full (Android Market) version of Firefox sometime in 2012.
Android fans and Flash devs were livid when Adobe announced that they would end support as part of a restructuring. The last major update for the Android version is in the Market now, though Adobe has stated that they’ll continue with periodic bug and stability updates. Adobe will begin shifting its mobile focus to HTML5 tools and AIR, while the desktop version of Flash is still – for the moment – in active development.

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Android gets more IT developer interest than iOS and Windows Phone 7

Even the most ardent of iOS evangelists can’t argue with Android’s worldwide success, to the tune of a full 50% sales market share as of last quarter. It looks like developers, specifically in the IT area, are taking notice. When IBM gave a survey to IT pros on which platform they were more interested in, Android won by a landslide, beating out both Apple and Microsoft in their relevant areas.

That’s very interesting, given that it’s also undeniable that there’s more money to be made in direct sales on iOS (at the moment, at least). Android is beating out iOS by a solid 20%, though responders were able to answer for more than one platform in the survey. 70% of responders said they were interested in developing for Android, while 49% were interested in iOS. Just 35% were interested in Windows Phone 7, though to be honest, even that’s a little surprising given its market share at the moment.
IBM is an interesting one to make the conclusions it does in the survey, namely that “Developers looking to increase their mobile skills would be smart to look to Android.” Remember that IBM is no longer producing consumer-level hardware – Lenovo now owns the ThinkPad brand, and they’ve produced several Android tablets under their IdeaPad brand. The IBM study just serves to highlight what you, dear reader, already know: Android is crushing it in the app world as well as hardware.
[via BGR]

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Samsung Glide, Doubletime and other AT&T devices get priced

AT&T has announced a wide range of Android phones over the past month and they will all finally be available come November 20th. First announced back in October on Monday AT&T shared the details and told the world they will all be available online and in-stores come Sunday, November 20th. Those include the Samsung Captivate Glide, the Samsung Doubletime, Pantech Pocket and the AT&T Avail. Today they’ve just announced pricing and we have the details below.

The Samsung Captivate Glide (pictured above) is the best of the bunch and packs a 4″ AMOLED display and the dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, an 8 megapixel camera on the rear and a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Expect a review from Android Community any day now on that keyboard packing smartphone. It’s the best of the group and will run $149 with a new contract.
Then the Samsung Doubletime dual-screen device is probably the weakest link here with a measly 600 Mhz processor. It folds open for the text loving type people and will run you a budget friendly $49 on-contract but I think free would be a better idea for this white and pink odd device. The widescreen Pantech Pocket will also be $49 with a new 2-year contract and it’s a little more attractive than the Doubletime but still nothing to write home about.
So, November 20th all these new Android devices will be readily available from your friendly neighbors at AT&T. They have the teen oriented Doubletime all the way up to the dual-core powered Glide for Dad. Be sure to stay tuned for reviews on all these devices coming soon.
[via PocketNow]

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ICS tablet interface shows up in Android Market screenshots

By now you’ve probably been inundated with screenshots and hands-on photos of Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Nexus. But one thing that’s currently missing is a good look at Ice Cream Sandwich’s tablet interface. Well, it looks like Google just couldn’t wait for an ICS update and started playing around on their own – screenshots of the tablet interface can be found on the Android Market listing for Google Music.

You can see that ICS on a tablet-sized screen looks a lot like Honeycomb – no real surprise there, as it’s sharing a lot of the same digital DNA. The only really obvious way to tell that the Music app is even running on Ice Cream Sandwich is the new navigation buttons (matching the Galaxy Nexus) and the color scheme around the notification area. For another look at ICS running in tablet mode, check out the official promotional image from Google.
One of the most important additions to the Android base in Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) is that the same software can run on phones and tablets while scaling to match the size of the applicable screen. So far ICS hasn’t shown up on any tablets in the wild, though the Asus Transformer Prime will most likely be the first to get an official update. You might be seeing homemade ICS ROMS spring up for popular Honeycomb tablets like the XOOM and Galaxy Tab 10.1 soon, as independent ROM developers dig deeper into the Ice Cream Sandwich open source code released last week.
[via Droid Life]

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Huawei Honor ships to Asia in December, other markets to follow

Chinese manufacturer Huawei’s got big plans for the smartphone sector, and a lot of them hinge on the Honor. And why not: it’s a 4-inch Gingerbread phone with a zippy 1.4Ghz processor, and the last time we saw it, it was going for the equivalent of $300 without a contract. That’s about half the price of similar unlocked phones. In a press release, Huawei said that the phone will be launching next month in Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China, with other markets following after.

In addition to Gingerbread, Huawei is including their differentiation skin, the “Huawei Android Platform 5.1″. Multiple colors will be available, including Glossy Black, Textured Black, Elegant White, Vibrant Yellow, Cherry Blossom Pink and Burgundy, though the company notes that not all colors may be available in all markets. Huawei is marketing this under their own name, unlike a lot of their products that eventually make it to the United States and other markets, like the “T-Mobile” Springboard.
Huawei is making some impressive in-roads into the smartphone market. According to the latest Gartner numbers, Huawei is in 9th place for total (smartphone and featurephone) shipments worldwide at 10.6 million phones shipped last quarter alone. With the smartphone market growing in leaps and bounds, Huawei is resting its hopes on Android, and they’re expanding their efforts to include more mid-range phones, and extending to the high end. Customers and competitors would do well to keep an eye on their progress.

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