Verizon Galaxy Nexus leaks again, bloatware is easily disabled

Well folks, it appears the Galaxy Nexus over on Verizon has leaked again today and we now have a few more pictures for everyone to enjoy. Thanks to one of our friendly Android Community readers we now have a few shots of the Verizon bloatware (only a few apps) and proof that they can easily be disabled right on the device just like any app in Ice Cream Sandwich. Below are the photos showing the Verizon Galaxy Nexus including data usage, and the bloatware actually disabled.

The Verizon 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus was also leaked in a few pictures and videos yesterday. Tie that in with the pictures coming out today and the new Visual Voicemail app specifically for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus I’d say this phone is coming soon — although your guess is still as good as mine.
Verizon has made a few changes to the data usage monitoring present in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and you can see that in the leaked images below as well. I know the Gnex being a Google experience device many weren’t happy to see that Verizon was still loading up some VZW bloatware applications, even though it was only a few. It is nice to see that those few items can be easily disabled right from the application manager and will disappear from your app tray. For those worried about bloatware it seems no root will be required to keep this beautiful Google device completely stock as Google intended.
Latest rumors are pointing to a December 11th release. We can only wait and hope right?

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Google+ Hangouts now offer phone calls and conference calling

Today right on Google+ the creator of the chat protocol IRC Jarkko Oikarinen posted a few details on a new extra feature for Google+ hangout users. Starting today using Hangout with extras users will be able to make phone calls and dial out right from within the Hangout session. Not only that but this awesome new feature will allow conference calling and more all from Google+.

You’ll now be able to dial out and invite anyone to join in on the hangout from anywhere, making conference calling for co-workers and businesses a simple and easy task, not to mention having fun social moments with all your friends and family. Back in September Google+ was updated to allow mobile users to join in on these same hangout video chats although we still can’t start the hangout from our Android phones.
Currently making calls within Google+ is free and only available to the US and Canada but we expect more areas to rollout shortly. Google’s new social network service continues to get bigger and bigger while they add more features and this is just one more we can add to the list. Next time I have a conference call or meeting with my co-workers I’ll be giving this a try that is for sure. Being able to call anyone into a hangout no matter where they are at is an awesome feature.
I might be making a few prank calls here soon with my friends — just a thought.
[via Readwriteweb, via Google+]

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Motorola DROID OTA update rolling out now

For all you folks still clinging to an original Motorola DROID we have good news for you today. Verizon is all set and has finally started pushing the latest over the air update for the OG DROID. Sadly while we don’t have Android 2.3 Gingerbread rolling out today they are at least continuing to update the extremely popular smartphone with a few security and bug fixes.

The original DROID is still extremely popular and many are just about done with those two year contracts when they bought it and are probably patiently waiting for the Galaxy Nexus to get released by Verizon. We first learned of this update late last month but Verizon now tells us the update is rolling out now and users should be receiving it through the next week. If you’ve somehow managed to not root your device this entire time then go ahead and check for updates and give it a run.
The released notes (below in gallery) didn’t reveal much of anything and only state this is a bug and security fix mainly aimed at a few security issues in the browser. We have a feeling a few more things might be included but Verizon didn’t feel like mentioning them. If Android 2.2.3 FroYo isn’t your thing and you’d rather run Gingerbread then click here. Peter Alfonso will keep your DROID as up-to-date as possible for a long while. Feel free to check for updates by going to settings > about phone > check for updates and let us know if you run into any issues.

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Verizon Visual Voicemail App for Galaxy Nexus hits the Android Market

Well folks, Verizon might finally be making some headway with the Galaxy Nexus rocking those all important 4G LTE speeds. The Galaxy Nexus will come mostly bloatware free and because of that — the Galaxy Nexus will not launch with Verizon’s popular Visual Voicemail application. I personally use Google Voice but to each their own I guess. Today the Verizon VVM application has hit the Android Market being used on none other then the Verizon Galaxy Nexus.

Back in November we mentioned Ice Cream Sandwich was missing a visual voicemail feature and that is because Google has opened it up for carriers to build their own, exactly as Verizon has done. While we are still waiting for the fancy updates to VVM to hit Google Voice this should hold all you Ice Cream Sandwich users over in the mean time.
Between the leaked pictures and video of Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus yesterday, and this new application hitting the market today we could actually be very close to an announcement and release date from Verizon. Best Buy is claiming it will be available starting December 11th. If that is the case Verizon will probably be announcing the Galaxy Nexus with 4G LTE between now and Monday. Lets sit back and hope that’s the case.
Market Link

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Play it again, Sam: Best Buy may release Galaxy Nexus on December 11th

Raise your hand if you’re tired of waiting for Verizon to release the Galaxy Nexus. One, two… we may be here for a while. An internal Best Buy screenshot has made its way to Engadget, showing the big box retailer with a possible December 11th release for the much-anticipated Google phone. This contradicts earlier rumors of a December 8th launch, but then, those rumors contradict all the other rumors that have been flying around.

As the source notes, this may simply be a slightly delayed release for Best Buy – it’s not unusual for second-party resellers to get a late start on new products. Then again, discrepancies over some of the listed specifications cast doubt on the validity of the leaked information… not that Best Buy is any stranger to error. The continuing wait for the Galaxy Nexus, and especially Verizon’s total silence on the upcoming release, has many US customers and potential converts seeing red.
But there may be light at the end of the tunnel. Google was the first to finally show off the LTE model that will be gracing Verizon’s airwaves, and at least one person has an apparently completed retail model for spy shots. “Confirmed” pre-orders on Tuesday, November 29th turned out to be completely and utterly bogus – again, a big thank you to Richi Jennings and Computer World for claiming a second-hand conversation with a customer support rep as a reliable source. The continued lack of communication is starting to make eager customers – not to mention self-referential tech bloggers – incredibly frustrated.

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AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket comes in white December 4th

There’s only three phones that use AT&T’s 4G LTE network so far: the upcoming LG Nitro HD, the HTC Vivid, and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. You can get any of them in any color you want, so long as you want black. But come December 4th, you’ll have at least one more choice, as the Skyrocket follows its Galaxy S II predecessors in offering an arctic white option.

That’s not to say that the Vivid is without its charms, but the Skyrocket’s brighter screen, better battery life and screaming 1.5Ghz dual-core processor make it one of the best phones available for AT&T right now. That might change when the LG Nitro HD lands, also on December 4th, sporing a gorgeous 720p IPS display – we’ll see.
The white version of the Galaxy S II Skyrocket is otherwise identical to its more somber progenitor, and will come in at the same $249.99 price tag. Don’t need LTE? You can save a few bucks on T-Mobile with a white version of the original Galaxy S II.

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FIFA 12 launches for Xperia Play and more

EA Mobile has announced that the FIFA 12 mobile game has launched for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphone. We learned that the game was coming to the Xperia Play back in August as an exclusive until February of 2012. When the game was announced as a limited time exclusive for the Xperia Play we didn’t know exactly when it would be coming.

EA’s FIFA franchise is the most popular soccer franchise in the world and Sony Ericsson has scored quite a coup with landing the game as an exclusive throughout the holiday season. The game will let players play as their favorite soccer stars with famous players like Wayne Rooney and Kaka. This game was developed just for Android users.
As it turns out the Play isn’t the only Xperia smartphone that will be able to get the game during the exclusive periods Other Xperia devices can download the title as well including the Xperia arc S, Xperia arc, Xperia ray, Xperia neo, and the Xperia pro smartphones. The new game promises better gameplay, more depth, updated teams, a new replay system, and new stadium designs.

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Android Design Preview tool mirrors PC screens for live previews

Here’s a fun hack that should be useful for Android developers and designers, and at least interesting for the rest of us. If you’re designer who’s working on high-quality mock ups for a new app, seeing how they look on your actual device is a bit of a hassle – you’ve got to save the files, copy them over to the device, try it out, then make changes and repeat. The Android Design Preview tool takes all those steps out by allowing your phone to see a one-to-one pixel representation of your computer screen.

In practice, it works kind of like a tiny secondary monitor. Connect your Android phone to your computer using ADB, then start the tool on your computer. Move the preview window to the editing app of your choice (make sure it’s scaled at 100%) and you’ll see the screen appear on your phone. It refreshes automatically, so you can preview multiple screens or elements, or just watch your phone while you edit. You don’t need a corresponding app for Android – everything is handled over the ADB connection. Developer Roman Nurik has released the program as a free Java app, so it should play nice with Windows, Mac and Linux.
Check it out in action below:




So why is this better than a remote access tool, like VNC or SplashTop? Specifically, the pixel-perfect preview size makes it ideal for designers. There’s not a lot of utility elsewhere, since it doesn’t actually extend your computer screen, but designers with a little technical know-how should be able to preview their creations much faster – not to mention wow a few of their less savvy clients.
[via XDA]

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New Ice Cream Sandwich Hidden Feature: “Dreams” (Screensavers)

Those boys over at Google definitely know how to have a good time. First it was the NyanDroid Easter egg and now we have this. Well, I wouldn’t exactly call this an Easter egg. More like a hidden feature no one has heard about — until now. It’s called “Dreams” and it acts as a screen saver that strangely serves absolutely no other purpose than looking kinda flashy. The feature is actually buried deep in the Ice Cream Sandwich OS but with a little know-how and the use of Launcher Pro, Dreams is easily accessible. So, when you want to zone out and just watch all of your icons fly at your face — now you can. If you’re into that sorta thing. What’s more is the flying icons can actually be tapped and if you’re quick enough, maybe you’ll launch your intended app. We keep learning new things about Ice Cream Sandwich and it’s fun little tidbits like this that keep it interesting. Can’t say screen savers would ever be a feature I would want on my phone (battery killer) but how ’bout you?
[Via AndroidPolice]

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