Skype 2.6 for Android announced

There is a new version of Skype for Android – where the version number has been bumped up to hit 2.6, opening up a whole new world of possibilities as you are now able to send photos and videos to friends or family from Skype using your Android-powered device. Not only that, doing so is free, and it does not matter whether you’re hooked up to a Wi-Fi network or on a 3G mobile data plan – it will work fine either way, although those banking on the latter might want to look into some sort of unlimited data plan if you’re going to do so often, as the total number of bytes might add up in the long run.
It is also said that sending videos and photos aren’t the only improvements with Skype 2.6 for Android, as battery life is improved with this version especially for devices running on NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 chipset – where these will include the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola XOOM and Acer Iconia Tablet among others. Not only that, a bunch of other devices that now support video include the HTC Amaze 4G, Motorola DROID 4 and Motorola DROID RAZR, just to keep up with the times. Basically, as long as your device has Android 2.2 Froyo or better, you can always try to give Skype video calling a go.

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Telstra Getting the Galaxy Nexus Tomorrow

Don’t look now, Verizon customers, but Telstra is set to offer their Australian consumers the Galaxy Nexus starting tomorrow. It will be in two of their flagship Melbourne stores as well as available online. Plans will start at $70 with three more options through $130. Be up bright and early to order online or to get to the locations listed at the source link. [Telstra, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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22 SMS Toll Fraud Apps Removed From Market

Google’s done some more malware cleaning lately. The latest infection to the market was pegged ReFraud and consisted of 22 apps which consisted of code that would send text messages from your phone to premium SMS services unbeknownst to the user. Of course, these apps are disguised as run-of-the-mill everyday apps such as wallpapers, horoscopes and fraudulent games.
No worries, though, as Lookout has already notified Google and Google has already removed them from the market. Lookout urges users to update their Mobile Security application to get the latest malware and virus definitions to make sure you’re not downloading any of these apps. [Android Guys]

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Snapdragon S4 Liquid MDP Now Running Android Ice Cream Sandwich

The extra-powerful Snapdragon S4 Liquid MDP surely looks to be shipping to market with Android 4.0 instead of 3.2 as Qualcomm has gotten Ice Cream Sandwich up and running on it. We’re sure there’s work yet to be done but it shows they’re making huge strides and it gives us hope that their desire to bring Android 4.0 out of the box to their developers is more than just desire and a sure-fire reality. [Qualcomm via Engadget]

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Android is the most closed open source OS, say analysts

Google gets a lot of praise for bringing open source to the masses with Android, and a lot of flack for some of its more closed-off activities. On a technical level the company complies with the fundamental principles of open source software, but not always in the way that FOSS proponents would like. A perfect example is Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which never saw an open source release until version 4 was already available. These tendencies and more technical details led VisionMobile to rank it the “most closed” open source OS among a field of the most popular examples.

In a series of metrics, Google’s Android scored just 23% “open”, comparing poorly to the likes of Linux, Symbian and Meego. The running wasn’t limited to operating systems – Mozilla’s various open source tools, the Webkit browser framework and the QT user interface toolkit were also included. VisionMobile based their ratings on a variety of factors, such as the licenses used, the strictness by which the community is enforced, and the level of access that developers are given to the development process. For a more technical breakdown, head over to the source link above.
There’s no denying that Google keeps a pretty tight lid on Android, at least until the source code is released. In the case of the G1, original DROID, Nexus One, XOOM, Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, only Google’s software engineers and its hardware partners had access to the software until well after a flagship device was released. On the other hand, Google’s aggressive promotion of Android has allowed it to become one of the most widely-used pieces of open source software in history, giving manufacturers, developers and tinkerers a complete and free ecosystem – eventually. VisionMobile concludes that Google’s promotional machine is a double-edged sword for Android, broadening its horizons while keeping its core interest well within the commercial spectrum.
[via BGR]

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Modaco custom ROM fixes Facebook’s Ice Cream Sandwich issues

According to Nielsen, Android users spend more time in the Facebook app than just about anywhere else. So it’s no wonder that early Galaxy Nexus users cried foul when Facebook’s contact sync, among other things, wouldn’t work in Ice Cream Sandwich. ROM wunderkind Paul “Modaco” O’Brien has updated his customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich to re-enable the missing feature, along with his already extensive list of tweaks to the basic ICS framework.

Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ users can find Modaco’s ROM at the usual place on Modaco.com. Basic users can download the standard ROM with all the bells and whistles, while subscribers to the popular ROM kitchen can pick and choose features and apps to install or remove. Popular options include the permanent virtual search button, Google’s proprietary apps (Gmail, YouTube, Android Market, etc) and various root-friendly tools. As the first person to post a public superboot for the Galaxy Nexus, Modaco should be pretty good at this by now. Frequent Twitter users should also check out his customized version of TweetDeck, which works properly on the Galaxy Nexus.

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Google’s official Siri fighter codenamed Majel, Trekkies switch to Android at Warp 9

Majel Barret as Nurse Chapel, opposite DeForest “Bones” Kelley

Remember when that Google executive compared iOS’ Siri voice control implementation to the bumbling droids of Star Wars, and Android’s voice input to the Enterprise’s computer on Star Trek? Someone in Mountain View took that analogy quite literally. Android and Me quotes insiders that say Google is preparing a natural language update to Android’s Voice Actions feature, and they’ve codenamed it Majel, after the late great Majel Barrett-Roddenberry.

The actress is best known as the voice of the Enterprise’s computer from Star Trek: The Next Generation onward, and has had small parts in almost every Star Trek series all the way back to the original pilot. In 1969 she married Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, and became known as “the First Lady of Star Trek” for her spirited involvement with the series and its fans for almost 40 years. If Google really is basing natural language input around the ideas in TNG, they may have chosen the perfect homage to a geek icon.

While details are scarce, insiders claim that Google’s software engineers are working around the clock to prepare Majel for a release this year. That may or may not happen, but an unveiling in Q1 2012 would be a good fall-back position. Whether or not Google can match Apple’s progress on Siri is a subject for debate; natural language additions to Google’s voice recognition engine have not done well so far. See Iris and Cluzee. But on the other hand, no one has brought the resources and talent to the problem that Google has – not even Apple, who essentially bought the technology whole and plugged it into the iPhone 4S. As for me, I’ll be ecstatic if I can finally command my Android phone like an actual starship: “Computer, navigate to Sears. Engage.”

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Design of the Samsung Galaxy Tab according to Apple

As most of you guys should be aware by now, Apple and Samsung are currently embroiled in a fierce legal battle concerning patent infringement. Apple has accused Samsung of infringing upon their patents and design of the iPad 2, claiming that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has copied their designs. Samsung has attempted to work around this claim by releasing the Galaxy Tab 10.1n with some minor cosmetic changes, but apparently that wasn’t enough.
The image you’re looking at above is a rendering of the interpretation of what Apple’s lawyers think Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 should look like. We can’t tell if they are dead serious or if it’s just a quick mockup but either way that thing above is pretty hideous. The mockup is based on Apple’s demands which asks for a tablet whose “Shapes that are not rectangular with four flat sides or that do not have four rounded corners”, feature “Front surfaces that are not completely flat or clear and that have substantial adornment”, have “Thick frames rather than a thin rim around the front surface” and have “Profiles that are not thin relative to [Apple patent D'889] or that have a cluttered appearance”.
Essentially this translates into a tablet that no one would ever want to own. Has Apple taken things a little bit too far this time, or are they shooting for the ludicrous in hopes that Samsung will balk and decide to settle instead?

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Sony Walkman Z-1000 Android-powered MP3 player lands at FCC

Sony launched the interesting looking Android-powered NW-Z1000 MP3 player in Japan a while back and the device looks really nice. It has a big 4.3-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolutions and a lot more. The Walkman branded player is a nice alternative to the iPod touch for Japanese music fans. That Z-1000 is now set to launch in the States reports WirelessGoodness with the device spied crossing the FCC test bench.

Other than that large screen the Z1000 also has Bluetooth and WiFi inside along with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It also has 512MB of RAM and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. There are a few things we aren’t sure of for the American versions of the Z1000.
There is no word on an official launch date or pricing for the device in the US. In Japan the Z1000 comes with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage. The prices range from $365 to $561 when converted. I hope that the new Walkman sells for under that price range when it lands.
[via SlashGear]

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