Andy Rubin Reveals Android Activations For December 24th and 25th

We told you guys earlier today about smartphone activations jumping 353% from the previous year but many were left wondering, “Just how many of those were Android devices?” Well, I found this report from Localytics who breaks it down by country and OS but if you’re looking for a specific number — our very own Andy Rubin helped further answer this burning question with a tweet he sent out only moments ago.
Apparently, there were 3.7 million Android activations just on December 24th and 25th alone. Pretty impressive numbers if you ask me. This leaves me wondering — did you guys get a shiny new Android device for Christmas? If so, which one?
[Twitter | Localytics]

Read more »

Security hole found in all GSM networks by hacker

During a hacking convention in Berlin conducted by Germany’s Security Research Labs, a hacker discovered a security hole within the GSM mobile network. In Mr. Karsten Nohl’s own words:

We can do it to hundreds of thousands of phones in a short timeframe. None of the networks protects users very well. Mobile network is by far the weakest part of the mobile ecosystem, even when compared to a lot attacked Android or iOS devices.

This is quite disappointing. Though many of us choose to have a tier of texting or data – nearly 100% of us have some sort of voice plan incorporated. In case you don’t know which carriers use GSM networking technology, they include AT&T, T-Mobile, the select states with Cellular One, and many others: Yes this means you guys on Big Red and The Now Network are in the clear!
To make matters worse, compromised phones would be completely under the hacker’s control. Text messages or phone calls can be carried out easily and at any time. And until GSM carriers patch the security vulnerability, subscribers are all at risk. Fortunately, it will only take some updating of outdated software. There is no timeframe advertised to the public, but I’m sure it will be first on their “To-Do” lists (if not done already). We should all thank Mr. Nohl and those at the conference for discovering this vulnerability and restoring security to the airwaves.

Read more »

LG Prada Phone 3.0 Now Available In Korea – Hitting Europe In January

No, the image you see above is not in black in white — it’s actually in full color. That’s LG’s newest smartphone, the “Prada Phone by LG.” First thing I’m sure you’ve noticed the device is its minimalist “Prada themed” black and white UI, a clear departure from the manufacturer’s pseudo TouchWiz found on devices like the Nitro HD. Because, you know… nothing says “class” like black and white.
The device has just launched in its homeland of South Korea and besides its sexy good looks, the LG Prada Phone 3.0 features a 4.3-inch 800×480 IPS display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 8MP rear/1.3MP front facing cameras, 8GB of internal memory and runs on Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread. LG did mention that the device would see an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade sometime during Q2 of next year.
While only available in Korea, the device is expected to hit other regions like Europe sometime in January. The LG Prada Phone 3.0 retails for 899,800 KRW which translates roughly to about $776 — but that’s the price you pay for luxury. I’d be willing to bet this will be the only phone Bond uses in his next action blockbuster. Full press release can be found below.

PRADA PHONE BY LG 3.0 BEGINS WORLDWIDE ROLLOUT
Much Awaited Designer Smartphone Arrives in South Korea Today, Europe and Asia in January
Seoul, 28 December 2011: LG Electronics (LG) made its highly anticipated PRADA phone by LG 3.0 available to the public today in South Korea. The phone is now available to Korean customers and scheduled for the release in most European countries and other parts of Asia in January.
The phone, its existence announced only last month in Seoul during the joint signing ceremony, was unveiled for the first time at a showcase event in London two weeks ago. The stylish new device has been attracting significant attention for being the only smartphone with premium branding on the market currently.
The PRADA phone by LG 3.0 is the third handset from the PRADA and LG collaboration following the highly successful PRADA phone by LG 1.0 and 2.0 phones. The latest offering continues in the same tradition combining PRADA’s trademark chic simplicity with LG’s leading technology, including one of the brightest 800-nit NOVA display and a PRADA themed UI for truly unique mobile experience.
Following PRADA’s renowned design philosophy, the handset features a full glossy touchscreen on the front and PRADA’s signature Saffiano pattern on the back. Impressively thin at only 8.5mm, minimal hardkeys and a classic black finish complete the phone’s sleek look.
With 1.0GHz Dual-Core/Dual Channel architecture, the PRADA phone by LG 3.0 is as effective as it is stylish. The phone runs on Android Gingerbread OS with an update to Android Ice Cream Sandwich scheduled for the second quarter of 2012.
For more details on this unique collaboration, please visit the official site of PRADA Phone by LG 3.0 at www.pradaphonebylg3.com.
Key Specs:
- Operating System: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- Memory: User 8GB maximum (varies depending on carrier requirements)
- Display Size: 4.3 inches
- Resolution: WVGA (800 x 480)
- Display Brightness: 800 nit
- Camera: 8MP
- Processor: 1.0GHz Dual-Core / Dual Channel
- Battery: 1540mAh

[Press Release | UnwiredView via Engadget]

Read more »

Update Rolling Out to the Original ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

With its followup a bit hard to come by after its December release, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is in the midst of yet another update. No, it isn’t an upgrade to Android 4.0. The new software instead aims to fix a number of minor bugs and further tweak the performance of the dual-core tablet. The update can be pulled down to the Transformer via ASUS’ home-brewed update app.
[via AndroidCentral]

Read more »

Samsung Aims to Sell 150 Million Smartphones in 2012

Korea Economic Daily is raising their sales forecast for Samsung by 15 percent, bringing total projected handset sales to 374 million. Of those handsets, 150 million are expected to be smartphones. To put the figure into perspective, Samsung was projected to move 300 million units this year, a figure that was easily surpassed thanks to strong sales of their Android-based Galaxy S lineup. Samsung continues to close the gap with the world’s current leading handset manufacturer, Nokia. The Finnish handset maker is projected to sell around 399 million mobile phones.
[via SammyHub]

Read more »

Try CyanogenMod 9′s custom launcher, 4.0.3 and root required

Are you a super modder who imported the Galaxy Nexus on day one, then rooted it and installed your own custom version of Plan 9? Well then, this mod is probably a little bit beneath you. But if you’re slightly less crazy, you’ll definitely want to try out the custom Trebuchet launcher, CyanogenMod’s tweaked version of the Ice Cream Sandwich home screen application. It brings a suite of new options to Ice Cream Sandwich’s standard launcher, the likes of which will delight those addicted to home screen customization for sure. Check out this XDA thread to get started.

Now for the bad news: you need to be running the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich build in order for it to function, version 4.0.3. Only a few Nexus S phones currently run that, since Google suspended the update, though there’s plenty of custom ROMs built from AOSP code that have the latest version. You also need to be rooted, and install the app to the /system folder via either ADB or something like Root Explorer. If all that seems a little much, just wait for the first beta builds of CyanogenMod 9 – odds are that if you’re reading this, you’ve got a phone that’s on their official list.
For Galaxy Nexus and other ICS users who want a little less extreme customization, check out Nova Launcher. It’s also a modified version of Ice Cream Sandwich’s smartphone homescreen, but it’s a lot more friendly as far as versions go. You can install it as a regular non-Market app, or push it to your /system folder for a few more bells and whistles. It even works on tablet ROMs, or at least on the one I’ve tried so far.
[via Phandroid]

Read more »

Due to Christmas Smartphones Activations Up By 353% from December Norm

This Christmas the smartphone was the must-have gift and Flurry has the analytics data to back it up. According to their research, an average 1.5 million Android and iOS devices were activated daily between December 1st and 20th. For December 25th the number rose to an estimated 6.8 million, a 353 percent increase. The number is more than double the 2.8 million devices activated on Christmas in 2010.
After all of those Android and iOS devices were activated their new owners got to downloading apps right away with a record number 242 million apps downloaded between the two operating systems. The figure equates to a 125 percent increase from the December norm and eclipses last Christmas’ 150 million app downloads. Flurry didn’t provide data on the split between the two platforms for either activations or app downloads.
[via TechCrunch]

Read more »

Alpha ICS Source Provided By Notion Ink For Its Consumers [Video]

The folks at Notion Ink are keeping to their promise of bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to the Adam tablet and they want to show you just how far they’ve come. They’ve made a video showing their progress off but they’re giving the fearless a chance to build and flash the ROM and take a look for themselves.

I should note that this is an alpha build so everything will not be as it should. Sound, camera, 3G, bluetooth and more are not working. In fact, here’s a list of what is working and you can just use the process of elimination to figure out the rest:

As of now we have accelerated graphics, GPS, Wi-Fi, Accelerometer, SD Card and ADB working.

With that, I’ll direct you to their site for the download but if you’re uncomfortable with flashing an alpha ROM we advise you to stay away and wait for the OTA. We’re not exactly sure what Notion Ink is doing as far as helping users revert but we imagine an image backup is also in order.
They are also announcing a last gasp sale for the device. They kept a stock of tablets tucked away for release once Ice Cream Sandwich hits. You’ll even be able to get them at a discounted price as they are celebrating the New Year.
We’re not sure what’s next for Notion Ink (rumors say another tablet is on its way, of course) but if you have gone this far without getting the device and you somehow still want it, this is your best window to grab one.

Read more »

Airtight App Brings Apple’s Airplay to Google TV

Even at a site full of die-hard Android users, we’re big enough to admit when a competing platform has a cool feature, and Airplay certainly falls in to that category. The feature allows iPhones and iPads to instantly stream video and audio to compatible devices, sort of like DLNA. Now that functionality has been extended to Google TV, by way of a GTV app known as Airtight. It’s currently priced at 99 cents in the Android Market, though naturally you’ll need Google TV hardware to see it.

Basically, the app fools any nearby Apple devices into thinking that the Google TV hardware is really an Apple TV. This allows any iPhone, iPad or iPod to stream video and audio directly to Google TV, though sadly DRM’d content (any video purchased from iTunes) won’t play. Mirroring, where the same video is played on the device and the TV, is also out for now. Naturally both devices must be connected to a local WiFi network for the transfer to function, and you’l need an update to Android 3.2 before you can use the Market on your Google TV device.
The app was only posted to the Android Market yesterday, so expect a few bugs at this point. For a start, music isn’t supported, though the developer says that he or she is working on it. A paid app that’s basically a public alpha might rub some the wrong way, but it is just a dollar – not much for an impressive technical feat. Other apps by “Yossie” come highly recommended, so expect some timely feature updates soon.
[via TechCrunch]

Read more »