TextOnly Browser for Android

Want to save data costs on your Android-powered device? Then you might want to check out the TextOnly Browser, where the name itself gives the game away (not that there is anything to hide in the first place though). Yes sir, this browser intends to help you reduce your data usage by up to 90% through the displaying of readable content only, doing away with ads,scripts and images. Now how about that? This paves the way for instant reading of articles on websites without having to scan through the page before realizing that only a certain segment is meant for reading, while the rest yield this temptation to click away at ads and promotional links.
Not only that, it will minimize your data usage and maximize your productivity if you are a voracious online reader. Most sites with good RSS feeds will be supported, and over 95% of websites are compatible with the TextOnly Browser. The web version of TextOnly Browser for Android can be found here, so why not give it a go?

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Carrier IQ, Samsung and HTC Get Hit With Class Action Lawsuit That Could Cost Millions

Class action lawsuits serve a great purpose. The parties involved often aren’t looking for money (if they are, it isn’t a large sum at all). I like to think it’s used as a “target enhancer”, so to speak – bring some light to the situation at hand so that some real investigation can be carried out.

The big situation in the world of mobile as of late – Carrier IQ being accused of logging sensitive information and possibly transmitting it to themselves or third parties – has quickly turned into a firestorm for all parties involved.

A day after a United States senator asks Carrier IQ to answer questions regarding their service and the accusations that it greatly threatens user privacy, Carrier IQ and a couple of their partners have been hit with a class action lawsuit under grounds that they are violating the Federal Wiretap Act.
Alongside the firm – who Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile are confirmed to be partnered with – HTC and Samsung have been included in the lawsuit. No other OEMs and no carriers have been pointed out despite the fact that many others use Carrier IQ.
Estimations suggest each party could be hit with hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties if they lose. This could prompt a more official investigation – maybe even a federal one – and it would force Carrier IQ to show the world what’s really going on inside our phones when they send data back off to carriers, OEMs and whoever else they may be in bed with. This is getting really interesting, folks. [PaidContent via Gizmodo]

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus cruises through FCC with AT&T bands

With Verizon having exclusivity on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, many AT&T customers have been wondering when their favorite carrier will launch it. According to FCC filings, a Samsung G-Nex with model number GT-i9250T has just cruised though FCC with AT&T’s GSM 850, GSM 1900, WCDMA II and IV bands.
As you all know, AT&T has been quiet about their plans to release their very own variant of the Galaxy Nexus. Maybe the fact that they asked their Google+ followers if they want the phone on their network was an indication that they’re already planning to launch it. And if they do, we have no idea when it will release. After all, Verizon hasn’t even announced when they’ll release the Galaxy Nexus.
Can we say that there will be a multi-carrier Galaxy Nexus release at this point?
Source FCC
via Wireless Goodness

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Discover new music from around the blogosphere with Uberhype for Android

The Hype Machine is an essential site for music enthusiasts looking to discover new sounds. The site aggregates songs shared on a wide variety of music blogs, making them available in one place. While it’s had a slick, official iPhone app for some time, there hasn’t been anything anywhere near as good for Android – until now.
UberHype is an unofficial app that is essentially what The Hype Machine would create if it launched on Android, allowing you to stream new and popular songs being shared on music blogs via a great-looking player interface.
You can log in using your Hype Machine account, giving you access to songs you’ve marked as favorites, and your friends’ favorite songs. Additional features include the ability to open up the blog post that orginally shared the track you’re listening to as you stream it so you can read the story behind the music.
You can also search the music blogosphere for any artist or song you’re interested in hearing. If you like the tracks shared by a particular blog, you can subscribe directly from the app to get future songs sent straight to your feed.
In short, Uberhype is a beautifully executed app, and existing Hype Machine users or not, it should get Android-using music-obsessives more than a little excited. It’s a free download.
➤Uberhype

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Windows 8 coming your way February 2012

Windows 8 is set to arrive in public beta form in February next year, allowing early access to to the new OS from the start of next year.?
A post by The Next Web points to the February release date, citing sources close to Microsoft. It clears up a lot of the speculation over exactly when Windows 8 was set to arrive in beta form. Many expect a 2012 release for the final build of the OS, with the February beta adding further weight to this rumour. No exact date has been given for shipping of Windows 8.
The new operating system sees a major departure from Microsoft's traditional UI, incorporating a home page which draws heavily from Windows Phone 7. The Metro UI of the OS uses similar live tiles to that of Microsoft's phone OS.?
Windows 8 is also expected to be a cross platform piece of software, designed for both tablets and computers. No details as to what will be released in the beta currently exist, so we cant be sure whether it will arrive with the email function currently exempt from the developer preview.?
Given the beta date it is entirely possible that we see Windows 8 appearing on hardware Christmas next year. Exciting stuff from Microsoft then, just shame the beta isn't earlier.

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Verizon buys 122 wireless spectrum licenses from Comcast, Time Warner Cable for $3.6 Billion

US mobile operator Verizon today announced it is to boost its wireless coverage across the U.S with the $3.6 billion purchase of 122 advanced wireless services licenses from cable giant Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
Whilst the U.S Government is set to open its wireless spectrum to mobile operators, Verizon isn’t taking any chances and has moved to secure more bandwidth for its 4G LTE services so that it can continue to serve its expanding network of customers and offer reliable and fast data downloads.
As part of the deal, Comcast will receive $2.3 billion from the sale, with Time Warner Cable receiving $1.1 billion – both of which own around 95% of the company SpectrumCo. Bright House Networks, which owns 5.3% of the company, will receive $189 million.
Following approval of the deal, each of the companies will enter several agreements to sell each other’s products and services:

Through these agreements, the cable companies, on the one hand, and Verizon Wireless, on the other, will become agents to sell one another’s products and, over time, the cable companies will have the option of selling Verizon Wireless’ service on a wholesale basis. Additionally, the cable companies and Verizon Wireless have formed an innovation technology joint venture for the development of technology to better integrate wireline and wireless products and services.

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NEC announced waterproof Medias PP N-01D Android smartphone

If there was yet another phone from Japan that the rest of us around the world wouldn’t mind getting our hands on would be the NEC Medias PP N-01D. This Android smartphone has been announced for release on NTT DoCoMo’s network for the 9th of December and assuming NEC’s plans to launch their phones internationally is still on track, there’s a good chance we might be seeing this phone launch stateside in the future.
So what can NTT DoCoMo subscribers expect from the Medias PP N-01D? Well for starters it will sport a 4” OLED 480×800 display, a 1.4GHz processor under the hood, a 8.1MP CMOS camera, 2GB of internal storage, e-wallet function, a digital TV tuner, infrared connectivity, water and dust proof and Android’s Gingerbread 2.3 on board. It will also sport a 1,700mAh battery that NEC is particularly proud of since it boats 630 hours of standby time and 380 hours of talk time.

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HTC Rezound headphone problems appear to be isolated

Just yesterday we reported that there were some complaints regarding the HTC Rezound. A quick recap for those who may not have been aware – there were complaints that suggested interference or static when listening to music or audio while using headphones together with the HTC Rezound. While there are indeed complaints from several HTC Rezound owners, the problem appears to be less widespread than what was initially thought. According to HTC:

“HTC has received a very small number of calls related to audio on the Rezound, but nothing that so far points to a broader issue. We’re continuing to monitor it closely but currently believe the few calls we’ve received are isolated cases.”

Whatever the problem might be, kudos to HTC for jumping on the matter right away. For now it appears that the problem is isolated to a couple of handsets, so if you were planning on getting your hands on the HTC Rezound, it looks like you’re in the clear for now.

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CyanogenMod Gives CM9 Progress Update (Don’t Look Now, Original DROID Owners)

Cyanogen’s updated the community on their progress with developing the latest version of their highly-revered custom ROM, CyanogenMod 9. Right now, devices with TI OMAP4, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660/7X30, and Samsung Exynos will be the focus.
Over time, they hope to get all devices back to the Qualcomm QSD8250 ( Nexus One chipset) up and going with some Ice Cream Sandwich. Some tablets with Tegra 2 will also be getting support, such as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the ASUS Transformer.
Oh, and as for that original Motorola DROID? Well, that phone is just long at the tooth now – it’s quite too old for this tasty treat. Sorry folks, but most of you should be due for upgrades to the Galaxy Nexus anytime now so you’re in good shape regardless.
For the time being, Nexus S owners can dig into the current version of CM9 themselves if they want a sneak peak at what’s to come for many devices. Look under Koush’s section of ROM Manager to get going. [Cyanogen, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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