The week ended badly for Samsung, but did it do the same for Android in general? Perhaps, since Apple’s patents protect navigation features used by all Android devices. My new Nexus 7 case and Nikon’s Coolpix S800s camera with Android uses patented features too – uh oh. Read more »
Can a $15 tablet case really be any good? After just one day with the Blurex Ultra Slim case for Nexus 7, the answer is yes. Aside from protecting the tablet, it gives full access to all controls and offers three viewing angles in landscape. Read more »
After selling 500,000 units of its Optimus Vu, LG is reportedly partnering with Verizon to bring the 5-inch smartphone to the U.S. The timing is odd, as is the phone’s 4 : 3 aspect ratio, given the success of the Galaxy Note and its coming soon successor. Read more »
Combining two products into one doesn’t always make for one that’s better, but Nikon is onto something here by adding Android 2.3, Wi-Fi and a touchscreen to its latest digital point-and-shoot. Instead of using Nikon’s imaging software, you can download the app of your choice. Read more »
Taking two successful products and combining them has to make one even better product, right? Not necessarily. Case in point: The $234 GoNote available in the UK. It crams Android 4.0 into a very low-end laptop and suggests that it’s just right for students. Not likely. Read more »
Swedish payments startup iZettle is the leading European rival to Jack Dorsey’s Square. And now that the Scandinavian company is adding Android support to its arsenal, the potential for conflict between the two companies just got a lot bigger. Read more »
Don’t have the $2.5 billion budget that Nasa spent to design, build and launch the Mars Curiosity rover? For a fraction of the price you can virtually be in two places at once thanks to telepresence robots for every budget, including those using iPads or smartphones. Read more »
LG is taking a page out of Samsung’s playbook with the Optimus Vu: A 5-inch Android smartphone that doubles as a tablet. LG is launching the phone internationally next month but it could be a tough sell due to the wide form-factor and aspect ratio. Read more »
Jolla, the mobile startup staffed by former Nokia executives who want to keep the company’s MeeGo software alive, says it will use existing technology to bring in apps from other platforms — including Android. Will it be enough to boost the plucky company’s fortunes? Read more »
Global positioning systems provide better location accuracy over solutions that use Wi-Fi networks, but just how much better is GPS? Yelp sifted through its check-in data to see and not only found out the accuracy variance, but also an interesting location tidbit on iPhones vs Androids. Read more »
After months with a sub-par user experience, the Google Play store is gaining needed improvements. Application updates comprised of just changed code now helps limit mobile broadband use while gift cards and wishlists are coming soon, per the latest version of Google Play. Read more »
No mobile browser has passed through the first two hurdles in the Ringmark test, a tool created by Facebook that checks for a wide range of HTML5 support. That is, no mobile browser until now. The most recent beta of Dolphin Browser for Android just did. Read more »
A number of connected watches have hit — and been funded on — Kickstarter lately, but the newest doesn’t just show information from a smartphone; it works as a hands-free speaker phone. The watch also supports voice commands so you can use it directly with Siri. Read more »
Here’s our daily pick of stories about Apple from around the web that you shouldn’t miss. Today’s installment: Apple-Samsung judge wants CEOs to try to settle, the truth behind smartphone market-share numbers, Office won’t be Retina-ready any time soon, and a refresher on Apple’s patent strategy. Read more »
Network operators selling tablets in the past faced a significant hurdle: the monthly cost of data. With the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Verizon is ready to take advantage of its new Share Everything plans that let you use the tablet on 4G for $10 per month. Read more »
Overall handset sales slumped last quarter as consumers face economic challenges or are waiting for newer phone models. But Android keeps outpacing iOS devices while handsets from Research In Motion and Nokia continue to drop, although Windows Phone is showing signs of sales life. Read more »
Motorola’s newest Android 4.0 smartphone, the Photon Q 4G LTE could help Sprint limit subscriber losses thanks to some innovative software and the five-row hardware keyboard. SmartActions make the smartphone smarter thanks to both customized and canned phone options that are triggered by specific events. Read more »
A Nokia Conversations survey suggests the U.S. alone prefers touchscreen devices for input while the rest of the world still wants a QWERTY keyboard. That’s ironic as touchscreens dominate the market and Nokia opted for numeric keypads in lieu of QWERTY for so long. Read more »
The restructuring process under Google has begun at Motorola, which will reduce its head count by 20 percent or 4,000 jobs this year. The company is slimming down its operations in an attempt to compete with smartphone leaders Apple and Samsung. Read more »
Thanks to Apple’s AirPlay, it’s easier than ever to stream content over Wi-Fi between Apple devices. And Android devices too thanks to Android HiFi, a free mobile app that lets you listen to your iTunes library wirelessly on an Android phone or tablet. Read more »
What was once only in the realm of network operators is now a feature for custom ROM Android developers. OTA Update Center allows programmers to sent over the air updates to Android device owners that use their software builds. For users, and devs, this is fantastic. Read more »
Research In Motion shares leapt on an analyst report suggesting Samsung was considering to license BlackBerry 10 for its phones. Anything is possible, even no-cost licensing to gain market share, but it doesn’t make sense. Nearly 1 of every 2 Android phones sold is a Samsung. Read more »
The Google Translate app is taking on the ability to handle translations of pictured text. It’s a feature that first appeared in Google Goggles, but it now allows users to highlight which text they want to translate by running their fingers over specific words. Read more »
Social travel recommendation app Trover has slowly undergone a makeover the past month or so. CEO Jason Karas talked with us about how Trover’s users were the ones who turned the travel app into an aspirational, entertainment-oriented app that is only somewhat related to real-life travel. Read more »
FlightTrack Free is not replacing the popular, paid FlightTrack or FlightTrack Pro apps. It’s a separate, scaled-down version of FlightTrack with a redesigned interface. Mobiata, FlightTrack’s creator, plans eventually to add in-app purchase options. Read more »
Historically, U.S. consumers are addicted to subsidized smartphones that carry lengthy contracts, but sales growth of pre-paid, no contract phones has nearly doubled in the past year. Apple’s iPhone may eventually help this market too, but improved Android handsets sold by pre-paid providers are boosting sales. Read more »
The Kindle Fire gains a free new mobile music app in Spotify, but it’s only mobile if you have a Wi-Fi connection; offline support requires a Spotify Premium subscription. However, the app supports high-quality music streaming and full access to Spotify’s millions of digital tracks. Read more »
We know that Apple started seeing some validation of the 7-inch tablet market some 18 months ago. Those reasons still apply, but there are even more to consider today. Here’s another look at a handful of observations on why Apple should enter this market. Read more »
After finding success with the pen-enabled Galaxy Note smartphone, Samsung is going bigger: It will launch the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet this month with Android 4.0. Unique to this model is a multitasking mode that shows two apps at the same time on the screen. Read more »
How long has Apple been thinking about a smaller iPad? Since they read impressions about the Galaxy Tab 18 months ago. Matt shares experiences with Nexus 7 cases — and explains what pickleball is — while both hosts discuss the Chrome OS and T-Mobile’s new (old) Galaxy Note. Read more »
Android 4.0 is finally getting out on phones and tablets according to Google’s dashboard. Surprisingly, the next version, Jelly Bean, is gaining adoption quickly too. Google’s Wallet now supports more credit and debit cards while T-Mobile’s Galaxy Note blurs the lines between smartphone and tablet. Read more »
Jelly Bean is officially on few Android smartphones and tablets, but the developer community is already hard at work, porting the software to other devices. Case in point: the HP TouchPad tablet, which essentially has no other software future. It’s an early build, but shows promise. Read more »
Once a rising star, HTC has struggled for several quarters due to strong competition from Apple and Samsung. The company’s One X smartphone line has boosted revenues a little, but HTC’s confidence is waning: It lowered next quarter’s expectations for the third time in a row. Read more »
Android 4.0 is making adoption gains thanks to software upgrades and new devices on sale with the Ice Cream Sandwich software. Nearly 1 percent of devices run Android 4.1 thanks to Google’s Nexus device program and strong demand for the company’s 7-inch slate. Read more »
Despite its current decline, RIM is a different firm today than it was in 2007, with new management, a full awareness of its shaky position, an upcoming OS release and a number of lingering advantages that can still be leveraged. Here’s how it just might survive. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Mobile analytics companies provide app publishers with data about their users. Hiptype, a Y Combinator startup, wants to do the same thing for ebooks. That could be huge for data-starved book publishers — except that for now, Hiptype only works on platforms that support HTML5. Read more at paidContent »
The wait for a Nexus 7 dock may not be much longer. According to leaked images and details, a $49.99 landscape dock is planned to launch in late August, along with a premium Nexus 7 case. Sounds legit since the original images were removed “by request”. Read more »
Spotify’s conversion rate isn’t bad: Out of 15 million active users, more than 4 million are paying subscribers. That number may soon increase thanks to Android support for Spotify radio, which is ad-supported and offers unlimited playback of Spotify’s entire digital music catalog. Read more »
With the growth of sensors and microelectronics, the potential uses of wearable-computing technologies now reach to health and fitness, gaming, fashion, disabilities and augmented reality. Most importantly, the widespread adoption of wearables will drive the form function and market for mobiles in vital ways. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
It’s here! Samsung’s Galaxy Note has arrived for those wanting a T-Mobile version and it looks to be worth the wait. This video look shows Android 4.0.4, the S-Pen and an overall size comparison between the Note, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 tablet. Read more »
