Author: Spencer McClendon

Could Google and LG be working on a 32GB Nexus 4 running Android 5.0, and sporting LTE and CDMA radios for Google I/O? According to SIDHTECH, this may well very be the case. They go on to speculate that a Nexus 5 at I/O is probably unlikely because the Nexus 4 was released last summer. However an updated Nexus 4 is more likely. 

If this new rumor is true, this version of the Nexus 4 could work on Sprint and Verizon’s networks, it would have LTE , and more storage. I know a lot of readers were down on the Nexus 4 for a lack of some or all of these features. It also is reported to be launching with the Android 5.0, which is rumored to be called Key Lime Pie. Maybe this is Google’s and LG’s way of correcting a bad mistake in not offering these things from the beginning. If so, let’s hope they do a better job with the supply issue this time. 

Source: SIDHTECH
Via: TechnoBuffalo

Come comment on this article: Nexus 4 with 32GB of storage, LTE/CDMA, and Key Lime Pie could be revealed at Google I/O

Google is launching a new app called One Today. The purpose of the app is to donate $1 a day to a cause. Right now the app is in limited pilot, and an invite only. It’s only available on Android, but when you click on the invite button, it asks you which mobile platform (Android, iOS, Blackberry, or Windows) you would like to receive an invite for. This would suggest they are going to bring the app to those platforms at a later time. To give you a better idea of what I’m talking about, continue reading past the break for some examples of what you can donate to: 

Every child learns empathy

We are working with schools to make sure that every child masters empathy just as children master reading and math. We know that a child who masters empathy at the age of six is less likely to bully ten years later, and that empathy is increasingly critical to our success at home, in the workplace, and in the world.

How your $1 helps

$50 = 1 school trained in empathy best practices

Plant trees and change lives in Kenya

Our program in Kenya is fully supporting reforestation programs with all groups living near degraded forests including Mount Kenya and Mau Forest. These tree planting projects are implemented through distribution of seeds, tools, and technical training.

How your $1 helps

$1 = 10 trees that will help Kenyan farmers.

I’m sure a lot of us out there are going to sign up to receive the invite, including myself. I think we all could handle giving one dollar every once in awhile, and if your friends match that dollar, it can change more lives.

If you are interested in this app, check out the source link below, and don’t forget to click on the project gallery while you are there. Let us know what you think of this concept in the comments below.

Source: Google One Today

Come comment on this article: Google wants to put the power of donation in your hands with One Today

Anytime I read a story that talks of nanotechnology I get all warm and fuzzy inside, and my inner geek jumps out and screams. Business Insider is reporting on work being done by nanotechnology researcher, David Carroll of Wake Forest University. Carroll is working on something he calls “power felt”, this thin piece of material can convert heat and movement into electricity. I know everyone reading this is thinking they can now charge their phones on the go. However there is more to this wonderful material that could change everything as we know it.

It can be sewn into clothing or wrapped around an object. It is light weight which gives it an advantage over other thermoelectric materials currently available, and it feel like wool felt. His felt also has a medical application to it too. Wearing the fabric could help determine a lot of information about the wearer based on heat readings.

The best part of all this is manufacturing Carroll’s new wonder felt is 25 -cents for a couple of square feet. Making it really cheap to produce. Check out the source for all the information.

Source: Business Insider

Come comment on this article: New “power felt” fabric could power your phone and more

What’s your favorite color? Well unless you went on a tangent, you may be able to pick up Motorola’s X Phone in your color of choice. The rumor mill is churning and what’s being pumped out is word that Motorola’s new phone may come in 20 different colors. Now all of this is according to a source for Phone Arena, so take it with a grain of salt.

Is this part of what Eric Schmidt was hinting about? This also sounds like it could be some of the “wow” they want to put back into their phones. In any case, this sounds like an excellent idea by Google and Motorola. I’m sure customers will see it that way too. Let’s hope this is one of the few rumors that turns into reality.

Source: Phone Arena 

Come comment on this article: Motorola X Phone might come in 20 colors

The cat is out of the bag as both Sprint and T-Mobile will carry the Samsung Galaxy S 4. The S 4 can be found on both carrier’s websites, with Sprint having a big banner that uses Samsung’s tag line: “Countdown To The Next Big Thing”. Additionally, there is also a countdown clock with just under 13 and half hours to go at the time of this writing. T-Mobile has it on their site as well however it is a little less in your face, with just a little box with “Coming Soon” on it.

We have already seen Verizon and AT&T confirm the S 4, as well as Telus in Canada, and even Walmart has started taking preorders for the device. So the fact that Sprint and T-Mobile has joined the game, should be of no surprise for Samsung’s new flagship phone. Sprint is offering the device for $249 with a new two-year contract. Existing customers can get it for $149 with a new two-year contract. In a hope to gain new customers, Sprint has extended that price offer to new customers willing to switch their numbers. So if you switch your number to Sprint, you can also pick up the S 4 for only $149 with a new two-year contract.

T-mobile is more mum on their plans. There is however, a sign up page for anyone who wants to receive information on the phone. If you don’t feel like signing up for it, don’t worry we already signed up, and will always pass along any info we get to the readers.

Source: Sprint, T-Mobile
via: Gotta Be Mobile

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S 4 officially confirmed by Sprint and T-Mobile

As part of its prepaid lineup, Verizon may be bringing the LG Optimus L3 back as the LG Optimus Zone. At least that’s the information we are seeing from evleaks, which has a  pretty reliable track record. The smartphone will feature an 800MHz processor, 3.2-inch QVGA display, 800MHz processor, 3.15-megapixel camera and Gingerbread 2.3. Not the most interesting specs really, but with this being an older phone, I would venture to guess that this is probably going to happen. We don’t have anymore information then this, but rest assured as we hear it so will you.

Source: evleaks Twitter

Come comment on this article: Verizon getting the LG Optimus L3 as part of its prepaid lineup

The Verizon Droid DNA has a new update out that improves SIM card detection. We don’t have much more information other than “Verizon Wireless and HTC encourage you to download this update”. The update is 2.06.605.1 710RD and is available now.

That’s it folks, as there isn’t much more to add. Let us know if you have received this update and if it made things better or worse.

Source: Verizon Wireless

Come comment on this article: Verizon’s Droid DNA gets updated to fix SIM card detection

April 27th is a day to mark on your calendar my friends, that is if you live in Canada. Telus just issued a press release with all the juicy details about the Galaxy S 4. I’m getting a little ahead of myself here, because the date is only important if you preordered the device. If not, you are going to have to wait until May 3rd when the phone becomes available in stores.

The phone will cost you $700 off contract, or $199 with a standard three year Canadian contract plus an additional $50 data plan. You have your choice of white frost or black mist.

Continue on past the break for all the details from the Press Release 

TELUS and Samsung Canada announce the Canadian availability of the GALAXY S4

With the GALAXY S4 Canadians can experience more, live more and accomplish more than ever before

TORONTO, April 15, 2013 /CNW/ – TELUS and Samsung Canada are pleased to announce that the Samsung GALAXY S4 is available at TELUS for pre-order today at www.telusmobility.com/GALAXYS4.  Customers who pre-order the GALAXY S4 will be the first to receive their devices starting on April 27 with in-store availability beginning May 3. The Samsung GALAXY S4 will be available on TELUS’ blazing fast 4G LTE network for $199 on a 3-year term with a minimum $50 monthly plan before tax or $700 month-to-month. TELUS’ 4G LTE service now covers more than 70 per cent of the Canadian population across approximately 170 markets.

The fourth generation of the successful GALAXY S family was designed with insight from consumers to truly understand what matters most in their lives.  With an enhanced feature set, the technologically innovative GALAXY S4 truly enables Canadians to live in a world of infinite possibilities.

Designed to get Canadians closer to what matters and make every moment meaningful, the GALAXY S4 gives consumers great enjoyment through enhancements to the user interface.  New navigation features include ‘Smart Pause’, which allows users to scroll the screen based on where they are looking.  Another feature is ‘Air View’ which allows users to hover their fingers over the screen to preview the content of an email, S Planner, gallery image or video without having to open it. And with ‘Air Gesture’, users can change the music track, scroll up and down a web page, or accept a call with a wave of the hand.

The device features a highly crafted design that surrounds a larger screen size and battery, minimized bezel; all housed in a light (130g) and slim (7.9mm) shape. The Samsung GALAXY S4 is slimmer yet stronger, with less to hold yet more to see, with the world’s first Full HD Super AMOLED display. Equipped with 13 megapixel rear camera, the GS4 also boasts a ‘Dual Camera,’ that allows simultaneous use of both front and rear cameras and enables functions such as ‘Dual Video Call’, allowing users to make and receive a video call with friends and family while showing what you are looking at during the call.

“Samsung is a consummate innovator and their dedication to delivering devices that enrich people’s lives shines brightly in the new GALAXY S4,” said Dave Fuller, Chief Marketing Officer, TELUS. “Our customers demand more from their phones today. They want devices that keep them connected and enable them to balance their personal interests while helping them to be more efficient – all this from a service provider that listens to them and provides an outstanding service experience on a fast and reliable network – a service provider like TELUS.  We combine the awesome GALAXY S4 with programs such as TELUS Learning Centres and the largest 4G LTE network in Canada.”

“Samsung is proud to bring the highly anticipated Samsung GALAXY S4 to Canadians on the TELUS network,” said Paul Brannen, Vice President, Enterprise Business Solutions at Samsung Canada. “The GALAXY S4 was developed based on consumer insights and needs and this device is a proof point of people inspired innovation.  We feel that the GS4 will truly enhance the way Canadians live, inspiring them to capture unforgettable moments in more ways than ever before.”

Availability
The Samsung GALAXY S4 is available to pre-order today from TELUS with device delivery commencing on April 27, and in-store availability starting May 3.  At Canadian launch, two color options will be available – Black Mist and White Frost; with additional color options to follow later this year.  For further product and availability information, please visit www.telusmobility.com/GALAXYS4.

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S 4 Lands on Telus April 27th

Do you remember last week when we told you about HTC’s disappointing Q1 earnings report? Well it looks like HTC may have pulled off the turnaround they were hoping for. J.P. Morgan Securities upgraded HTC’s stock to “neutral” from “underweight”.  They also raised the target price from NT$160 to NT$330 due to the sales of their new Flagship Phone, the HTC One.

HTC needed to kick into high gear, and it appears they know that too. Over the last two weeks HTC’s supply issues “have significantly improved” according to Alvin Kwock, J.P. Morgan analyst.

With new vendor qualification, HTC One shipments will continue to improve. March estimates for the HTC One were 300,000 units, but would raise to 1.2 million in April, and 2 Million in May. These numbers could help HTC’s Q2 earnings climb to over 50 percent from their Q1 earnings.

HTC might be back on the right track now, but they still have a long uphill battle against companies like Samsung. HTC lost lot of ground, after the HTC EVO 4G LTE was delayed in some markets.

As always we will keep a close eye on HTC and will update you on all the important information you need to know.

Source: Focus Taiwan
Via: Phone Arena

Come comment on this article: J.P. Morgan upgrades HTC to “neutral”

OUYA ‘s founder and CEO Julie Uhrman has posted a blog on Kickstarter detailing the road map for consoles heading to early backers. I don’t know about anyone else but I am really excited to see that OUYA has their ducks in a row like this. In this roadmap she explains that they have changed one of their partners to speed up production by a few days, as well as put more OUYA reps on the ground to speed things up.

Backers of the  new console can expect to have it  in their hands by the end of May, just in time for the retail orders to start shipping out for June. I myself am looking forward to the June release. I was unable to get in on the Kickstarter so I had to pre-order one from Amazon. I’m sure their are a lot of people that can’t wait to get this device in their hands, and I’m on that list.

Source: Kickstarter.com

Come comment on this article: OUYA confirms all Kickstarter Backers will receive their devices by the end of May

Facebook Home is live in the Play Store. If you need a refresh on what Facebook Home is: check it out here and here, and come on back. The app only works for a handful of devices at the moment, but I would expect the numbers to grow soon.  The only device I have that can even download it on is the Asus Transformer TF300T. However when I click on the app, I get: “Thanks for installing Facebook Home. Your device is not supported yet. You’ll get a notification when Facebook Home is ready for your device.” There are probably going to be a few more devices that get the same treatment, but at least it shows that work is being done to get the app on more devices.

Enough of the yapping head on past the break for my denial screenshot and the link.
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It looks as though Verizon has made some changes to their upgrade service. Even though Verizon customers sign two-year contracts when the purchase a subsidized phone, they were always able to get an upgrade after 20 months. Unfortunately, Verizon is no longer allowing that and customers will have to wait until the full 2 years (24 months) is up in order to upgrade. Here is what Verizon has to say on the matter.

As the wireless business has evolved, Verizon Wireless has continued to expand its device portfolio, providing customers with more options than ever before. It is not uncommon for customers to have multiple devices such as a smartphone, tablet and Jetpack. In that context, Verizon Wireless is making the following changes to its upgrade practices:

• In alignment with the terms of the contract, customers on a two-year agreement will be eligible for an upgrade at 24 months vs. today’s early upgrade eligibility at 20 months. This change aligns the upgrade date with the contract end date and is consistent with how the majority of customers purchase new phones today. The first customers impacted by this change are customers whose contracts expire in January 2014. As always, customers may purchase a new phone at the full retail price at any time.
• The New Every Two program ended in January of 2011. Verizon Wireless has continued to allow customers to utilize these expired credits. However, as of April 15, these credits will no longer be available.
• Customers may continue to share an upgrade with another person on an account if that customer is upgrading to a device within the same equipment category. Customers can utilize a phone upgrade to purchase a new phone; however, the option to transfer upgrades from non-phone devices (such as a Jetpack or tablet) will no longer be available.

Source: Verizon Wireless

Come comment on this article: Verizon Details Changes to Their Upgrade Plan

It’s always nice to see progress. The New York Police Department has started issuing Android smart phones to their officers. As part of a pilot program that started quietly last summer with 400 officers, the hope is by having a smartphone with instant access to data, it will help the officers in the field. For now, the phones only have a data connection and don’t allow for calls or texts, however– that is not an issue because the officers now have a tremendous amount of access to central data. Cops now have information at their fingertips, which greatly helps improve the job they can do. Just look at this example:

Officer Tom Donaldson typed in the building’s street address and, with a few taps of the screen, an astounding array of information bloomed in his palm.

The officers suddenly had access to the names of every resident with an open warrant, arrest record or previous police summons; each apartment with a prior domestic incident report; all residents with orders of protection against them; registered gun owners; and the arrest photographs of every parolee in the building. The officers could even find every video surveillance camera, whether mounted at the corner deli or on housing property, that was directed at the building.

“You can see that in this one 14-story building there are thousands and thousands of records,” Officer Donaldson said

That one quote says it all my friends: the officers are loving the new technology as well. It is a great improvement over the standard in car computer they have relied on for so long. The computers can get spotty internet service throughout the city and they would have to log into multiple sites to get the same amount of information as the App on the smartphone.

Source: New York Times

Come comment on this article: NYPD uses Android as a tool of its trade