April, 2012 - Android Community

Monthly Archive: May 2013

LG gives Windows Phone the boot and goes all Android

By Michael Crider
on 30 Apr, 2012

Did you know that LG makes Windows Phone 7 devices? Yeah, we didn't either. LG has been a respectable runner in the Android world for the last couple of years, but apparently their performance on Windows Phone 7 - or perhaps just the platform's performance as a whole - hasn't been very inspiring. Today the company announced that it's giving up Microsoft's platform in favor of Android for all its forthcoming smartphones. Now if only Nokia could follow suit.

Samsung patents dual-screen tablet design

By Michael Crider
on 30 Apr, 2012

One screen good, two screens better. That seems to be the thinking behind one of Samsung's latest awarded patent filings, spotted in the USPTO by Forbes. The patent shows a clamshell design not dissimilar to the Sony Tablet P, but using a larger, flatter form factor that's more like a traditional laptop in shape. Also of note is a removable controller/pointer that slides into a slot along the hinge.

Android Community Weekly: April 29th, 2012

By Michael Crider
on 29 Apr, 2012

Another week, another barrel full of Samsung Galaxy S III news - I mean Android coverage. Believe us, we're as tired of the torrent of leaks, teases and misinformation as you are - which is why we're much more excited to talk about the long-awaited reveal of Google Drive. We've got hands-on impressions and a comparison of competitors for you to enjoy. Also notable this week was Google's return to retail with the $399 GSM Galaxy Nexus on the Google Play Store, and another look at Project Glass courtesy of Charlie Rose.

HTC One X gets an early CyanogenMod 9 port

By Michael Crider
on 29 Apr, 2012

The HTC One X is rightly sitting on top of the Android world for the moment, and of course that means just one thing: the modders are coming out to play. Users of the international One X (with the Tegra 3 processor) can now get a taste of the ubiquitous CyanogenMod custom ROM. The unofficial port or "kang" comes from the TripNDroid Mobile Engineering developer team, who've posted their work over on the Modaco forums. Brave One X owners can flash a custom recovery and try out the ROM now.

Apple and Samsung to meet for mediation in May

By Michael Crider
on 29 Apr, 2012

The patent wars could be losing a major front in less than a month. According to the FOSS Patents blog, CEOs from Apple and Samsung are set to meet in a San Francisco court starting on May 21st, for federally mandated mediation and (hopefully) some settlement talks. If the two technology giants could hammer it out, it would be the end of a litigious dispute that's been raging for the better part of a year.

Acer releases app to manually update A500 tablets to ICS

By Michael Crider
on 29 Apr, 2012

Now here's what we like to see: a manufacturer that's proactive in getting their customers upgraded to the latest software. Acer might have been somewhat behind the curve when it came to granting Android 4.0 to their Iconia Tab A500 model, but now that it's out, they want to make sure those who want it right away can get it as quickly as possible. Their new ICONIA TAB update Enhancement app will help users to do just that.

T-Mobile HTC One S suffers battery drain for WiFi calls – fix incoming

By Michael Crider
on 27 Apr, 2012

If you recently purchased an HTC One S for T-Mobile, congratulations - you've got one of the best Android phones available in the US at the moment. But as is usually the case with high-profile phone releases, there's at least one fly in the ointment. T-Mobile's unique WiFi calling service is included on their version of the One S to save picky customers from using up their calling minutes. But it looks like this feature is draining the battery unusually fast, and at least some T-Mobile customers must have already complained.

Latest Samsung Galaxy S III photo still looks fake

By Michael Crider
on 27 Apr, 2012

Another day, another purported Galaxy S III photo. We've been tipped with this convincing shot of the upcoming Samsung superphone, which follows the bullet points of the latest rumors. There's reason to doubt, though: the phone in question is presented a little too perfectly for our jaded blogger eyes to believe. In any case, we should find out what the real thing looks like in less than a week when Samsung reveals the Galaxy S III at its London event on May 3rd.

MIUI Launcher modded for any ICS ROM

By Michael Crider
on 27 Apr, 2012

No two ways about it: the MIUI family of ROMs has a unique visual approach. Blending elements from Android, iOS, WebOS, and plenty of manufacturer skins to boot, it's become one of the most popular ROMs for those who love to tinker with their user interface. The Android 4.0 version MIUI 4 is still a work in progress, but if you've got an Ice Cream Sandwich phone or ROM, you can try out the MIUI 4 launcher and lockscreen now, thanks to RootzWiki member "hoppermi".

QuickOffice Pro updates with a ton of new features

By Michael Crider
on 27 Apr, 2012

Mourning the loss of Google Docs from your app tray? (Don't, by the way - all that functionality is still in Google Drive.) Looking for something with a little more oomph to edit documents on your lunchbreak? Then you'll want to check out the latest version of QuickOffice Pro. We've covered this app before, but the sheer number of additions in version 5.5 warrants attention. You can buy the standard version in the Google Play Store for $14.99, and the tablet version for $19.99.