HTC Q4 2011 net income dropped 26% to $364 million compared to the same quarter of 2010. Analysts are expecting that profits for HTC will continue to fall even further this quarter; HTC cut its outlook for revenue last quarter. Part of the blame for the declining profits is that HTCs smartphones are being overlooked in the high-end by consumers.

Consumers are instead opting for the slick line of Samsung Galaxy devices or the iPhone. Another reason for the falling profits is a softening global economy according to Bloomberg. Shipments of HTC devices dropped to 10 million units in Q4 2011, and that number is expected to fall to 8.5 million units this quarter.

[via Bloomberg]

The Nexus smartphones are the ultimate blend of hardware and software to show off what a fully integrated device can do with Android. Schmidt offered no hard details on the Google tablet in the interview. All he said was that the tablet was in the works, and that it would be coming in the next six months.

I think we could assume it will have Android 4.0 and the best hardware available at the time of launch. I wonder if it would also carry the Nexus name. It would be interesting to see what Google thinks the ideal Android tablet should pack under the hood.

[via SlashGear]

The USPTO rejected 17 of those 21 claims and Oracle has until February 20 to appeal the decision. Oracle had been looking for the case to start in late January. Whether or not the firm will push forward with the suit at this point is unknown. Oracle was prepared to provide an expert’s report on the damages it had sustained due to the alleged Java infringement.

Google has reportedly issued a statement that says it doesn’t want to delay the case any longer that necessary. However, the search giant had previously stated that it had scheduling issues and that the case couldn’t start until July of 2012.

[via 9to5Google]

The geek behind the scenes of the hack says that it turns off FOTA by modifying the device manager. To start out you have to download the needed files and then unzip them via the link on the XDA-forum post. Once downloaded they need to be put into a folder called TitaniumBackup on the SD card. Obviously, you will need TitaniumBackup to get this done.

Once the files are in the folder, launch TitaniumBackup and restore DeviceManagerService 2.3.4. the OTA updates will then be blocked so you can tweak all you want without worrying your hard work will be lost to an unwanted update. You can verify the update be checking settings-about my nook-version number. That version number should be 9.9.9.

The update is available free on the Dell site right now. StreakSmart reports that a change guide should be coming shortly. While the Streak 5 is getting its official update to Gingerbread, owners of the Streak 7 hoping for some ICS love on their tablets will be disappointed. Dell has officially confirmed that there will be no ICS update offered.

The question was asked on the DellCares twitter account and along with the answer was a link to the DJ_Steve video showing ICS running unofficially on the Streak 7. Dell discontinued the Streak 7 earlier this month so no official update to ICS isn’t much of a surprise for most of us.

[via SlashGear]

Bloomberg reports that HTC has already neatly skirted the patent ban with a new workaround that is already finished. The import ban wouldn’t have gone into effect until April 2012 so HTC is ready to go with the ban behind it. HTC’s CEO said that the infringing tech was rarely used hinting that the workaround was easy to build.

HTC CEO Peter Chou said, “It’s actually quite rarely used.” I wonder if there will be as many patent cases in the mobile phone and tablet world next year as there have been this year. I don’t see this sort of legal battle stopping, do you?

[via SlashGear]

With these two new and popular devices set for the first quarter of next year, Samsung listed eight devices total that will all be getting the ISC update. The other devices include the LTE versions of the S II, Galaxy R, the Tab 10.1, 8.9, and the 7.7. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is also listed. Samsung has said officially the updates are coming, but the firm didn’t offer a timeline.

One popular smartphone that you might notice is missing from the ICS update line is the original Galaxy S. That won’t be good news for the users rocking that smartphone. The updates could take a while; Samsung will need to work with the carriers to get the updates to them specifically tweaked for their networks.

[via SlashGear]

We would assume that the smartphones are being given out to Google workers in all locations, but that is unconfirmed. The back of the smartphone has G+ and Android icons all over it in rows that look pretty cool. Other than those icons the device seems normal.

The workers at the locations lined up to get their own free smartphone. I would like to know if they came with free service too. That would be a very nice Christmas gift either way. I bet some of these turn up on eBay before long.

[via SlashGear]

The new price is £499 with VAT included. The ship date on it is still some time in January. The bad news is that if you wanted the 64GB version of the Prime and pre-ordered, your order will be delayed. Clove is now reporting that the 64GB Prime won’t be in until Q2 2012. You can just cancel that order if you want or move to the 32GB version.

None of the pre-orders have been charged at this point according to Clove. The new lower price of the 32GB version will be automatically made on all pre-orders of the tablet made last week at the higher price. The exact launch date in January is still unknown.

[via SlashGear]

The Android app for Facebook has 58.3 million active daily users compared to the iPhone app having 57.4 million active users. This data comes from the AppData tracking service. Apparently, Android is growing very quickly with Facebook users too.

The app is said to be getting 550,000 activations per day. Timeline was also available on the Android app before iPhone app showing that Facebook may be favoring Android with updates coming to it first. It’s worth noting that when you look at an entire month, the iPhone app is still ahead with 99.1 million monthly active users compared to Android getting 85.4 million users monthly.

[via TechCrunch]

If you want Google Wallet on your Nexus, you can now get it with a very simple port that does not require you to jailbreak your smartphone according to Gottabemobile. The port allows the installation the Google Wallet app by installing the code as an APK. The only thing the end user needs to do is turn on the ability to download and install apps from places other than Android Market.

The big limitation to this method of installation is that it is region locked so it may not work outside the US. Installing the app on the Nexus using this method will allow the user to get the free $10 on their virtual card when they sign up with Google. If you have a Nexus, let us know if this works for you for making a purchase.

[via SlashGear]

On the Galaxy S II smartphones that are for international use, the phone uses the Enxyos processor. However, when the S II came to the States Samsung changed to the Snapdragon chip. This is apparently because the Snapdragons work better with the HSPA+ networks that AT&T and T-Mobile operate in the US.

The new Galaxy Note with part number SGH-I171 that has been spied is packing that Snapdragon processor so it would seemingly be bound for the US. The tablet also has 4G LTE as well. This is an interesting device with a 5-inch display and 1280 x 800 resolution that skirts the gap between tablets and smartphones. Gottabemobile expects the Note to hit AT&T in early 2012.

[via SlashGear]

The ROM is noted to be only for devs and it will not work for ordinary use since only a few of the features are working. One big catch is that it won’t allow phone calls to be made. The phone must be unlocked using the Sony Ericsson Unlock bootloader service. Once you unlock that boot loader, you will not be able to get the final ICS update on the phone.

Other limitations of the Alpha ROM include no Bluetooth, WiFi, ANT+, or FM radio. The Modem is turned off, the SIM card doesn’t work, and GMS apps are not included, like Gmail. There are a number of ICS features included with the Roboto font, Holo theme, updated UI web browser, and integration with the new messaging bar among others. Check out the video below to see the ROM in action.

[via Sony Ericsson]

The Archos 35 home connects a little music box that is meant to sit on your nightstand or a desk. It can be used in other places too. It uses WiFi and offers web radio and alarm clock functionality to wake you to MP3s or web radio if you want. The device is customizable and allows the user to put apps on it that they want to use.

Archos promises that the sound quality is good and the device has a headphone jack and a touchscreen for navigation. You can pick one up directly from Archos or other web stores for $149.99. Chris at SlashGear did note in his hands-on that it felt a bit plasticy and cheap.

The special offer is running from December 15, 2011 through December 31, 2012 and is available for any Xperia user worldwide. To access the free 50GB of storage the user needs to log in only once during that special period to gain access to the 50GB for the life of the account. The offer is even good on Xperia that launch next year as long as the log-in is done before December 31 of 2012.

The company says that the 50GB of storage is enough space for about 50,000 docs, photos, and presentations. I am sure that Box is hoping all these users sign up for additional storage or services to offset the cost of the free storage.

With the addition of Android to the mix, VIA embedded mainboards now support Android 2.2, Windows 7, Windows 7 Embedded, and Debian Linux. VIA also has a new Embedded Tool Kit to allow Android to monitor and control peripherals through the OS. The little mainboard is small and uses the Em-ITX from factor. VIA says that it is the first to get Android support.

The small board uses the front and back to maximize components in a small space. It supports resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 and can support multiple screens. It offers VGA, HDMI, and LVDS connectivity and has a pair of USB ports 3.0 ports are optional with six USB 2.0 ports included.

[via SlashGear]

Clever Sense is a recommendation service that will undoubtedly find its way into Majel, the rumored Siri competitor for Android. Clever Sense is the firm behind the Alfred apps for Android and iOS devices that are able to keep track of restaurants close to the user and then make recommendations based on what the app determines are the tastes of the user.

The team of geeks at Clever Sense will become part of the Google local search team. Cleaver sense had plans to make its app more than just a food recommendation service. It was planning to make the app suggest entertainment options and deals in a system sort of like Groupon. I can see all of those things making nice additions to Majel.

[via SlashGear]

On December 9, a software engineer from CrowdFlower named David Fayram reports that he walked into a Best Buy store, and they sold him one of the phones in stock and sitting there for the official launch. Another user reportedly purchased one from Verizon that was in the stockpile waiting for the official launch.

I don’t think many of us will be surprised to learn that Fayram reports the smartphone has the typical Verizon bloatware installed. The Verizon software in question includes the My Verizon Mobile and Verizon migration Assistant software. The actual launch is December 15 and most of us will have to wait until then to get the phone.

[via eWeek]

That new pic comes a tiny bit ahead of the official unveil of the phone by LG later today at an event we will be attending to bring you the details as they happen. The phone is expected to be available for users to purchase starting in early 2012. Naturally the phone will be running the Android OS under the hood. We already know virtually all there is to know about the device other than how it feels in the hands and how well all those specs work together to make a decent smartphone.

The device rocks a 4.3-inch WVGA NOVA display that is really bright at 800cd/m2. The smartphone will use a TI OMAP 4430 1GHz dual core processor and work on the HSPA+ networks floating around. Other features include WiFi, Bluetooth, and an 8MP rear camera. That camera can shoot 1080p video and the phone has 8GB of internal storage.

[via SlashGear]

Other than that large screen the Z1000 also has Bluetooth and WiFi inside along with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It also has 512MB of RAM and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. There are a few things we aren’t sure of for the American versions of the Z1000.

There is no word on an official launch date or pricing for the device in the US. In Japan the Z1000 comes with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage. The prices range from $365 to $561 when converted. I hope that the new Walkman sells for under that price range when it lands.

[via SlashGear]