Sam Koutroulakis

Android Community Evening Wrap-Up: March 5, 2012

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 5 Mar, 2012

We hope everyone started off the their work week well, and even though you may have been busy - we're here with the daily wrap-up to make sure you didn't miss anything. Early this morning, word got out that "Key Lime Pie" may be the next version of Android OS, after "Jelly Bean". Bear in mind, this is still a rumor at this point, and the information comes straight from a tip over at The Verge. Another rumor that followed, is that ASUS could be the manufacturer for the Google Play or 'Nexus' tablet. We had known Google was preparing a "tablet of the highest quality" for some time now, but that's pretty much it.

Mobile World Congress 2012 Wrap-Up

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 3 Mar, 2012

Our team has finally made the long trip back from Mobile World Congress that took place in Barcelona, Spain. And now that it has come to a close, it's time to pull together anything and everything that went on since it kicked off. For 2012, CES proved to lack the innovation shown from its prior years, but we can't say the same for MWC. This is your guide to every eyes-on, hands-on, review that went down in Barcelona!

Samsung Galaxy S Advance arrives at the FCC

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 2 Mar, 2012

The Samsung Galaxy S Advance has just made an appearance at the FCC, and the device is shown supporting AT&T bands. Reports show that it has also been approved for WCDMA bands 850/1900, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC. Near the beginning of February an Advance was spotted in the wild, but before then we had heard a bit about the device's rumored specs.

Samsung Galaxy Note hits 2 million unit milestone

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 1 Mar, 2012

There were certainly those that had little faith in how well a device such as the Samsung Galaxy Note would sell, especially with the many other screen sizes currently available on the market. Nevertheless, we can now say that the Note has done better than expected. It had shipped 1 million units after two months, and has now hit 2 million after four months.

Android applications flaw can allow photo access

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 1 Mar, 2012

Ever wonder if the photos you snapped with your Android device were safe from others to see? Well, I'm sure you hadn't considered it, but it turns out they're not. Developers have the capability to see users photos right after they allow them to access their local information! This little glitch can occur without any notice to the user as well.

Paint3D brings 3D printing to your Android device

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 1 Mar, 2012

Have you ever seen a MakerBot (digital fabricator) in action? It's quite amazing how it can create essentially anything you design, and with amazing precision. Well Paint3D aims to bring 3D printing capabilities to your Android devices soon. It isn't quite elaborate as programs used on your PC, but you've got to start somewhere right?

Google pushes security fixes for Wallet, Google+, and Authenticator

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 29 Feb, 2012

A few weeks back, a Google Wallet vulnerability was found making both rooted and untampered devices with the application vulnerable to hackers. The crack exposed the PIN within seconds, and was since temporarily patched by Google. This patch disabled the use of prepaid cards, and since then we hadn't heard much on the subject. Google is pushing three security fixes today that not only allow for prepaid card usage with Wallet, but offer core system fixes.

Samsung Galaxy Beam to hit UK this summer

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 29 Feb, 2012

If you hadn't already checked out the Samsung Galaxy Beam, it is Samsung's first device that combines a pico projector into an Android smartphone. Though a mid-range device, it is sure to turn some heads. We've just found out that it should hit the UK this July for £385 ($600). It will initially launch unlocked, but we should see it show up on a few carriers to allow subsidized purchases.

Samsung to produce flexible AMOLED displays in 2012

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 29 Feb, 2012

We had known that Samsung would be producing flexible AMOLED displays in the future, but had no idea on a definite timeframe. Samsung Mobile Display has just confirmed that they will start mass production of flexible screens this year. More specifically, the first set of screens should start production in the second to third quarter, where the second production line will commence second quarter of 2013.

Sony exposes launch details for new Xperia devices

By Sam Koutroulakis
on 29 Feb, 2012

Clove has just released that the Sony Xperia P and Xperia U should be available on April 23rd. The Xperia P will retail for £315 ($425) and the Xperia U will set you back a bit less, at £199 ($268). These prices reflect the black versions of both handsets, but it's likely they will carry over to other colors.