It carries a 1GHz processor with 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and even offers an HDMI out. The 7″ will have an 800×480 resolution, and yes – it’s capacitive, not resistive. The microSD slot is capable of expanding your storage by up to 32GB, and has a miniUSB output. It will not only charge the device, but also support external flash storage.

The Auxus will hit stores in India next month – both online and at retail outlets across the country. Every purchase comes with a 1 year comprehensive warranty; something you don’t see too often in cheaper tablets. Upon device malfunction, iBerry will have an agent come to your house and pick up the device for repairs. Too bad we don’t see this kind of service included in every warranty.

[via theMobileIndian]

It isn’t available on Mac OS X yet, so you might have to bug your neighbor to borrow his Windows tower for a second. There are a few preparations you should go through prior to upgrading to Gingerbread. First, you’ll want to make sure your battery is fully charged up. Personally, I always have my device plugged into the outlet during software updates. Next, backup your data!

Contacts will likely be backed up to your Google account, but make sure they aren’t saved to the phone just in case. Once your done dragging all the files you want to keep to your PC, take your phone out of “Mass storage only” mode. Navigate through Application > Settings > SD card & phone storage to do this. Don’t disconnect the USB cable once the update starts! That’s all, easy enough right? Let us know if you run into any problems! We’ll give you some pointers if so.

[Update Link]

[via @LGUSAMobile]

Next up, we had HTC slate a timeframe for updates to Ice Cream Sandwich. They will begin sometime in March, and the Sensation will be first in their lineup. As for Motorola, an executive has let us know that hardware is to blame for their slow software updates. After all, with such a huge jump from 2.3 to 4.0 – we’d all rather receive a ‘bugless’ update later than one with constant crashes now.

It seems Samsung has trademarked the name ‘Samsung Galaxy Camera’. Could they really be planning a release for an Android powered camera? Using Android for solely picture taking purposes is rather unique thus far, and could potentially do very well. It would be nice to install one of many photo editing applications straight from the Android Market onto a decent camera.

And finally, be sure to check out Google Music’s ‘Best of the Grammys’ sale. They’re offering $3.99 albums and $0.59 single tracks. That’s over 50% off for relatively new hits, so grab them while they’re extra-affordable!

The gist is that all you need to do to wipe the security PIN is to delete the app’s stored data via the Settings menu, essentially resetting it to the state it was in when you downloaded it from the Android Market. This is a common Android function and is even recommended sometimes when an app is misbehaving. Wipe the data, re-launch the app, and you (or anyone who has your phone) can access Wallet, associate it with your Google account (without entering a password) and set up a new PIN. Then they can spend the money at any online or retail store that accepts Google Wallet – all without root.

Watch as Hashim demonstrates:

This is a much bigger problem than the previous leak, because anyone with physical access to your phone has the ability to do this quickly and easily. The problem lies with Google Wallet’s authentication system: though funds are added into your account and virtually “kept” by Google, the authentication is linked to a single device, not your account. Compare this with any banking app, which keeps your account password connected to your username. Odds are overwhelming that Google will address this loophole very soon. In the meantime, the best way to stay protected while using Google Wallet is to set up a PIN or lock pattern on your device itself – without the PIN or pattern, a thief would have to completely wipe your phone to access any apps or data.

[via 9to5Google, via AndroidandMe]

And why not? Google’s already got all the parts: a music service to which you can upload your own songs or buy directly from Google, a rental/purchase system for movies, and a vibrant platform and web presence with which to deliver it. All they need is an iCloud-style service for general files so you don’t have to rely on the likes of DropBox, and they’re golden. It’s not like Google can’t provide massive storage and bandwidth at a whim, and if Google Music is any indication, they can do it for free. Connect all your home devices to the service, and you’ve got remote entertainment and file access anywhere – who needs a hard drive?

There’s just one little fly in the ointment: Google TV. Android and the desktop Chrome browser are both big enough players in their respective markets to drive an entertainment service, but hooking this into the living room entertainment center would necessitate Google TV, which has been all but forgotten by Google’s hardware manufacturers. Even the new partners announced before CES, Samsung and LG, seemed more interested in pushing their own proprietary connected TVs – and why not, since neither Google nor Apple have been able to dominate against other stand-alone services like Roku.

Assuming that all these leaks do indeed point towards a connected entertainment service (and with the acknowledgement that that’s a rather big assumption) Google could play it one of two ways. They could hope that the Android and Chrome components of the system drive a more mainstream adoption of Google TV, not to mention more support from hardware manufacturers. Or they could simply go for the cash and start working with other platforms: various connected televisions, Roku and yes, maybe even Apple TV. Sure, they wouldn’t control the environment, but they’d sell the content. And at 30% a pop, that’s nothing to turn your nose up at.

[via SlashGear]

Here’s the full text of their reply:

The zvelo study was conducted on their own phone on which they disabled the security mechanisms that protect Google Wallet by rooting the device. To date, there is no known vulnerability that enables someone to take a consumer phone and gain root access while preserving any Wallet information such as the PIN.We strongly encourage people to not install Google Wallet on rooted devices and to always set up a screen lock as an additional layer of security for their phone.

That’s a disappointing answer, but not an unexpected one. When you unlock or root a device, you’re always running at least some kind of risk, to your hardware, your software, and even your personal data. The possibility that 1) your rooted phone would get stolen by 2) someone with the technical knowledge to pull a similar hack off and 3) the knowledge that both your banking information is on the phone and that it’s possible to retrieve it is remote to say the least. Considering the low saturation of NFC payment systems, especially in the US, it would seem that root users just need to do without for now.

This isn’t the first time that Google has essentially ignored the considerable percentage of Android users who root: there’s still no way to legally watch movies or TV shows downloaded from the Android Market on a rooted device. While this is thought to be a measure insisted upon by the various entertainment studios, that doesn’t make the refusal of service any less annoying. Even so, it’s not Google’s responsibility to cover every contingency of every Android modification: If you modify the software on your phone or tablet, you’re responsible for any change in functionality or security. That seems like a reasonable position, if at times frustrating one.

The idea is actually pretty genius. Google is offering all the Grammy-winning or nominated songs for extremely low prices. So all those popular songs that you’ve been hearing on the radio and saw win a few awards can now be yours on the cheap. If I didn’t already own the Mumford & Sons CD I’d be snagging that entire album for only $3.99 instantly. Great idea Google!

It might not be free but getting some of the biggest songs for $0.59 cents instead of $1.29, and full albums for only $3.99 is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Of course all of these get instantly uploaded into the Google Music cloud and can be accessed from anywhere using Google Music the second you purchase them. On your phone, tablet, PC, laptop and even Google TV all from anywhere. If you’d like physical downloaded copies of said songs remember they can always be downloaded to your device or PC with the new Google Music Manager.

Get some award winning music for cheap and rock out!

Google Music Sale Link

Really, this could mean anything. He could be like thousands of others on T-Mobile that bought the international version. Or he could be extra special and received an official T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus early. The reason this is in the news today is because Tony Hawk has been a partner with T-Mobile for years — all the way back to the Sidekick days. They even released an officially branded Tony Hawk T-Mobile Sidekick at one point. Their relationship remains strong and he could be teaming up with them again with this next major release.

Being an Android site and loving T-Mobile we are optimistic and are assuming it’s a T-Mo version. This could all just be speculation and hopefully we’ll get some clarification from T-Mobile soon. If this was all planned it sure would be some sneaky and smart marketing — getting the interest peaked before an announcement. We’ll have to just wait and see. You can see the silver on the bottom right, ruling out the thought of this just being the T-Mobile Nexus S.

Maybe this is nothing and he’s just showing off his unlimited data. Who knows.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : GALAXY Nexus

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : October 18, 2011

Release Date : December 15, 2011

Also Known As : Nexus Prime

Display

• Screen Size : 4.65 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x720
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.33 Inch
• Width : 2.67 Inch
• Depth : 0.35 Inch
• Weight : 135 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1750 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 4.0.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• AMR
• MID
• MP3
• WAV
• WMA

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• MPEG-4 (MP4)

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : OMAP 4460

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 5 MP

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• GSM
• CDMA

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

[via Androidandme]

Apple’s done it through iCloud, then there’s Dropbox, and even Box (formerly Box.net). Google is said to release their own iteration of cloud storage soon, and will be calling it ‘Drive’. Your Google Drive will be available from any device at any time. From a report in the WSJ, there is said to be a free allotment of storage. There will likely be subscription options to increase one’s storage space as well – but maybe not right at launch.

10GB would be ideal, but I also know many of us would settle for 5. Like the feature that instantly uploads media to your Google+ account, I suspect Google Drive will work the same way. Anything Google releases tends to work seamlessly with their other services, thus in time – we may rely on Drive alone and end up dumping the others.

[via GigaOM]

But for the rest of you modders running custom ROMs and kernels, while using Google Wallet take extra precautions to protect yourselves. Apparently, PIN information is saved in the actual phone, and not through the secure NFC chip. And thus Zvelo stated that “this completely negates all of the security of this mobile phone payment system”. I don’t know about you, but hacking the PIN to my Google Wallet account would leave me in utter turmoil.

Preventing this is actually easy, but requires doing nevertheless. By adding a lockscreen security pattern or PIN to your device and disabling USB debugging, the chances of a hacker producing your Google Wallet PIN is slim to none. Though, Google is probably already taking measures to improve current security upon realization – so I’m sure we’ll hear back from them soon.

[via AndroidCentral]

If you technology isn’t patented, then you’ve got no chance playing this game – and Google has know this from the start. Countless lawsuits between every manufacturer commence night and day, so there’s no wonder why Google would invest in many of the valuable patents Motorola has to offer. If these enforcers wish to see more discreet licensing practices – then it should be expected not just from Google, but everyone else as well.

This is Google’s time to shine. Even though they’ve stated Motorola Mobility will remain completely separate from Google, there’s no doubt much more in store for Android once the purchase is complete. We’ll have to wait and see. And I don’t know about you guys, but a ‘Nexus’ device touting one of Motorola’s amazing antennas would win me over in a second.

[via TalkAndroid]

As you know, Chrome Beta for Android was released just yesterday. But today, our eyes were opened to a few Easter eggs the devs incorporated. It’s nothing too special – but most of all, they were included to show how well Chrome can perform both graphically and under a heavy system load. It’s too bad the application is only available on Android 4.0, they haven’t released any information regarding a possible Honeycomb or Gingerbread release – but we can only hope it’s coming.

We were really hoping to see some new gadgets from Samsung unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but it seems they won’t evenbe hosting press conference this year. They will likely just hold out, and assemble their own conference later on. This is a very ‘Apple-esque’ move, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it trend throughout other manufactures over time as well.

Lastly, the US gaming population has almost tripled since 2008, and there’s no doubt smartphones have cause quite a bit of this growth. Thus, now that smartphones are much more affordable – we’ll see the amount of gaming adopters eventually start to taper off. There was quite a boom these past three years, and though mobile gaming isn’t the only avenue gamers take – it has been the most progressive.

While not quite as dramatic as the holiday music sale back in December, the “For Lovers For Le$$” promotion offers a collection of 81 albums for a reduced price of $6.99 each (in most cases). It’s an eclectic mix that should satisfy fans of every genre, whether you’re trying to woo a certain someone or console yourself over rejection from same. Get your lonely on in whatever way you choose, but if romance is your aim, you gotta go with the classics: albums from Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Etta James, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and The Temptations are all on offer.

Most of the albums have a distinctly amorous theme, though a lot are simply popular collections from the last few years of pop and rock. Like the previous sales, there’s no indication of when Google intends to end the sale, though sometime after next Tuesday is a pretty good bet. As usual, you can purchase the albums from your phone or computer, and listen to them via the web or any Android device.

The first trick is easy enough to pull off: on the smartphone version, tap the Tabs button and slide the tabs up until the foreground tab fills the whole screen. Swipe up quickly and multiple times, and the entire stack will flip vertically, displaying a Chrome icon. This shows off Chrome’s animation power, which you can see elsewhere in the normal interface: swipe the tabs left or right to dismiss them in a circular motion. It’s neat, but mostly useless.

Observe:

The second Easter egg will take a little doing. Open up as many tabs as you can. Then do it again. Notice that the number of tabs is displayed in the address bar. When you reach a total of 100 open tabs, the icon will change to a smiley emoticon. Again, this is mostly useless, but it’s Google’s way of showing off Chrome’s impressive memory management abilities – try opening 100 tabs in the stock browser or any third-party browser and they’ll cry in frustration.

As Chrome for Android is still in Beta, there’s probably at least a few more of these left to find.

[via Cnet]

Google has been updating their social app quite often to make sure it is steady, stable, and quick. Something the Facebook app for Android could use some help with. Looking over the “What’s New” from the image above we can see an entire host of changes with today’s update. Here is the full change log:

–Massive performance improvements across the app
–What’s Hot!
–View who +1′d a post or comment
–Stream posts shortened to fit more per scroll
–Infinite photos feed in ‘From your circles’
–Stream no longer jumps to the top for an automatic refresh

From my initial few minutes with the latest update things do seem to be running swiftly as I flip through pages, posts, and circles. The streams being shortened to fit more per scroll doesn’t appear to have changed too much. It looks like the previews are just slightly smaller. One of the biggest changes and something I’ve been extremely frustrated with is the automatic refresh jumping to the top. What a pain that has been. I’m extremely glad to see they’ve fixed that minor oversight. The update has just landed and is available right now. Check for updates or hit the market link below to enjoy the latest from Google. Don’t forget to circle us at +AndroidCommunity

Market Link

According to official reports to PCMag Samsung has no plans to launch anything major, and have pulled out completely in terms of hosting a stage for products, or a press conference of any sort. Last year they announced the Galaxy S II at MWC and we were hoping for something similar this year, sadly that won’t be happening. Basically this means a few things. First being either their next set of phones and tablets simply aren’t ready yet, or they’d rather have their own major event and take center stage.

So it’s pretty safe to say we won’t be seeing anything major or even remotely exciting from Samsung at the end of the month. Most likely later in March, or some other unknown date we’ll see the latest and greatest they have to offer. With an upcoming quad-core Galaxy S III and new quad-core Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablets surely coming soon — they better have something impressive to bail out of MWC almost completely. We’ve seen reports of a large 11.6″ tablet and a few other interesting leaks. We might see something like their 7″ budget ICS tablet in Spain, but at this point it’s anyone’s guess really.

Maybe they’ll announce their next smartphone and tablet with Google at I/O 2012. We’ll just have to wait and see.

The biggest change in the new extension is the ability to send links to devices selectively: you can finally pick which Android phone or tablet you need to send the link to. (This seems tailor-made for jaded mobile reviewers who are logged in to a couple of dozen devices at a time – thanks, Google!) You can still use the service to send phone numbers or texts, but wait, there’s more: now the Chrome to Mobile function can also send an offline version of the page directly to your Android device, making it accessible later when you don’t have a connection, such as on a plane or in the subway.

Unfortunately the service isn’t interchangeable with the old Chrome to Phone app, just the new Chrome browser. That means that this new toy is just for Ice Cream Sandwich users for the time being. On the plus side, once the link is sent you can open it in any Android browser - good news for those who aren’t impressed with Chrome Beta’s somewhat lacking initial feature set. Once the connection is set up, you don’t need the old Chrome to Phone on either your desktop or mobile device, so feel free to uninstall them both.

Actual specs are unknown, but it is said to sport a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm WPQ8060 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of ROM. The massive display could have a 1024×768 resolution, and the rear shooter is an estimated 8MP. We could also see NFC implemented, a technology thats taken quite some time to make it into the entirety of devices. It is unclear if this phone will host 4G LTE, but it’s possible. Either way we know it requires some sort of SIM card from the sneak shot below.

My best guess is the Optimus Vu will ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and won’t see 4.0 until later down the road. Unlike the Galaxy Note, there doesn’t seem to be a built in stylus – which could be useful with such a large display. We will probably find out more at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain – so stick with us!

EDIT: There actually does seem to be a spot for a stylus from the clip – it’s quick and blurry, so no promises.

[via TheVerge]

What Francois Rybarczyk did was re-evaluate how smartphones should be tailored to our lives, rather than conform to their limited battery life. As you can see, his concept implements an easily removable external battery that can be removed and attached directly to an outlet – without affecting your smartphone at all. After it’s done charging, just slip it right back into the phone for extended battery life.

It seems simple enough, but would a manufacturer actually implement this into an initial design? I actually prefer using a USB cable to charge my device; it’s easy to find a power source, and still operational while charging. This concept would require one to plug the entire phone into an outlet for a complete charge. What do you think? Would you prefer a device with features such as these, or would that extra empty space bother you while the external battery is charging?

[via CNET]

Bear in mind, these applications are more basic than their fully fledged counterparts. OneNote syncs with the documents located on Microsoft’s SkyDrive. You can still format text, images, and create bulleted lists – but the best part is it renders your projects perfectly. OneNote is also available free of charge in the Android Market

The application is not yet configured for tablet use, although it’s still possible to install – it’s just not tablet optimized. It seems they’d perfect a universal version of the Android app, considering how long its taken to see any member of their suite on the Android Market. Those interested in giving it a try, navigate here.

[via IntoMobile]