Jury Finally Reaches A Unanimous Verdict On Google Vs Oracle Case

Good news for Google and Android fans everywhere, the jury of the Google vs Oracle case has finally made a decision. The verdict, which was actually unanimous, was that Google is not infringing on Oracle’s patents, and that they are perfectly fine to use their API’s in Android’s coding. Oracle began the lawsuit in 2010 when they acquired Sun Microsystems, and Google had been using Java in Android before the deal happened. Google defended themselves by saying they weren’t aware of the patents they were allegedly infringing on, and that their operating system was also free to license.

Oracle didn’t believe this to be true obviously, but the jury decided they did today. After asking a technical question about the legal definition of certain phrases within the patents themselves, the jury was again in deliberations and decided on a verdict 30 minutes later. Google made the following statement about the win: “Today’s jury verdict that Android does not infringe Oracle’s patents was a victory not just for Google but the entire Android ecosystem.” This is definitely a big step for Google in the many patent woes they have encountered with Android, but sadly, not everything has been cleared up for Android. Apple and Samsung are still going at it, and patents continue to be a problem for one of the world’s largest mobile OS’s.

Source: CNET

HTC Adds A Timeline To Their List Of Android 4.0 Device Updates, Due To Roll Out This Summer

Many of the popular Android manufacturers have been starting to release the lists of devices that they plan to update to the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. HTC started the year off by telling us what devices they would be updating, but never actually giving us any dates. Motorola and Samsung have recently released the list of devices they plan to update as well, however only Motorola has given us an ETA, although it was just in the different quarters of the year, mostly Q2.

HTC has now given us even more information on the times they will be updating their devices, with a broad but still informing timeline they have released on their website. There’s really no surprises, and nothing has really changed from what they told us earlier in the year. Most of the devices that would be expected to receive ICS are on the list, and are going to receive it sometime this summer. HTC has almost 20 devices who have made the cut for the new OS, and only the DROID Incredible 2 has something a little different than the others with a “to be determined (by the end of August)” next to its name. This is probably a non-issue, but no other device has anything like it so we’ll be sure to keep our eyes out for any changes.

Here’s the list of devices that HTC has promised updates for and when they will be getting the update:

DROID Incredible 2 by HTC To be determined (by the end of August)
HTC Amaze 4G May-June
HTC Desire S June-July
HTC Desire HD July-August
HTC EVO 3D June-July
HTC EVO 4G+ May-June
HTC EVO Design 4G June-July
HTC Incredible S June-July
HTC Sensation March-June
HTC Sensation 4G March-June
HTC Sensation XE March-June
HTC Sensation XL April-Jun
HTC Rezound June-July
HTC Rhyme June-July
HTC Thunderbolt July-August
HTC Velocity 4G March-June
HTC Vivid March-June

China Finally Clears Google’s Acquisition Of Motorola Mobility Months After US And Europe

The mobile industry was taken by storm with the news of Google acquiring Motorola Mobility last year. This brought together Google, the company who created and produces the Android OS that we all know and love, and Motorola, one of the top Android manufacturers with several highly successful devices including the original DROID which launched Android 2.0.

There were some issues though, as a lot of analysts were predicting that this acquisition would have some trouble getting cleared. It also spawned the ideas of other Android OEM’s such as Samsung, HTC, and LG having much worse relations with Google and Motorola, and that Google could possibly play favorites with their new hardware company. These rumors were soon put to rest by Google, Motorola, and the other manufacturers themselves. This brought the reason for the acquisition to light, that the main reason Google acquired Motorla Mobility was for patents. With Apple constantly giving Android device manufacturers trouble with things like patents, there couldn’t have been a better idea than to stock up on patents through the Motorola acquisition.

A few months back, both the US and Europe cleared the deal for the two companies, and now the last thing standing in Google’s way has as well. China has also cleared the acquisition which means the two companies will be able to finally make this thing official very soon. In fact, Google has released a statement saying that they should finalize things as early as next week, and Motorola Mobility will officially be a part of Google.

 

Source: Engadget  

Updated Motorola ICS Roadmap Released, Good News For Most Users

Ever since we got our first taste of ICS with the Galaxy Nexus, Android owners from just about every carrier and manufacturer have been patiently waiting for the beloved list that maps when their device will get Android 4.0. After just about every other OEM roadmap has been released, Motorola has finally updated their release map, and many users should be glad to see their device on the list. Folks using the Motorola Xoom WIFI in the US have already received the update, but there are a lot of new devices that are still waiting.

The Motorla DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX are on the list for Q2 ICS updates, and even devices such as the Atrix, Atrix 2, and DROID Bionic, and DROID 4 have made the cut. All of these devices except the pair of Atrix’s and DROID 4 will be updated in Q2, with only these three devices having to wait a little longer until Q3. Thankfully, users will start seeing these updates soon, and will finally be able to take advantage of the features that come with Android’s latest OS iteration. Let us know when you start receiving the updates, and we will continue to keep you updated on Motorola’s behalf.

Samsung Galaxy S III Pre-orders Have Already Hit 9 Million

The Galaxy S II was Samsung’s best and fastest selling phone the company has ever produced. This pushed Samsung to the top of Android manufacturers taking almost 50% of the mobile OS’s sales. The Galaxy S II was one of the best mobile devices put out all year, and because of that it set many records for the company, just recently hitting the “20 million sold” mark.

The Galaxy S III shattered it.

Before this device was even released, Samsung has told us that they have received 9 million preorders for the device already. For one, single Android device, this is unheard of. Heck, this is unheard of from anyone but Apple. But Samsung has really changed everything in Android. To be honest, the GSIII doesn’t really bring any game-changing features–no holograms, no futuristic battery life, no ridiculous screen resolution, just a solid improvement over the GSII. It has a faster processor, a bigger screen, LTE, and of course, Android 4.0 ICS at launch. All of these are features we had come to expect before the device was released, and apparently, that’s all we needed. Some were disappointed that the GSIII didn’t bring just a little more to the table, but clearly it wasn’t that big of an issue for 9 million confident customers.

The Galaxy S III will be hitting the US this summer, with all of its LTE action, but also a dual-core processor as opposed to the global quad-core edition. While this is a little disappointing, the GSIII is still a killer device, and will most likely have incredible sales and reviews when it finally comes to the US. Until then, we will keep you posted with a review when we finally get our hands on one.

 

Google Sets A 4-Device Limit On Google Music Unauthorizations, Soon Retracts Due To User Dissatisfaction

Since Google Music was launched, there was always a limit on the number of authorized devices. 10 devices was the most any person could have linked to their Google Play, and everyone (well, most everyone) was fine with that. However, people’s comfort with the service’s limits began to change a little when Google announced that they would only let you unauthorized 4 devices a year from you Play account.

So what’s the big deal?

Well, many people are fine with a 10 device limit because at any time they can un-authorize the devices that they aren’t using and add new ones without any problems. With this new rule however, people can only do this 4 times a year. That means if you get a bunch of devices that you don’t use on Google Play and have maxed out your unauthorizations, you’re stuck with what you’ve got. This is especially bad news for those who root their devices, because a lot of times your Google Music will recognize the same device as a different device because it’s running a new ROM. You can see how this can quickly become an issue. If you have a computer, tablet, and phone all synced and authorized to your Google Play account you should be okay. That is until, you flash a new ROM a couple times to find which one you like most, or add another computer or get a new one. With this new regulation, Google is really handicapping a lot of people who take advantage of using multiple devices.

Because this was such an issue, Google has currently retracted this rule, allowing things to return to normal…for now that is. Google has released the following statement to clear things up a little:

“Yesterday we made a change to our device policy for music on Google Play.  Any user can associate up to 10 devices to his or her account.  Once you have connected 10 devices, you may add a new device only by deauthorizing an existing one from your account, and you may do this up to four times per year.

We limit the number of times you can swap out new devices at the request of some of our music partners in an effort to limit abuse. We understand this has caused some issues for users who often deauthorize and reauthorize the same device, and we are currently re-implementing the solution in a way that works for our users and music partners.

We apologize for any inconvenience and will update this page as new changes are made.”

Hopefully they find a way to allow users a little more room to breathe with authorizations, because I for one, will not be able to last very long on a 4-unauthorization limit. I’m sure many of our readers would agree, especially those who like to root their devices and flash ROMs. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the situation, and until then make sure you have only the devices you want on your Google Play account, because you may not have much time.

Verizon Will Eventually Force All Users Into Tiered Data, Starting With 4G LTE Upgrades

Farewell, unlimited data, it was a joy having you as long as we could. These are the words that many Verizon customers will be speaking soon, according to CFO Fran Shammo. In an interview with the CFO today, Shammo made the following quote that is likely to break the hearts of plenty of Big Red’s customers:

“LTE is our anchor point for data share. So, as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go on to the data share plan. And moving away from, if you will, the unlimited world and moving everyone into a tiered structure data share plan.”

Many loyal Verizon customers have sat back laughing at those forced into tiered data plans as they were happily grandfathered in to their unlimited data plans. Users who start new contracts have had to make a choice of GB/month and keep watch over their data, while those of us enjoying unlimited have been surfing, streaming, and doing anything we want with our data without batting an eye.

Sadly, this is about to change.

Verizon’s CFO made clear that with LTE being the center of shared and tiered data, any upgrades to 4G LTE will require a switch to a shared data plan. This was where many felt the line was crossed. However, he went on to say that eventually everyone would be on a tiered data, which  leads us to believe that at some point (likely a cutoff date) Verizon will force everyone into capped data, even the 3G-only subscibers. New line–crossed again. Whether this is the aforementioned cutoff date, or just a slow migration to only offering LTE devices, which would inevitable force all customers who upgrade into a new data plan, Shammo did say everyone. Many people have been up in arms over this decision, and Verizon really hasn’t answered with any type of response or even comment. Big Red is planning to make a lot of money off the combination of LTE and tiered data, and if everyone is forced over like they have planned, it shouldn’t be too hard. The more families switch to LTE phones and add lines, the more they will have to up the tiers, leaving Verizon to bathe in the heaps of cash. Let us know what you think in the comments, and be sure to check back for more updates.

 

Source: Verizon via Engadget

Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition Has Already Sold 1 Million Copies Since Its May 9 Release

On May 9 one of the most anticipated Xbox Live Arcade games of all time hit the Marketplace: Minecraft. Minecraft has been a huge success on the PC since developers Mojang released the game on PC in 2011. After its huge PC success, and we mean huge, the game transfered to the mobile realm through Android and iOS apps. Now, Mojang has pushed Minecraft even farther by landing it on the Xbox 360 Marketplace where it has already sold a whopping 1 million copies.

Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition debuted on May 9 for 1600 Microsoft Points, and easily sold 400,000 copies within 24 hours of the game’s release. Since then, players have recorded 4.2 million hours of mining coupled with 2.4 million hours of multiplayer play time. One of the biggest features that Minecraft for Xbox would be bringing was an extremely easy way to jump into game sessions with friends. The Xbox 360 version developer 4J Studios and creator Markus Persson could not have been more pleased, with Markus tweeting the following:

The PC version of Minecraft and all of its counterparts have shown no sign of slowing down, and almost everyone I know has plays, or at least has played Minecraft at one time or another. And with Mojang pushing updates and patches as frequently as possible, the fan base is only more likely to grow. Be sure to check out Minecraft for the Xbox 360, and let us know in the comments how you like the experience compared to the PC version. Until next time, happy mining.

 

Source: The Verge

Facebook Updates Mobile News Feeds To Display Photos Much Larger

As of late, Facebook has been avidly beginning to change a lot of things when it comes to the mobile end of their social network. Whether iOS or Android, updates have been steadily rolling out to these platforms and predicting what they contain is an almost impossible task. Facebook continues to make changes, and whether we like them or not, we are stuck with them. Unless of course, a lot of people complain, then Facebook might think of changing things back, which is exactly what happened when they tried to add those Messenger and Camera shortcuts a few weeks ago.

Facebook has updated their mobile experience yet again, however, this time it is a rollout that will happen to mobile users automatically, and it is not dependent of what device you are using. Because Facebook pulls their News Feed UI straight from their actual mobile site, all they have to do is change that coding, and it will begin to roll out to all of their apps. What they have done in their most recent rollout, is change how we view pictures in our mobile news feed. Photos that are posted now show up 3X bigger in the news feed, and they really begin to take up a lot of real-estate on your screen, depending on how often your friends post photos. Some are calling the changes a response to Google+’s new mobile update, or that it is just an obvious photography focus possibly due to the recent Instagram acquisition. The photos sort of “pop” off the news feed, breaking the edge of the posts, and also have a shadow that gives them more of a 3D presence. The changes have begun rolling out today, and should start appearing in mobile timelines everywhere very soon. Let us know in the comments if you like Facebook’s new approach to photos, and be sure to check back with Nibletz for more news and updates.

 

Source: CNET

New iPhone Rumors Shot Down, Screen Size And Build Still Undecided By Apple

Every new iPhone is a huge hype-attraction before its announcement, and the “iPhone 5”, or whatever Apple decides to call it, is in no shortage of its own rumors. We’ve been hearing since before the iPhone 4S release that Apple was prepping an iPhone with a bigger screen and LTE, whether that was just what people wanted coming out in rumors, or actually given by sources, our friends at iMore have sources telling them that Apple still hasn’t finalized the iPhone 5 design. A lot of sites were claiming that the newest iPhone would have a 4-inch screen, a metal back, an LTE radio, and still manage to be just a bit thinner, however, now we’re hearing that Apple most likely will not have this device ready for what many hoped would be a June launch.

When the rumors of a larger screen on the next iPhone surfaced, rumors of a new 16:9 aspect ration quickly followed, which escalated to many concept designs of a 4″ screen that would be “taller” than the previous iPhone, and a thinner build despite the addition of an LTE radio. Apple was also reported to be working on a smaller dock connector for the new iPhone, and that is the only rumor so far that is supposed to be actually happening. We still don’t know what is to come with the new iPhone of course, but we know that a lot of the things people are reporting have been shot down at this point. That’s not to say that these things won’t happen, just that we don’t actually know of them happening. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the “iPhone 5”, as the device could very well be coming in October.

 

Source: iMore

Samsung Graces Galaxy S III With Pentile Display In Hopes Of Longer Screen Life

The use of Pentile screens in high-end smartphones has been quite a controversy since it all began. The DROID X2 was one of the first devices to rise to an infamous level for its Pentile screen, and many people in the tech community do not like the way these screens portray color and the different objects on the screen. That’s why when we heard that the Galaxy S III would, indeed, have a Super AMOLED (Pentile) screen and not a Super AMOLED Plus screen, we were a little upset. With a 4.8″ display, the screen is one of the things the GSIII was banking on to attract customers.

When Samsung shared their response however, our opinions changed a little. Apparently in the Super AMOLED Plus screens the sub-pixels that make up the screen degrade a little faster than in Super AMOLED screens. Samsung wanted to guarantee that users would have beautifully bright and colorful screens long after they purchased their device, so they decided to go with Pentile screens this time around. Samsung stated that the screens on the the GSIII and the Galaxy Nexus are very similar, and you shouldn’t be able to tell much difference between the two. However, compared to some newer devices that aren’t made by Samsung, you definitely can tell the difference if you really look for it. Pentile screens sometimes affect the way colors show up, perfectly shown by the DX2 when viewing the  Android Market’s green colors. Now that the Play Store is here, you may not be able to see it that way, but I’m sure many people will notice if coming from other high-res screens like the One-X’s or the iPhone 4S’s retina display.

Do you think the Samsung Galaxy S III having a Pentile display will affect your chances of purchasing it? Have you ever used a device with a Pentile screen and actually noticed the difference? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and we will be sure to keep you updated on the release and ongoing review of Samsung’s new flagship smartphone.

 

Source: Engadget 

Google+ Updated On iOS With Completely New UI, Android App Update On It’s Way

Let’s face it, iOS users have been skimped on Google+ since the beginning. First they didn’t get an app, and when they did, it wasn’t exactly the most functional in the App Store. Google did, however, stick to Android by updating and improving the application often, frequently adding features and improving on the app. Heck, they’ve even overhauled the desktop site a few times without even touching the iOS app. Now, the iOS is the first to receive the Google+ update, and it’s a pretty hefty one.

Google has said in their blog that was posted with the update, that they are looking to make the Google+ mobile experience much simpler, and much more aesthetically pleasing. And, from using it so far, they have succeeded. The iOS app has received a complete UI refresh, bringing a very sleek black interface, but it’s a lighter black than we are used to. The photos have been enlarged, there’s less abstract colors, and it’s really starting to look like a professionally done, beautiful mobile application. The Google team had this to say about their mobile application improvements:

To be clear, we’re not interested in a mobile or social experience that’s just smaller. We’re embracing the sensor-rich smartphone (with its touchable screen and high-density display), and transforming Google+ into something more intimate, and more expressive. Today’s new iPhone app is an important step in this direction—toward a simpler, more beautiful Google.

On top of an amazing new UI, Google has also finally added the ability to join a Hangout via Messenger to the mobile G+ app for iOS. This feature has long been missed by iPhone users, and it is definitely a welcome feature. The Google+ team has also said that the Android app will, in fact, be updated as well to match the new mobile user interface. We’ll be sure to let you know when this update is released, and iOS users can grab the update now in the App Store.

 

Source: Google Blog

Sprint And Sierra Wireless Bring Nation’s First “Tri-Fi Hotspot” On May 18 For $99

The HTC Evo 4G LTE isn’t the only thing launching at Sprint on May 18. While Wi-Fi hotspotsaren’t exactly as big of news as the “true Evo successor,” this one is a little different from the rest. Sierra Wireless is launching their $99 Tri-Fi Hotspot on May 18, the first Wi-Fi hotspot ever to support 4G LTE, WiMax, and 3G. This hotspot will ensure that no matter where you live, you will still get Sprint coverage (that is, if you have Sprint coverage) like you would with your phone. The hotspot supports up to 8 different devices at one time, and also has an SD card slot for sharing documents and presentations and can even be used as a digital media server. This is definitely an ideal hotspot for a team of people looking to stay online and work together as seamlessly as possible.

Sprint and Sierra Wireless are bringing this device so people can still be productive with their hotspot after LTE gets to their area without having to go buy a brand new hardware unit. A $50 mail-in rebate is required to get to the $99 price tag, but after that is taken care of you have a pretty good deal when it comes to the hotspot itself. The plans are $35 for 3 GB of data, $50 for 6 GB of data, and $80 for 12 GB of data. With a 2-year agreement and a choice of one of these data plans, Sprint customers can pick up the world’s first Tri-Fi Hotspot on May 18 at their nearest Sprint location or online.

HTC And Sprint Announce Evo 4G LTE Is Coming May 18 For $199

The HTC Evo 4G LTE was announced to be launching on May 18 today at CTIA. HTC unveiled the device a few weeks back, starting preorders on May 7. The Evo 4G LTE is very similar to HTC’s One series of devices, and can definitely be considered as one in my book. The Evo name has been an important brand for Sprint, and that is most likely why they went with it instead of the One series branding.

The device is launching with Android 4.0 (ICS) with Sense 4 on top, meaning this device will be running the same software as the rest of the recently released HTC devices. The new Evo will have a 4.7″ display with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. A 1.3MP camera will be complementing the 8MP camera that is on the back, and HTC’s ImageSense software will also be on board so users can shoot great photography and edit it with the many included filters and effects. The Evo 4G LTE is the first device to launch on Sprint with full Beats Audio experience, and will definitely continue to be a multimedia powerhouse, complete with the infamous kickstand which we have come to know and love. The Evo 4G LTE does have an embedded battery, but thankfully it is a full 2000 mAh battery, meaning you should easily get a full day’s use out of it without many issues.

Sprint is calling the Evo 4G LTE the “true successor” to the original Evo, and we would definitely agree that it is more worthy of that title than the Evo 3D we saw last year at CTIA. Be sure to pick this device up at Sprint on May 18 for the price of $199.