September 2012 ~ @AndroidBasha's Blog

Bigger is always better— and Samsung is looking to apply that mantra to the next generation of memory devices in future smartphones. Considering 32GB devices is starting to become a bit too tight when holding all of our games, music and photos– Samsung believes its time to develop new and enhanced memory chips with a higher capacity. It announced at the Samsung Mobile Solutions Forum 2012 the 128GB eMMC Pro, which is an “industry first”.

Samsung Announces Production Of 128GB eMMC Memory Units

Thanks to emerging smartphone technology and the popularization of barcode scanner apps, QR codes can be found just about anywhere these days. While most codes make their way onto posters, packages or billboards, one family decided they could do a little better. And thus, the world's largest QR code was born, a massive 309,570 square foot piece of corn-field art.

World's Largest QR Code

Last week, Google executive director Eric Schmidt made an appearance during the Motorla Razr event, stating that the company has reached a whopping 480 million Android activations and was quickly approaching the 500 million mark.

Android Reaches 500 Million Activations

Although we here at The Mythical Truth love to poke fun at Apple, this is actually kind of sad. In the past couple of days a massive number of websites and blogs reported about how bad the Maps app in iOS 6 was, and now BGR is pointing out that Apple is hiring people left and right to fix the Maps app. In the last ten days, Apple has listed 6 new positions for developers to help fix Maps in iOS 6. Apple also stated yesterday that “working hard to make the customer experience even better”. But here’s an idea, stop trying to sue every manufacturer out there and work on your crappy Maps app, right?

Maps in iOS 6: Apple's disaster

Earlier this year, at WWDC, Apple revealed that it would say goodbye to Google Maps with iOS 6 and instead turn to its own proprietary mapping solution for mobile users. However, as people upgraded to iOS 6 this week, the buggy nature of Apple's own mapping application has come to light. So what now? Apple has said things will get better with time, but fresh rumors say Google may come to the rescue with its own app.

Google Rumored to Have iOS 6 Maps App Ready to Go

Sep 20, 2012

Whether you are a professional driver, a road warrior, or you just use your car to get for your daily commute, you probably feel the need to use your smartphone in your vehicle on a regular basis.

Chrysler’s First in-vehicle Wireless Charger

By: Unknown on: Thursday, September 20, 2012

The iPhone 5 event has been and gone, and although Apple didn’t really announce anything that hadn’t already been leaked or speculated about beforehand, it was deemed to be a major success. The immediate depletion of the pre-order sales stock confirms that Apple has a commercial success at hand in the for of the iPhone 5, but now that the excitement is over, consumers need something else to get their teeth into and get excited about.

Samsung Galaxy S4 With 5-inch Display Reportedly Due In February 2013

By: Unknown on: Thursday, September 20, 2012

Sep 14, 2012

We knew Samsung was going to go after Apple the first chance they got for the iPhone5. They said they would go after them for LTE just as soon as the device was announced. That is exactly what they are doing. Both Samsung and HTC are pulling the Ace out from their sleeves and going for the royal flush.

Samsung and HTC are Going After Apple for LTE

By: Unknown on: Friday, September 14, 2012

David Lawee, Vice President for Google’s Corporate Development, offered up a few great statements regarding the recent loss that Samsung took in the Apple vs Samsung trial. He admits that Google never was very aggressive at filing patents on many things because they didn’t think it was needed. Specifically pointing out that they didn’t believe ’rounder corners’ could be patented. As well all know, Apple proved that wrong recently.

Google:"We Didn’t Know You Could Patent ‘Rounded Corners’”, [VIDEO]

By: Unknown on: Friday, September 14, 2012

Sep 13, 2012

I've already wrote a list of 100 Must Have Apps for Android Phones, but most of these apps are for "Android-Newbies", some for users with rooted phones, but here's mini list of the best of the best, extremely useful apps that will help you to make full use of your Android phone:

10 Awesome Android Apps

Here's a good catch by a Reddit user: the new iPod Nano looks a heck of a lot like an old MP3 player build by Samsung.

Well, Now We Know Where Apple Got Its Inspiration For The New iPod Nano

This is a list of features Apple fans are bragging about in the iPhone5 that Android already has:

Apple is Playing Catch up With Android

When you think of smartphone titans the first company that comes to mind may be Samsung or Apple. But despite their record high smartphone sales, neither company has achieved what Chinese phone company Oppo has. After releasing the world's thinnest smartphone and the world's thinnest quad core smartphone, the company is back again with the world's first 1080p smartphone.

Oppo Unveils World's Thinnest Smartphone

RIM's BlackBerry line isn't seeing the same shelf space that it used to in carriers' retail stores, according to an analyst.

BlackBerry maker RIM reports huge mess; first operating loss in 8 years!

Sep 12, 2012

It's not fair to compare the iPhone5 with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 because it will get smashed into the ground, no question about it because they don't even fall under the same category, so lets take it head to head with it's 4 months old competitor the Samsung Galaxy S3:

iPhone5 vs Galaxy S3 [UPDATED]

Samsung had a bit of a rough month in August after going up against Apple in court over alleged patent infringement. While they ended up being ordered to pay a little over $1 Billion to the tech giant, at least they did get some good news in regards to the success of the Galaxy S III. In just 100 days, the Galaxy S III sold over 20 Million units worldwide.

Samsung Vs Apple Round 2

Western Digital (WD) said on Monday that it's currently sampling 5mm-thin hybrid hard disk drives designed to fit within super-thin notebooks (AKA Ultrabooks, etc). These new drives promise SSD-like instant-on and application performance on top of the typical high capacity and low price point traits offered by traditional HDD.

The World's Thinnest Hard Drive

This is it. TechCrunch Disrupt is back in San Francisco,

Watch TechCrunch Disrupt SF Live!

Sep 11, 2012

Diane Von Furstenberg watches a practice run of her Spring 2013 show with Google co-founder Sergey Brin during Fashion Week in New York, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012.

Fashion went four-eyed on Sunday, as Google sent its high-tech glasses down the runway at the Diane Von Furstenberg show at New York Fashion Week... Models at the DVF show strutted down the runway in the tech company’s futuristic frames as they displayed the designer’s couture.

Google Glass Makes Surprise Appearance at New York Fashion Week!

By: Unknown on: Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Sep 10, 2012

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took it upon himself to give Google Android OS the praise that it deserves. According to Bezos:

Android is accomplishing everything that Amazon needs it to and, at the same time, giving the company flexibility to customize things. We treat Android like Linux, and so it’s a base OS layer. We have a large dedicated team that customizes Android and that’s what you see on the Kindle Fire.

I think it’s great to see a CEO of such a huge player like Amazon praising Android for what it offers to everyone. It’s probably the least he can do considering the sales Android has helped give the Kindle Fire, and the upcoming success the Kindle Fire 2 and Kindle Fire HD will bring to the company.

When asked if Amazon has any plans on straying away from Android, Bezos gave a simply answer of ”No, we like Android.”

Source: AllThingsD

Amazon CEO praises Android

It may be turning heads, but the Amazon Kindle Fire HD falls short of the Google Nexus 7 killer that some people would like it to be... As our Amazon Kindle Fire HD vs Google Nexus 7 shows, there are certainly some significant areas in which the former moves past its 7-inch rival, However, there are other key areas which it absolutely does not exceed expectations and they remain potentially important to a big swathe of tablet buyers.

Speedy

The first problem for me is the dual-core processor in the Kindle Fire HD 7; the Google Nexus 7's Tegra 3 is a quad-core affair and it helps make the tablet an absolute dream to use, The Nexus 7 remains one of the most responsive devices on the market, flitting between apps and games effortlessly, multitasking with aplomb.

Although having a dual-core processor has been justified by some companies as more efficient in a mobile device (something which is a hot-ticket conversation in mobile phones at the moment), I think many people would trade a couple of hours life for a big boost in top end performance.

The Kindle Fire HD does, of course, give you a big chunk more storage for your buck, doubling up at both price points - and that's definitely a big bonus, with 8GB feeling paltry given the size of HD content... But for many, it's not the reason to buy Amazon that it will be billed as.

Weighty problem?

Weight-wise, the Nexus 7 is pretty much perfect for one handed use; any heavier and it would feel uncomfortable, So it remains to be seen what the (admittedly small) bump in heaviness does in terms of comfort – it's something that needs time to be, ahem, weighed up.

But then we move on to the operating systems and I can't help but feel it is there that the Nexus 7– for me at least – lands the crucial blow... I get why Amazon has taken Android 4.0 and made it more suitable to its target audience, namely people who buy stuff from them.

It's why the tablet costs as little as it does: Amazon swallows a portion of the cost in the knowledge that you later deposit pots of cash in its virtual registers by buying films, music, books, apps and physical goods from it.

So you would expect to be shoved in the direction of its shop regularly and firmly - but its competitor, although not shy about pushing you to its own Google Play store, is less in your face about it.

The Google tablet is running the beautifully designed vanilla Jelly Bean 4.1, has more apps, more freedom and, you would assume, is going to receive future updates to Android sooner than Amazon's tab.

Data

Of course, you don't get the Kindle books or breadth of material that you get with Amazon, but you can run the Kindle app and Google Books should you desire.

In truth, the thing that would massively improve both tablets is a mobile data version, bringing the joys of 3G or 4G on the go.

And if the rumours are right, the Nexus 7 3G is on the way; and that could tip the scales even further towards Google in the 7-inch market.

Kindle Fire is Defiantly NOT a Google Nexus 7 Killer

A new report suggests Apple may have a hard time invalidating HTC’s data transmission patents, potentially leading to an import ban on select iOS devices. The Taiwanese manufacturer recently accused Apple of infringing on two of its IPs related to wireless networking. Furthermore, the company reiterated that the patents in question “are critical” to the use of 4G LTE. HTC acquired the patents in April 2011 for $75 million from ADC Telecommunications Inc.

HTC vs Apple ! Yes You've Read It Right !!

Even before the new Galaxy Note II was officially unveiled, we’ve heard a number of rumors that such a device is in development. At that time, the Interwebs were talking about improved camera, saying that the new model will rock a 13-megapixel sensor. Now we’re hearing that those rumors were partly true as Samsung did want to include it in the Note II. The problem, however, is that the Japanese company could supply its Korean partner with enough units so Sammy opted for the “old” 8-megapixel sensor, instead.

It is fair to presume that at the time Samsung started making new Notes, Sony had problems with volume production. Today we know they’ll be supplying LG with 13-megapixel sensors which will be used in the soon-to-be-launched Optimus G. Guess the Note III and perhaps the Galaxy S IV will rock a better camera… Not that we actually need one…

[Via: DDaily, Unwired View]

Galaxy Note II doesn't have a 13MP camera because of Sony

Sep 9, 2012

It’s common that people in China use two networks at once, hence Samsung wants to have a special version of the Galaxy Note II that can support this capability. We’re hearing that the dual-SIM Note II will be released soon, allowing Chinese who can afford it to be available on two different phone numbers at all times. The story goes on suggesting that China Unicom will be the first carrier to offer the phablet that will work both on its CDMA-based and other GSM networks.

Aside from this important tweak, the Chinese Galaxy Note II will remain super-powerful under the hood, rocking 1.6 GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 5.5-inch 720p HD screen, S-Pen and so on.

Now we’re wondering whether something similar will be released in other parts of the world. I’m sure Chinese are not the only one appreciating this feature and I can easily imagine travelers having an existing (home) SIM working alongside another one bought in the other country. Sounds awesome, don’t you think?

[Via: Unwired View]

Dual-SIM Galaxy Note II in development for China

By: Unknown on: Sunday, September 09, 2012

Amazon held an event last weekend to announce their very anticipated new line of Kindle Fires, as well as a new Kindle with backlit display. Being that the Nexus 7 recently came out, it was very clear that they’d need to step their game up in order to compete and that they definitely did.

They also announced an 8.9 inch version, but that’s for another post. This post is all about comparing the Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 and seeing who comes out on top. When it comes to the display, they both clock in at 1280×800 pixels. The difference though is that the Kindle Fire HD’s display is an IPS panel that is laminated to reduce glare and provide better viewing at angles. In that respect, Amazon wins.

Quite obviously, the Kindle Fire HD is running Android, but with Amazon’s own skin on top of that. What’s great about the Nexus 7 is the fact that is comes with a stock version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Because the Kindle’s interface is locked down, we have to hand it to the Nexus 7 as far as software is concerned.

Although the Nexus 7 features a quad-core processor whereas the Kindle Fire HD does not, it doesn’t feature stereo speakers with Dolby Audio. Also, the Kindle Fire HD comes with dual-band, dual-antenna WiFi which means far better WiFi performance, and comes with 16GB storage at $199 instead of just 8GB with the Nexus 7. There haven’t been any side by side performance comparisons yet, so it’s hard to tell in that department.

Quite frankly, they both seem pretty nice as far as hardware is concerned. Amazon claims that the Kindle Fire HD can get up to 11 hours of battery life which is a little more than the Nexus 7. At the end of the day, it’s kind of a tough call. While the Nexus 7 has a quad-core Tegra 3 and is running stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Kindle Fire HD comes with double the storage at both the $199 and $249 price point.

If you’re looking to buy a 7 inch Android tablet here soon and want a stock Android experience, I suggest going with the Nexus 7. However, if you’re a big time Amazon customer and want more storage, the Kindle Fire HD doesn’t look too shabby. It’s also worth mentioning that it’ll be no time before the Kindle Fire HD is rooted and you can install Android 4.1 anyways.

Kindle Fire HD vs Nexus 7

By: Unknown on: Sunday, September 09, 2012

Sep 7, 2012

A while back a native µTorrent Remote for Android was introduced to us, which allowed users to manage their torrents from their phone. But the most popular question was: “When will a fully featured µTorrent Client be available for Android?”

A Native µTorrent App for Android is Now Available!

By: Unknown on: Friday, September 07, 2012

Sep 6, 2012

In late July, Google rolled out their new Google Fiber product to Kansas City. According to Capstone analyst Rory Maher, Google is now ready to expand to new locations. In a report on Business Insider, Maher indicates he has been in contact with sources close to the Kansas City project and they are telling him “more cities will likely be bidding for Fiber soon.”

Google Fiber is Ready To Move Beyond Kansas City

The Nokia Lumia 920 was unveiled yesterday with the backing of Microsoft whose CEO, Steve Ballmer, flew all the way from Seattle to lend his support to Stephen Elop. The Samsung Ativ S was presented at IFA last week in Berlin. Neither of the phones have an estimated time of delivery although it is certain that it will be in the fourth quarter of the year. There are some similarities due to the restrictions imposed by Microsoft but read on to find out how they fare against each other.

Nokia Lumia 920 vs Samsung Ativ S

You know how hot your laptop can get when you use it for hours? Imagine how hot servers —the high-powered computers that run websites and apps— must get... Now imagine a whole building full of servers running at full tilt—and grab some ice water.

Keeping data centers cool is a major engineering problem, not to mention an ecological one. Intel is working on a new approach: submerging them in oil.

Are You Ready To Drown Your PC in Oil?

Motorola and Verizon held an event in New York City yesterday and announced several new phones in the DROID RAZR line. From kevlar to NFC chips to beautiful displays to awesome battery life, they’ve got everything Android fans will love. Bringing some more good news with their announcements, Motorola went on to say that most of their 2011 phones will be upgraded to Jelly Bean and those that won’t be, customers will get a $100 credit to a future purchase.

Meet The New Motorola Droid Razr Family !

Back in January, Thermaltake teased us all with images from its latest gaming mouse concept, the Level 10 M Mouse. Just in time for CES 2012, the concept was created in collaboration with BMW's DesignworksUSA team, toting features such as a height and angle adjustable body as well as perforated palm surface to alleviate sweaty hands.

A Gaming Mouse By BMW !!

Facebook's stock price reached a new low of $17.55 yesterday before closing at $17.73 - a 53.34 percent drop since its $38 IPO in May. Before hitting this record low, Facebook shares began the day at $18.06.

One of the many reasons Facebook continues to be the worst-performing IPO since records began is the initial round of lockup expirations. Employees and insiders, once restricted from selling their stock, have had the green light to sell up to 271 million shares since Aug. 16.

Among the notable insiders to take advantage of this lockup expiration are Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and first outside investor Peter Thiel.

Moskovitz, who left the company in 2008, sold 450,000 of his shares to the tune of $8.8 million. He still owns 133 million Facebook shares.

Thiel meanwhile unloaded 20 million shares, earning almost $400 million from that trade and a total of $640 million since the Facebook IPO. Even with the stock price down more than half since its debut on the NASDAQ, Thiel made a healthy return on his $500,000 investment in the up-and-coming social media company.

Facebook's stock could dip even lower, as there are three more of these lockup expirations to go and more than 1.5 billion shares that will move from restricted status to free-to-sell.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that the company is "focused on investing in our priorities of mobile, platform and social ads to help people have these experiences with their friends." In June, the new Sponsored Stories brought in $1 million each day, half of which came from mobile users.

Zuckerberg will make his first on-stage interview since May's IPO at TechCrunch Disrupt next Tuesday. We'll likely hear more about Facebook's troubled IPO and its mobile strategy then.

Facebook is Going Through a Rough Patch