Virgin Media UK to stock the Samsung Galaxy S III ‘this summer’
Virgin Media UK to stock the Samsung Galaxy S III ‘this summer’, ,
Richard Devine
Just when you thought it was safe to step outside, another UK carrier comes forward with plans to stock the Samsung Galaxy S III. We already know the plans of the major carriers, and some of the unlocked SIM-free prices. Step forward Virgin Media though, who have announced their own decision to carry the latest Samsung flagship.
Pricing and availability are yet to be announced, beyond coming "this summer." Where Virgin stand out though, is their range of discounts for customers of their other services like TV and Broadband. Virgin Media customers could potentially be on to a winner with this one, so if you're one of them, it could be worth watching out for.
via Pocket-Lint
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Geek deals: Save $550 on this quad-core HP laptop with Blu-ray
A new release of HP’s Pavilion line must be imminent, because there’s no other reason why this model should be so cheap. Seriously — dual-core setups with half the hardware of this model run upwards of a grand, but this particular unit has twice the cores (making for four total) and it tops out at $ 699.99. Attribute it to the ever-fluctuating laptop market, the oversaturation of great PCs, or an increase in competitive pricing. Whatever it is, we’re not arguing with it, we’re just spreading the word.
As for this deal on the HP Pavilion dv7 laptop — in this desktop replacement you’ll find a quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU, a free 750GB HDD upgrade, a free 8GB RAM upgrade, dedicated AMD Radeon 7470M graphics, and even a built-in Blu-ray drive. We wish the big 17.3-inch display were full HD, but unfortunately you’ll have to shell out extra for that option. The base configuration also comes with USB 3.0, HDMI, a 2-year limited warranty, and an HD webcam. And, like all new high-end HP products, you’ll also get treated to its top-tier Beats audio, though the dv7 does have a built-in subwoofer. How many laptops have you seen with a subwoofer and audio EQ that engineered from the mind of Dr. Dre? Not many…
Although the under-$ 700 price point is such an excellent bragging right you may not want to jeopardize it, consider investing a tiny bit more for the 1080p display. The base configuration is already so cheap, it’s probably worthwhile to spend that a little bit more for an ideal system.
Check out this deal at LogicBuy.
Geek.com
No, Sprint, this isn’t the Nexus S 4G
Though they are both finally running Ice Cream Sandwich!
As seen at Sprint.com; Thanks, Zachary!
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Killer non-Google Android smartphone to be released this year, could it come from Amazon?
Despite the fact that most technology experts were skeptical of the Kindle Fire’s success in a tablet market so heavily dominated by Apple’s iPads, the guys at Amazon seem to have hit the jackpot with the 7-incher released last fall.
While it is yet to truly challenge the iPads, the Kindle Fire, with its killer price and great app support, has managed to be second-best in a very crowded and extremely competitive market. The Fire will most likely get a rehashed version during 2012 and, according to recent reports, Amazon might also be prepping the release of a couple other tablets.
However, it appears that Amazon is not yet satisfied. If we are to believe some speculations that have recently surfaced a couple of days ago, they might launch an Android-based smartphone of their own as well.
To make this rumor all-the-more juicy is the fact that speculation has been initiated by Ted Morgan, CEO at Skyhook Wireless. Skyhook is a technology company involved in a couple of legal battles with Google for the past few years. According to Morgan, the Kindle Fire’s success has emboldened several Android device makers to seriously consider the possibility of manufacturing their own devices, running “forked” versions of Android.
As you may or may not know, Amazon’s Kindle Fire runs a modified and heavily skinned version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The Fire’s software doesn’t give users direct access to Google Play, but instead reroutes user’s app desire to Amazon’s own Appstore.
Getting back to Ted Morgan’s recent statements, we have to stress the fact that he doesn’t clearly say at any time that Amazon is working towards the manufacturing of an Android-based super-phone (or “major” phone, as he calls it), but he is obviously implying it.
“Everyone’s emboldened by the success of Amazon. Everyone’s saying ‘we need to go our own way’”, said Morgan, who also “confessed” that he’s been spending a lot of time recently with companies that are forking and tweaking Android. “[Google] really [does] restrict anything a device maker can do to stand out, for their own purposes… Nobody wants to just be a manufacturer for Google. You see that with what Amazon has done, where they made it their own, and you also see a whole host of manufacturers taking Android down their own path,” added Skyhook’s CEO, painting a pretty dark picture for Larry Page’s and Sergey Brin’s search giant.
An Amazon super-phone? That sounds awesome!
Even though we are basing pretty much this entire article on rumors and speculations that might seem far-fetched for most of you, it is still worth mentioning. If what Mr. Morgan says is true, then the Android we know now could be a radically different (and substantially more fragmented) beast in the near future.
Right after the Fire’s release in November last year we were almost sure that Amazon would be bringing to market the “Kindle Phone”. The gadget was supposed to be priced around 200 dollars or less and be powered by a TI OMAP4 processor.
Of course, the rumors proved to be (partially) bogus, as there’s still no sign of such a device on the market, but that doesn’t mean Amazon didn’t consider releasing such a device. Due to time passing and technology evolving, if today’s speculations prove to be accurate, we could be seeing an even more exciting gadget from Amazon soon.
Still, while I hate to be a buzz kill, it’s important we stay grounded. We’ve all gone down rumor creek before. We know where it can go. Keeping in mind Ted Morgan’s bias against Google with their ongoing legal feuds, we should probably take these rumors with a pound of salt or so. Also, he doesn’t clearly say that Amazon is the company behind the “major” forked Android smartphone that is to be released by the end of the year, so we might be seeing someone else trying to strike out on there own.
That would be fine by me though, as I personally think that competition never hurts, and will never hurt the technology market and its enthusiasts.
Amazon Phone? Kindle Phone? Fire Phone? Fire sale? Good for Android?
Amazon’s Kindle Fire May Just Kill Google’s Android Market 
Amazon’s Kindle Tablet – iPad Killer or Android Tablet Killer? Or Both?
This article, Killer non-Google Android smartphone to be released this year, could it come from Amazon? , was originally published at androidtime.com – Your Android News Source.
AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G Gingerbread update finally available again, confirmed to work this time
It's been about two months since the AT&T Samsung Infuse 4G first saw its Android 2.3 Gingerbread made available, only to be yanked back due to some bugs. On Thursday, the download was finally revived via the Samsung Kies Mini application. Yes, folks. It's finally happening. (Again.)
Here's a reminder of what you'll be getting in the Android 2.3.6 update, which takes the software version up to UCLB3:
- Improved Copy and Paste functionality
- Redesigned Multi Touch Software Keyboard
- Download manager for long running HTTP downloads
- Improved power management and application control
- Notification Shade: “Flight Mode” added (“Silent” removed)
- New Fonts options added include Choco Cooky, Cool Jazz, Rosemary
- Keyboard Changes: Android Keyboard with Wider Spaced keys and Quick Keys at the top
- New Widgets: The name of the content provider will be listed on the widget list along with the widget name. Previously only the widget name was provided.
- New Widget: Traffic (Android) added to list of available widgets
- Menu Changes/New Apps: Downloads and Google Books added new, Promotional pre-load of Angry Birds removed.
A slightly odd development: AT&T in its forum post says that this update will hard-reset your phone — as in wipe anything that was previously on it. But that wasn't the case with our update. Regardless, be sure to back up your contacts and e-mails and pictures and the like, just in case. Then be sure to download Kies, and get to updating. Should take about 5 minutes or so once it gets going.
Download: Kies Mini for the Infuse 4G; More: Update instructions
Via: Samsung Infuse 4G forums
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Android tablets running on Nvidia Tegra 3 to hit $200 this summer
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said in a recent interview that their recent cost reductions on the Tegra 3 processor will enable manufacturers to launch Android tablets with $ 199 pricetags, and that we'll see them as soon as this summer. As Huang explains, this can seriously lower the barrier for entry.
“We took out $ 150 in build materials, things like expensive memory. At $ 199, you can just about buy a tablet at a 7-Eleven.”
$ 200 is a sweet price point, as proven by the success of the Amazon Kindle Fire, and now others, like the ZTE Optik, are trying to follow up. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more decently powerful Android tablets that also happen to be reasonably priced, but maintaining quality at those lower tiers is going to be a challenge.
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Is this Sony the “Daisy” Chrome OS laptop?
In a move that is sure to cause increased platform confusion but ultimately be better for everyone, Google has added ARM support to Chrome OS.
In a recent FCC filing, Sony revealed their intent to release a VAIO-branded laptop running Chrome OS. The laptop will join Samsung and Acer’s attempts in the Chrome OS space, but with one critical difference: the Sony Chromebook will sport an Arm Cortex A9 processor, instead of the Intel Atom processor we’ve seen from other OEMs. Now, as the lines blur even further between Chrome OS and Android with Chrome, where does a laptop like this fit in?
According to the filing, the new Chromebook has an 11.6-inch display, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, an HDMI output, and SD card slot. Basically, all the trimmings you’d expect from a Chromebook, plus Bluetooth. The other way to look at it, is that this has everything an 11.6-inch tablet with a keyboard dock would have, minus the functionality of the Android OS.
To add to the confusion, the FCC filing doesn’t give a terribly specific description of the processor, on that it is a “T25″ which could be a Nvidia Tegra 250 T25. Will we also see a Chrome OS “Tegra Zone” with games optimized for this particular Chromebook?
This filing comes in right behind some news that popped up in the Chrome OS world as Thomas Taschauer discovered a reference to a new device type in the Chromium OS issue tracker. The mentions of the product, which had been codenamed “Daisy”, referenced a device sporting an ARM processor onboard. The bug report mentions that there is no config file for that device, and that the person filing the report uses the SMDK 5250 config file. Now, the SMDK 5250 is actually a Samsung Exynos processor, which is also a Cortex A9 chip. There’s no confirmation that “Daisy” is this Sony VAIO Chromebook, but if it isn’t then there appears to be more than one ARM-based Chrome OS device on the way.
It would make the most sense to assume that we’ll see something like this Sony VAIO Chromebook announced at Google I/O, alongside the UI refresh that is currently being tested. The current iteration of the Chrome OS UI forces the browser into a full screen experience all the time, where the web page is all there is to the OS. The latest update, with the Aura window manager, will allow for various page sizes and a more layered windows experience, similar to OS’ everyone is more familiar with. If this Chrome OS reboot is to go down at I/O this year, the biggest question about the life of the platform still remains: how will this experience be different or better than Chrome for Android?
In case you need a refresher course, the biggest selling point to a Chromebook is the total lack of effort needed to maintain them. Chrome is famous for being able to perform most updates in the background, and with no need for regular maintenance items like antivirus or disk maintenance, the OS has the ability to offer many less technical people a way to experience using the internet without frustration. Unfortunately, this selling point hasn’t been enough to see them flying off the shelves, due mostly to a lack of in-store appearances and the lack of education at the point of sale. The best case for adoption that has been seen so far are places like Virgin Air, who offer a Chromebook experience and free WiFi during certain flights. At that point the user has time to spend with the device and walk away with an understanding of how it is different.
via Ars and Liliputing
Geek.com
Show off your geek cred with this ASCII wallpaper
The amount of awesome that is displayed in the picture above is almost too much for words. Created by Seattle artist Erich Ginder, the wallpaper you see above depicts a classic floral print that has been created entirely by using ASCII text. Bringing together the decorations your grandmother had in her house with the textual art, you can adorn the walls in your home with “Warez Rose” as a conversation piece when friends come over.
Before you rush out with your checkbook to brighten the walls of your abode (you better be a fan of white), you may want to check out what they are asking for a single roll of the paper: $ 150. That might not be too expensive for artwork (depending on the size of your room), but it has me wondering if I’d be able to get myself a dot-matrix printer on-the-cheap, find some paper, and create the same effect for much less money.
A self proclaimed design, web, interior and photography professional, Ginder works with his partner Aaron Cruz as a team that specializes in creating thoughtful and off the wall pieces that bring out the story of their clients. Browsing the duo’s website shows other work inspired by vintage technology, including a spa that actually used the wallpaper pictured above in one of its rooms.
Like I mentioned before, if buying piece of art is something you are committed to, you can’t go wrong with this wallpaper. I for one will be trying to convince my wife that long strips of paper with ASCII pictures of Optimus Prime is a great idea for the man-cave.
Ginder’s site via Fancy Jewels.
Geek.com
Getting lost is not an option with this new Broadcom GPS chip
Those who often put themselves at the mercy of GPS devices to navigate their way home may find current navigation technology lacking in certain aspects. From the not-so-accurate position readings and the long satellite locking time, to the battery drain that we came to expect when using our smartphones as satnav devices, there are things about GPS that can ruin your travel.
But things may be about to change for the better with the introduction of BCM4752, a new GPS chip from Broadcom, that promises to deal with the problems above.
10X better acquisition and less battery consumption
Most GPS units currently on the market only rely on one or two satellites. The new Broadcom GPS chip, however, will use four different satellite constellations: GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, and SBAS. This makes it easier and faster for the mobile device to lock on to satellites. This is also the reason for which Broadcom can claim that its new GPS chip performs 10 times better than competing products, when it comes to acquiring position. Of course, a more accurate position reading can mean the difference between getting to your destination faster and getting lost faster.
Another advantage of the new Broadcom GPS chip is its use of 40nm body process technology. In layman’s terms, you won’t have to worry about running out of battery before reaching your destination (well, that depends of your destination), because the chip is 50% more energy efficient. Oh, and it’s 44% smaller, allowing manufacturers to cram it into the anorexic devices of tomorrow.
Indoor navigation too
Broadcom promises to change how you navigate indoors too, not only on the highway. By tapping into the other sensors of the phone (NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, radio),the BCM4752 chip may be able to tell you where you are in indoor spaces like malls, museums, and even parking lots.
Did Broadcom’s new GPS chip pique your interest? Then you’ll be happy to know that the technology may soon come to mass-marketed smartphones. Well, how soon depends on manufacturers, but we’re guessing that, with all the advantages promised by the new chip, OEMs will flock to get it.
Broadcom Introduces New Location Architecture with Advanced Multi-Constellation and Indoor Positioning Support
Smartphone Location Platform Delivers 10X Improved Acquisition Performance and Leverages Broadcom Wireless Connectivity for Indoor Positioning
IRVINE, Calif. – March 21, 2012 –
News Highlights:
- 10x acquisition performance improvement delivers faster and more accurate position computation
- Leading 40nm CMOS process reduces power consumption by 50 percent and board area by 44 percent
- Ability to leverage sensors, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC enables innovative consumer applications
- Integration on recently announced Broadcom BCM28155 platform brings feature-rich location functionality to Android 4.0 smartphones
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today introduced a new location architecture to provide more responsive outdoor and indoor positioning capabilities for smartphone devices. With proven third-generation multi-constellation support and tight integration with sensor components and Broadcom’s industry-leading connectivity sub-system, the new solution opens the door to innovative applications, such as indoor positioning and place-based mobile commerce. For more news, visit Broadcom’s Newsroom.
The architecture features a new Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chip that significantly reduces time-to-first-fix (TTFF) for outdoor positioning applications, cutting the time smartphone users have to wait when first checking their position. The platform solution also uses data from inertial sensors, Wi-Fi access points (including those based on recently announced 5G WiFi) and future technologies such as Bluetooth beacons to enable ground breaking indoor positioning capabilities, such as “personal shopper” applications that can direct users to specific stores within shopping malls, and even specific shelves within those stores. In addition, platform integration with NFC enables smarter, more secure mobile payments, with users able to specify countries, cities or even stores where digital wallets can be used.
The Broadcom® BCM4752 GNSS chip provides the industry’s most advanced multi-constellation support by simultaneously collecting data from four satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, QZSS and SBAS) and using the best received signals, resulting in faster searches and more accurate real-time navigation. Building on the success of previous GNSS chips, Broadcom’s multi-constellation technology, coupled with advanced signal processing, provides faster positioning performance for improved user experience, especially in challenging urban environments where buildings and obstructions can dramatically impact accuracy and time-to-fix.
The new chip and accompanying software benefit from tight integration with Broadcom’s InConcert® wireless connectivity sub-system, featuring the most advanced and complete technology offering in the industry. By developing its various connectivity components to operate as a unified system, Broadcom can offer more expansive location features that extend beyond GNSS capabilities.
Key Features and Benefits:
- · Enhances performance and reliability:
o Industry-breakthrough acquisition engine with advanced multipath mitigation techniques provides faster time-to-first-fix performance in challenging environments, as well as a more accurate urban navigation experience.
o Multi-constellation capability collects data from four satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, QZSS and SBAS) simultaneously and uses the best received signals, resulting in faster signal searches and more accurate real-time navigation.
- · Lowest board space, power consumption and cost:
o Fabricated in 40nm process, the BCM4752 is the industry’s smallest size GNSS chip, accounting for 44 percent less board space in a device.
o Integration of key components such a low noise amplifier (LNA) enables lowest bill of materials cost.
o The BCM4752 uses 50 percent less power than previous generations, allowing location-aware applications to remain active for longer periods of time.
o New applications such as “geofencing” that provide alerts or services based on location can be completely off-loaded from the smartphone’s CPU for ultra-low system power operation.
- · Opens doors to new applications, with a proven software platform capable of:
o Ground-breaking indoor positioning through integration of Wi-Fi (including 5G WiFi), Bluetooth low energy, NFC and handset inertial sensor data into positioning applications.
o Industry-leading urban navigation by applying handset inertial sensor readings into the position computation.
o Best in class assisted GNSS (AGNSS) with both GPS and GLONASS assistance data available worldwide from Broadcom’s hosted reference network.
Availability
The BCM4752 is production ready and shipping to early access partners.
NEXT: Broadcom’s combo WiFi/Bluetooth/FM chipset driver now part of Android OS
Broadcom Creates Integrated Android ICS Chips 
Intel’s Medfield chip limited to the entry-level smartphone market, report claims
This article, Getting lost is not an option with this new Broadcom GPS chip , was originally published at androidtime.com – Your Android News Source.
Unlimited data throttling a necessity? This study begs to differ
Last month, word started to spread that AT&T was throttling customers with unlimited data plans after only 2GB. It didn’t require an academic study to conclude that something fishy was going on, but that didn’t stop wireless analysis firm Validas from conducting a study of its own to get to the bottom of it.
Validas (who sells wireless bill analysis to help customers save on their monthly bills), analyzed data from AT&T and Verizon bills, and determined that the difference in data usage between the top 5% of unlimited data users and the top 5% of limited data users was minimal. In the case of Verizon, unlimited data customers actually used less data than capped users did:
It’s a fascinating study, which confirms what most of us had already surmised: that throttling of unlimited data customers is simply a ploy to convert them to (sometimes more expensive) capped data plans.
It’s probably no coincidence that the reports of AT&T’s unlimited throttling at 2GB popped up right after the company introduced its new (more expensive) data plans. John Cozen, the blogger who initially reported the throttling, was paying $ 30 per month for his “unlimited” data, the same as what capped customers pay for 3GB of data. He gets throttled at 2GB, but they enjoy 3GB of high speeds.
So, surprise surprise, AT&T was capitalizing on the assumption that unlimited customers are data hogs who forgo a home broadband connection and use 100GB of wireless data per month. The results of this study show that there is no basis for this discrimination in throttling — and unlimited data customers are getting the shaft.
As aggravating as it is to see the customer-hostile policies that carriers like AT&T get away with, hats off to Validas for coming up with some solid numbers to call them out on it. It would be nice to think that AT&T would have to either present some contrary evidence or renege on its throttling, but, as it will continue to rake in the dollars either way, we wouldn’t advise you to hold your breath on that one.
More at Validas, via BGR
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