The first item of business is that the Aquos 104SH, one of Sharp’s top end models, is set to get the Android 4.0–otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich–update by the end of the month when it releases. The device will boast a dual-core processor running at 1.5 GHz, backed up by a 4.5 inch screen showing at 720p resolution, a 12.1 megapixel camera, one-seg TV, infrared data capabilities, and a level of waterproofing, though since no depths are listed, I wouldn’t go dropping it in any fairly deep bodies of water.

Good news for those interested in picking up something new from the high-end Sharp lineup, but for those with older model but still high-end devices, you’re probably wondering when yours will finally get the nod to step up to the newest Android version. Well, Sharp does have plans to get those updates in play, though they’re not exactly very fleshed out plans as yet. Reportedly, Sharp has plans to get the update to their high-end line, though they’re not telling just when those plans will roll out, nor are they telling just what phones are sufficiently “high-end” to be included in Sharp’s upgrade plans.

Also unclear is whether or not the Aquos 104SH will be landing a wider release. The top rank of Japanese Sharp smartphones hasn’t got the best record of going into wide release, though Sharp often does send its lower-tier models to the United States and other markets, usually via AT&T.

Either way, Android had better step up its plans for release, especially with new Apple hardware on its way to the market over the course of the next several months (though even that is something of a speculation as Apple hasn’t yet made official announcements) that will likely give their primary competitor, Android, plenty to be concerned about.

But what do you guys think here? Anyone interested in picking up a Sharp Aquos 104SH if it goes into wider release? Or is your current phone doing the job just fine? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and tell us what’s on your mind!

Let’s run down the specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. It, well, looks to be a pretty top notch Android tablet. As mentioned, it’s running Android 4.0, and will come with a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It will be offered with 8, 16 and 32GB of Memory and will come in both WiFi and 3G models.

You can expect all the usual refinements from a Samsung tablet, like the TouchWiz interface as well as the Samsung Hub media store with all the movies and TV shows it offers for sale.

They’ve announced it for the UK and the Scandinavian countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark). The UK will be getting it first in March, but pricing was unannounced for that country. The Scandinavians will be getting the tablet a little later in March, but pricing was announced for those countries. It differs from country to country, but prices were running about the equivalent of $450 for the WiFi version and $550 for the 3G version.

No word from Samsung on the possibility of a US release, but considering that US carriers and customers have been loving Samsung’s Android tablets and phones, you have to expect that this little 7-inch killer will be coming to America soon. Especially considering Samsung’s new focus of taking Apple head on and rumors of a 7-inch iPad coming from Apple.

Check out the Samsung press release below.

Samsung’s new GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) offers optimal multimedia experiences in life

February 13, 2012

Samsung expands the GALAXY Tab range with GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) powered by the AndroidTM 4.0 and a 1GHz dual core processor

Prague, February 13, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today introduced its first line-up of tablets for 2012 with the launch of the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0), expanding the choice of tablets to customers. Light and portable, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) is the ideal personal on-the-go device, available in 3G and WiFi versions. Starting from UK, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) will be launched in global market from March.

“Two years ago, Samsung GALAXY Tab began to offer customers more possibilities on the go. Since then, Samsung has actively enhanced our tablet line-up with several tablets in different sizes,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “The new GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) will provide people with delighted multimedia experience and allow efficient communication.”

Samsung’s first Android 4.0 Tablet

Samsung’s first Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)-powered tablet offers a variety of new and improved Android OS features. An upgraded Android Market enables access to more than 400,000 applications which can be enjoyed across phones or tablets. Furthermore, a more intuitive user interface includes the ability to swipe-control applications as well as a wholly redesigned app gallery for easier sharing of content. The new OS’s vastly faster performance and response times across multiple applications is further enhanced by HSPA＋ 21Mbps or WiFi connectivity.

Additionally, Android 4.0 includes a selection of embedded Google applications that enables users to quickly launch sites and applications that they use frequently; meanwhile, the innovative Face Unlock feature unlocks the tablet through unique facial recognition software.

A complete experience with enriched multimedia content

The GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) offers users easy multimedia access, playback and sharing experiences with Samsung Hub services. Samsung’s Music Hub provides a full music store solution with access to over 17 million tracks. Additionally, the Readers Hub provides the user with access to over 2.3 million e-books, 3,500 magazines and over 2,000 newspapers in 51 languages, while the Game Hub instantly connects users to the latest game titles. Samsung is also introducing the Video Hub, which offers over 1,000 film titles for purchase or rent, and provides reviews, trailers and recommendations for easier content selection using the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0).

Complementing the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)’s multimedia offering is Samsung’s upgraded Touchwiz user interface that features Hub widgets for one-step access to users’ content in Hubs; the device also presents S Suggest, a new service offering recommendations of apps suited to users’ tastes directly on a home screen.

The GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)’s superb multimedia experience is further boosted by Samsung’s AllShare Play, a new content-sharing service available for the first time on any Samsung mobile device. AllShare Play allows users to play or live-stream their multimedia content on their GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) from PCs, other Samsung smart devices as well as third-party web storages. Users can also easily transfer content to other devices or directly to web services.

Better Communication Capabilities

Connecting socially has never been easier with GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0)’s built-in powerful communication capabilities.With the voice call capability, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) can be used just as easily as a phone, affording users the handy convenience of a second device in case they misplace their primary phone. It also lets users to spontaneously arrange multi-party video calls via Google＋ hangouts, as well as engage in group chats or micro-communities to collectively chat or share content. In addition, ChatON, Samsung’s cross-platform communication service, connects all phone users of any platform into a single community. ChatON uses phone numbers instead of ID and passwords, and provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in various formats-images, video, voice, contacts-to make messaging simple and intuitive.

A leaked ROM Updated Utility (RUU) for the HTC Endeavor, previously known as the Edge or the Supreme, at least according to some reports, reveals various specs and features for the Android handset, which should be confirmed later this month. Here’s what you can expect from this handset:

• 4.7-inch touchscreen display with 720p display
• 1.5GHz Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 8-megapixel camera
• 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Quad-band HSPA+ support
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0 on top.

The HTC Endeavor could turn out to be the first smartphone in the world to offer a quad-core processor, provided that no other handset maker announces a NVIDIA Tegra 3 smartphone before HTC does. Moreover, the Endeavor could be the first Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone to sport a custom user interface on top of Android 4.0 – so far only two devices run Ice Cream Sandwich, the Samsung Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

The same RUU has also revealed the first Sense 4.0 screenshots, a user interface we’re likely to see on all the upcoming HTC Android 4.0 devices alongside the older smartphones that are going to be upgraded to ICS eventually. HTC’s Sense 4.0 will offer users a bunch of lock screen choices, a new dock look, Beats audio and NFC support and HTC’s regular widgets.

Since the Samsung Galaxy S III is not going to be announced at MWC, the HTC Endeavor, or whatever they end up calling it, could turn out to be the flagship device of the Spanish mobile show, although other Android handset makers are probably going to have a few high-end devices of their own to announce.

The Acer CloudMobile (and if the first thing you thought when you saw that was “Care Bears”, congratulations, you too are a child of the eighties) is set to launch with Android 4.0, otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich, though that may not actually come to pass depending on the actual date of launch. It’s set to be the first to support the AcerCloud service (hence the name, CloudMobile), and is also likely to offer up a 4.3 inch HD display, as well as a Dolby speaker plate, textured backing and all in a package measuring just 9.9 mm thick.

Of course, many of the specs on this, like processor capability, connectivity (4G, 3G, wi-fi and so on) and others are as yet unknown, and thus, we’re left to look to the MWC 2012 exhibition to get a full look at this sucker and just what it can do, but word is that it’s already won the iF Product Design Award, which is no mean feat and should suggest some pretty potent characteristics when it finally does make its move on markets.

Acer isn’t exactly a big wheel as far as mobile devices goes, so it’s going to remain to be seen if the specs can back up the award-winning design sufficiently to get Acer into the hearts and minds of people already likely in on one heavily-entrenched product line or another. It’s likely to be released in the second half of 2012.

But what do you guys think here? Would anyone out there pick up a CloudMobile to replace their iPhone 4S? Perhaps your Samsung Galaxy S II? Under what circumstances would you make the switch to Acer? No matter what your stance on this one, we definitely want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and let’s talk Acer phones!

Word out of Samsung that preferred anonymity says that the Galaxy S II will net the update to Ice Cream Sandwich starting March 1st, and the Galaxy Note won’t be too far behind, though just how long that will be is as yet unclear. Interestingly, when they say “starting” here, they really mean it, as the rollout will not be available to everyone on the first day, but rather, will be a rolling rollout depending on your carrier and your personal location. In fact, in some locations and with some carriers, the upgrade for the Galaxy Note could reportedly take until sometime in May.

Moreover, current word suggests that the devices won’t get a pure Android 4.0, but rather a version that features Samsung’s TouchWiz systems in play, so that likely accounts for some of the delay.

Being as this is word from anonymous sources within Samsung rather than via Samsung’s proper channels, you’ll likely want to take it with the grain of salt you deem most appropriate, but still, Samsung doubtless doesn’t want to wait any longer than necessary. With the specter of a new iPhone lurking in the background, there’s no doubt that Samsung–along with every other Android phone maker out there–is going to want to get their A-game into play against such significant opposition, so getting Ice Cream Sandwich onto the big names is likely at the top of the list for many.

But what do you guys think here? Figure that the big names in Samsung’s lineup will get their new Android version loaded before Apple launches its new foray? Or do you figure that Apple will roll over some of the Android line before it can get its best to the table? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and fill us in!

Okay, so you really don’t see through your phone, but the app does take whatever your phone’s camera is seeing and transpose it on your screen, somewhat faded out. The result is a bit stunning, as it does kind of end up looking like you’re looking through glass. Not bad, eh? You can even use other apps while using Transparent Screen, so you could check your email or text messages while walking.

The only problem that reviewers have noted with the app is that the level of “transparency” is already set and there’s no way to change it. For certain apps, you may want to see a bit more of the screen than what’s on the other side of the phone, and plus each user may have their own preference. Hey, sounds like something that could be added in an update or possibly in a paid version of the app.

Realistically, this app may end up being just a toy or something to use to showoff to friends. But, it’s still a pretty neat idea and probably will have to hold us over until we all are using transparent LCD phones.

Check out Transparent Screen at the Android Market here.

Google’s free cloud-storage service will be called Google Drive according to the report, and seems likely that it will be attached to Google Docs or affiliated with Google Docs, Google’s cloud-based office productivity suite. According to the WSJ, Google Drive will allow people to store files, photos and videos on the internet.

There’s no word on how much storage Google Drive will offer, but with all the bandwidth and server farms that Google has, you have to imagine that it’ll probably be a fair bit. Google will be directly taking on Dropbox, in addition to Apple’s iCloud service and Microsoft’s SkyDrive service. Although the report doesn’t mention it, you have to expect Google Drive will have integration with Android and Chrome OS – allowing people using Android phones, tablets or Chrome netbooks to easily access their files stored on their Google Drive account. This would bring parity on with Apple does with the iPhone and iCloud.

No word on how this will affect Dropbox. The company has been growing by leaps and bounds and was called “one of Silicon Valley’s hottest start-ups” by the WSJ. The company allegedly turned down an acquisition offer from Apple in 2009.

What do you think? Are you excited for Google Drive? Do you think it’ll be better than Dropbox, or are planning to stick with the ‘box? Tell us about it in the comments setion.

Now the Wall Street Journal has it that Google is working on a home entertainment system whose main feature will be to stream wireless music, quite probably from the company’s Google Music service:

Google’s entertainment device, in development for several years, is expected to be unveiled later this year, people familiar with the matter said.

It’s unclear which retailers would sell the entertainment device, which would stream music from Google’s online music-storage service and pipe it wirelessly to Google-designed speakers or other Web-connected devices in people’s homes, according to these people. In the future, such a device could potentially stream other forms of digital media such as video, one of these people said.

We’re certainly surprised to hear that Google is interested in manufacturing such a product and we can’t but wonder what would motivate the company to develop it. Such a device could be controlled by mobile devices including smartphones and tablets, although it’s not known yet whether they must be Android devices. But there are no details regarding its specs and features and we should be looking at some spectacular characteristics to convince users to buy one. And there’s no indication the device will be based on Android either.

What’s also puzzling is that the device will not stream, at first, movies or TV shows, which is quite a strange decision.  And while Apple is expected to make around 17 billion in the first year alone from its rumored iTV product, the home-audio hardware business is valued at $8 billion per year, so Google won’t make a lot of cash off it, at least not initially.

Not to mention that the music business is largely dominated by Apple as the company has quite an important MP3 market share and a significant iOS customer base, also devices that can download and stream music from iTunes. And chances are that quite a few iPod and iOS device owners already own an iPod and/or iOS device dock that helps them transform the device into a home entertainment system.

So why is Google so interested in creating a Google-branded home entertainment device. Is it part of the company’s future Android@Home Android-based automated home vision? Will you purchase such a music-only entertainment device?

Not much is known about the Samsung Galaxy Camera’s exact composition as yet, but there are suggestions out there, and the picture they’re painting at this early stage of things is very interesting in its own right. Since we already know that Samsung has a variety of mobile devices already out, and that the newest stuff includes cameras in a variety of powers and resolutions, to release a device specifically named “camera” means they’re likely to focus on the picture-taking aspect of the product.

Considering that Samsung products already packing cameras are sticking to resolutions around the eight megapixel level, a specifically-geared camera would likely up that resolution, possibly to 16 megapixel or even more. Plus, if the issue of Android gets involved, it’s entirely possible from there that internet access–whether via wi-fi or 3G, or maybe even both–would become a part of the package, and allow for constant uploading of pictures to cloud storage, or possibly just easy uploading to various sites like Facebook or YouTube.

Some have even compared the Samsung Galaxy Camera to the Polaroid SC 1630, a device that, when it made its appearance at CES a few weeks ago, was thought to be a cell phone, until it was discovered to be little more than an unusually small camera. And if Samsung does indeed launch a dedicated camera, it would allow them to keep their smartphones on the slim side without having to continually upgrade the cameras, and thus, make them larger.

It’s an impressive idea–certainly an audacious one if nothing else, especially given the recent shuttering of Kodak’s pocket camcorder and point and shoot line of cameras–but what do you guys think about this one? Figure that Samsung might be readying an unexpected line of Android-driven cameras for us to see? Or do you figure that this patent may be just a precautionary measure to keep other companies from entering the market? No matter what you think about this one, head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

Yup, HTC has taken to Facebook and offered a nice status update in terms of their Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update plans. The short answer is this, the upgrades will begin next month. Of course the catch with that is only a few handsets will be included in that first bunch. Anyway, according to the Facebook posting, HTC will be updating the HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation 4G and HTC Sensation XE. As to when, so far no specific date has been set however HTC did say that the “upgrades will roll out by the end of March” which means at worst you are looking at roughly a month and a half wait.

Moving past that bunch and we come to the HTC Sensation XL which was noted as coming “soon there after.” Maybe that could mean April? Otherwise, the remaining handsets that are going to be upgraded still have some time to wait. Further details from HTC state that the HTC Rezound, HTC Vivid, HTC Amaze 4G, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G, HTC Incredible S, HTC Desire S and HTC Desire HD will be updated sometime “later this year.”

Ah, the dreaded later this year timeframe — certainly not an ideal timeframe. But on the flip side, you should probably be thankful that your device is on the list. And last but certainly not least, HTC has promised that more details would be released in the “coming weeks” which leads us to believe that will be when the first group of handsets will get Android 4.0.

Yup, Motorola has seemingly gone retro with this offering. The GLEAM+ (pictured above) will be available beginning in March and will be available with Telekom. The handset will be priced at 99 Euro (without a contract) and be available in silver and winter white colors. In terms of the features, the GLEAM+ will bring goodies to include a 2.8 inch WQVGA display, 50MB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a 3.5mm headphone jack, 750 mAh battery, WAP 2.0 web browser and a 2 megapixel camera with digital zoom and video recording.

Next up, moving back to the smartphone world. The next handset is the MOTOLUXE (pictured above) and will also be available with Telekom beginning in March. The MOTOLUXE will be available in a licorice color and come priced at 279 Euro. As for the features, those begin with Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread and a 4 inch FWVGA touchscreen and then go on to include an 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, GPS, 1400 mAh battery, VGA quality front facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear facing camera with auto-focus.

And lastly, the DEFY Mini (pictured above). This one will come available beginning in March and with a “price that won’t break the bank.” The features include a rugged exterior design that is both dust-proof and water-resistant along with a Corning Gorilla Glass covered display. Other goodies include a 3.2 inch HVGA display, 600MHz processor, 512MB RAM, 128MB ROM, microSD card slot, VGA quality front facing camera, 3 megapixel rear facing camera, 1650 mAh battery and Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. And as one would expect on an Android device, the DEFY Mini will also have GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Yup, DoubleTwist for Android now has built-in support for podcasts. Though, that built-in support does come with a catch in that it comes as an additional in-app purchase. But before we get into the additional purchase details, here is how this breaks down according to the DoubleTwist team;

“We’ve been working for several months to bring you the best podcast experience available on Android. A whole universe of music, talk and video shows all from within your favorite Android app. Browse, play and subscribe to your favorite shows wirelessly from your Android, with no syncing or wires.”

In terms of the features, here is what is offered for podcast management and listening;

• Search a huge directory of audio and video podcasts.
• Browse by category (such as Music, Comedy, News and Sports).
• Stream or download individual episodes.
• Subscribe and manage your feeds.
• Resumes playback from where you left off.
• 10 second back and 30 second skip playback controls.
• Smart download settings to conserve battery and bandwidth.

Additionally, this podcast support comes as part of an app update. The updated DoubleTwist app has gone up to version 1.7.1 and also brings support for the Android 4.0 lock screen along with improvements to Last.fm scrobbling, a fix for video and podcast position saving and some general bug fixes.

Touching back on the additional charge for the podcast support. This arrives as a $4.99 in-app purchase dubbed DoubleTwist Pro which also offers support for AirSync, AirPlay, an EQ and high-resolution album art downloads. And lastly, while the Pro portion is not free, the DoubleTwist app itself is free.

The report broke this morning in the Wall Street Journal. The news is that the US Justice Department will approve Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, the consumer electronics side of Motorola, which spun off from Motorola Solutions (the infrastructure hardware company) in early 2011.

Despite the report that the US DoJ was approving the deal, the WSJ writes that US and European authorities are concerned about the amount of patents that Google will hold in the mobile space. Motorola has a very comprehensive patent portfolio, firstly from being the company that actually invented the mobile phone, and secondly from their acquisition of patents from the ill-fated Nortel Networks, a Canadian tech company.

As several Motorola patented technology became industry standards recognized by the IEEE, Motorola agreed to license the patents under FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-describable) terms. As Google inherits these patents, they are expected to continue to offer FRAND patent licenses in good faith. Google, like Motorola, is a member of the IEEE Standards Association which comes up with the technical standards that rule the consumer tech industry (USB, WiFi, etc.)

Tell us, what do you think? Is Google buying Motorola a good thing, or will Google’s Android empire just get too big? Tell us what you think about the $12.5 billion deal in our comments section below.

PC Magazine is reporting Samsung confirmed to them that they will not be planning any press conferences for MWC. This is a bit of a story, considering that Samsung has always had MWC events and some of them have been quite dramatic. Samsung is up there with Nokia and LG in the top mobile phone manufacturers worldwide, although like the other two, dumbphones are a large portion of their business. Tech fans may remember that Samsung unveiled Bada OS at MWC 2010 and they unveiled the Galaxy S II at the 2011 show.

Samsung is still expected to announce some new devices, including possibly new Android tablets, but it seems that they will unveil them to the public by just having them on display in their booth, as opposed to having a grandiose press conference like years past.

Like Chris told you about, the 7mm Samsung Galaxy S III is expected to be announced by the Korean tech giant sometime in March, with a release date in late March or April. In addition to being one of the thinnest phones out there, it’s also expected to have a 4.6-inch screen, 1.8GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Sounds like quite the phone to us.

That being said, while the support for both tablets and smartphones is nice to see, this story does come with a slight catch in terms of availability. At this time the service is only available to Optik TV customers in British Columbia and Alberta. Plus, the service, despite being called “On The Go” is not so on the go for those using an iOS device. You see, Optik TV on iOS requires a Wi-Fi connection while on Android, Wi-Fi is recommended but not required.

“At TELUS, we’re listening to our customers and introducing more fun, flexibility and mobility to their Optik TV experience,” said Joe Natale, Chief Commercial Officer, TELUS. “Optik TV for Xbox 360 and Optik on the go are two more examples of fun and innovative services that make it clear Optik TV is not your average TV service. It’s exciting for us at TELUS to bring this kind of innovation to life for our customers. Stay tuned, we are committed to bringing a steady stream of cool, leading edge ideas to Optik TV.”

Moving past the disappointing and into the remaining information and features and we have the following; the ability “to view a selection of commercial free TV On Demand shows and movies.” The Optik TV On The Go apps will allow users to watch the content as well as pause, rewind and fast forward.

Some of the available content is coming from Super Channel, Hollywood Suite, Family Channel, Disney XD, Disney Jr and Baby TV in English, French and Mandarin with the promise of more to come “throughout 2012 and beyond.” Otherwise, the Optik TV apps (for both iOS and Android) are available by way of the respective app stores and are available for use at no additional charge for Optik TV customers.

Bottom line here, if you happen to be an Optik TV subscriber living in British Columbia or Alberta you may want to fire up the Android Market or iOS App Store and download the app.

Microsoft is now offering Microsoft OneNote for free for Android. You can find it in the Android Market, and it’s actually pretty feature packed. You’ll be able to take notes, add text and bullet points, as well as pictures. You can even sync your notes up with Microsoft SkyDrive (Microsoft’s free file-hosting service) and retrieve them later from a PC. Great, eh?

OneNote will work on Android phones or tablets, but it does require Android 2.3.0 or later, meaning that later phones and tablets may not be able to run this great utility from Microsoft. Microsoft has already released a version of OneNote (with a similar feature set) for iOS, and of course, their own Windows Phone 7 runs a OneNote app as well.

It’s a pretty nice move by Microsoft to offer these apps for free on competing platforms. They are of course, at their heart, a software company, and they must be seeing it as important to get folks using OneNote and SkyDrive. Even if those people aren’t using Windows Phone.

You can find OneNote Mobile here on the Android Market. I can totally imagine some college students dropping this on their Motorola Xoom and using this for note-taking in college rather than a Windows laptop. Anybody else out there excited about OneNote Mobile for Android? Tell us about it in the comments section.

That being said, the Vonage Mobile app can be found by way of the iOS App Store and the Android Market and they both come as free downloads. The iOS version of the app requires iOS 4.0 or later and the Android version of the app requires Android 2.1 or later. Both apps are currently sitting at version 1.0.

With that, lets get right in with the description, which also comes with how you can get value from this app even without being a Vonage customer.

“Vonage Mobile is a free downloadable app that lets you talk and text worldwide for FREE with anyone else who has the app.”

In other words, assuming you have other friends already using or willing to begin using — you can talk without burning up your cellular minutes. And nicely done, the app will work over on Wi-Fi as well as 3G and/or 4G connections. Otherwise, some of the other features of the app include the following;

• Use your existing address book; no need to leave the app.
• Never miss a call or text, even when the app is closed.
• Easily invite multiple people right from your address book.
• Uses your mobile number as your caller ID.

And lastly, the Vonage Mobile app will allow you to make free calls to any Vonage home phone customer as well as make low-priced international calls which are described as having “per-minute rates on average 70 percent less than major mobile carriers and 30 percent less than Skype.”

First of all, we’re looking at a beta version, which means Google will continue to develop it but that you shouldn’t be surprised if you discover any bugs while using it. But what’s most annoying about this Chrome mobile version is that it’s apparently only compatible with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich devices – and there aren’t that many to begin with.

Fragmentation – or differentiation – is apparently hurting Google in this instance. The company doesn’t even try to explain why older Android versions, especially Gingerbread and Honeycomb, will not get access to this first Chrome for Android version. But Google did release a characteristic cartoonish video to explain what the new mobile browser will have to offer:

Here’s what you can expect from the new browser:

Speed
With Chrome for Android, you can search, navigate and browse fast—Chrome fast. You can scroll through web pages as quickly as you can flick your finger. When searching, your top search results are loaded in the background as you type so pages appear instantly. And of course, both search and navigation can all be done quickly from the Chrome omnibox.

Simplicity
Chrome for Android is designed from the ground up for mobile devices. We reimagined tabs so they fit just as naturally on a small-screen phone as they do on a larger screen tablet. You can flip or swipe between an unlimited number of tabs using intuitive gestures, as if you’re holding a deck of cards in the palm of your hands, each one a new window to the web. […]

Sign in
You can now bring your personalized Chrome experience with you to your Android phone or tablet. If you sign in to Chrome on your Android device, you can:

• View open tabs: Access the tabs you left open on your computer (also signed into Chrome)—picking up exactly where you left off.
• Get smarter suggestions: If you visit a site often on your computer, you’ll also get an autocomplete suggestion for it on your mobile device, so you can spend less time typing.
• Sync bookmarks: Conveniently access your favorite sites no matter where you are or which device you’re using.

The application is now available in the Android Market, so if you have an ICS device, feel free to install it on your handset or tablet.

For most of yesterday, the RAZR MAXX was listed as “out of stock” on Verizon Wireless’ website. Early this morning, they changed it from “out of stock” to listing that the phone will ship on February 9th. Supply shortages are nothing new for mobile phones, as every new Apple device is hard to come by early on. And some of the early Android superphones like the HTC EVO 4G and Motorola Droid X even saw shortages early in their life.

You may want to place your order for the RAZR MAXX now if you plan on getting one, as this shortage could get worse before it gets better. For many customers, the RAZR MAXX could be the sweet spot for 4G LTE phones. The first generation 4G LTE phones were bulky, and the second ones (Droid RAZR, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, LG Spectrum, HTC Rezound, etc.) still suffer from poor battery life. The slim and sexy Droid RAZR MAXX with its extra battery may solve all the problems of all the early 4G LTE phones.

To recap, the Motorola Droid RAZR has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super OLED screen and is currently going for $300 with a two-year contract.

That being said, the app is available in the Android Market and arrives with the tagline of;

“Knowing your kids’ smartphone habits and help protect them from threats.”

Anyway, those finding themselves in that category can take some contort in the fact that the app is available for free. Norton Safety Minder is available for devices running Android 2.2 Froyo (or later) and it has arrived at version 2.3.0. And touching on the price of free — the app is fee to download and free to use however there are some features that come only for Norton Online Family Premier subscribers. In terms of the features of the app, here are the highlights;

• Online Activity Reporting: Tracks your kids’ online activities including ALL websites they visit or attempt to visit, their entire search history, whom they text, and what they say.
• Web Monitoring & Blocking: Lets you turn Web monitoring on or off and put a parental block on specific sites or types of sites that you feel are inappropriate for your kids.

In terms of the Norton Online Family Premier only features — those arrive as the ability to monitor text messages, MMS messages and apps and are described as follows;

• Text Message Monitoring: Shows you whom your kids are texting with and what they say. Lets you choose whom your kids can exchange messages with.
• Multi Media Message Monitoring: Show parents who their kids are exchanging MMS messages with and when they were exchanged. Parents can also decide who their kids can exchange messages with, by designating whether certain contacts are blocked, monitored or unmonitored.
• App Monitoring: Gives you the ability to see which apps your kids have installed and uninstalled so you can keep it “kid-friendly.”

And lastly, as we mentioned, this app joins the numerous others from Norton including Norton Security and Antivirus, Norton Snap QR Code Reader, Norton Mobile Utilities & Task Killer, Norton Anti-Theft Plugin and more.

These pictures are courtesy of where else, but a Chinese website named ePrice. The phone definitely has that HTC look to it, and appears to be pretty thin. Initial rumors about the Ville said that the phone would be just 8mm thick when it came out, making it one of the thinnest phones out there today. The leaked Chinese pictures also show a glimpse of HTC Sense 4.0, HTC’s new and upcoming user interface for Android phones. These user interfaces are usually terrible, and a lot of tech nerds clamor for phone manufacturers to stick to Google’s default user interface, but HTC Sense is generally okay and well-liked by some.

The Ville is supposed to come with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor as well as a sharp 4.3-inch qHD screen. No carriers have been rumored or hinted, but could this device end up being the Droid Incredible 3 for Verizon? Verizon’s Droid Incredible line has always been super-slim Android phones manufactured by HTC and it looks like this phone could fit the bill.

If you’re hoping for more news on this phone, HTC is expected to officially announce this phone and shed some light on it at the Mobile World Congress trade show coming up soon.

AT&T is asking $300 for the phone with a new two-year contact. Those who pre-order can expect to get their hands on the phone on February 17^th, two days early. The supersized phone will arrive in AT&T stores for the rest of us on February 19^th. Those who have an eye on the phone may want to pre-order, with its high-profile Super Bowl commercial it may be hard to come by early on.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is packing a 1.4Ghz dual-core processor with a huge 5.3-inch Super OLED screen. It’s got 1GB of RAM and 16GB of memory for music, video, apps and other files. It’s also going to come with Samsung’s S Pen stylus. The stylus is controversial as Samsung boasted it was a major feature over the iPhone, something Apple fanatics have taken offense to. To top it off, it’s initially being offered in “carbon blue” or “ceramic white”, and will have 4G LTE connectivity.

If you don’t want to pre-order from AT&T, as we reported yesterday, Best Buy is also accepting pre-orders for the device, and they’re including a free flip cover case, as well as a $50 gift card if you’re a Rewards Zone member. Not a bad deal for what could be one of the hottest Android phones of the year.

Follow this link to checkout the Galaxy Note page on AT&T’s website.

That being said, while the updated version of the app brings more features and easier access to previously available features — it still does what is important, stream (or cache) music and allow for playback over Wi-Fi and/or cellular connections. In terms of using the app, for those who are new, Rdio comes with a free 7-day trial however once that runs out you will have to shell out for an Rdio Unlimited or Rdio Unlimited Family account. And just for reference, the Unlimited account is $9.99 per month for one user and the Unlimited Family account is $17.99 per month for two users or $22.99 for three users. Otherwise, the changes for this app are broken down as follows;

• Streamlined Top-level Navigation – All-new home screen design gives one-click access to key features in the app
• Convenient Control – Take advantage of Android Ice Cream Sandwich’s new remote control client to manage playback controls on the lock screen, including viewing controls and album art
• New Releases – Be the first to listen to new albums and singles on the day they are released, and access new albums released up to two weeks prior
• Top Charts – Check out recent chart-topping albums
• Recommendations – Discover more music by exploring fresh album recommendations based on your listening history
• Enhanced Search – In addition to searching for artists, albums, and songs, you can now search for Playlists and People
• Synced collection and playlist views – View only the music you have synced for offline listening, without the need to go into offline mode
• User Profiles – Search, browse, and follow other Rdio users; discover new music by seeing their activity, who they follow, their playlists and more

And of course, these new additions come in with the features that were included in the previous version such as Activity, Collection, Heavy Rotation, Playlists and Listening History as well as a “variety of settings to control syncing and streaming.” Bottom line, the Rdio app has an update waiting in the Android Market.

Whitman assured CRN that the top minds at HP were preparing to turn webOS into a major player in the mobile space. She added that she’s planning to turn webOS into an operating system that “has huge advantages, in my view, over iOS, which is a closed system, [and] Android, which is incredibly fragmented and may ultimately be more closed with [Google's] acquisition of Motorola Mobility.”

Her complaints about the competition certainly aren’t anything new. The “iOS is a walled garden” and “Android is fragmented” arguments are as old as both of those operating systems. But, they both have something that webOS doesn’t – namely customer demand. Whitman has a tall challenge in front of her. The former eBay president and former Republican candidate for Governor of California took over HP during a rough time in the company’s history when they were bracing from the short-lived announcement that they would abandon their computer business and focus on IT services.

She also said that HP wasn’t conceding the tablet market to their competitors. HP will come out with Windows 8 tablets, first running on x86 processors and later ones from ARM. HP has always had a healthy B2B business and Whitman said that HP would focus on security on their tablets, to make them more appealing to security-conscious businesses.

Do you agree with Whitman? Can webOS prove better than “closed” iOS and “fragmented” Android? Tell us what you think in the comments section.

Appealing as that price may be, it’s actually a slight increase for the Flyer in the UK. Dixons was offering the Android tablet for just £199 during a Christmas shopping sale that has since passed. These low prices must be a hard pill for British early adopters to swallow – the HTC Flyer debuted in the UK last November for the price of £479, or as high as £562 if purchased through T-Mobile.

The HTC Flyer isn’t a bad tablet, per se, but tech nerds need to watch out for a few things. The Flyer only packs a single-core ARM processor, which may cause you grief as more and more Android apps begin to take advantage of dual-core processors. It also shipped with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread, the same version found in phones), not Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which is designed for tablets. Considering this tablet doesn’t seem to be selling well (as evidenced by near worldwide price cuts), it’s questionable if HTC will ever bother patching this tablet up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

This new £235 price for the HTC Flyer applies to a 16GB, WiFi-only model. Expansys is currently offering them, they’ve got them in stock and offering free shipping. So, there’s nothing stopping you from joining us in the tablet generation, if you have your eye on this device.

According to a recent FCC finding, Google is also working on a mystery device, which does not have a name at this time, but which is described as “an entertainment device” that needs to be tested appropriately in the following six months. Google is asking for permission to perform such tests in its Google labs but also in employees homes in four cities, Mountain View, Los Angeles, Cambridge and New York:

Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:

Google is developing an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment. The device is in the prototyping phase and will be modified prior to final compliance testing.

Please explain the purpose of operation:

Testing throughput and stability of home WiFi networks using an entertainment device. Testing will include functional testing of all subsystems, including WiFi and Bluetooth radio. Users will connect their device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment. This line of testing will reveal real world engineering issues and reliability of networks. The device utilizes a standard WiFi/Bluetooth module, and the planned testing is not directed at evaluating the radio frequency characteristics of the module (which are known), but rather at the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device, as well as the basic functionality of the device. From this testing we hope to modify the design in order to maximize product robustness and user experience. Utilizing the requested number of units will allow testing of real world network performance and its impact on applications running on the device, so that any problems can be discovered and addressed promptly. All devices will be used by and registered to specific individuals (all Google employees), and Google will maintain a record of each device, so that they can be easily recalled at any time during testing and when testing is complete. The devices will be tested at Google facilities and within employees residences in the following areas: Mountain View, CA: 37.421265 N, -122.085314 W; Los Angeles, CA: 33.995388 N, -118.477035 W; Cambridge, MA: 42.362754 N, -71.088023 W; and New York, NY: 40.741872 N, -74.004579 W.

What product are we looking at? Is it some sort of homegrown Google TV? Is it an Android device specifically made for home entertainment? Is it Android @Home, an Android-based home automation product that would really require some proper home-testing before being launched? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

The AT&T Galaxy Note will cost you $299.99 with a two-year contract and it will be delivered to your door on February 17. In Canada the device will be available from three carriers, Bell Telus and Rogers with pricing starting at $199.99, $249.99 and $299.99, respectively, when purchased with three-year contracts. However, shipping dates are not available at this time from the retailer.

The Galaxy Note is one of Samsung’s 2011 Android flagship devices, and packs some interesting specs and features including:

• 5.3-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display with 1,280 x 800 resolution
• Corning Gorilla Glass
• 1.4 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor – Exynos chipset
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB/32GB storage
• up to 32GB microSD support
• 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, geotagging and HD video recording
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread with TouchWiz UI on top
• HSDPA, HSUPA, LTE support
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• DLNA
• Wi-Fi Direct
• Mobile hotspot
• Bluetooth 3.0+HS
• microUSB 2.0 support
• GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS
• S Pen Stylus support
• NFC support
• 2,500mAh battery

Samsung has set up a powerful marketing campaign to promote the device in the U.S. including a Super Bowl ad, which is going to be aired during the last game of the football season. The new commercial is 90 seconds long, and a 44-second teaser is already available.

As expected, Samsung is continuing its anti-Apple theme and it’s making fun of mobile users waiting in line to buy the iPhone 4S. Ironically, this ad campaign also reminds us that Apple devices still draw crowds lining up in front of stores ahead of important launches and that the Cupertino-based company sold 60 million iOS devices last quarter including over 37 million iPhones. That’s a feature Samsung is yet to beat, as none of its Android devices can boast similar performances. Not even the Galaxy Note, which was announced in early September 2011, that’s available for pre-order in the U.S. right now.

Various tech sites have speculated as to why Google decided to pull developer support for these devices, with some folks suggesting that the whole Google Wallet issue between the search giant and Verizon when it comes to the Galaxy Nexus. But that doesn’t appear to be the case as Google has posted an explanation regarding the Galaxy Nexus:

Hello! This is a quick clarification about support for CDMA devices.

For various technical reasons, recent CDMA Android devices implement core telephony functionality in .apk files provided in binary form by the carriers. To function correctly, these .apk files must be signed by the so-called “platform” key. However, when an individual creates a custom build from the AOSP source code, they don’t use the same signing key as these CDMA flies were signed with.

The result is that these files don’t work properly, and pure AOSP builds running on these devices can’t place calls, access mobile data, and so on. Because we aim to make sure that we are as clear as possible about the degree of support that devices have, we updated the docs over at source.android.com to reflect this reality.

We will still make available as many as possible of the closed-source binaries for these devices, and Nexus devices will continue to have unlockable bootloaders. And, of course, GSM/HSPA+ devices are still supported, as are any other devices we’re able to support. We’ve simply updated the documentation to be clearer about the current extent of CDMA support.

We are of course always working to improve support, and we’ll keep everyone updated as we make improvements. Thanks as always for your interest in AOSP!

The fact that the LTE/CDMA Galaxy Nexus is no longer a supported developer tool doesn’t mean that the device will not continue to receive the latest Android updates, since the smartphone is still a Nexus-branded handset. And all Google Android phones will continue to be upgraded to the latest Android version in a timely manner, at least as long as they’re compatible with such upgrades.

Let’s hear it from Android developers out there, anyone annoyed by Google’s decision to stop supporting CDMA devices in its Android Developer program?

Anyway, two handset names and one software update. This one will arrive as software update 6.12.173.XT912.Verizon.en.US and it will bring your handset up to Android version 2.3.6. And while we are fairly certain that majority of the Droid RAZR users would be much happier had we said Android 4.x Ice Cream Sandwich — this update still looks like it has quite a few changes and improvements. In other words, it looks like it will be a welcomed update.

According to the details coming from Verizon Wireless, the update will measure in at 151.8 MB in size and will take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to download and then another 5 to 10 minutes to install. Bottom line here, make sure you have some time to set aside (where you can go without using your phone) before you begin the update process.

Otherwise, as always you have two options to consider — take the casual approach or the get-it-now approach. We recommend the casual approach just in case something happens or goes wrong and the update is pulled. In that case, just sit back and wait until your handset tells you the update is available. And for those feeling impatient — grab your device and navigate to Menu -> Settings -> About phone -> System updates to get things going. Lastly, here is the changelog which details what you can expect to see;

Applications:

• Mobile Hotspot will now successfully allow other devices to connect to all Internet websites.
• Improvements in the Mobile Hotspot security.
• VZ Navigator has been updated with the latest 3D map improvements.
• Visual Voice Mail Updates: Visual Voice Mail messages can be marked as read. Visual Voice Mail message playback resumes when audio is switched to speaker. Visual Voice Mail will successfully subscribe or unsubscribe while connected with Wi-Fi. Successfully press back key after playback in Visual Voice Mail without error.
• V CAST App now comes preloaded.
• MotoCast installation steps have been improved for easier use.

Data Connectivity:

• Improved stability of data connectivity after Airplane Mode is disabled.
• Improved data throughput performance in low-signal 4G environments.

Device Operation:

• Improved Battery life when using Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) Bluetooth headsets.
• Successfully save multimedia ringtones.
• Favorite Contacts widget has been updated.
• Improved device stability when moving between home screen panels.
• Email icon has been updated for improved visibility.
• When performing an Over the Air (OTA) update, the display will correctly show the remaining download time.
• CMAS (Commercial Mobile Alert Service) feature has been added.

That being said and as much as we hate to admit it — this months numbers are once again as we would have guessed. Bottom line, the older versions such as 1.5 and 1.6 are still holding some ground and the newer version — Android 4.x Ice Cream Sandwich is slowly gaining traction. Of course, on the note of Ice Cream Sandwich, we should point out that Android 4.x now has a full 1 percent of the share. Nonetheless, Gingerbread remains dominant. Anyway, without any further adieu, here are the numbers for the month of January 2011;

• Android 1.5 – 0.6 percent
• Android 1.6 – 1.0 percent
• Android 2.1 – 7.6 percent
• Android 2.2 – 27.8 percent
• Android 2.3 to 2.3.2 – 0.5 percent
• Android 2.3.3 to 2.3.4 – 58.1 percent
• Android 3.0 – 0.1 percent
• Android 3.1 – 1.4 percent
• Android 3.2 – 1.9 percent
• Android 4.0 to 4.0.2 – 0.3 percent
• Android 4.0.3 – 0.7 percent

To sum up the differences, we saw very few changes when comparing these latest numbers to what we saw in December. Cupcake remained the same, Donut dropped by 0.1 percent, Eclair dropped by 0.9 percent, Froyo dropped by 2.6 percent, Gingerbread increased by 3.1 percent, Honeycomb increased by 0.1 percent and Ice Cream Sandwich increased by 0.4 percent. Otherwise, here are the numbers from last month (December 2011);

• Android 1.5 – 0.6 percent
• Android 1.6 – 1.1 percent
• Android 2.1 – 8.5 percent
• Android 2.2 – 30.4 percent
• Android 2.3 to 2.3.2 – 0.6 percent
• Android 2.3.3 to 2.3.4 – 54.9 percent
• Android 3.0 – 0.1 percent
• Android 3.1 – 1.5 percent
• Android 3.2 – 1.7 percent
• Android 4.0 to 4.0.2 – 0.3 percent
• Android 4.0.3 – 0.3 percent

Bottom line, Ice Cream Sandwich is making progress but it will likely be at least a few more months before we see any serious progress being made in terms of user percentage and Gingerbread remains on top with nearly 60 percent of the user base. And the sad sounding part, the now old and outdated versions of Cupcake and Donut still have more share as compared to Ice Cream Sandwich.

According to PocketNow, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore, the company’s Senior Vice President and Windows Phone Manager held a special presentation for Nokia to showcase some of the most important Windows 8 features. Here’s what you can expect from Windows Phone 8 Apollo:

• Multicore processor support
• New screen resolutions – up to four, pixel counts not mentioned
• Removable microSD storage support
• NFC support with carrier-branded and carrier-controlled “wallet experience” via secure element on SIM card or using phone’s hardware
• NFC features: tap-to-share across platforms
• Windows 8 integration – developers will be able to “reuse – by far – most of their code” when repurposing apps from desktop to mobile version
• Zune desktop client integration replaced by a dedicated companion application for syncing purposes
• Xbox Companion app available on Windows 8
• Skydrove support – seamless sharing of data between devices without PC sync
• Access to 100,000 apps in the Marketplace (by Q4 2012)
• Native code support for apps would offer more powerful apps and easier app porting from iOS and Android
• App-to-app communication
• Skype integration
• Basic camera lens app that can be further customized by OEMs
• DataSmart feature/app – tracks mobile data usage and smart Wi-Fi connectivity with WP8 trying to connect to carrier-owned WLANs when possible
• Proxy server support for increased page loading in Internet Explorer 10
• Native 128-bit BitLocker full-disk encryption for enterprise users
• Support for business app

Windows Phone fans will certainly appreciate the new changes as Microsoft is getting more and more serious about becoming an important iOS and Android contender. Maybe RIM should check out these efforts, which could pay off in the following years. After all, Microsoft also had to reinvent itself and move from the hideous Windows Mobile platform to something totally new and build a whole new ecosystem, app store included. Which is exactly what RIM needs to do to, with superheroes of without. But let’s also remember that while WP moves towards a very interesting Apollo version, iOS and Android will also have new features to offer later this year.

What smartphone are you buying in 2012?

The ZTE Optik will be available with Sprint in just a few days time, beginning on February 5th. In terms of the price, those willing to sign a two-year agreement can expect to pay $99.99 and those looking to pay full retail — your price will be $349.99. The data plans that will be available include the following;

• $19.99 for 1GB of data
• $34.99 for 3GB of data
• $49.99 for 6GB of data
• $79.99 for 12GB of data

Otherwise, moving past the pricing and the release date and into the specs. The ZTE Optik will arrive running Android 3.2 Honeycomb and have hardware features to include;

• 7 inch WXGA (1280 x 800) capacitive touchscreen display
• Dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 16GB of internal storage
• 2 megapixel front facing camera
• 5 megapixel rear facing camera

Additionally, the ZTE Optik tablet will have a microSD card slot, GPS, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speakers and a 4000 mAh battery. In terms of pre-loaded software — that list includes the Swype virtual keyboard as well as support for Sprint branded features to include the Sprint Zone, Sprint TV, Sprint Music Plus, Sprint Navigation, Sprint Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile. The Optik tablet will also arrive as a Google powered device which means you can expect to find support for all of the Google services to include the Android Market, Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps with Navigation, Google Books and YouTube.

Bottom line, we suspect some will be disappointed that the ZTE Optik is running Honeycomb as opposed to Ice Cream Sandwich, however we cannot fault a tablet that comes available with a $99.99 (on-contract) price tag. Plus, it is nice to see another 7-inch device come available with carrier support.

Though, just to clarify that last part, Cricket launched the handset as the Huawei Mercury. Anyway, taking that all aside and looking at this recently discovered FCC filing — it looks like Cricket may not be the only US carrier offering the Honor. Or more accurately, judging from the details in the filing it looks like Cricket will no longer be the only carrier capable of offering the Honor.

That being said, the Huawei Honor has been spotted in an FCC filing showing support for AT&T’s 3G bands. More specifically, the FCC filing is showing an Honor smartphone with support for the WCDMA 850/1900 MHz bands. With that, the reminder in that we have yet to hear anything official from either AT&T or Huawei in regards to a release.

Otherwise, as for the remaining features of the Huawei Honor — the handset sports a 4 inch FWVGA (854 x 480) touchscreen display, single-core 1.4GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a front facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear facing camera with 720p video recording.

Additionally, while the handset is running Gingerbread with Cricket Wireless, the Honor has already begun getting its Ice Cream Sandwich update in China which means it will most likely come available elsewhere. Then again, AT&T has only now gotten Gingerbread on the Infuse 4G so we are not all that certain you should buy an Honor with AT&T in hopes of getting Ice Cream Sandwich anytime soon. Nonetheless, Ice Cream Sandwich aside, the Honor (given a fair price) is still a decently spec’d device.

Anyway, Ice Cream Sandwich aside, the Infuse 4G Gingerbread update arrives as Android version 2.3.6 and will be available beginning today (February 1st). That said, we should make this part clear right from the beginning — the update will not be coming over-the-air. Instead, users will need to download the update using a PC and then connect their handset to get it updated. Additionally, the mention of a PC is just that, a Windows running computer because this one will not be available for Mac users. Basically, in order to update you will need to be running Windows 7, Vista or XP.

With that mess all out of the way, lets get into what will be changing and coming. Plus, a special warning for those who have spent any amount of time playing the pre-loaded version of Angry Birds. So without any further adieu, here is the change log (and warning) according to AT&T;

• 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.

The update will remove the promotional Angry Birds pre-load from the device. If you’ve started playing the game, you would need to re-download from the Marketplace and start from the beginning of the game.

That being said, this latest bit is coming from the Inside BlackBerry Developers Blog where they have put out the reminder for those looking to submit an Android app into the BlackBerry App World. According to the details coming from that posting;

“In order to ensure that your packaged and signed Android app is available in the BlackBerry App World storefront for the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, be sure to have your app submitted by Monday, February 6th, 2012.”

Of course, we are not expecting the PlayBook OS 2.0 to come available on that same day, however we suspect the roll-out will come fairly soon after. And while we now have a confirmation that the release will arrive in February we are going to be on the lookout for a specific date. Otherwise, little else was provided aside from a few tips for developers — of which they are actually giving an interesting look for anyone. It seems that RIM is trying to take the Android out of the app which sort of makes sense for the end user. At that point, an app will be an app.

Anyway, the directions for developers include how they must remove all links to the Android Market and perhaps a bit more telling — how they need to “make sure to remove all mention of the word “Android” from your application” in both the “application description and the application itself.” With that, we here in the TFTS offices are going to make sure our PlayBook is charged up and ready to go when OS 2.0 comes available for download.

That being said, Intuit has officially announced the release of the Mint.com app for Android tablets. More specifically, a Mint.com app designed for Android devices running 3.0 or later. The app is available by way of the Android Market and similar to the other versions — it is both free to download and free to use.

With that, those already using (or familiar) with Mint.com will understand the features and most likely be happy that a version has come available for Android tablets. And for those not as familiar with Mint.com, or for those who have been sporting an Android tablet and have been angry and ignoring Mint because of the lack of app — here is how the feature set breaks down;

• Organize all accounts: One tap gives users a complete overview of their finances; helps them review account balances and automatically categorizes transactions.
• Obtain financial insight: Detailed graphs drill into spending by category, such as food, clothing and travel, or spending over time; provide customizable date ranges for a personalized view.
• Stay on top of spending: Personalized budgets track spending help users reach financial goals.
• Get personalized updates: Streaming delivery of account alerts, bill reminders and personalized advice provides the most up-to-date information and helps people make smart financial decisions.
• Track cash spending: Enter cash transactions while on the go to more accurately capture spending.
• Easily find transactions: The search bar helps users find specific transactions or purchases by merchant, category or tags.
• Review finances anywhere: No Internet? No problem. Storing information from the latest download allows easier viewing of finances, anytime, anywhere.

Reuters reports that the EU is looking into the way Samsung is using patents that are essential to European mobile telephony standards:

Samsung pledged in 1998 to license its patents to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.

“The (European) Commission will investigate, in particular, whether in doing so (seeking injunctions on patent infringements in 2011) Samsung has failed to honor its irrevocable commitment given in 1998 to the European Telecommunications Standards,” the EU executive said.

“In order to guarantee undistorted competition and to reap the positive economic effects of standardization it is important that FRAND commitments be fully honored by the concerned undertakings,” it said.

Samsung and Apple are haggling over turf in the mobile business, and they’re suing and counter-suing each other in over 30 cases in 10 countries, including various European states. In addition to Samsung, the EU may soon initiate a similar probe into Motorola’s use of FRAND patents, another important Android maker that’s fighting with Apple in various international courts, although such action has not been initiated at this time.

In case the European Commission will find that Samsung is breaching EU antitrust laws it could fine the South Korean Android device maker up to 10 percent of its global turnover, which would amount to quite an impressive sum. After all, Samsung is making plenty of cash of its various businesses. It will be interesting to see whether the EU intervention will favor Apple in any way in the coming months, although let’s not forget that Apple is doing pretty good on its own, having recently defeated two Samsung 3G patent claims – the kind of patents the EU is going to be looking into.

What’s most interesting is that the court invoked other legal reasons to keep the initial ruling in place instead of recognizing Apple’s design rights, which the Cupertino-based company has been using against Samsung in various international courts including Germany:

But this doesn’t mean that Samsung lost all the way: the appeals court based its decision on a violation of German unfair competition law (Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb, UWG), while the lower court’s ruling was based on a finding of a violation of a Community design, the European equivalent of a U.S. design patent.

However, FOSS Patents explains, this is not a total loss for Samsung yet, as the company is still free to sell the modified Galaxy Tab 10.1N in Germany, at least until February 9 when the Duesseldorf Regional Court will decide whether an injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1N is also due. What’s more important for the South Korean company is the fact that Apple did not win this one on its design claims, and this legal victory can’t be replicated in other countries in which Apple is suing Samsung for similar reasons:

Apple can’t replicate the German decision in other countries since German unfair competition law is pretty unique. A win based on an EU-wide design right would have been strategically more valuable to Apple. Even though Samsung formally lost its appeal because the preliminary injunction remains in force, it succeeded in defeating Apple’s design right.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that the legal fight between the two companies is far from over, even though Apple continues to score small victory after small victory against Samsung.

By now, you should know the drill. You get to name your own price for a bundle of high quality indie games, and you get to decide how much of your money goes to the developers, how much goes to the folks who put the bundle together, and how much goes to the Child’s Play charity and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Anomaly: Warzone Earth, EDGE, and Osmos are the games included in this particular bundle. Pay more than the average and you’ll get a copy of World of Goo on the house. Osmos and World of Goo have both appeared in past Humble Bundles, so there isn’t much here for avid Humble Indie Bundle supporters. Still, as far as I know, Anomaly: Warzone Earth and EDGE are making their Humble Bundle debuts here, so it isn’t like there’s nothing new for those who have purchased every Humble Bundle so far.

Like every Humble Indie Bundle before this one, you can probably expect bonus games to be added later, though that may be tricky considering that each game in this bundle needs to be compatible with Android. The average purchase price currently sits at $5.63, so if you’re strapped for cash but really want World of Goo, it might be a better idea to wait for the average purchase price to drop after more people have bought the bundle.

If this latest Humble Indie Bundle is something you’re interested in, hit the source link below to be taken right to the Humble Indie Bundle landing page. As always, keep it tuned right here to TFTS – we’ll be sure to update you if any new games are added to this bundle!

That being said, according to the details provided by the folks at Samsung — the Galaxy S Advance will be available in Russia next month (February) and then proceed to roll-out globally. The countries noted for the global release include CIS, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia, Latin America and China. And as to that global timeframe, that was described as being “eventually rolled out.”

Otherwise, nothing yet in terms of pricing, but with the roll-out process the way it is — we suspect we will begin seeing individual carrier announcements and pricing details as we get closer to each release. In the meantime, Samsung was kind enough to provide a few images as well as a complete set of specs.

In terms of the handset, the Galaxy S Advance will feature a 4 inch WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED touchscreen, dual-core 1GHz processor, 8 or 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 1500 mAh battery, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack and a Stereo FM Radio with RDA. In addition, the handset will have a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear facing camera with auto-focus and dual LED flash.

Moving over to the software and those considering the handset can expect to get Android 2.3 Gingerbread along with Samsung’s TouchWiz / L!ve Panel user interface. Also worth noting on the software will be the Google services such as Gmail, Google Maps and the Android Market along with Samsung’s ChatON, the Readers Hub, Music Hub and Game Hub. And lastly, the Galaxy S Advance will also feature Find My Mobile which is “a unique lost-phone management system that ensures secure phone data encryption in case of phone loss, and that enables users to trace their lost phone directly via the Web or even delete the device’s data remotely.”