It’s Monday once again. I hope you all had a great Super Bowl weekend but it’s back to the daily grind. The brightside? We have a healthy dose of the Android Overload for you tonight. These are the stories that made it past our desks throughout the day and before we toss them in the bin, we figured you let you guys give them a final once over. The one I particularly enjoyed taking a look at was the Cowon Z2 Plenue — not because of its specs — but because of its robust EQ settings. Wonder if someone could extract and port that to other Android devices? Here’s to hoping! Night, everyone.

• Facebook may be planning to include in-line ads to their mobile app. [PCWorld]
• GameCIH will give you cheats in just about any game (root required). [DroidGamers]
• Sprint creates site to show iDEN tower eliminations. [Electronista]
• Samsung is not affiliate with this Israeli ad showing off their tablet. Iran isn’t too happy [AllThingsD]
• Cowon Z2 Plenue now available. [EverythingUSB]
• AT&T throttling grandfathered unlimited data accounts after 2.1GB of usage. [iLounge]

Our friends at BriefMobile reported a few days ago that the Atrix 4G would soon be receiving it’s Android 2.3.x update, bringing the software up to version 4.5.141. Well, that special day for Atrix users is February 7th which just so happens to be tomorrow (today). TalkAndroid received further confirmation of this with a message from Motorola stating,

“Tomorrow [February 7th] after 12 Central/10 Pacific, you will receive a pop-up message on your phone that will mark the beginning of  the software pre-release test."

The update will bring with it the usual bug fixes as well as:

• Latest Android security fixes from Android 2.3.6+
• Bluetooth voice commands while the device is asleep
• Improvements to the Messaging and Contacts applications (unspecified)
• WiFi settings update and AT&T Mobile Hotspot usage built-in
• Increases in stability, power management

Kind of a bummer for those expecting Android 4.0 but something tells me it could be awhile before we see the Atrix receive a frosty Ice Cream Sandwich update. That is, if you forgo the easy root method and have something against CyanogenMod.

Now, take this as a grain of salt but apparently, the insanely popular iOS app Instagram could/might/possibly be making its way over to Android if this pop-up notification on TatWZA’s Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is to be believed.

Now, I’m a little rusty with Android’s tablet UI (it’s been awhile since I had my Samsung G-Tab) but if legit, where exactly is this notification originating from? The Android Market? If this is somehow Android/Google/Samsung endorsed, it’s possible the ad leaked out ahead of the official Instagram launch but then again — it could very well be malware.

It was only a few days ago a faked Instagram app appeared in the Android Market (with 5-star ratings from its users) from an unknown developer. The app was promptly removed only moments later. Many times, malicious apps will display Airpush ads in a device’s notification bar advertising “updates” to the Android Market or hot apps like Instagram. This could very well be nothing more than that.

If this is, in fact, a leak for the official Android version of Instagram, all I have to say is — ’bout damn time.

[InFlexWeTrust]

There’s no doubt developers have caught on that making their application(s) Android compatible opens up doors of revenue and mass exposure. However, there are a couple popular applications that haven’t quite made it over yet – and of them Instagram is sought after by many. We’ve known about their plans to make it Android compatible for quite some time, but how much longer will we have to wait?

Instagram may be hitting Android soon, and from the snapshot below I’d say very soon. This message popped up on a member’s Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 over at InFlexWeTrust. However, when he went to download the file, the Android Market link was broken. Could we really be seeing two great iOS apps converted to Android in the same month? The highly anticipated game Temple Run should launch on Android shorty as well.

In many cases, Instagram is one of the few apps that can actually sway a person to purchase an iPhone over Android. Sure there are alternatives like PicPlz and Snapbucket – but they’re not Instagram. Application software is becoming universally compatible at such a rapid rate, it will be soon be a hardware game alone for manufactures. Keep your eyes peeled in the Android Market, and let us know right when you spot it!

[via AndroidGuys]

Seems this Friday will be a huge day for Verizon customers. If you were waiting for the next generation Motorola Droid 4, the device will officially be available February 10th, for $200 on a 2-year agreement. And that’s not all Verizon Wireless has in store.

Their famous buy-one-get-one free offer is back, this time for the now colorful Motorola Droid RAZR and even its slightly thicker but longer lasting brother, the recently released Motorola Droid MAXX. Big Red has also brought back their double data promotion, offering up 4GB of 4G LTE data for only $30 with any smartphone purchase.

Have a parent or friend still stuck in 1999? Well, Verizon is also giving $30 giftcards in-store for those who are willing to part ways with their old feature/dumb phone. Lastly, if one of Verizon’s 4G tablets was on your radar, you can score $100 off with any smartphone purchase and 2-year agreement.

Phew! Looks like Verizon Wireless will be the carrier to beat this Valentine’s Day if you’re looking to upgrade your phone for you and your honey. Anyone taking them up on any of these offers?

[BGR]

We’re not going to lie, when Google introduced its “Bouncer” solution to the malware problem evident in the Android Market – it was comforting to know they would take antivirus protection into their own hands. Well, it seems that may not make a lick of difference for some rare cases. Professor Xuxian Jiang at North Carolina State University have recently found a new form of malware threatening Android’s security.

It’s completely undetectable to current antivirus programs, and still causes just as much havoc. They’ve codnamed it ‘Rootsmart’, and it downloads code from a remote server without any way of knowing it’s running in the background. This downloaded code is then used to compromise your text messages, phone calls, and even data usage.

If Google Bouncer or any other antivirus doesn’t detect a virus, then there’s just no way to tell it’s there to the untrained eye. There is however a way to prevent encountering this malicious software. Don’t go downloading illegal ‘cracked’ versions of applications from mass sharing sites, and make sure what you are downloading is legit through conducting a little background research. It’s terrible to be a victim of identity theft, so do what you can to prevent it from happening.

[via Forbes]

We already know that Android users are more promiscuous than all the other mobile OS user out there and what better way to help you seal the deal on Valentine’s Day than getting your special someone a brand spankin’ new Android device?

Forget those 5ft tall stuff animals at the fair (seriously, where do you keep those?), Verizon Wireless is giving away colored Motorola Droid Razr’s for those romantic Droids who can tweet the most “creative (hopefully not indecent) confessions” between February 13th and 14th using the hashtag #TweetHeart. If you win and decide to keep the purple Razr for yourself, shoot. I wouldn’t blame ya.

[Twitter]

If you thought Google’s newly introduced malware detection tool, Bouncer, would be enough to allow you to go download crazy in the Android Market, you may want to have a seat.

According to Forbes, a North Carolina State University professor detailed on his blog how he and his team discovered a new malware threat that when installed, can evade virus scans and permission requests, making any wrongdoing virtually undetectable. Dubbed “Rootsmart, ” the app uses a process called “privilege escalation” that after having been installed for a few hours (days even), will begin downloading new code from a remote server hiding the data transfer in the phone’s normal communications.

The downloaded code is the ever popular “Gingerbreak” exploit that we’ve told you guys about in past which is able to gain complete access to a device’s SMS, phone calls, data — even recording sensitive phone conversations. Theoretically, Bouncer wouldn’t be able to detect malware in the app because the known malware (Gingerbreak in this case) wouldn’t initially be found in the app.

The cat-and-mouse game continues and like we’ve learned so many times in the past, where there are evildoers, nothing can ever be 100% full proof. Although the offending code has yet to be found anywhere in the Android Market (only 3rd party Chinese app site) one should always be cautious when installing apps from unknown sources — especially sketchy sites offering free pirated apps online.

[Forbes]

Those of you who were Rdio users prior to purchasing a Samsung Galaxy Nexus were probably wondering when it would be updated to Android 4.0. It is now perfectly compatible, and even underwent a much welcomed UI transformation. Like other music streaming apps, Rdio offers an great collection of over 12 million songs that can be instantly streamed to any Android device.

Just like Spotify and Grooveshark, songs can be cached for offline playback. It’s hard to decide which one to subscribe to – as all offer access to so many songs. But more likely than not, you’ve already taken a liking to one prior to reading this. And there, you’ve made your playlists and populated your music library through your personal account.

So why would you jump services if all offer the same features? You wouldn’t. And that’s why survival and growth completely depends on future device compatibility. As long as Rdio, Spotify, Grooveshark, and many others continue to support the latest firmware and devices – they’ll be able to retain there subscribers.

Story Timeline

• Spotify streaming music mobile demo for Android [Video] on May 28th 2009
• Grooveshark for Android with Improved Updates on Oct 13th 2010
• Spotify for Android update suits tablets, speeds performance on Dec 2nd 2010
• Spotify Premium Members reach 2 Million Mark on Sep 21st 2011
• Spotify adds Android Preview app with Facebook sign-in and sharing on Oct 26th 2011

[via MobileBurn]

A few weeks back, we told you guys about how Samsung was attempting to gain an “Apple like” following with their products and yesterday’s Super Bowl ad was the climax of that, giving us a magnificently showy conclusion to the “The Next Big Thing” ad campaign.

The video showcased Apple fanboys/girls who — after taking a look at Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note — finally had enough of their prison that was the iPhone X line, waiting around for the next best thing when it was already here. These brand new Samsung converts skipped and danced their way out of Apple’s line/jail and into the bright wonderful streets of Samsung’s smartphone lineup with, none other than The Darkness, providing vocals for what even “the barrista” called an over the top ad spot.

While I don’t have any issue with the ad (it was the Super Bowl after all) and even though I did feel like it was bordering on the edge of “cheesy,” I can’t lie, I did crack a smile, especially when I saw Phandroid’s Kevin Krause look-alike being shot from a 2-story canon. But here’s my problem (if you can even call it that).

Aside from our Android readers who have most likely seen their entire ad campaign thanks to Phandroid’s razor sharp reporting, many people watching the ad had absolutely no context on which to base the commercial upon. For many of them, this was the very first Samsung ad they’ve seen in their living rooms. And while I’m sure most got the basic picture of “iPhone isn’t that great, Galaxy Note has a stylus,” things were still a little unclear for people. I was actually asked if it was a T-Mobile ad thanks to Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins wearing magenta stripped tights.

Now, I’m nothing more than a lonely blogger, but I think if Samsung wants to gain a strong “Apple-like” following, they’re going to need to do a few things first:

1. Start offering fewer, high-end devices: This could be a new Galaxy device that launches every year with top of the line specs and leave it at that. No, Galaxy S II, GSII Skyrocket, GSII Skyrocket HD. It muddies up the line and confuses consumers.
2. Support current devices: Now this is easier said than done when Samsung makes everything from low-end budget, to high-end devices. But it needs to become more of a priority. Make your current customers proud they own a Samsung smartphone and they’re sure to tell their friends. Updated software should never be used as a marketing gimmick to force users to upgrade, especially if current gen hardware could realistically support it.
3. Make the US a priority: The GSII launched in Korea first — I get that. But we, in the US, waited for almost a year before we were able to get the device through our carrier. Now, I’m not saying we should get a device first (from what I hear, there are other countries in world besides the US) but if possible, global releases should be as close to each other as possible, providing Samsung factories can support the demand.
4. Sell better: Make ads that show off features and functions people will use. Your phone is 5-inches and comes with a stylus. Show off hypothetical situation that could arise from having this functionality in a phone.

I understand that a lot of these suggestions rely largely on carrier cooperation and not I’m saying saying Samsung is at all to blame for this. Also, I don’t want this to be seen as a Samsung bashing post — I recently switched to the Galaxy S II on Sprint and without a doubt, it’s the best device I’ve ever own in smartphone life — I just wanted to create some dialog with our readers and give my humble point of view in the process.

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the Samsung’s Galaxy S II ad during the Super Bowl? Hit or miss? More importantly, what do you think Samsung needs to do from here on out if they really want this coveted religious following?

We had quite a few stories today, and the most interesting may well be the rumor of some Android-based HUD glasses from Google. There have been rumors suggesting a secret project is in the works to bring some augmented reality glasses to public testing soon. It will apparently only be for one eye, and on the side. Unfortunately, it’s not likely they will be see through – so don’t plan on becoming a ‘terminator’ quite yet.

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus had an update to 4.0.4 leak today, and it has proved to improve users’ signals in just about every way. It hasn’t officially rolled out yet, but isn’t difficult at all to install. Find out more information on how to upgrade here.

Have you checked Facebook lately on your Android smartphone or tablet? The official Facebook app should see mobile ads incorporated starting in March, so enjoy your ad-free application while you can! Adding inline ads could potentially boost their revenue to unheard-of amounts. There’s no doubt you’ve accidentally tapped one of those ads while navigating through countless other applications.

And we were also graced with another Samsung Galaxy S III rumor – one that suggests it will be 7mm thin! So now we’ve got a 7mm, waterproof, 12MP camera, and full-touchscreen display that spans . At this point it’s hard to imagine an area of improvement for the device.

Chances are, if you’ve downloaded your share of applications from the Android Market you’ve run into at least one situation where the the app will ask (sometimes require) the user to give it a 5 star rating in the Market before continuing. By clicking “yes,” a user will then be taken to the application in the Market where they can rate it.

Whether or not the app is deserving of a 5-star rating is one thing, but did you know that you don’t even have to rate it the app at all to continue? It’s true. Simply click “yes” to rating the app in the Market and you can immediately click the back button to continue as usual. There is no way for an app to track and see if you’ve actually rated it.

Now, if you’re downloading apps that are requiring you to rate before playing, not only should you be concerned (many apps containing malware will require this to bait more users) but you might want to warn other would-be downloaders by making this known in the Market. Keep in mind, many perfectly safe and deserving apps will ask or remind you to rate the app in the Market and you should. Android developers live and die by their app ratings and if you want to help make Android a better place, by all means — RATE.

Thanks, Marc!

[Reddit]

A few months ago we brought you news that LibreOffice, the open source offshoot of popular free office suite Open Office, was headed to Android. While it would be wrong to say that the team of developers is making rapid progress, progress is nonetheless being made. The prototype app for Android tablets (Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich) was recently shown off in a single screenshot. Without passing too much judgement this early in development, I can say this: for those frustrated with the relatively sparse feature-sets of mobile office suites like Google Docs, it’ll be well worth the wait.

LibreOffice is published by a series of volunteer developers called The Document Foundation. The team is mostly former members of the Open Office project who left when Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, who had previously funded Open Office. With more than 8 million downloads in 2011 alone, it’s fast become one of the favorite free office suites for desktops, and is included by default in many Linux distributions. In addition to Android and iOS versions, The Document Foundation hopes to create online editions of the various application in LibreOffice using HTML 5.

LibreOffice includes all the basics of an office suite: a Word-style document manager, spreadsheet program, presentation program (PowerPoint-style), database manager, vector tool and formula editor. It’s not clear which of these programs will make it to the Android port, though the first three would seem to be a given. There’s clearly a lot of work that needs to be done (especially to create a powerful yet touch-friendly interface) but the project remains an exciting one for work-focused Android users.

[via ArsTechnica]

Believe it or don’t, there’s still plenty of people out there who just want a little flexible media playing in their mobile device, and at least six or seven of them haven’t already bought an iPod Touch. For that market, Cowon makes some stylish and acoustically sound products, which they’ve lately been loading with Android. The latest is the Z2 Plenue, and no, we don’t know what “Plenue” means, either. The device is on sale in South Korea now, but probably won’t make it outside of Asia for a few months at the very least.

With a 1Ghz processor and 512MB of RAM, not to mention a 3.7-inch 800×480 OLED display, the Z2 Plenue is the equal of the original Nexus One and HTC Incredible, at least as far as power and visibility goes. Storage options range from 8GB all the way to 32GB, with the extra trick of being NTFS-formatted, so files larger than 4GB (like, say, HD video rips) can fit on the device’s storage without issue. If even that isn’t enough, you can augment it with the open MicroSD card slot. Connection options include the basic Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and you get an FM tuner to sweeten the deal.

While three capacitive navigation buttons are shown, so is a pretty heavily modified Android skin, to the point that it’s impossible to tell which version of Android is running underneath it. Based on the promo photo there appears to be some kind of proprietary app store that’s definitely not the Android Market. If you’re interested and you’re in Korea, you can pick up a Cowon Z2 Plenue for $200-300 in local currency, depending on storage capacity.

[via Geeky Gadgets]

HTC doesn’t look so hot at the moment, at least from a financial point of view. But that doesn’t mean they’re resting on their laurels. The Taiwanese manufacturer announced a new department, code-named “Studio”, which will report directly to CEO Peter Chou. The Studio division (which probably isn’t its final name) will be compromised of leading designers and engineers, with the purpose of overcoming some of the company’s identified shortcomings in its 2011 devices.

Two design aspects in particular that they identified as needing revision are thinness of phones’ profiles and the relationship between LTE connections and battery drain. Anyone who’s owned an HTC ThunderBolt can identify with these problems, and its successors the Rezound and Vivid aren’t all that much better. All this is compounded by smaller and for the most part better phones from HTC’s primary competitors: the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE (AKA the Skyrocket on AT&T) and the Motorola DROID RAZR. HTC’s obviously working fast, as the much-leaked HTC Ville headed to Mobile World Congress is already shaping up to be a thin, powerful phone.

Also of note in their conference call was a hint towards a more “open-minded” attitude when it comes to selecting components. The HTC representative specifically mentioned CPUs in this context. Considering the Ville’s supposed launch partner, the HTC Edge, that makes a lot of sense: the Edge will probably be the first smartphone to use an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, as opposed to HTC’s usual Qualcomm SoC’s. Both devices are expected to make an appearance at HTC’s pre-Mobile World Congress event in late February.

Story Timeline

• HTC Primo leaks: Android 4.0, Beats Audio, and budget friendly on Jan 23rd 2012
• HTC pledges to follow a 'Hero Device' strategy for 2012 on Jan 26th 2012
• HTC Sense 4.0 details emerge before Mobile World Congress on Jan 27th 2012
• HTC Ville prototype caught on video on Jan 31st 2012
• HTC promises fix for WiFi security flaw, some phones already updated on Feb 2nd 2012
• HTC posts somber 2011 results, low predictions for 2012 on Feb 6th 2012
• HTC Ville leaks again in new spy photos on Feb 6th 2012

[via Unwired View]

We knew it was coming but today Samsung made it official. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus in white is real, and coming soon. It will be available starting on February 13th and will be identical to the regular model — only white as snow. Sadly it being available so late it has missed the snow for many markets, but then that depends on where you live.

Like mentioned above, the white edition will be on sale starting February 13th in locations throughout the UK, and we can expect more to follow shortly. No US carriers have announced any plans yet but most likely we’ll see it hit some 3rd party retailers like Amazon, RadioShack and others eventually — only the GSM version.

We first saw some pre-orders followed by officially leaked pictures but today Samsung has officially confirmed the handset. Since these are GSM and unlocked Samsung will be offering them for a pretty penny, but you’ll be able to choose from the 16GB and the 32GB models. Samsung themselves didn’t offer any official pricing but being unlocked they probably wont be too cheap.

Do you want a white Galaxy Nexus?

Story Timeline

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus (LTE) Review on Dec 21st 2011
• White Galaxy Nexus and 32GB model coming to the UK soon on Jan 5th 2012
• White Galaxy Nexus press photos appear on Jan 6th 2012
• Galaxy Nexus snow white version spotted in the wild on Jan 15th 2012

// startHeight ? startHeight : newHeight; box.animate({height:newHeight,duration:500, easing:'bounceEaseOut'},function(){ if(boxH > startHeight){ jQuery('#toggle_device a').text('See More'); jQuery('.ac_device_spec a').css('background','url(http://cdn.androidcommunity.com/wp-content/themes/ewdisonv2/images/acw_device_down.gif) no-repeat'); } else {jQuery('#toggle_device a').text('See Less'); jQuery('.ac_device_spec a').css('background','url(http://cdn.androidcommunity.com/wp-content/themes/ewdisonv2/images/acw_device_up.gif) no-repeat'); } } ); }); }); // ]]> Device Specifications and Information Device Info

Device Name : GALAXY Nexus

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : October 18, 2011

Release Date : December 15, 2011

Also Known As : Nexus Prime

Display

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

Dimension & Weight

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

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

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

Software

Android OS:
• 4.0.x

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

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

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : OMAP 4460

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution :5 MP

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

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• GSM
• CDMA

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

[via SlashGear]

After a firestorm of controversy late last week, Google, Verizon and a lot of others caught flack for apparently abandoning support of the CDMA flavors of its developer devices: the Galaxy Nexus and Motorola XOOM on Verizon, as well as the older Nexus S 4G. After the devices disappeared from the listings on the Android.com developer portal. The only thing remaining for any CDMA device is the early builds for the Galaxy Nexus, and those are marked  as “for reference only”. This led to speculation that Google had halted support for said devices, and in a way, they have.

Google will no longer publish the updated system software images for the three devices, because connecting to a CDMA network requires digital files and programs signed by the operator of that network, which can’t be open-sourced. Technically, this means that the entire ROM can’t be called “open source”, and therefore doesn’t belong on AOSP (Android Open Source Project). However, Google has updated its initial statement on Google Groups, reassuring device owners that they will continue to support the software even though it isn’t being posted to the AOSP repository.

Here’s their second statement in full (emphasis added):

Hi, all! Thanks for all the questions. Here’s a quick omnibus to answer thequestions folks have asked… First, just to be clear this change is only related to AOSP support forthese devices — that is, personal custom builds. These are obviously still officially-supported Nexus devices for everyday use, they will receive official software updates, and so on. Similarly, these are still fully-supported development devices for app developers.

Second, as I noted at the top of the thread, Nexus devices will still haveunlocked bootloaders, and we’ll continue to make available as many of the closed-source binaries as we can. CDMA support in AOSP has always been morechallenging than GSM, and this change is a reflection of that reality.

On that topic, here’s a quick clarification on the core issue. Every devicehas a number of closed-source software packages included on it. Though Google distributes some of these binaries for Nexus devices for use with AOSP, Google does not own the software. Rather, this software is variously owned by the device manufacturer, the carrier, and their suppliers. We tryto get distribution rights for as many of these binaries as possible, butin some cases it is difficult or impossible to obtain these rights. (CDMA specifically has a tricky history of intellectual property.) Combined withthe technical issues of needing to sign the apks correctly, this has prevented us from obtaining the distribution rights we need to supportthese devices in AOSP.

Finally, we will of course continue to work on improving support. If we can resolve these issues, we’ll certainly restore CDMA support to AOSP. In the meantime, we’ve updated our docs to be more accurate about the degree ofsupport.

So what it boils down to is this: Google either had some sort of agreement with the owners of the copyrighted code in the CDMA portions of the Android software images, or the owners either didn’t know or didn’t care about its distribution. Apparently, that’s no longer the case. Google has lost the right to distribute this code, or never had it in the first place and it’s now being enforced. GSM and WiFi operate on a collection of open standards, so this isn’t a problem for other phones like the standard models of the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S or the WiFi-only XOOM.

Google claims that they will continue to support CDMA phones to the best of their abilities, particularly when it comes to the binaries that developers need. They also hope to restore CDMA support to the Android Open Source Project at some point. This still leaves Android users with two questions: one, does this limited support include software updates directly from Google, or must the CDMA devices get them after the carriers and manufacturers have added their copyrighted code? If users can’t download the latest software from Google, how could they get it any other way?

And two: why the sudden change in policy? Why is this CDMA restriction in the open source code being enforced now, almost a year after the XOOM became the first developer device on a CDMA network? At this point, Google isn’t being particularly chatty on either subject.

Remember that Nexus and developer devices have always come with, and will continue to come with, unlockable bootloaders. The impact that this move has on custom ROMs for Nexus phones and the XOOM is almost zero. Even so, this change sets a worrying precedent for anyone who wants to use a developer device on the CDMA network of their choice.

// startHeight ? startHeight : newHeight; box.animate({height:newHeight,duration:500, easing:'bounceEaseOut'},function(){ if(boxH > startHeight){ jQuery('#toggle_device a').text('See More'); jQuery('.ac_device_spec a').css('background','url(http://cdn.androidcommunity.com/wp-content/themes/ewdisonv2/images/acw_device_down.gif) no-repeat'); } else {jQuery('#toggle_device a').text('See Less'); jQuery('.ac_device_spec a').css('background','url(http://cdn.androidcommunity.com/wp-content/themes/ewdisonv2/images/acw_device_up.gif) no-repeat'); } } ); }); }); // ]]> Device Specifications and Information Device Info

Device Name : GALAXY Nexus 4G [Verizon]

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : December 14, 2011

Release Date : December 15, 2011

Also Known As : Nexus Prime

Display

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

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.33 Inch
• Width : 2.67 Inch
• Depth : 0.37 Inch
• Weight : 150 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1850 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : 150 hours

Software

Android OS:
• 4.0.x

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

Video Playback:
• h.264 / AVC

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : OMAP 4460

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution :5 MP

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

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• CDMA

CDMA Band:
• 900
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

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

FM Radio :

NFC :

Canadians are getting a chance to get in on some giveaway love. Samsung Canada wants people to express their artistic creativity with the Samsung Galaxy Note and are giving away five units of the 5.3 inch, Exynos-toting device. All you have to do is give up the normal slate of contact information and you’ll be entered for a chance to win. Head over there and take care of that now. [Samsung Canada via MobileSyrup]

We heard rumblings about a secret project deep within the bowels of Google back in December: that the company’s skunkworks division, known as “Google X”, was working on a heads-up display technology that runs on Android. Now 9to5Google is claiming more insider information, most importantly that the augmented reality  glasses will be seeing a public testing soon, in the same fashion that the CR-48 Chrome laptop was distributed in early 2011. The source claims that Google is still ironing out the details, but whatever the company does, it’ll be “soon”.

The Google Glasses cram a surprising amount of tech into a small package, that reportedly bears a strong resemblance to Oakley’s Thump MP3 sunglasses from way back in 2004. Unlike the more scifi-inspired designs of TV and movies, the HUD screen is only on one lens, and isn’t transparent – it’s more like IBM’s designs for wearable computers from decades ago. A tiny camera and flash allow for augmented reality, as well as regular photos and presumably videos. The user interface navigates by a head-turning motion for scrolling and clicking. The miniaturized computer hardware is apparently equal to an Androied phone from about a year ago, and yes, it can make calls.

If this all seems a bit out there, remember two things: this couldn’t be less official if it was hand-delivered to us by a leprechaun, and Google loves to try crazy stuff. Their driverless car program is one of the best in the world, and while it doesn’t necessarily have much to do with their core business, neither did Android when they purchased it over four years ago. If the above information is accurate, and it turns out that Google really is interested in pursuing this as a possible consumer product, we’d throw out our Ray-Bans and be the first in line to try it. Now pardon me: I have to go re-read Daniel Suarez’s Daemon.

Meet ANDRU. This little Android robot collectible powered by a new company called Gen can sit at your desk as you show off your love for Android with the included stand, then transform and charge your phone at the same time. Already an iconic image — the Android robot mascot now doubles as your charger. We were lucky enough to get one for a quick hands-on video and a few pictures so check it out.

There really isn’t much to say here other than this little charger is awesome. If you love Android gear this is for you. It’s a charger that will power all Android smartphones with micro-USB and it can also sit and look pretty on you desk at home, or work. Being only 2.5″ it is small and lightweight. ANDRU is made out of a soft matte covered rubber and is soft to the touch. The robot antenna’s are always a worry for many. Here they’re made from rubber that bends, and wont break like many other collectibles.

The stand easily pulls off, but clicks into place so you wont have to worry about it falling or getting lost. Andy’s eyes glow white once plugged into the outlet in standby mode, then glow blue while charging. It isn’t anything revolutionary and wont magically charge your device cable free — but it is neat, fun, and can be yours for only $25 — available today.

ANDRU Charger Link

ANDRU USB Charger hands-on