Image Credit: Zandog (AG Design)

 Many Infuse owners have been waiting for this day for a long time. The Samsung Infuse 4G was released in May 2011 and was promised to be upgraded to Gingerbread, however the update from AT&T was delayed and the device continued to operate on Android 2.2 through the end of the year. Those who own the device will now benefit from improved copy and paste functionality, a redesigned keyboard, improved power management, a download manager and new widgets. The push is not being sent over-the-air, so users wanting to update will need to download the latest version of Samsung’s Kies Mini to upgrade their devices.

Read

© 2012, tsowen. All rights reserved.

For over five years, we've been a home to community members who appreciate the right they have to develop new content for devices they own and share it with the world. PPCGeeks has never been a place to denounce or deprive its community of opportunities to be creative, be advanced, and be innovative. As you can imagine, we have been with much distraught in the wake of the recent developments of two bills in the United States, the "Stop Online Piracy Act" and the "Protect-IP Act", also known as SOPA and PIPA.

Both of these acts, in short, destroy the very fundamental part of the internet we are built upon - the free and unfiltered exchange of knowledge. Thousands of other websites, including Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, Youtube, RootzWiki, and many others like ourselves are built upon the ability for its users to add content and allow it to be placed without first being filtered or approved, ensuring it is not in violation of copyright. It is also essential that we remain free to not be restricted by a "guilty-first" philosophy, which prevents sites to develop themselves under fear of being indited by Governments. SOPA and PIPA - if enacted - destroy the foundation our Internet is built upon, including websites such as PPCGeeks.

This goes against ever we stand for - and this is what is entailed within both SOPA and PIPA's legislation, currently in the process of being discussed within Congress. As a site that is not only based in the United States, but also carrying a very strong American population, we feel standing idly by the wake of such an act is foolish and ignorant.

For 16 hours, on January 18th, we willl be joining such other websites in our community such as XDA-Developers, as well as in the greater spectrum such as Wikipedia, to protest the enactment of SOPA / PIPA and its potentially detrimental effects on our way of life on the Internet by shutting down all our services at PPCGeeks and displaying this protest statement regarding SOPA / PIPA starting Wednesday Morning from 7 AM until 8 PM EDT. After which PPCGeeks will return to its regular state as a website.

We urge everyone with a voice to use it, and to express concern to their Congressmen or to sign petitions available in other communities. Join us in fighting SOPA and ensuring our Governments are aware of what WE want our Internet to be. Free, Open, and For Everyone.

Sincerely,

© 2012, Wideawake. All rights reserved.

We have finally come into a position to pay a little money for some hard work and are currently seeking News Writers for PPCGeeks. I (tsowen) will be taking over as the News Administrator/ Editor in Chief. We have a few slots that are available and we are looking for serious applicants that are serious about writing for us. Here is a list of some information we will need from you:

·         What history in writing do you have?
·         Have you written for any other sites?
·         Why are you interested in being at PPCGeeks?
·         What do you think you are going to bring to the table?
·         Please provide us with some info about yourself.
·         What device do you currently use?
·         Are you familiar with WordPress?

Our goal is to get serious when it comes to our Front Page News Section; we are looking for how-to articles, application review articles and news from our forum as well as the latest industry news. Here is what you will receive:

·         1 Editorial/Month/Writer @ $5
·         4 Forum-Related/Month/Writer News @ $3
·         20 Internet/web Rewrites/Month/Writer @ $2
·         Totaling 125 paid articles per month with an average of 4/day.
·         Part of the PPCGeeks Staff.
·         PPCGeeks email address.
·         Private forum to discuss news.

We are hoping to pick up a few very talented writers for the site that are as passionate about the industry as we are. Our site is ever-changing just as the industry is and we have big plans for our news section and would like to eventually incorporate the writers into the PPCGTV when it launches.

If you are interested please email:
terry.owen@ppcgeeks.com
admin@ppcgeeks.com

© 2012, tsowen. All rights reserved.

The NFL announced that NBC will stream the 2012 Super Bowl live, for free, to the web and Verizon smartphones. This is nothing new for the network, either. It already streams its "Sunday Night Football" telecasts online and to Verizon phones. NBC expects a hearty response for the Feb. 5 showdown in Indianapolis. NBC will also stream its other postseason games, including the Pro Bowl and wild card Saturday--all will be streamed online and to mobile phones for the very first time. All will be available through Verizon's NFL Mobile application. And, according to the network, the package will include additional camera angles, in-game highlights and live stats.

NFL Mobile

Verizon Wireless

Description

© 2011, . All rights reserved.

Today, HP decided to drop an early Christmas present for WebOs loyalists and development. A few month prior things looked bleak for HP after spending $1.2 billion on Palm only to have their Tablets collect dust and carriers refusing to carry their devices.

It almost seemed like an end to WebOS when BesyBuy and other distributors decided to send all their stock of TouchPads back, forcing HP into making the best of it and selling it at a loss on a fire sale. People were able to get their hands on a HP Touchpad for as low as 99$ - 149$ depending on capacity. Even though HP officially discontinued the HP TouchPad they still maintained updates and promised that WebOS would live on.

Still, the future of WebOs seemed uncertain as HP itself seems to have went on to reshuffling, and talks broke out of possibilities of licensing the os, selling to os, or even as far as selling off the entire consumer division of HP. These talks eventually came to an end as HP denied any ongoing effort to sell their divisions but the future of WebOs remained shrouded.

Fast forward to today, HP has finally decided on a course for WebOS, it will now be distributed under an open source license. While certain components of WebOs were always open source like the Linux Kernel which was distributed under the GPL license. HP has yet to announce under which open source license they plan to release the source code.

This effectively moves HP from competing in the iphone's business model to direct competition against Android. HP was quick to point out in the press release though, that they plan to keep a tight grip on licensees to prevent fragmentation.

Personally I think the best start for WebOs would be to include the ability to run Android Applications, this will pave doors open for larger app support until they can build up their own app library.

What do you make of this? Does this put a new interest in webos? Are you already really thinking about porting WebOs to that TP2?

Source

© 2011, gTen. All rights reserved.

A security researcher Trevor Eckhart  has posted a video detailing hidden software installed on smart phones that logs numerous details about users' activities.

In a 17-minute video posted Monday on YouTube, Trevor Eckhart shows how the software – known as Carrier IQ – logs every text message, Google search and phone number typed on a wide variety of smart phones - including HTC, Blackberry, Nokia and others - and reports them to the mobile phone carrier.

 Eckhart showed his findings off first in the XDA Developer Forums. Once his first findings were found by Carrier IQ (again, an app that runs in the background that you may never have known is on your device right this second), they threatened legal action against him. As it turns out thanks to the support from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), Carrier IQ has decided not pursue a lawsuit against TrevE, issuing a statement apologizing for their actions.

“Our action was misguided and we are deeply sorry for any concern or trouble that our letter may have caused Mr. Eckhart. We sincerely appreciate and respect EFF’s work on his behalf, and share their commitment to protecting free speech in a rapidly changing technological world.”

 
When they found that legal threats weren’t going to do them any good, they sent out word to the public that their software does not record keystrokes or other personal information. What we’re to understand today if Eckhard’s findings are true is that this claim was quite simply incorrect.

 On its website, Carrier IQ, founded in 2005, describes itself as "the world's leading provider of Mobile Service Intelligence solutions." Carrie IQ has since issued the following press release:

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

Do you want the good news, or the bad news first? The bad news is that one-click fraud has, at long last, arrived on smartphones. The good news (unless you live in Japan) is that the frauds are focused on Japanese language users of mobile phones.

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

Taiwanese phonemaker HTC says its recent poor stock market performances are not "so serious", and points to its plans to release "better and more competitive" handsets for the U.S. market in 2012.

HTC has been facing a double whammy in patent infringement lawsuits and a dwindling of its product competitiveness, sources in the handset industry believe that the pressure to win in terms of product competition is more crucial for HTC.

Many have been concerned of HTC losing its strength after the company last a patent lawsuit to Apple recently and also lowered its revenue guidance for the forth quarter of 2011, pushing its share prices down.

In a recent report published on Monday, it was pointed out that HTC has become the worst performer among its competitors shares this year, with the company's stock falling over 30 percent in the last eight trading sessions alone. The Taiwanese company's chief financial officer, Winston Yung, said the situation is not "so serious".

HTC's ongoing lawsuits will not help the current financial situation either. The company recently said it has no plans to appeal a 2009 ruling that gave IPCom the winning hand in a patent lawsuit. The decision could result in a German injunction against sales of HTC smartphones, which could hurt the Taiwanese company during the holiday season.

HTC is hoping to turn its luck around with the release of two new handsets scheduled for debut at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), next year. The upcoming handsets are reportedly known as the HTC Ville and the HTC Edge.

The HTC Ville is reported to be be thinner than an iPhone measuring in at 8mm thick, with a 4.3" super AMOLED Touchscreen, HTC Sense 4.0, 1.5GHZ dual-core processor, 8 MP camera, HPSA+ network, and a 1,650mAH battery. The handset is expected to launch in April 2012.

Image credit: PocketNow

The HTC Edge is expected and rumored to have a quad-core 1.5GHz NVIDIA processor and expected to be 8mm thin too. Some other features included 4.7" HD S-LCD touchscreen, HD video recording,  720p front-facing camera, Beats Audio, Bluetooth 4.0, 1,800mAH battery and NFC. Because the device is so thin it is rumored to not have a microSD slot. To make up for the lack of a microSD slot the phone is rumored to house 32GB of built-in storage with 1GB of RAM.

Image credit: PocketNow

Many investors still remain skeptical that the Taiwanese company can remain innovative and continue to make phones attractive as it has in the past. "More foreign investors atre still selling HTC as the company doesn't have many bets in hand," Masterlink Investment Advisory vice president Tom Tang told Reuters. "And unlike last time, HTC didn't make a share buyback plan this time."

Since the second half of 2011, HTC has added more elements such as fashion and brand image to its product lineups but has done little to upgrade the hardware specifications of its smartphones. The lineups including HTC Ryhme, HTC Sensation XE and HTC Sensation XL are similar fashion models.

On the other hand, Samsung has been keen in rolling out innovative products. It has knocked out rivals with HD displays, sending competitors also adopting comparable displays. Motorola has decided to purchase Samsung's Super AMOLED panels for its smartphones, and HTC is also expected to follow suit.

HTC also has to further diversify its markets, given that sales generated from North America account for 50% of its total revenues currently.

Only time will tell if HTC can turn this slump around and continue to be one of the leading innovators in the smartphone industry.

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

Dabble, the hottest new word game for Android smartphones -- has come to the tablet! This HD edition is optimized for display on 7" tablets. Now, you can play the fast-thinking game that everyone is talking about on an Android smartphone or tablet device. From the crisp and clear high-definition graphics to the addicting game-play, you won't want to put Dabble HD down.

Source: Amazon

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

Last month HTC officially announced which deviced would receive the android 4.0 upgrade and when, well today it was LG to publish its list of what devices would receive the ice cream sandwich update and when.

According to the information shared, the Optimus 2X, the Optimus Black, the Optimus 3D and the Optimus LTE will be the first ones to get the refresh. Exact information about the roll-out process and availability is expected later on, in December, as well as additional wording on other phones that might get the update, given "it is compatible with the functionality, features and performance of other LG smartphones".

Source: Facebook

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

Android started pushing the source code for v4.0.1 (which is the version that will be shipping on the Galaxy Nexus) last night. They note that this is a large push and not to sync just yet because it would probably be corrupt until their push is complete. This means that we could start seeing AOSP ROM developers coming out with ICS soon.

Source: Google Groups via PPCG (Thanks djgallis)

© 2011, mindfrost82. All rights reserved.

Adobe announced today via their blog that, after the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry Playbook, they will no longer develop Flash Player for mobile devices. Instead they are going to refocus their development efforts to better support the newly adopted HTML5 standard. From their blog:

"Adobe is all about enabling designers and developers to create the most expressive content possible, regardless of platform or technology. For more than a decade, Flash has enabled the richest content to be created and deployed on the web by reaching beyond what browsers could do. It has repeatedly served as a blueprint for standardizing new technologies in HTML.  Over the past two years, we’ve delivered Flash Player for mobile browsers and brought the full expressiveness of the web to many mobile devices.

However, HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively.  This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms. We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers."

Developers of current Flash sites and applications will be able to be repackage their Flash content using Adobe Air. This is very good news for the industry because, after a period of adoption and transformation, all mobile devices will be able to view all web sites in [nearly] the same fashion. More from Adobe:

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. We will of course continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations. We will also allow our source code licensees to continue working on and release their own implementations.

Some contribute the recent announcement by Adobe to an open letter that the late Steve Jobs published in April, 2010 entitled "Thoughts on Flash." In that letter Jobs stated that while Flash was a good, marketable choice for Adobe, he believed that they should instead put more effort into adopting a higher degree of HTML5 support.

So what should we think; is Adobe moving ahead or giving into the technology advancements of mobile devices? With these changes coming quickly, does this mean that Apple will sell even more iPads and iPhones, now that Flash will no longer be a factor? Is there any reason that Adobe shouldn't do this? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

© 2011, rainfreak. All rights reserved.

HTC announced today via its Facebook Fan Page that it plans to update a number of its smartphones to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012.

"HTC knows how excited our fans are to get their hands on Google's latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, so we're thrilled today to announce the first wave of HTC phones that will receive upgrades.

Ice Cream Sandwich is coming in early 2012 to a variety of devices including the HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XL and HTC Sensation XE, as well as the HTC Rezound*, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G* and HTC Amaze 4G* through close integration with our carrier partners.

We're continuing to assess our product portfolio, so stay tuned for more updates on device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Ice Cream Sandwich.

*US handsets"

Source: HTC Facebook Page

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

At this point, if you’re like me you probably have lost track of who is suing who over what. Everyone wants to be king and claim, “I thought of it first. It’s mine I tell ya, ALL MINE!” Can’t we all just be cool like a bunch of Fonzie’s?

Currently Samsung is suing Apple Inc., claiming that the iPhone 4S is infringing on three patents. Samsung’s Legal team has formally requested to see the iPhone 4S source code (are they for real?), and its agreement with carriers to determine whether Apple is in violation of Samsung patents.

Apple is accusing Samsung of “slavishly copying” its iPad and iPhone designs, stating the Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy S II has the “look and feel” of Apple’s product. This argument has resulted in the temporary banning the same of the Galaxy Tablet.

Your guess is as good as mine as to how this story will play out. Unless Samsung has some hefty proof of copyright infringement I doubt a judge is going to order Apple to hand over its source code for the iPhone 4S.

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

“Siri one of the mosted talked about features on the new iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Siri being purely software has limited this feature to the iPhone 4S. Other supported devices are able to upgrade to iOS 5, but Siri will not be included in the upgrade but as we know anything is possible or hackable for some of us and this day has came.

Developer Steve Troughton-Smith has managed to get Siri to run on iPhone 4 and fourth generation iPod Touch (uses the same A4 chip as iPhone 4, but has only 256MB of RAM). Throughton-Smith says Siri runs just as fast and smooth on the iPhone 4 as it does the iPhone 4S. The iPod Touch has some problems due to the inferior microphone (iPod Touch wasn't designed for calling like iPhone), requiring you to talk very loudly but the actual Siri software runs flawlessly. Below is a video of Siri running on the iPod Touch.

Owners of iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4G shouldn't get too excited though, as Troughton-Smith says a public release should not be expected anytime soon. There may also be legal issues of distributing Apple's code, making a public release impossible

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

According to several threads on Apple’s support forum many users of the new iPhone 4S model are experiencing an audio echo during voice calls while using a wired headset. The bug seems doesn’t seem to be carrier specific.

Users claim the bug does not always occur immediately, it can vary anywhere from 30 seconds to 9 minutes later.  The bug as of now has only been associated with the use of a wired headset and when the headset is unplugged the annoying echo goes away.

Users have reported a workaround us to enable the handset’s speakerphone during a call one the echo begins and then disable it. This will restart the cycle, and the call quality will return to normal temporary until the echo begins again. This can be a vicious cycle for those iPhone users who spend a long period of time on the phone using a wired headset. Let’s hope Apple comes out with a fix or resolution to this soon.

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

Google and Samsung have reportedly postponed an October 11 event that was expected to include the launch of Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" and the Samsung Nexus Prime. Samsung's U.K. division provided a statement to Engadget and SlashGear, which said:

"Samsung and Google have decided to postpone the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event during the CTIA in San Diego, previously scheduled for Oct. 11. Under the current circumstances, both parties have agreed that this is not the appropriate time for the announcement of a new product. We would ask for the understanding of our clients and media for any inconvenience caused. We will announce a new date and venue in due course.”

We sent a message to the Samsung officials in the U.S., who basically said they could not confirm nor deny the Samsung U.K. statement.

I would think the CTIA would be the perfect place to release such a device especially with the recent release of the Apple iPHone 4S. I guess we will have to wait for more clarification from either Samsung or Google on why the CTIA was not the right time to announce a new product. Some have speculated the delay might be related to the passing of Apple Chief Steve Jobs, but nothing has been confirmed.

The flagship Samsung Galaxy Nexus, also known as the Nexus Prime, is said to be a Verizon exclusive when it launches (likely sometime this quarter). Here’s what it will have, according to Boy Genius Report:

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD with curved glass (1,280 x 720 resolution)
• TI OMAP 4460 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 32GB of built-in storage
• 5-megapixel camera on the back, 1.3-megapixel in the front
• 1080p HD video capture support
• LTE/HSPA depending on carrier
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
• NFC
• 9mm thin
• 1,750 mAh battery

For now we can watch the leaked video below:

Update: Engadget has reported a new batch of rumored specs from over at the GSM Arena, it seems a Google employee has said that the 4.64-inch Super AMOLED HD display mentioned above is just about the only spec that made the final cut. The The processor is more likely to be a dual-core 1.5GHz Exynos with an accompanying dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 graphics chip. That rear facing camera will be 8 megapixels with a newly beefed up sensor. The handset should also ship with a 2,050mAh battery. So I guess we will have to stay tuned as the rumor mill keeps spitting out new specs on this Android Monster.

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

1955-2011

(CNET)    Apple Co-founder and Chairman Steve Jobs died today.  He was 56.

Steve Jobs had been suffering for many years a long hard battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  Apple announced in January  that he would be taking an indeterminate medical leave of absence. Jobs then stepped  down as chief executive in late August, citing his inability to "meet my duties and expectations" stemming from his illness.

Jobs started Apple with a high school friend in a  Silicon Valley garage in 1976, was forced out a decade later and returned in  1997 to rescue the company. During his second stint, it grew into the most  valuable technology company in the world with a market value of $351 billion.  Almost all that wealth has been created since Jobs' return.

He was the reason many of us got into this industry, or even care about technology at all. He made the computer personal, and the smartphone fun. Bill Gates may have put a computer on every office desk, but it was Steve Jobs who put one in every dorm room and bedroom and living room. And then, years later, he repeated the trick, putting one in every bag and every pocket, thanks to the iPad and iPhone. If you use a computer or smartphone today, it is either one he created, or an imitation of his genius.

He changed the way movies are made, the way music is sold, the way stories are told, the very way we interact with the world around us. He helped us work, and gave us new ways to play. He was a myth made man.

Cultivating Apple's countercultural sensibility and  a minimalist design ethic, Jobs rolled out one sensational product after  another, even in the face of the late-2000s recession and his own failing  health.

He helped change computers from a geeky hobbyist's  obsession to a necessity of modern life at work and home, and in the process he  upended not just personal technology but the cellphone and music industries.

One of my more favorite Steve Jobs quotes was, "We used to dream about this stuff. Now we get to build it. It's pretty great." taken at the Keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference (June 2004). Steve helped us believe if you can dream it, it can come true. Steve Jobs was a true invetor and a pioneer of our times.

Goodbye, Mr. Jobs. We will miss you so very much.

Photos: The life of Steve Jobs

From Apple's site if  you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

Samsung has filed two separate motions for preliminary injunctions in Paris, France and Milan, Italy on October 5th seeking to block the sale of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 4S in each respective market. The company posted the complaints on its corporate blog on Wednesday, just one day following the unveiling of Apple’s next-generation iPhone 4S smartphone. Samsung’s motions allege that Apple’s new smartphone infringes on two Samsung-owned patents related to wireless telecommunications technology, specifically Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standards for 3G mobile handsets.

“The infringed technology is essential to the reliable functioning of telecom networks and devices and Samsung believes that Apple’s violation as being too severe and that the iPhone 4S should be barred from sales.”

“Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology,” Samsung said in a blog post. “We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation.”

The move is hardly unexpected. Reports surfaced last month suggesting that Samsung was already planning to target Apple’s next-generation smartphone in a wave of patent attacks. Samsung then later went on record just days later stating that it planned to turn up the heat in its ongoing patent disputes with the Cupertino, California-based tech giant.

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.

 For Sprint iPhone enthusiast yesterday was a day of good news, it was finally confirmed the third largest carrier in the U.S. would now carry the iPhone.

As promised, Apple shows off its latest iPhone Tuesday at “Let’s Talk iPhone Event”, and although the new handset was packed with new features and hardware like a new chip and improved camera, the general reaction was less than spectacular. Many had hoped to see the new rumored iPhone 5 released but this was not the case.

 On the carrier front, Sprint will become the third U.S. wireless provider to carry the iPhone, but it won't come easy for the company. Like the other carriers, Sprint will have to buy the phones for around US$600 each, and then sell them at the suggested retail prices, starting at $199 with a two-year contract.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Sprint -- the third-largest carrier in the U.S. and in a more difficult financial position relative to rivals AT&T and Verizon -- made a commitment to purchase more than 30 million iPhones over the next four years. Neither Apple nor Sprint has confirmed that number.

The move has the potential to be a lifesaver for Sprint, especially as future iPhones with more advanced wireless capabilities come along. However, the initial capital could put a strain on current balance sheets.

John Feland, CEO of Argus Insights, said "It would make sense strategically for both companies. Sprint has the most mature and widespread true 4G network in the U.S. They are in desperate need of a winner. Apple needs a 4G network to push new experiences out to the iPhone faithful, especially in the face of competition heating up from Amazon."

It's a risky move for the company, but it's the kind that can pay off well, especially when the company is in the position of going big or going home.

© 2011, tsowen. All rights reserved.