Android 4.1.2 update now rolling out to GSM Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S handsets

While the update to Android 4.1.2 may have arrived for Nexus 7 owners last week, the new software is now making its way to specific Nexus handsets. The latest iteration in Jelly Bean is currently rolling out to select GSM Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S smartphones. Users are reporting that only “yakju” variants of the Galaxy Nexus are currently seeing the update, though it’s expected that the “takju” model (the one officially sold through the Google Play Store) will be getting in on the action over the next couple of days.

As expected, version 4.1.2 is a minor update for phones. Other than a slight performance increase, no incredibly significant changes are noticeable. Despite the Nexus 7′s update having unleashed landscape mode, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S users will continue to be limited to portrait, sans any custom launcher.

If you simply can’t wait for the update to hit your device, you can always head to the source link below to flash the OTA manually.

Source: XDA

LG releases Jelly Bean update schedule for some devices

LG’s Korean site released information today regarding their plans to roll out Jelly Bean updates to some of their devices. It appears the first device to get the official update will be the LG Optimus LTE II starting some time in November. Translating the Korean page is a bit of challenge, but it appears a Jelly Bean update for the LG Optimus G will be pushed out in December. As 2013 opens, LG indicates both the LG Optimus Vu and LG Optimus Vu II will get Jelly Bean updates during the first quarter.

According to Jong-Seok Park, LG’s Vice President of the Electronics Mobile Communications division, the updates will include both Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and some of LG’s own apps and UI modifications. Among the changes that are touted are increased touch screen response speed and enhanced “Q” apps. The changes are expected to create a user experience that is similar to what users get with a Jelly Bean device out of the box.

LG does not indicate whether the time frames and devices listed apply to markets outside Korea.

source: LG Newsroom Korea

CM10 Updater, Revisited

We told you about the CyanogenMod (CM) 10 Updater a couple of weeks ago and we wanted to revisit the nice feature that the CM team included. Not so much a review, but an update as it’s simply a feature of a full-fledged ROM. The CM team was very quick about releasing this feature after they initially announced it. It was actually a feature found on a few previous versions of CM ROMs, but it’s been a while since CM users have been graced with this convenient feature. Granted, some may not feel comfortable trying something new or jumping back to a way they used to update their ROMs, but the feature is very convenient and at least worth a look if you’re running CM10 on your device.

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, you can find this option in the About Phone options on your device and selecting “CyanogenMod updates.” Once in there, you’re faced with a couple of options: Check for updates and Update types. “Check for updates” is really straight-forward as it just checks the get.cm servers for the latest version. However, Update Types let’s you specify which updates you want it to check for, be it new Stable versions only, new Nightlies, or all stable and nightly versions. Upon searching, it’ll then retrieve any new versions and display them in the list of updates within the updater. Just remember that you won’t have push notifications for updates, however you can set up the updater to look for updated ROMs up to twice a day using the “check for update” option. I never really got to see how that worked since I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to updates so I have mine set to “manual.” Other options for auto-searching updates are daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or upon boot.

Below is a quote from a CM developer after he sensed a lot of confusion regarding the updater which should be helpful answering any questions:

The OTA updater in +CyanogenMod is just that: an updater. It is intended to be executed from within a CM installation, to update to a more recent version when available. It is not an installer,so it will not perform any of the tasks required to install CM (wiping, cleaning, renaming, installing addons, installing a recovery) because it is designed to run in an already-functional CM installation (which assumes that it is working, that a recovery is present, that any CM-compatible addons the user is interested in are already installed, and that any incompatible data from other firmwares was wiped during the original installation).

The only caveat is that you have to be using a version of ClockworkMod recovery on your device as booting into said recovery is part of the auto-update process. This was probably a decision made based on troubleshooting, so at least they have one of the variables accounted for now with using an all-open source process. I’ve had good luck with the updater over the past week or so. There were a few hiccups earlier in the week like the updater seemingly not able to connect to the servers and slow downloads at times, but out of the 6 or so updates I’ve done, most have gone without an issue. Speaking of issues, major issues are nowhere to be found. The updated ROMs are flawless upon updating, and act as my “daily driver.” However, you must remember that living on the bleeding edge of nightlies comes with its risks, and this includes the of the updater itself. However, CM10, the Updater, and Jelly Bean are working fine for me using my Samsung Galaxy S II. Let us know your thoughts on this feature, and hit up Cyanogen’s link for more information on their work.

source: CyanogenMod

DROID Bionic Soak Test Imminent, may finally be Ice Cream Sandwich

In what seems like ages, there’s finally good news for owners of the DROID Bionic. Motorola has purportedly invited Bionic owners to test out a new software update. It’s been reported that we would see Ice Cream Sandwich in the 4th quarter of this year for the Bionic, save for a few leaks. So naturally, we can’t see this being anything other than Ice Cream Sandwich, at long last. As a reminder, a soak test is usually the last phase of testing software. If responses are mostly positive, then it’ll be good to go to the masses soon thereafter. What do you say, Bionic owners? I know, when does Jelly Bean arrive?

source:  Droid Life

Orange San Diego Starting To Receive Long-Awaited Ice Cream Sandwich Update

Those of you in the UK who went ahead and splurged on the Orange San Diego smartphone may want to listen up to this tidbit of news. It’s no secret that while the Intel-powered smartphone has a fast chip that resulted in a generally stellar performance, the phone was held back because of its software. So after seeing a few teases before, owners of the Orange San Diego can now scream utter joy. Yes– the smartphone was launched with none other than Gingerbread 2.3, which definitely caused more than a few individuals to scratch their heads or sigh disappointment. So Intel has finally made things right and reports are surfacing that the device has finally begun receiving the much-needed Android 4.0 update. Sure it’s not Jelly Bean, but we’re sure owners of the smartphone will be happy. I’m sure they can attest to the fact that anything is better than Gingerbread.

source: Android Central

Orange San Diego Starting To Receive Long-Awaited Ice Cream Sandwich Update

Those of you in the UK who went ahead and splurged on the Orange San Diego smartphone may want to listen up to this tidbit of news. It’s no secret that while the Intel-powered smartphone has a fast chip that resulted in a generally stellar performance, the phone was held back because of its software. So after seeing a few teases before, owners of the Orange San Diego can now scream utter joy. Yes– the smartphone was launched with none other than Gingerbread 2.3, which definitely caused more than a few individuals to scratch their heads or sigh disappointment. So Intel has finally made things right and reports are surfacing that the device has finally begun receiving the much-needed Android 4.0 update. Sure it’s not Jelly Bean, but we’re sure owners of the smartphone will be happy. I’m sure they can attest to the fact that anything is better than Gingerbread.

source: Android Central

Upcoming Gmail Version 4.2 (Finally) Allows For Pinch To Zoom Feature In Emails

Google’s Gmail for Android app has seemingly reached the next step in its inevitable evolution. Our friends at Android Police report the upcoming Gmail version 4.2 will achieve some much-needed features, with the long awaited pinch-to-zoom making its first appearance in the app. As seen in the video below, when users open up an email and scroll down to the displayed content on the screen, they are able to completely pinch inwards in order zoom in and see the content in greater detail. Also from the looks of it, it appears that this upcoming Gmail feature will not just be limited to the newest Android software either, as the video was taken with the Gmail 4.2 app running on a Jelly Bean-flavored Galaxy Nexus.

There’s a couple of additional noteworthy items to highlight as well in the newest iteration of the Gmail app. One major note is the ability to actually swipe to delete or if you desire, archive your emails from the email list. According to Android Police, Gmail has this feature developed to be very flexible for users. For starters, users can go through options that will let you change your swipes to “No effect”, “Archive or delete” or “Always Delete”. The “Archive or delete” option is the default option, which will archive swiped messages when you’re in the inbox, delete swiped messages when you’re in All Mail or Sent and remove a label when you’re in a label-only view. The last feature is for users to be able to report a specific email or message or phishing, which effectively gives users one less thing to worry about when it comes to those pesky spammers and all. Huzzah!

Unfortunately, the .apk can not be shared with the masses at this time. However, the hope is that we will be able to grab a leak as soon as possible… or Google just goes ahead and releases the update for the rest of the world to see. Hit the break to see additional photos and video of this in action.

Click here to view the embedded video.

source: Android Police

Samsung Officially Reveals the Mid-Range Galaxy S III Mini

We gave you a heads up yesterday that today would be the day Samsung reveals the Samsung Galaxy S III mini. Sure enough, the supposed mini version of Samsung’s flagship device is now official with Samsung making the announcement today in Germany. As a refresher from yesterday’s leak, the specs are now official for the pint-sized device. We’ll be looking at a 4-inch 800×480 Super AMOLED display, 5MP camera, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and will run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Like some of you (based on yesterday’s comments), I’m guilty of setting my expectations too high initially for this device. When I first heard the name, I instantly assumed somewhere in the neighborhood of the Galaxy S III innards, only in a smaller package. I falsely assumed Samsung wanted to capture that market that isn’t crazy about the larger displays. However, it looks like all they’re doing is releasing a Galaxy device to compete in the mid-range market. I guess I can’t really blame them after all. I just wish they would’ve come up with a different name. Let’s face it; the only thing this device has in common with the Galaxy S III is the design and that “inspired by nature” moniker. There’s no word yet on pricing or an LTE version but keep checking here for details. Hit the break for the full press release.

Samsung Introduces GALAXY S III mini, a compact yet powerful smartphone

GALAXY S III’s nature-inspired design and intuitive ease-of-use in one stylish, compact smartphone

SEOUL, Korea – October 12, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today unveiled the GALAXY S III mini,

a compact version of the flagship smartphone GALAXY S III.
The GALAXY S III mini brings the high performance, intuitive ease-of-use and nature-inspired design of the GALAXY S III to an elegant,
compact smartphone with a 4.0-inch screen. It can be an optimal choice for consumers who are looking for more practical smartphones.

“The GALAXY S III introduced a new concept of smartphone that has proven hugely popular around the world.
We’re now delighted to bring its revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence to the GALAXY S III mini in a more compact form,” said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We continue to make every effort to provide extraordinary mobile experiences to meet a wide variety of user needs.”

The GALAXY S III mini is powered by Android™ 4.1 (Jelly Bean), the latest version of the world’s most popular smartphone operating system.
Jelly Bean has fast, fluid and smooth graphics along with a new Google Search™ experience featuring Google Now™, which brings you just the right information, before you even ask.

Stylish and compact, the GALAXY S III mini shares the GALAXY S III’s breakthrough design and simple elegance.
Its ultra-minimal curved frame delivers a rich natural feel, which is also reflected on its nature-inspired home screen, wallpapers and ringtones.
Its beautiful 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display offers a generous viewing experience that lets you view multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity.
Its compact size gives users a comfortable grip and allows a convenient one-hand operation.

The GALAXY S III mini is packed with intelligent technology designed to make interacting with the phone incredibly natural and intuitive.
S Voice, Samsung’s advanced natural language recognition software, lets you use your voice to unlock the phone with
simple customized commands, or to play your favorite songs, turn the volume up or down, organize your schedule, or automatically launch the camera and start taking photos.

The GALAXY S III mini also understands your gestures to make using your phone easier and more natural: With Smart Stay,
the phone’s camera tracks your eyes and keeps the screen lit as long as you are looking at it. When reading a text message from a friend,
Direct Call enables you to automatically dial a call simply by lifting the phone to your ear; and Smart Alert conveniently alerts you to missed calls or messages as soon as you pick up your phone.

Content sharing is easy and fast on the GALAXY S III mini: Its S Beam feature lets you share a 10MB music file in just two seconds
by simply tapping on another S Beam-enabled device including GALAXY S III or GALAXY Note II, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal.
The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from the camera or the photo gallery.

Verizon sets release date for DROID RAZR HD and DROID RAZR MAXX HD as October 18

We heard they could be delayed, but it looks like everything is a go because Verizon just announced the DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR HD MAXX will hit stores next Thursday, October 18. The DROID RAZR HD will cost $199 and the DROID RAZR HD MAXX will run you $299. The main difference between the two phones is the DROID RAZR MAXX HD sports the same 3300mAh battery that was in the DROID RAZR MAXX. It also makes it a little thicker; 9.3mm vs 8.4mm. The DROID RAZD HD is no slouch either with its 2530mAh battery so I’m thinking that at $199, it’s a really good buy. The only other difference is storage; The DROID RAZR HD has 16GB and the RAZR HD MAXX has 32GB.

The rest of the specs for both models include a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD display, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP camera, microSD for expanded storage, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and WiFi - 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz). The only real negative is Ice Cream Sandwich is onboard, but Motorola promises Jelly Bean by the end of the year. The DROID RAZR HD will be offered in black or white and the RAZR MAXX HD will be offered in black only.

Check out our hands on video from the launch event.

source: verizon

Google updates mobile homepage with expandable menu

Google just introduced some nice enhancements to their mobile homepage. It now has the look of the Google+ and YouTube Android apps with an expandable menu to the left. This menu includes links to other Google services like Google+, Images, News, Gmail, etc. You can open this menu by tapping the new button at the top left corner. You will also find a redesigned top bar that includes shortcuts to post to Google+ and get your notifications.

Unfortunately this new homepage isn’t available to all just yet. I just checked on my Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean and it wasn’t there, but I’m sure it will be available to all within the next few days.