Moto X With T-Mobile Compatibility Hits FCC

Despite the fact that the Moto X hasn't even been officially announced (unless you count Eric Schmidt's Idaho flaunt-fest or Dennis Woodside's D11 talk as "official"), there's a lot we already know about the device. What we haven't heard for certain yet are which carriers in the US will offer the new handset, though FCC docs and other leaks have revealed AT&T, Verizon and Sprint as likely candidates so far. 

Whether or not the UnCarrier will really pick it up, a variant of the Motorola X known as the XT1053 has made its way through the FCC approval process with all the bands you've grown to love and use on other T-Mobile devices, such as AWS HSPA+ and LTE (along with bands 2 and 17, making this theoretically compatible with AT&T as well). This is a pretty clear indicator that worst-case customers will be able to purchase an unlocked version of the device with the right frequencies in tow. 

Additionally, we noticed evidence that 802.11ac will also make an appearance. Have a look at the docs for yourself below, if you so desire.

Google Officially Unveiled The New Nexus 7

Google officially unveiled the new Nexus 7, the device runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and offers improved specs all around.

Google said it’s still focusing on portability and performance. The device is 50 grams lighter and narrower than the original model, which it says makes it more comfortable to hold. The device offers a soft-touch feel and has a black body with a few glossy finishes. The screen offers a full HD 1920 x 1200-pixel display, which Google says is the world’s highest resolution 7-inch tablet with 323 pixels per inch (ppi). The screen also supports a 30-percent wider range of colors.

The new Nexus 7 also has stereo speakers and virtual surround sound tech provided by Fraunhofer. There’s a 1.2-megapixel camera for Hangouts and a  5-megapixel camera for 1080p video and photos. Under the hood the device has a quad-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor which offers an 80 percent faster speed and 4x the graphics performance. The system memory has been upgraded from 1GB to 2GB, too. Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are supported, as is 4G LTE support for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon networks all from the same device. HDMI, NFC and Qi wireless charging is also included.

The 16GB model costs $229, the 32GB model costs $269 and the 4G LTE model will cost $349. It lands July 30 from Google Play and will be in more retailer stores than ever before including Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, Amazon, HSN, RadioShack, J&R and B&H.

Google Announces Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Google today announced a minor bump in its Android platform to version 4.3 Jelly Bean. The core new features of Android 4.3 include the addition of restricted profiles to the multi-user tool, which lets users control what apps/services can be accessed by the other users. Android 4.3 adds support for Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, also called Bluetooth Smart. This will let Android 4.3 devices interact with new Bluetooth accessories, such as heart rate monitors. 

Android 4.3 also adds support for OpenGL ES 3.0 for improved graphics in games. The updated operating system offers new digital rights management APIs, which will eventually lead to the availability of more full HD 1080p video from third-party providers such as Netflix. Android 4.3 also adds a wide range of tools for developers, such as optimized location and sensor capabilities, improved access to notifications, more languages, user interface automation, and improved enterprise security tools, such as WPA-2 Wi-Fi networks. The Google Nexus 7, a new tablet from Google, will be the first device to ship with Android 4.3, but Google will deliver Android 4.3 to the Nexus 4, Galaxy Nexus, and first-generation Nexus 7 devices.


Source: Google

Google Debuts Chromecast Media Streaming Device

Google today announced a new tool that it hopes will improve the experience of sharing YouTube videos from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to a television set. Chromecast resembles a USB thumb drive, but plugs into any HDMI port on the back of a TV set. 

Chromecast accesses the internet via Wi-Fi. Android, iOS, and Chrome devices can then see the Cast button, which appears in the YouTube app, and push whatever video they are watching to Chromecast. The Chromecast device will turn the TV set on and automatically switch it to the proper input. The video will then play automatically. Pressing the Cast button again in the app on a smartphone will cease playing the video on the TV and bring it back to the phone. 

The Chromecast offers similar, but much improved, functionality to last year's Nexus Q living room device. The Chromecast works with content that is in the cloud, such as Google Play movies, Pandora music, and other third-party content sources. It does not pass content that is stored on a smartphone's local storage to the TV for viewing. It works with Android, Chrome, and iOS, but not BlackBerry or Windows Phone. Chromecast is available today for $35. It can be purchased from the Google Play Store.


Source: Google



Pre Order now at Amazon or Google

Leaked Press Images Of The Motorola Moto X

August 1st Moto X press event in New York is right around the corner, but that doesn't mean we have to wait until then to see the official press shots of the device. The leaked Motorola Moto X images give us a clear look at the front and back of the phone. No new details were released with the images, but they do confirm the semi-transparent navigation bar which was spotted on previously leaked images of the device.

The rumored mid-range spec sheet of the Motorola Moto X isn't something that will impress power hungry Android users, but it’s unique customization options, “always-on” voice commands, active updates and unique gesture controls should make this device quite appealing to the mass market if Motorola is able to get in into consumers hands at a bargain basement price.

The New Nexus 7 Surfaces Online

Android Central has just posted a gallery of images of what it believes is the Nexus 7 successor.  The report claims that the device will again be manufactured by ASUS and come in 16GB and 32GB models.

The tablet features two cameras, a 1.2MP shooter on the front and a 5MP rear facer, made by Chicony.

As far as specs go, the Nexus 7 v2 is listed as having a Qualcomm APQ8064 motherboard with a Snapdragon S4 pro processor. The device is also said to have a whopping 4GB of DDR3L RAM, though Android Central notes that these specs may not be final. The tablet will also supposedly feature stereo speakers. 

Source: Android Central

Google Maps Update Available for iPhone, iPad, And iPod Touch

   

Google has made an updated version of Google Maps available to iOS devices, including the Apple iPhone. The update, which has already been released to Android devices, makes a number of changes to the app. It offers improved navigation features thanks to live traffic updates and real-time re-routing when problems occur on a navigation path. It also adds a new tool called Explore, which can be used to perform searches for nearby places without typing, and builds in reviews for places such as restaurants and other businesses. Last, it populates maps with Google Offers that are nearby. Google Maps 2.0 for iOS is free to download from the iTunes App Store.



Source: iTunes App Store

Rumored HP Android Smartphone With Stock Android Leaked

A claimed render of HP’s promised smartphone sent anonymously to phoneArena apparently shows it running stock Android.

The render is pretty nice, and the hardware appears rather generic, so there’s no guarantee it’s genuine but the company did opt for near-stock Android for its Slate tablet. If the leak is real, we’d applaud a decision to go with a pure Android experience but add that HP will need to pull something out of the hat with either specs or apps to meet its promise of “a differentiated experience.”

We suggested earlier that HP’s credentials as the world’s largest PC manufacturer might make a business-orientated phone a smart move now that the market share of the former business smartphone leader, Blackberry, has fallen to less than 5 percent. Something special in the hardware perhaps a fingerprint sensor for security would one possibility.

Enterprise-orientated apps would perhaps be a more likely one, especially given the company’s partnership with Google to offer Google Apps to small businesses. A similar approach with a smartphone might enable the company to meet that new-and-different promise despite a rather ordinary-looking box running stock Android.



Source: phoneArena

Verizon Schedules July 23rd Event

Verizon just started sending out invites to the press for an event taking place later this month in New York City via TheVerge. While the carrier isn't specifically mentioning what we’ll be seeing at the event, it did say to expect the next generation of its most popular family of devices, which leads us to believe it will likely be an announcement for new Droid devices.

Google Sending Invites To July 24 Event

Google has just sent out invites to an event next Wednesday, July 24th. The invite says that it is a “breakfast with Sundar Pichai,” which means that the focus of the event will probably be on Android and/or Chrome, which are the two departments that Pichai oversees. For those that can’t make the breakfast or were not invited, it will be live streamed on YouTube, as well.