Carphone to sell Google Nexus S phone

(Reuters) - Samsung's Nexus S phone, based on the latest version of Google's Android software, will go on sale this month in the United States and Britain through Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse.
The two retailers said they would be the exclusive sellers in those two markets of the Nexus S, which supports a technology that lets people use their handsets instead of credit cards for payments, and would take pre-orders from 1600 GMT on Monday.


Google's Android software has rapidly overtaken Apple and BlackBerry to become the second most popular platform worldwide after Nokia's Symbian, and the most popular in North America and east Asia.
Offered free to cellphone vendors since coming to market two years ago, Android has helped fuel a boom in the smartphone market, which is expected to double this year to about 340 million units, although it has helped drive prices down.
The Nexus S will include an NXP near-field communications (NFC) chip, which allows consumers to pay for items by tapping the phone against a special terminal.
NXP, a pioneer of and leader in NFC technology, announced a strategic collaboration with Google to provide a complete open source software stack for NFC.
Carphone and Best Buy said they would offer the Nexus S unlocked for $529 (337.42 pounds) in the United States or for $199 with a T-Mobile contract.
In Britain, it will cost 549.95 pounds ($862) unlocked, or will come free with a contract of 35 pounds per month for a term and with an operator yet to be announced.
The previous flagship Google Android phone, the Nexus One, was made by Taiwan's HTC. Samsung has also produced a tablet computer based on Android, the Galaxy Tab.
"Deals with Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy underline the importance of independent distributors beyond operators to Google," British telecoms research firm CCS Insight said.
"Despite the initial failure of Nexus One, Google's intent clearly remains unchanged."
U.S. consumer electronics retailer Best Buy and British mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse have a joint venture in Europe that includes stores in Britain, and a chain of Best Buy Mobile stores in the United States.

reuters.com

Google Wallet purchase demo with Google Nexus S 

 

 

Google Nexus One Coming To Sprint

The mobile carrier says that it will disclose pricing and availability soon. 

Sprint on Wednesday said that Google's Nexus One mobile phone will soon be available on its network and promised to announce a date of availability soon.
"Nexus One is a powerful device that belongs on a powerful network," said Sprint VP of product development Fared Adib in a statement. "This is another step in our continued partnership of innovation with Google."

In announcing this upcoming announcement, Sprint appears to be making a declaration of support for Google and its Android platform as much as competing with other carriers. Apple earlier this month cast a shadow over Android's future by suing HTC, one of Google's mobile partners, for violating its iPhone patents.
Sprint's endorsement, along with Google's announcement on Tuesday that its Nexus One is available on the networks of AT&T and Rogers Wireless, should serve to hearten Android handset makers who might consider hedging their platform bets on the chance that Apple might prevail in its claims. To be sure, however, Sprint is also breaking its silence for competitive reasons. Sprint in its release claims that its 3G network has twice the coverage of AT&T and 10 times the coverage of T-Mobile in square miles, both of which offer the Nexus One. Sprint says that it will be offering the Nexus One exclusively through Google's online store, but it did not disclose pricing. Adib said that pricing has yet to be determined, but "will be consistent with Sprint's commitment to deliver more value than our competitors." He notes that Sprint's Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime offers unlimited calling, text messaging, and Web data for $70, which is comparable to AT&T and Verizon unlimited talk plans, without a Web data package. The Nexus One retails for $529 with no contract or $179 with a two-year T-Mobile service contract.
Sprint did not clarify whether it will offer a contract-based discount. Though a report that Google has sold only about 135,000 Nexus One phones in the past 74 days has prompted some observers to declare Google's online store a failure, Google insists that it is "pleased with our sales volumes and with how well the Nexus One has been received by our customers." 
informationweek.com

Google Nexus One review:

The Nexus One is not a revolutionary device, but it is the first handset that will offer a meaningful challenge to Apple’s iPhone.

While Google’s software, called Android, has powered other phones, this is the first one where the search giant has specified the design – that focus means the pencil-thin Nexus One is built to feel like a genuine object of desire.

And the Nexus One offers features the iPhone lacks, too – the camera’s resolution is 5mp, compared to Apple’s 3mp, there are satnav capabilities built in that cost Apple users extra, and a fast processor means the Nexus One operates quicker than any phone currently on sale in the UK. Web-browsing is impressive, although in the UK is likely to lack the multitouch capabilities that have been available on previous versions of Android. Automatic online synchronization of camera photos is also impressive. It’s effective voice operation, for controlling the phone and writing emails, however, that is the most surprising feature. This is the first time I’ve seen a version of that technology that is genuinely useable.

In the burgeoning market for additional applications (Apps), however, Apple’s iTunes Store offers 115,000 compared to the 20,000 or so in Google’s Android Marketplace. That means that there are currently far more games, tools and clever tricks available to iPhone owners. As more phones start to adopt Google’s operating system, however, Android is likely to catch up fast. And while Android can run a number of Apps at once, the iPhone can’t.

Does the Nexus One feel quite as well put together as the iPhone? No, although it’s close enough to make no meaningful difference. What Android handsets can’t do, however, is plug in to your music collection as seamlessly as an iPod or an iMac. And that’s the biggest problem Google faces – an iPhone is a web-browsing, every song in your pocket, phone call making pleasure to own. It’s part of an entire ecosystem, with accessories, covers, speaker systems and even ties that are built to house iPods.

But the Nexus One does plug in effortlessly to the web, social media, email, calendar, search and contacts functions; perhaps the company that dominates web search should simply start making the computers as well.

telegraph.co.uk

Pinterest for Google Nexus ( android version )

Pinterest for Google Nexus ( android version )

The hottest new social media platform out there, that increased 400% from September to December 2011, has become the new tool used by cyber-criminals. In other words, the increasing desire (as shown below) from Google Nexus's users to have a Pinterest app on their phone is being harnessed by fraudsters.

Google Nexus's android apps "pinterest for android" Google Nexus's android is an application can be from the "Pin It" of pinterest. Using the pinterest for android will be displayed "pinterest" When activated, please login.After logging in, access to your favorite sites through a search engine from the bookmark button at the top right.If there is any site anxious, please press the "Pin It!" Button on the left.The Pin, please select an image as well as the PC version of pinterest, you want to Pin to the board.When you press the "Pin It!" Button, so the PC display to display, please press the button to switch to the bottom of the screen smartphone After Pin. If there is a large picture on the site and there is a Youtube link does not work.Content rating: Everyone

Looking for Pinterest Android application? Download Now!

Here is the Pinterest application for Google Nexus (android version) which had huge success in Android Market. 

Download link: Download PINTEREST FOR  ANDROID

or PinStar from Amazon

Pinterest for Google Nexus & Pinterest Books and Apps collections

This is directly the .apk file so that you're free to use the Pinterest Android application as you want.

What's in this Android application for Pinterest: 

• This is a mobile standalone app that is lighter and smoother than your browser. 
• This application runs much faster than the mobile site of Pinterest. 
• Download this Pinterest for Android and enjoy Pinterest fast and full screen.

greenmobileinc [at] gmail.com

Google engineer explains Nexus and Xoom Ice Cream Sandwich delays

When it comes to Android upgrades, we're used to certain manufacturers taking their good sweet time to get software rolled out. One of the most vexing mysteries with the Android 4.0 upgrade, though, has been the uncharacteristically long time it's taken for Google's own flagship devices to receive their over-the-air updates.
Google's Nexus and "Google experience" devices, by definition, are meant to get Android upgrades fast -- more or less as soon as the software is released. That's one of the products' key benefits: Since the software is controlled by Google and free from manufacturer meddling, the upgrades are handled directly by Google as well. It's a sharp contrast to the way other phones' upgrades are handled, where the planning and deployment lies squarely in the hands of the manufacturers.
With Ice Cream Sandwich, however, something went wrong. Some versions of Google's Nexus S phone, including the CDMA model on Sprint, waited three and a half months from the start of the Android 4.0 upgrades to get their first tastes of ICS. Many users of the Motorola Xoom, meanwhile -- a flagship "Google experience" device that has its upgrades handled directly by Google -- are still waiting for their servings of Ice Cream Sandwich; as of now, the Wi-Fi edition of the tablet is the only model that's been upgraded. The 3G/4G version of the device is still stuck on Honeycomb.
On top of that, the Verizon Galaxy Nexus -- the inaugural U.S. model of Google's current flagship phone -- is using an older version of Ice Cream Sandwich and hasn't been upgraded in months. That's a huge departure from the Nexus/"Google experience" philosophy, which revolves around upgrades early and often -- whether they're major or they're incremental, like the 4.0.3 and now 4.0.4 releases that Verizon users have yet to see.
So what gives? For the first time today, we're getting some insight into the issue.
Google engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru -- the technical lead of the company's Android Open-Source Project -- took to Google+ today to share his thoughts on the matter. Queru praised Sony for upgrading its Tablet S device to Ice Cream Sandwich today and went on to address the Google flagship upgrade fiasco.
"The part that blows my mind is that some variants of the Google-engineered flagship devices still haven't received Ice Cream Sandwich (or are stuck with older versions of Ice Cream Sandwich) because of delays introduced by operator approvals," Queru said.
He went on to talk about the benefits of Google restarting its direct-to-consumer sales program and the current challenges the company faces in having the carrier as the middleman:

I'm very glad that Google is back in the business of selling phones directly without any middlemen to interfere, and I'll be even happier when I see that program expanded to more countries. Writing the software doesn't mean that Google can deploy it immediately, there are operator approvals for devices that are sold and/or supported by operators. Look at the US WiFi Xoom: obviously no operator approval, upgraded to 4.0.3 back in December (the first version of ICS that ran on anything other than Galaxy Nexus) and now running 4.0.4.

So there you have it: Despite the Nexus name or "Google experience" branding, carriers are inevitably involved on some level when a device is officially sold or supported by them. And, according to Queru's remarks, it's the carriers creating the delays in getting upgrades pushed out to certain models of Google's flagship devices.
The newly relaunched Google-direct sales setup, it seems, is the company's solution to overcoming this. It won't be the answer for all consumers, of course, but for Android power users, it's certainly an enticing proposition.
Here's hoping it works.

blogs.computerworld.com

Google may have sided with Samsung for the next Nexus device

According to a report out by DigiTimes, Google has chosen Samsung to manufacturer the fourth generation device in the Nexus Series. Samsung are no stranger to making a Nexus device now that they have the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus under their belt. From DigiTimes:

”Since Samsung has become the top vendor of Android smartphones, Google will continue to have Samsung develop its next-generation Nexus models, leveraging Samsung’s innovation ability with regard to the Android platform, and its ability to control the supply of key components.”

Quite frankly we believe this would be a great move by Google. Sure, they want to support all manufacturers in the Android ecosystem, but when they want to set the standard, why wouldn’t they go with the industry leader in manufacturing.
It’s a big loss to LG who have previously expressed major interest in manufacturing the next Nexus device. It’s likely that this agreement with Samsung won’t affect the apparent deal Google has with ASUS to produce a 7-inch “Nexus Tablet” in the middle of this year.

ausdroid.net

Rumour: Samsung once again making the next Google Nexus Android handset

While this rumour may be coming from one of the least reliable sources on the internet (see: every bizarre and untrue iPad rumour for the past two years), the existence of a couple of recent relevant precedents makes it at least slightly believable.

According to sources speaking to DigiTimes (yes, those guys), it appears that Google has once again chosen to go with Samsung as the manufacturer of the next Google Nexus flagship Android handset.

The decision makes sense on paper: Samsung is one of the most successful makers of Android phones on the market, and, unlike other companies, it produces its own chips.

The first version of the Nexus was manufactured by HTC, but in recent years the baton has been passed over to the Galaxy S maker.

Given that Samsung will be unveiling its own flagship smartphone in May, it's likely that the next Nexus device will launch at the tail end of the year, almost certainly to coincide with a new version of the Android OS if previous releases are anything to go by.

pocketgamer.co.uk

Google Nexus S review

The Samsung Nexus S smartphone - better known as the Google Nexus S - is a joint effort between Samsung and Google with some impressive

The flagship handset for Google Android 2.3 'Gingerbread', Google’s Nexus S is largely similar to the Samsung Galaxy S on which it’s based. Its 16GB memory can’t be expanded, however.

1GHz Hummingbird processor
Google Android 2.3 'Gingerbread' OS
512MB RAM
16GB internal memory
4in Super AMOLED display
5Mp camera with flash
video at up to 720x480 at 30 frames per second
NFC chip
124x64x11mm
128g

A subtly curved screen allows the speaker to lean in towards your ear, aiding call clarity. We didn’t notice a difference in volume, but the Google Nexus S handset doesn’t feel as brick-like as some of the others in our most recent smartphone group test. The curved screen makes for a slightly odd setup when viewing video on the 480x800-pixel screen, however.
The Google Nexus S's super-bright AmoLED screen all but screams its presence. We’d prefer the handset to be made of something more substantial than plastic, but the upside is the Nexus weighs a scant 129g.
Another feature that marks out the Nexus S and Gingerbread OS is its support for near-field communications (NFC). In its infancy in Europe, it’s an established technology in the Far East and Google expects it to become a de facto contactless payment method.
The Google Nexus S is a lot of fun to use, with interactive wallpapers and the slick scrolling and navigation you’d expect from a smartphone powered by a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird single-core processor.
Four neat hardware buttons at the bottom of the display take you to the Home screen and allow you to search or bring up settings, but you’ll find yourself enamoured of the 3D scrolling effect of the main display and happily trawling through its endless menus.
Used with the iPlayer app, the Google Nexus S’ bright screen and Flash support make a compelling case for watching video on a smartphone.
We had the odd issue when using the onscreen keyboard to compose email messages - the screen was marginally miscalibrated - but, in general, we found this an intuitive device to use. Copy and paste and above average battery life of more than two days in standby (provided that you remember to turn off the most power-hungry apps) mark out the Nexus S as a superior device.

pcadvisor.co.uk

Google pushes Ice Cream Sandwich to Nexus S smartphone

Google has announced that it has started rolling out Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) for the Nexus S smartphone along with other devices.

The maker of Android took to Google+ to make the broadcast and said that the Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi and HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus are also getting the upgrade. Google said more devices will follow soon afterwards.
Google said: "We’ve started rolling out Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich, to UMTS/GSM Nexus S, Xoom Wi-Fi, and HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus devices, and we'll be rolling it out to more devices in the coming weeks."
The announcement said that while some will be getting ICS for the first time, others will be getting an update to the operating system. Google said the update will bring "stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more."
Google and Samsung produced the Nexus S in a joint effort with the phone debuting version 2.3 Gingerbread of Android. It has since been replaced by the more Samsung branded Galaxy Nexus with brought 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with it.
It was thought that the Nexus S would get the upgrade to ICS shortly after the launch of the Galaxy Nexus. However, the firm began testing it on its own employees' handsets in December last year and it's been a further few months for the upgrade to become available.

How to update Google Nexus S to Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS)

This video shows how to update a T-Mobile (Samsung) Google Nexus S from Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread to Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich using the official Google Android release. You don’t have to root your phone (I didn’t), but a user reports that the update will also work for rooted phones. The entire process took about 30 minutes. I sped up the slow parts of the video (downloading and updating), but you can see the relative speed in the upper left-hand part of the video. I have the T-mobile (i9020T) Nexus S. This update doesn’t work on all Nexus S models. I have made a list of results for different models later in this description. If it works for your phone, leave a comment with the country and carrier (mobile phone service provider, and I’ll update the list. I’d also like to know of any apps that don’t work. The apps I have tested so far seem to work. WARNING: If you plan to use your phone in the Middle East, the WiFi may be disabled. When the phone detects a SIM card from Qatar (and some other countries), it incorrectly configures the WiFi hardware. Google has logged this as issue 23262. Android 4.0.4 has been released, but I don’t know whether it fixes this problem. This update works on: Austrian Nexus S (which carrier?) Belgian Nexus S (which carrier?) Canadian “Mobilicity” Nexus S Canadian “Wind” Nexus S Danish Nexus S (which carrier?) Finnish Nexus S (which carrier?) German Nexus S (purchased on amazon.de) Indian I9023 Nexus S (which carrier?) Indonesian Nexus S

A Google Nexus tablet? Bad news for Android partners

Tablets, even tweener ones like the Galaxy Note, could face pressure if Google gets into the business itself.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The worst thing Google could do to its budding Android tablet business is get into it.
But that appears to be what the Internet search titan is up to. The latest report from Digitimes has Google partnering with Asus to create a low-cost tablet to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire.
If Google wanted to assuage its Android partners that it isn't interested in competing against them, the company is going about it completely wrong. Android tablets haven't exactly been blockbusters like Apple's iPad, but device makers have begun to make some slight progress in the area. Google getting into the business with its own so-called Nexus tablet may spark some interest in the area, but it'll come at the cost of sales to its Android partners.

Sure, Google can get away with the occasional Nexus smartphone, which carries the best and latest from Android. But the smartphone market is fairly mature, with more and more consumers adopting them everyday. There's certainly a big enough market to support a product from Google.
But the Android tablet is still in its infancy, and Google would be rocking the boat in a big way if it launched its own tablet.
Google is already walking a tightrope with its partners over its acquisition of Motorola Mobility. While the acquisition is largely meant to shore up Google's patent position to better defend Google itself and its partners from legal attacks, it also means the Android maker will eventually compete directly against its partners with a handset unit of its own.
Google isn't going so far yet with the tablet, instead purportedly partnering with Asus. To better compete with the Kindle Fire, the only other real success in the tablet business, Google would price the device at $199, according to Digitimes.
That'll add a lot of pressure to its partners to get the price of their products down while maintaining some level of quality. While the Kindle Fire is relatively inexpensive, it also uses lower-end parts. Amazon can afford to keep the price low because the device is designed to spur sales of the company's products and services.
Other Android partners aren't so fortunate. Products like Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab lines are priced much higher, while Motorola's Xyboard line also feature premium prices.
If a Nexus tablet becomes the standard at $199, what hope do the other vendors have in selling competing products at twice that price?
Of course, another low-cost tablet may be good for consumers. A high-profile Nexus tablet may drive prices down for everyone, and bring more badly needed attention to the Android side of the tablet playing field.
But that will hurt the ability of many vendors to continue making tablets at a profit, dimming the longer-term picture for tablets. For the sake of its partners, Google should stay out of the game.

cnet.com

Google’s Nexus Tablet possibly revealed in leaked images

It is widely believed that Google will enter the tablet market in 2012 with a self-branded 7-inch Android tablet. Earlier rumors indicated that the Internet giant had teamed up with ASUS and a Google-branded tablet is reportedly a “done deal.” Pocketnow on Tuesday published what it believes to be a press image of Google’s Nexus tablet, although the blog received no other details. The image reveals a very familiar design with a full-sized SD slot, a microUSB connector and a micro HDMI port. The icons on the display reveal that the render was clearly done before Google’s massive Play rebranding, so things may have changed slightly since the images were made. It should also be noted that the company’s previous “Nexus” devices offered no expandable storage. Google’s tablet is expected to enter production this month and ship around June. The slate could be unveiled at Google’s annual I/O conference on June 27th if earlier rumors pan out.

bgr.com

Click here to find out more! Is this Google’s Nexus tablet? Probably not.

Quick: before you read the rest of this, run out to the nearest grocery store and buy as much salt as you can. We’ll wait. Ready? OK, good. PocketNow has acquired a photo of what believe to be Google’s rumored Nexus tablet. In the picture you’ll see an extremely thin tablet without any branding, along with a myriad of ports one would expect to find on a modern Android tablet.

All the various ports are housed on one side of the device. In the picture, you’ll be able to make out a microUSB port, standard USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and what looks to be a full sized SD card slot. On the other side of the device is a power button, toggle switch (presumably for mute or rotation), and volume rocker.
The software on the device looks to be barren, only showing Google’s application, with no signs of any widgets. PocketNow believes that’s a hint that this is indeed the rumored Nexus tablet. It’s a dubious picture, and could simply be a mashup of various different tablets, not to mention PocketNow’s source gave absolutely no context for the picture. The Android Market icon is also clearly visible, when Google recently made the switch to the Play Shop.
Previous rumors pegged the Nexus tablet as being built by Asus. It would be a 7-inch tablet originally thought to have a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, but a later rumor by Android and Me said Google nixed that processor in order to drive the price point down. The tablet is said to come in between $149 and $199.

slashgear.com

Could a Google Nexus tablet at $149 be a game-changer?

While Apple has been content — so far — to dominate the high end of the tablet market, Google appears to be serious about competing against the Kindle Fire at the low end. I posted about 10 days ago about a potential partnership between the search giant and Asus to create a 7-inch Android tablet. Now a new rumor has emerged that Google is ready to drop the bar on tablet pricing.
According to Android and Me, the new tablet could be priced as low as $149, which would be $50 lower than the Kindle Fire. That apparently is the result of Google abandoning the Tegra 3 processor as the guts of the tablet, looking instead for a cheaper alternative. Asus supposedly nixed its own Tegra 3-powered MeMo 370T when it contracted with Google.
Android and Me’s anonymous supply chain source says that the Nexus tablet is a “done deal” (the “Nexus” brand being the source’s own words), though other specs and a firm release date have not been revealed. The Google tablet could still wind up costing $199, but it’s clear that while Apple is focusing on improving specs while maintaining its high prices on the iPad, Google appears intent on heading to the bottom to quickly gain market share.
Would you be excited for a Google tablet that’s priced as a low as $149, even if it didn’t have the latest hardware? Let us know in the Comments section below.

zdnet.com

Google Nexus S 4G to receive Android 4.0.4 update

The Nexus S 4G from Google has been around for some time already, and it is about time it is on the receiving end of the Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich update. Well, I guess owners of the Nexus S 4G should be pleased to hear that BriefMobile managed to get some hands on time with the files necessary for the upcoming Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich OTA (Over The Air) update. Needless to say, before you make that particular upgrade, just ensure you have performed all the necessary backup moves beforehand. After all, you can never quite tell just when Murphy will strike, right?

ubergizmo.com

Sources claim Google Nexus tablet could undercut Amazon Kindle Fire

The rumor mills have been churning hard as of late, and the most recent output seems to be centered around the possibility of Google releasing a home-grown Nexus tablet to bring life into the floundering Android tablet space. The latest rumors say that Google could release the tablet at a $199 price point, competing squarely in the Amazon Kindle Fire's arena. Or maybe it will be released at $149, depending on who you believe.
Android and Me claims that an employee from a U.S. supply chain company says the rumored 7-inch tablet will cost $149, while The Verge claims to have sources that say it will be $199. Both say that it is likely that the tablet will be based on the 7-inch ASUS MeMo 370T that was briefly shown off at CES earlier this year, though the quad-core Tegra 3 processor inside may have been swapped for a lower spec chip to trim costs. It is expected that a Nexus tablet from Google will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (or even the next version of Android) without any customizations from the manufacturer, just like how Android on Google's Nexus smartphones has been presented thus far.
Neither Android and Me nor The Verge provided any reliable timeline for when Google might trot out this new Nexus tablet, but some speculate that it could happen at the Google I/O developer conference this summer.
Regardless of whether or not Google is actually planning to launch a Nexus tablet, it is hard to see how this will have a dramatic effect on the Android tablet market as a whole. Nexus devices have always had strong hardware chops, but hardware has never been an issue with Android tablets. Rather, as pointed out by Sascha Segan in this report from PCMag, software and apps have been their downfall thus far, and a Nexus tablet from Google is not likely to change that. Without the app ecosystem, the best hardware in the world is virtually useless, and until Google does something about the apps, Android tablets are likely to continue on their path of irrelevance.

Potential Google Nexus tablet images look more like a toshiba design

The hype for a Google Nexus Tablet running stock Android, sold by Google for under $200 and in the 7-inch screen size is high. Anything that is seen around the web that has no official name or title could be mis-construed as said tablet. There was a recent image posted on PocketNow that depicted one such tablet that didn’t have any details about what it really was. With the Nexus Tab being a hot topic, naturally it was assumed that this might be a render of the device. When we saw it a few things didn’t sit right. The first thing that stood out was the Android Market icon was still present. Making the render a bit dated, if even only by a few weeks. Second was the style and design. If ASUS is supposed to be building this tablet in partnership with Google, then the edges and design of how it looks isn’t consistent. We would be more inclined to assume that ASUS will angle the edges much like the Prime and not be so flat and traditional. We don’t think Google would go for the design in the images either.
The design looked familiar to me as well as to AndroidCommunity. So we did a little more digging. The device render you see looks similar to the Toshiba 7.7-inch prototype tablet from Toshiba. The ports that are available aren’t identical, but are pretty darn close. Being a prototype and the image floating around being a render, makes us lean towards a Toshiba product, not a Google Nexus tablet. You can also see the volume controls, power button and lock switch are pretty much the same.
 Hopefully something substantial does find its way to the web soon though. We personally can’t wait to see what Google has in mind.

Google’s “Nexus Tablet” in partnership with ASUS is expected to ship in July, come in 7-inch form factor

It has been known for a while now that Google are working on a “Nexus Tablet” to bring lead the way and bring competition to the tablet market, and if The Verge’s exclusive report is true, that market is the 7-inch tablet market. It is said that Google have internally pushed back the release date of the tablet to change the design and ensure the price is lower than the current estimate of $249. If it can hit the sub $200 mark, they just might be onto a winner.
While it might be reasonable to think that the push back is due to the possibility of launching with Android 5.0 “Jelly Bean”, The Verge’s sources are certain that’s not the case. Instead the 7-inch tablet will come with NVIDIA’s Quad-Core Tegra 3 CPU (we’d prefer Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4, but we can’t all be winners), Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”, and will be Wi-Fi only.
Being Wi-Fi only makes it easier for Google to sell this themselves through an online store and not through carriers. That move can also be a double-edged sword — the lack of carriers pushing the device will make it harder to publicise the device to the average consumer walking into a carrier’s store. That being said, Google can easily place an ad on their home page which millions of people access on a daily basis.

Source(s): The Verge

Sprint's Galaxy Nexus is $100 cheaper, will support Google Wallet

The Sprint version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be coming to Sprint's network on April 22, Sprint announced today. The phone will be able to take advantage of Sprint's nascent 4G LTE network, and unlike the Verizon version of the phone, Sprint's Galaxy Nexus will fully support Google Wallet.
Verizon was the first network to carry the flagship Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone, but it has fought Google behind the scenes over whether the phone would be able to use its NFC technology for Google Wallet. Ultimately, Verizon declared it wouldn't support the feature, crippling the Galaxy Nexus' ability to be a paragon of Google's mobile virtues. Sprint is the only network to support Google Wallet in the U.S.
4G LTE coverage for Sprint has only been announced for a handful of cities so far, and the company plans to complete its expansion by the end of 2013.
The Galaxy Nexus will be priced at $199.99 with a two-year contract, $100 less than on Verizon. Preorders for the phone open today, and the phone will officially arrive on Sprint April 22.

arstechnica.com

Sprint’s Galaxy Nexus: Can a Second Google Wallet Phone Ignite Mobile Payments?

The Samsung Nexus S smartphone running the Google Wallet payments app. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

When Sprint announced that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would be its first 4G LTE phone, hitting stores on April 22 for $200 on a two-year plan, much of the focus was on its price — $100 less than Verizon’s version of the Nexus.
But the real news was Google’s value-add: a $50 Google Wallet credit for each handset sold.

‬”Google Wallet is on a limited number of phones, and the infrastructure isn’t built out in many stores yet. But a $50 credit is something consumers in the Sprint network will notice.” — Avivah Litan‪

Wallet, of course, is Google’s mobile payments platform that hooks directly into the Near Field Communication (NFC) chips being deployed in many smartphones. In theory, you could load your Google Wallet with cash, and use it to buy small retail items with a wave of your phone over a simple scanner at check-out.
And so the new Galaxy Nexus announcement is loaded with nuance: What might look like a simple sales promo on the surface belies Google’s greater vision — if not also its struggle to turn the Google Wallet payment platform into a credit-card killer.
So far, Wallet hasn’t lived up to the standards of success Google has seen with products such as the Chrome web browser, Gmail and the Android operating system itself. Many smartphone owners don’t even think of Wallet as a payment option because, so far, it’s only available on one other phone: the Samsung Nexus S, which was released in 2010.
“Right now, not a lot of consumers are using Google Wallet to walk into stores and tap their phone to pay for something,” Avivah Litan, a Gartner analyst, told Wired. “Google Wallet is on a limited number of phones, and the infrastructure isn’t built out in many stores yet. But a $50 credit is something consumers in the Sprint network will notice.”

Verizon’s version of the Galaxy Nexus contains the same NFC chip that Sprint’s version has. But Verizon disabled the phone’s NFC chip and thus the “wave-and-pay” Google Wallet feature can’t be used. In fact, of the four major wireless carriers in the U.S., only Sprint supports the Google Wallet platform.
Though Google Wallet’s NFC features have failed to catch on, Google does have a potential user base thanks to the merging of its online payments system, formerly known as Google Checkout, into Google Wallet. In fact, every Android user who purchases apps, music, movies or books from the Google Play store does so using Google Wallet.
Nathan Tyler, a Google spokesman, declined to say just how many Android owners are currently using Wallet as an NFC paying option (as opposed to using it only as a media-purchasing vehicle). But Tyler did say that Sprint has committed to releasing 10 Wallet-compatible phones before the end of the year.
“We’re very excited about the release of new NFC devices that support Google Wallet because we believe that it will create the opportunity for more people to access what we believe is the future of mobile payments,” Tyler told Wired. “We’re still in the very early days of building out the NFC ecosystem.”
In order to build out that ecosystem with any degree of success, Google will need millions of phones running Wallet — and not just on Sprint, but also its three major rivals. It will also need to convince retailers and consumers that using Wallet is better than whipping out a credit card, or using competing platforms such as Square, PayPal or Isis (a rival NFC payment system founded by AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile), said Richard Oglesby, a payments industry analyst at the Aite Group.
“Google Wallet can either show up on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile by cutting a deal with those carries, or they can bypass the carriers by storing all that information in the cloud and coming up with a version of Google Wallet that doesn’t rely on the secure, NFC hardware to complete a transaction,” Oglesby told Wired. “PayPal and Square are already doing mobile payments with everything stored in the cloud, and neither are reliant on NFC chips in phones.”
Gartner’s Litan said she doesn’t see a cloud-based mobile payment alternative as an option. “NFC has to be tightly coupled with the hardware on a phone because it has to be secure,” she said. “Cloud-based options are too reliant on too many variables, from security concerns to something as simple as being able to get a signal on your phone in a shopping mall.”
While Google Wallet can’t yet be considered popular, compatible NFC readers are set-up and waiting in more than 100,000 retail locations, including big-name stores such as Banana Republic and Walgreens. Android is also activated on more than 850,000 phones and tablets worldwide every day, and more than 300 million Android phone have been activated since the operating system launched in 2008.
“It’s easy to count Google Wallet out right now because only Sprint is on board,” Litan said. “Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are all invested in Isis, and they’re very protective over mobile payments because the future what this will look like is still undecided. But Isis hasn’t gone anywhere yet, and Google Wallet is something that’s here and working right now.”

wired.com

HTC Google Nexus

HTC Google Nexus
Can be collected from hawthorn. Can organise postage at extra cost.
retail price $698
brand new in box
never used
purchased from Vodafone Camberwell
12 month Samsung Warranty

Specs:
Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
16GB storage, 512 MB RAM
1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, Hummingbird chipset
Dimensions: 123.9 x 63 x 10.9 mm
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
with A-GPS support
Camera / Video: 5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Battery life: Up to 713 h (2G) / Up to 428 h (3G)

Features:
- Social networking integration
- Digital compass
- MP4/DivX/WMV/H.264/H.263 player
- MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player
- Organizer
- Image/video editor
- Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
- YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa integration
- Flash Player v10.1
- Voice memo/dial/commands

Google Ceo: Larry Page Hints at Google Nexus Tablet

The Ceo of Google has come out and made some statements reconfirming our thoughts about a Nexus Tablet coming out soon from Google. This tablet would be from google and be running Vanilla Android.

Google Nexus Tablet - What To Expect

Google Nexus Tablet - What To Expect

Google Nexus Tablet News Thrives

The conjecturatti have been at it again this time looking tablet photos and calling it names, namely the  Samsung Galaxy Nexus tablet without any proof at all.  Then the rest of the bogusazzi republished the Google Nexus tablet story without asking any questions, except for one.
Over the weekend, it was reported that Google was not working on just one tablet but multiple tablets from Motorola, Asus and NVIDIA. these report seem logical and credible.  However, the latest so-called Galaxy tablet photo interpretation is more bogus than our April 1, shattering news.
It all started with a glamorous shot of a unidenitifed tablet which just had to be the Google Samsung Galaxy Nexus tablet because it only Google icons on the homescreen and called a “naked Google experience.” it also showed Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich navigation buttons, which looked like Samsung Galaxy Nexus rainbow wall paper.
However, the original publishers noted that the tablet was a 10″ tablet and the market icon was not Google Play. meanwhile, the conjecturatti need news about the Google Nexus tablet.
Another blogger pointed out the tablet shows  a MicroUSB port, standard USB port, SIM card slot and what looks like a full-sized SD card slot which is most likely a Toshiba  7.7 inch  Thrive tablet that was shown at CES.  We ran the image through our color analyzer and red homescreen is the same iconic red used by Toshiba to promote the Toshiba Thrive.  The  Toshiba Thrive is noted for full size ports.
If Google wants to compete in the cheap tablet market it would not be including all those ports because they are more expensive to manufacture. Google usually stays clear of the color red in its logos and homescreens.  If storage can be expanded it also gives the tablet a longer user life for adding more videos, music and media.
The one rumor that seems to make sense is that Google Nexus tablets tablets will go into production this month and be introduced at the sold-out Google I/O conference on June 27.
Because Google pulls so much power, we may see many different Ice Cream Sandwich tablets in many flavors.  We don’t know yet if the tablets will be as cheap as the deal-of-all-time 9.7 inch HP TouchPad that is now selling for $219.99 at PCConnectionExpress but we can hope that the tablets will at least compete with the Kindle Fire.

toptabletpc.org

The latest news about Google Nexus tablet

The latest news about Google Nexus tablet

For a pretty long period of time, rumors about a possible release of Nexus tablet were appearing in the media every now and then. However, the information, which has appeared recently, is much more promising. The latest news are dated on the beginning of 2012 and obtained from sources, which have confirmed the presence of Google's plans to release a tablet «Nexus» with seven-inch screen and Android 4.0 operational system. The cost of new items will not exceed 200$.
Some time ago portal "Android and Me" spread the same rumor, citing personal sources. But this time there was a little more information about the new product, which has to be shared with readers. According to the informants, the ASUS company will start a serial production of the tablet. The quad core Tegra 3 will be used as the CPU in this device.
ASUS has an excellent relationship with Google, that's why such a situation seems quite plausible. In 2012, the company was working for the Android platform and that work was excellent. ASUS was preparing high-quality updates and developing new applications. It should be highlighted, that ASUS was the first manufacturer, which has implemented Android 4.0 into its products.
If the rumors are true, there is no doubt that these new tablets will gain popularity soon. Tablet Kindle Fire Amazon is one of the most popular plates on Android platform, but the performance and functionality of it is very far from the Nexus tablet. In addition, an extremely affordable price of the device will certainly gives it more attractiveness.
By the way, here are few words about cost: it just sounds pointless! After all, don't you think that modern tablets should not be so accessible? Any way, we have seen already when ASUS has shown MeMo 370T tablet with quad-core processor for 250$.

magento-company

Sprint Galaxy Nexus to Come with $50 Google Wallet Bonus

Sprint customers have a very interesting decision ahead of them; the Galaxy Nexus which will launch on April 22 will be available for $199 on a two-year contract with the carrier. Those who don’t want to wait can go to the carrier’s website and pre-order the device. If you have been following the details regarding the device you would know that the Sprint variant of the Galaxy Nexus comes with Google Wallet integration with a little incentive for those who choose the Nexus device. If you purchase the Sprint phone within a month of its launch, your Google Wallet account will be credited with $10 free to spend on whatever you wish.

On top of that, if you activate your Google Wallet within the 1 month from April 22 to May 22, your account will be credited with a further $40. Simply put, you will be given free money amounting to $50. If you have been considering the Galaxy Nexus, this option has not been implemented on the Verizon variant and you will not have anything to lose considering Sprint’s 4G LTE network will also be up and about by later this year. Whatever said and done, this is $50 absolutely free so it is highly recommended that if you have been keeping an eye out for this device, snap it up quick and don’t even give the HTC EVO 4G LTE which is launching alongside the Galaxy Nexus at Sprint a second glance.

Google Galaxy Nexus Prime vs Samsung Galaxy Note – Which To Buy & Why So ?

Well, we all know that the market of smartphone, especially android & apple smartphones is growing at a tremendous rate. There is a neck to neck competition in between these giant electronic manufacturers from Europe. We will look into their tech specifications & compare them to help you choose the best option for you.

Why to buy GOOGLE GALAXY NEXUS PRIME?
Here are a bunch of reasons that can make your mind to buy the brand new Google Galaxy Nexus Prime android smartphone over the big brother Samsung Galaxy Note.

• HIGHER PIXEL DENSITY- Yes, the Nexus has got higher pixel density then the Note. While 313 ppi for Nexus is not so more from 285 ppi of Note, but this can be a plus point for better screen display for Nexus.
• STORAGE- Well, would you mind if you come to know that there is 16 GB internal memory in Samsung Note?  If yes, then Google’s Nexus is for you. This phone gets one more advantage of having 32 GB internal memory as the Note does not possess this much for its users.
• CONNECTIVITY- Do you use your phone to watch movies or clipping on TV? You would be surprized to know that the Nexus contains HDMI PORT and DLNA feature from which you can connect your phone to a TV & also stream videos to the other devices on the go. These features were missing in Big Samsung Note.
• SIZE- Nexus is quite lighter in weight that Samsung Note. Nexus has 135 grams of weight while Note has 178 grams. The pros do not end here. Nexus has less volume than that of Note and is even thinner & shorter than it. Well, you can definitely add this as plus advantage for buying Nexus over Note.

Why to buy SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE?
So, I think you might be quite impressed by reading the pros of Nexus over Note. But, there is one more phase yet to be read that can definitely change your mind.

• SCREEN – Yes, the screen of Samsung Note is quite bigger from that of Google’s Nexus phone. The screen size of Note is 5.3” while that of Nexus is 4.65” which is quite a big difference. Not only that, Note has got the Corning® Gorilla® Glass display for better & durable enough to hold much of the pain a human can give while this is not so in case of Nexus. Also, the two pixels share one subpixel while this is not in Note. The screen pixel resolution of Note is 800 x 1280 px giving a kick to 720 x 1280 px of Nexus.
• CAMERA- Well, Note has an 8 Megapixel camera while Nexus has 5 Megapixel Camera as the primary one. As well, Note has a 2 MP camera that puts the 1.3 MP camera of Nexus out of the range for people who often video chat.
• MEMORY- Samsung Note has got a micro SD card slot to increase memory of the phone while Nexus already has 32 GB of inbuilt memory with no Micro SD card slot to extend memory. Also, this phone has got USB mass storage support that can transfer files, music, videos & many things without adding any additional software to make it work.
• PROCESSOR- This phone has got a 1.4 GHZ processor while Nexus has 1.2 GHZ processor.
• BATTERY- Note has 2500 MAH battery while Nexus has 1750 MAH of battery life which definitely puts Note as the pick in this context.

Conclusion :
I would personally choose Samsung Galaxy Note as my choice because of the above reasons. Do you have any other reason to support or go against me? If yes, do drop them in the comment box below.

ec-tech.info

The Nexus S in Space

The Nexus S in Space

On July 8th last year, NASA launched the Space Shuttle Atlantis(STS-135) in what was the final manned mission for the Space Shuttle program. On-board as well as 4 crew members and supplies for the International Space Station, were 2 Nexus S phones attached to SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites), which NASA would use to further NASAs usage of HET(Human Exploration Telerobotics) in exploring how robots can help humans experiment and live in space more efficiently.
The other day, NASA updated their Blog with the results of their experiments, or at least released the data captured by the sensors on-board the phones. The sensor data was captured on a logging app which you can install on your own phone from the Play Store. The results are interesting but the cool thing I found for every day viewing is the video they took whilst using the phones whilst attached to the SPHERES :

If you`re into this the full blog is quite interesting, so head on over to the source to check it out. I’m hoping one day to release a weather balloon with a Smart Phone attached and recover it to get the data and video, just because the experiment intrigues me, perhaps if enough people are interested I’ll look into doing the launch and retrieval as a project for Ausdroid.

Nasa

Download & Install Instagram 1.0.5 For Android APK, Tutorial Included

Instagram, the most controversial app in the Android market today, just recently get updated and pushed to version 1.0.5 bringing minor updates and tweaks to the delight of its users. It is the fifth update being rolled out ever since the Android version of the app was released early this month. While each update is minor and often fixes an issue or two, Instagram for Android is still the app that received most updates in a very short period of time letting its users to think the team behind the development and maintenance of this app has always been on the lookout for bugs and inconsistencies. More and more people are becoming attracted to it as new updates are being released almost every 3 days.

There are actually just two key features of this update and this time, Instagram seemed to have gone device-specific. The first is focused on giving more support for Samsung Galaxy Y. Some of Galaxy Y owners have been complaining about the app that couldn’t be installed in their phone. Others reported Instagram won’t run or open after being installed. Still others reported that there were frequent crashes and that some of the filters don’t function. Basically, Instagram had lots of issues with Samsung Galaxy Y which was unusually surprising considering there are other devices with lower specs that Galaxy Y but could run the app really well.
The second focus was adding more support for devices running on Android Froyo. Unlike Samsung Galaxy Y, issues on devices operating on Froyo were minimal. Among the reported ones are some crashes where the app automatically freezes and closes few seconds after it has been loaded. Others said they needed to reboot their system to be able to use the app. However minor the problems are, Instagram believe it is necessary to roll out some updates so as to let everybody enjoy the app to its fullest. After all, that’s the purpose why it has been offered for free in the first place.

How to Update Instagram

There are several ways to install the update on your device. First is through the official notification in which you will be able to receive provided you are connected to the internet. Second is by downloading the latest Instagram APK file and run it from your phone. But here’s the tutorials for these methods.
When you receive a notification telling you that there is a new update, you simply have to tap on it and follow the instructions. Here’s how:
Step 1: Slide to open the notification panel and see if Instagram is on the list.
Step 2: If it is then you just have to tap on it and you will be redirected to Google Play Store to download the package.
Step 3: Tap on the “Download” button and wait ’til it’s finished.
Step 4: Tap on the “Update” button and wait ’til the system is done with the process.
Step 5: Run the app.

From Google Play Store

Step 1: Step 1: Download Instagram 1.0.5 APK here.
https://hotfile.com/dl/153367238/0767082/Instagram_1.0.5.apk.html

Step 2: Save it your phone. Feel free to put it wherever you want as long as you have access to such directory.
Step 3: Run the APK file.
Step 4: You will be prompted that if you continue with the installation, the current software installed in your phone will be replaced. Just confirm that.
Step 5: Wait ’til the update process is done.
Step 6: Run the app to see if it’s working.
I hope you didn’t find these two methods difficult as they are as easy as you think they are. Well, shoot us your questions or suggestions if you have some using the comment form below. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

 techzek.com

Tutorial on upgrading of Samsung Galaxy S2 to latest ICS Galaxy Nexus 4.0.4 ROM

Google recently released the Android 4.0.4 sources (along with the 4.0.4 update for the Galaxy Nexus), which brought along performance and stability improvements. Recognized XDA developer Faryaab has built an Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.4 ROM for the Samsung Galaxy S2 that gives you a stock Android experience as found on the Nexus, without Samsung’s custom TouchWiz UI to mess things up (for those who don’t like it).
The ROM also takes sources from Cyanogenmod, so expect the same bugs and issues as found in CM9 to be present in this ROM. The developer has said that he will update the ROM regularly as and when CM9 development moves ahead, so keep an eye on this one.
Read on to find out how you can install the F1 GalaxyNexus ROM on your Galaxy S2.
Compatibility
This ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Samsung Galaxy S2, model number i9100. It’s not compatible with any other device. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.
Warning!
The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

ROM Info

Developer → Faryaab
Known Issues:

• TV Out: not working properly
• Phone Encryption: not working

Pre-Installation Requirements

• Important! A Galaxy S2 with ClockworkMod recovery (CWM) installed.
• This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
• Sufficiently charged battery, at least 50% is recommended.

How to Install F1 GalaxyNexus ROM

1. Download the latest version of the ROM from the official development page.
2. Download the Google Apps package. This will install apps like Market, Gmail, etc. which are not present in the ROM by default. Download Link  |  Filename: gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip
3. Transfer the downloaded zip files from step 1 and step 2 to the internal SD card on the phone.
4. Turn off the phone and boot into Clockworkmod recovery. For this, press and hold these 3 buttons together until the screen turns on: Volume UP + Home + Power. Phone will boot into CWM recovery. Use volume keys to scroll up and down between options and power key to select an option.
5. Perform a Nandroid Backup of your existing ROM, so that you can always restore it from recovery if something does not work out with this ROM. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore –> On the next screen, select Backup again. Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
6. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
7. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the SD card and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install _____.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing.
8. After the ROM finishes installing, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.
9. Now repeat step 7, but this time select the Google apps package file gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip to install the Google apps package.
10. After the installation is complete, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone.

The F1 GalaxyNexus Android 4.0.4 based custom ROM is now installed on your Galaxy S2 i9100. Visit the original development page for more info and to get the latest updates on the ROM. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments.
The above article credit goes to THE ANDROID SOUL

Draw Something on google nexus

The most popular social drawing and guessing game on Android!. A new game for your google nexus to share your crazy drawing ideas to every one, changeling game, one of the hottest game this week. This Android Game : free version (with ads) and paid version (with more features). It can play smoothly on my google nexus tablet

Here are screen shots  Draw Something Trick ***The #1 Free App, #1 Paid App and #1 Word Game in over 80 countries!***

Play the Free version of Draw Something, the most popular social drawing and guessing game on Android! Experience for yourself the laugh-out-loud game your friends are raving about! Plus get these special bonuses: Download free version of Draw Something on google nexus here :  f.1mobile.com/mobile_software/puzzle/com.omgpop.dstfree_1003006.apk

Draw Something is more than a social game, it's a window into the minds of others

Draw Something is more than a simple Pictionary clone. While it stems off the same concept that has been used over and over, there are no time limits and no punishments for incorrect guesses. These aspects, along with the one-on-one setting, remove any sense of competition from the game. The resulting experience is less a game, and more an insight into individual personalities. I met Mr. Frost in one of my first matches. Over the next few days, we played when we had time. We're about 50 rounds in so far, and we haven't missed a word yet. Our pictures started as silly little sketches consisting of only black and primary colors and evolved into vivid scenes and occasionally hilarious situations. I didn't just get to sit back and watch my own ability grow—my artistic ability has indeed grown, at least by Draw Something standards—I also got to watch someone else grow alongside me. We both started off with the same crude style, but as we played, those styles grew apart. I've found I use a lot of color to illustrate my words, while Mr. Frost puts more emphasis on detail. Neither is better than the other, but it leads to completely different drawings for the exact same word. For “EMINEM”, I'd draw a bunch of candies, while Mr. Frost would likely try drawing the rapper himself. Mr. Frost and I have learned a lot about each other through the way we play the game. I've never met the guy, but based solely on word selection and the guesses we make, I can't help but think we'd get along in real life. When it's your turn to draw, you get the choice between three words Each one is more difficult than the last, but also nets you more coins if your partner guesses it. Mr. Frost and I seem to move straight toward any video game-based word we come across. And if we're stumped, we both often make guesses about the video game universe. Even when those guesses are wrong, we just rearrange the letter bank until we find a suitable word that fits the allocated space. Mr. Frost and I think alike, and our synergy has grown as we've played the game. My experience from Mr. Frost came from a random pairing. You can choose to play with friends, and that's a completely different experience. When I linked my Facebook account and created a new game, I was able to see which of my friends were already playing, and I was given the option to invite others. As new friends picked up the game, I got to see shades of my past. While I've earned enough in-game coins to unlock various colors and shades, my friends were stuck with the same four options I had at first. Without saying (or writing) a word, I was able to show them some of the tricks I've learned, and they – perhaps inadvertently – showed me some new things. Linking your Facebook account isn't the only way to play. You can use email or a username to find people you know too. You can play a bunch of games at the same time, and you'll want to, because your bank fills with coins each time you get a word correct. These coins can be used to purchase more colors or buy bombs that eliminate incorrect letters from the letter bank. The bombs are nice, but I only found good use for them when my partner really struggled with the drawing. On the other hand, colors enrich the experience, but you'll find a lot of creativity from those who have only the default choices. There's both a free and a paid version of the game. Both versions allow play between iOS and Android users, and they both play identically. The paid version eliminates ads, adds about 2,000 more words, and gives you 400 free coins (you can also opt to buy coins separately if you'd rather not wait to earn them). Those who play a lot may want to put down money for the paid version, as there are only so many times you can stand having to draw Shrek. Draw Something is neither a challenge nor a competition. It's a social game in its purest form. Whether you're playing a close friend or a complete stranger, you learn about who they are. How somebody approaches Draw Something tells a lot about them. Perhaps they have an eye for detail, maybe they enjoy a good joke, or maybe they play in a way that’s completely unique. There are some bad eggs that try to earn a quick coin by simply writing their word. Like the rest, that action alone gives us an insight as to what kind of person we're playing with. The lack of competition and challenge will understandably be a turnoff to many. The rest will discover pure, innocent fun, and an amazing window into the minds of others. gamezebo.com Download free version of Draw Something on google nexus here :  f.1mobile.com/mobile_software/puzzle/com.omgpop.dstfree_1003006.apk

How to create a masterpiece: Draw Something tips, hints, and cheats

How to create a masterpiece: Draw Something tips, hints, and cheats

Everybody and their mother is playing OMGPOP's rather excellent iOS and Android sketch-'em-up Draw Something, which managed to nab a shiny Gold Award at review. To be fair, it's ruddy addictive. The aim of the game, in case you're one of the three people who's yet to play it, is to grab your durable iPaintbrush (your finger) and create a Rolf Harris-esque masterpiece from scratch. Your opponent then has to guess what your frantic scribblings actually are using the jumbled letters that are displayed on-screen. And that's pretty much it. Oh, before we forget, check out what we think are 20 of the best Draw Something creations. They're absolutely fabulous, dahling. Drawing up a storm In Draw Something, you take on multiple opponents in asynchronous matches, which you can drop in and out of at will. If an opponent successfully guesses your creation, you get the chance to guess theirs. A match continues until somebody gives up. When it's your turn to sketch, you're greeted by a screen that contains three different words to choose from - all of which vary in difficulty: Easy, Medium, and Hard. The amount of coins you earn depends on the difficulty level you choose to undertake. If you don't think you can transform any of the words into a glorious picture, you can use your limited supply of bombs to get three fresh choices. Or you can simply close the app, remove it from your multitasking dock, and then fire it back up again to be greeted with three new words. The choice is yours. Purchase at least one new pack of colours (by tapping the '+' symbol next to your existing colour palette) using the coins you save using that cheeky cheat in the above paragraph. We suggest you stump up the cash for the Mardi Gras package early in the game, for it features a nice selection of colours that you don't have access to from the off. Take your time while you're drawing: this game is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't just blob a ton of colour onto the playing field and hope for the best. A thin black pencil and a little outline can go a long way. Finally, try to colour the objects you're drawing with a high degree of verisimilitude - it makes life a lot easier. Have you ever bumped into a purple hamster in the real word? Thought not. The guessing game There aren't many tips we can give you for guessing your opponents's drawings. To be frank, some of them are shocking. However, Draw Something does give you a helping hand. For starters, the game lets you know exactly how many letters make up the word that your partner is attempting to convey. It also gives you 12 jumbled-up letters with which to construct this word, so you're not entirely on your lonesome here. If you're still stuck, bombs can be used to remove the letters that you don't really need. Cheaters never (read: always) prevail If you're still left scratching your head after you've exhausted the above avenues, there's only one thing left to do: cheat. We don't normally condone cheating here at Pocket Gamer Towers, but there are plenty of ways to dirty your Draw Something hands out there on that thing we call the internet. Firstly, you can simply head on over to the Win Every Game website, which is a website designed to help Scrabble players get one over on their intellectually gifted opponents. Just enter the letters that you've been presented with in Draw Something on this website, and it'll give you a list of anagrams - it's that easy. Alternatively, you can head on over to Apple's App Store and download the aptly named Draw Solver Pro - Cheat at Draw Something! application for the small sum of 69p / 99c [buy]. This application allows you to upload a screenshot of the picture you're trying to guess - complete with the letters Draw Something has given you - and almost instantly receive the correct answer. Just remember: the above method of cheating guarantees your passage into hell. You can download Draw Something as a Universal app on iOS in one of two flavours (or both, if you wish): a 69p / 99c ad-free version [buy], and a free-to-play ad-supported version [download]. Likewise, you can download a free Android version of Draw Something for, well, free [download]. Or you can shell out 62p for the ad-free Android edition [buy].

pocketgamer.co.uk

Download free version of Draw Something on google nexus here :  f.1mobile.com/mobile_software/puzzle/com.omgpop.dstfree_1003006.apk

Draw Something Tops 50 Million Downloads in 50 Days

 

The runaway hit mobile game Draw Something has been downloaded more than 50 million times in just 50 days, according to Zynga. The game passed the 50 million download mark on Wednesday, after launching just two months ago, Zynga said. In its first six weeks alone, the Pictionary-like game, which is available for iPhones and Android devices, had already been downloaded more than 35 million times. "We believe it's not only the fastest-growing original mobile game of all time – 50 days to hit 50 million downloads — but one of the fastest growing web sensations that we’ve seen," Zynga said in a statement. Zynga last month bought Draw Something developer OMGPOP for an estimated $180 million, plus another $30 million for employee retention payments. As part of Zynga, the 40-person team at New York-based OMGPOP will now focus on building new mobile games and continuing to develop its existing titles. "If you haven't played [Draw Something] already I highly recommend that you check it out, it's super fun," David Ko, chief mobile officer of Zynga, said last month on a call with reporters. The game, which is available for free or $0.99 for the version without ads, also just regained its spot as the top paid app in the App Store, knocking off Angry Birds Space. It also currently sits atop the top free and top grossing lists. Since it was launched, more than 6 billion drawings have been created, Zynga said. Interested in some more fun facts about Draw Something? Well, the day the game launched, users created three drawings per second, Zynga said. And, at its peak, Draw Something users generated 3,000 drawings per second. The most popular words are starfish, pregnant, Hangman, six pack, and boom box while the least popular word is latrine. pcmag.com Download free version of Draw Something on Kindle Fire here :  f.1mobile.com/mobile_software/puzzle/com.omgpop.dstfree_1003006.apk

Samsung Google Nexus S: expectations and aims

So after quite a wait, the Samsung Nexus S is finally upon us. And, after any long wait, the responses tend to polarize between euphoria and disappointment. While there are enough reasons to be disappointed about the device – no dual core, no sd card, only 5 mp camera, no HDMI, no HSPA+ – it may just be interesting to assume Samsung and Google know what they’re doing. This raises, of course, the question of what exactly it is they are doing.
Let’s have a short glance at the Nexus S’ background. The Nexus One might seem now as a more revolutionary device at the time of its release than the Nexus S now. Yet, at the time of its release, many too were disappointed because the device wasn’t as groundbreaking as hoped for. So, where do these expectations come from then? Is it the association with Google that immediately conjures fantasies of cutting edge technologies? And even if the Nexus One was more cutting edge, Google has learned the lesson that that by itself apparently does not have enough power on today’s phone market that customers will come running.
In the turmoil of opinions, it is easy to overlook that the Samsung Google Nexus S still is a considerable step forward from, for example, the Galaxy S – in part thanks to the Android Gingerbread OS, in part thank to its hardware. An major part of the success of the Galaxy S is that it isn’t just a ‘geek phone’ (‘geek’ not meant in any offensive way, by the way): the device clearly appeals to the masses. The style of the promotional material of the Nexus S suggests this is what Samsung and Google are aiming for with the Nexus S: the common smartphone user. This seems in line with both considerations mentioned above.
First, the Nexus One did impress, but it did not appeal to the masses. The HTC Desire did, though. But what is the point of making two of the same phones, one with ‘geek appeal’ (as Google) and one with mass appeal (as the previously speculated HTC One V for example)? And if you’re going to scrap one of those two variations, it is not hard to decide which one.
Second, it is interesting to consider what to do, when faced with market fragmentation. Should the market be stretched even further, by adding a cutting edge device? Or could Google’s new Android rallying point be a slightly more mid-range device, setting standards that manufacturers can aspire to in the near future with their mid-range phones? Standards they can achieve without immediately having to resort to all the technologies that make a phone very expensive?
Of course, the fact of the matter is that the Nexus S is by no means a mid-range device. Not technologically, and not price wise. And though it is not out there, orbiting the far edges of the solar system, it pushes Android development one step further, without loosing sight of the bulk of smartphone users.
Perhaps the best argument for this, next to the style of advertising, is the ‘contour display’. Though Samsung claims it improves the user experience, it first and foremost seems to be a design feature. Not cutting edge ‘geek’ design, but rather just ‘design’. It looks cool, it makes the phone stand out and instantly recognizable to people without intimate knowledge of phones.
So, concluding, it seems that Samsung and Google are aiming to do the one thing the Nexus One did not: be commercially successful. And, as is the case with any grand aim, only time will tell if the Nexus S can fulfill that promise.

Google Nexus S

Google Nexus S is the follow-up of the Google Nexus One. It is not a great leap forward in the same way that the original Nexus was but rather is more like a refreshed version of the Samsung Galaxy S. It runs Google's new version of Android OS which is called Gingerbread and it is powered by 1GHz processor. Other features include a 4-inch Super AMOLED unique Contour Display, which is slightly curved, 5MP camera, Near Field Communication (NFC), Wi-Fi and more.
Samsung I9020

Pros

• Fast processor (1000 MHz)

Cons

• Lacks microSD slot for storage expansion

Design

• Device type:
  • Smart phone
• OS:
  • Android (4.0.4, 4.0.3, 4.0.2, 2.3.6, 2.3.3, 2.3)
• Form factor:
  • Candybar
• Dimensions:
  • 4.88 x 2.48 x 0.43 (123.9 x 63 x 10.88 mm)
• Weight:
  • 4.55 oz (129 g)
    the average is 4.2 oz (120 g)

Display

• Physical size:
  • 4.00 inches
• Resolution:
  • 480 x 800 pixels
• Pixel density:
  • 233 ppi
• Technology:
  • Super AMOLED
• Colors:
  • 16 777 216
• Touchscreen:
  • • Capacitive, Multi-touch
• Features:
  • Light sensor, Proximity sensor

Battery

• Talk time:
  • 14.00 hours
    the average is 8 h (490 min)
• Stand-by time:
  • 29.7 days (713 hours)
    the average is 20 days (487 h)
• Talk time (3G):
  • 6.00 hours
• Stand-by time (3G):
  • 17.8 days (427 hours)
• Capacity:
  • 1500 mAh

Hardware

• Processor:
  • Single core, 1000 MHz, Cortex A8 (Hummingbird)
• Graphics processor:
  • • Yes
• System memory:
  • 512 MB RAM
• Built-in storage:
  • 16000 MB

Camera

• Camera:
  • • 5 megapixels
  • Flash:
    • LED
  • Features:
    • Auto focus, Geo tagging, Night mode
• Camcorder:
  • • 720x480 (DVD) (30 fps)
  • Features:
    • Video light, Video calling
• Front-facing camera:
  • 0.3 megapixels VGA

Multimedia

• Music player:
  • Filter by:
    • Album, Artist, Playlists
  • Features:
    • Album art cover, Background playback
• Speakers:
  • Earpiece, Loudspeaker
• YouTube player:
  • Yes

Internet browsing

• Browser:
  • • Yes
  • Supports:
    • HTML, HTML5, Flash
• Built-in online services support:
  • YouTube (upload), Picasa

Technology

• GSM:
  • 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• UMTS:
  • 900, 1700/2100, 2100 MHz
• Data:
  • HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE
• Positioning:
  • A-GPS
• Navigation:
  • Yes

Phone features

• Phonebook:
  • Unlimited entries, Caller groups, Multiple numbers per contact, Search by both first and last name, Picture ID, Ring ID
• Organizer:
  • Calendar, Alarm, Document viewer, Calculator
• Messaging:
  • SMS, MMS, Threaded view, Predictive text input
• E-mail:
  • • IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange

Connectivity

• Bluetooth:
  • • 2.1, EDR
• Wi-Fi:
  • • 802.11 b, g, n
  • Mobile hotspot:
    • Yes
• USB:
  • • USB 2.0
  • Connector:
    • microUSB
  • Features:
    • Mass storage device, USB charging
• • NFC, DLNA, Computer sync, OTA sync, VoIP

Other features

• Notifications:
  • Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone
• Sensors:
  • • Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
• Hearing aid compatibility:
  • • M3
• • Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording

Availability

• Officially announced:
  • 07 Dec 2010

Shopping information

• MSRP price:
  • • 530 $