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TalkAndroid Weekly Recap for May 6 – May 12, 2013

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by Robert Nazarian on
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We had another busy week at TalkAndroid so here’s a recap of all the top stories. Google I/O is next week and we have the full scoop on the new and improved Nexus 7. Rumors say the Motorola X phone is scrapped for the time being, but a recent FCC filing seems to indicate it might actually be sooner rather than later. We weren’t expecting to see it announced next week, but could we get a surprise? Google Babel is expected to be unveiled under the “Hangouts” name, and recent developments support that Google will unveil an updated Nexus 4 with LTE.  Lastly, Google will unveil cloud sync gaming with Play Games. There were a lot of new apps, including a couple of reviews as well. It’s time to get caught up and get ready for another exciting week.

Guides

How to remove apps from the Google Play Store ‘My Apps’ list

How to make a Drama Shot or Sequence Shot on the HTC One

Reviews

Boulder Dash XL [Brain & Puzzle]

» Read the rest

TalkAndroid Daily Dose for May 8, 2013

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by Robert Nazarian on
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With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Reviews

Boulder Dash XL [Brain & Puzzle]

Apps

Rovio updates Bad Piggies with 15 new levels, 2 new items

WeatherBug gets a new update that brings redesigned user interface, hourly forecasts, and more

Google Earth for Android receives update, adds Street View

Google I/O Android app updated with new features for 2013

Carriers

AT&T adds more LTE markets, on pace to reach 250 million Americans by end of year

T-Mobile revenues dip, but customer base growing

Verizon offering “Red Hot Deal Days” until May 12 on select devices for Mother’s Day

Google Glass

Google Glass sensors revealed, expect a lot of augmented reality apps soon

Phones

AT&T offers the HTC First smartphone for under a buck

ImaGination Begins on May 30 at LG event

New color of the DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD on the way to Verizon stores

Release dates for Galaxy Mega, Galaxy S 4 Mini, Galaxy S 4 Zoom, and Galaxy S 4 Activ Leaked

Sharp unveils AQUOS Phone Xx SoftBank 206SH with 5-inch 1080p CG-Silicon display and two-days of battery life

5-inch Sony Xperia A drops by the FCC with a removable battery

Vivo announces high-end, pricey phablet coming in late May

ROMs

Release candidates for CyanogenMod 10.1.0 start making their way to select devices

Updates

New build of Sense 5.1 surfaces for HTC Butterfly smartphone, tries to give a little taste of Android 4.2.2 in the process

Miscellaneous

Ouya console gets high ratings from iFixit, easily disassembled and repaired

Apple wants source code records in Samsung trial and looks in Google’s direction in the process

Samsung sitting on over $28 billion in cash at the end of March

Sharp unveils AQUOS Phone Xx SoftBank 206SH with 5-inch 1080p CG-Silicon display and two-days of battery life

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by Robert Nazarian on
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We have another 5-inch phone to tell you about, but this one has a feature that everyone can appreciate. The Sharp AQUOS Phone Xx  SoftBank 206SH can hold up for two full days on it’s 3,080mAh battery. Other than the sheer size of the battery, some of the power consumption improvements come from the continuous grain (CG) silicon display as opposed to amorphous silicon found on traditional LCD TFT panels. This not only allows for a thinner display and better graphics, but also reduced power consumption.

It also includes a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, a 13.1MP camera with f/1.9 optics, 1-Seg digital TV, IR blaster, LTE, and Android 4.2. It’s also waterproof. No word on pricing, but expect to see this bad boy in late June.

source: Sharp

TalkAndroid Weekly Recap for April 15 – April 21, 2013

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by Robert Nazarian on
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We had another busy week at TalkAndroid so here’s a recap of all the top stories. The Galaxy S 4 release dates for U.S. carriers were finally revealed and the Motorola X continues to keep us intrigued. Speaking of intriguing, Google Glass Explorer Editions are starting to roll. It’s time to get caught up and get ready for another exciting week.

Guides

How to securely lock your phone while using Facebook Home as your launcher

How to get your status bar back full time with Facebook Home

How to turn off Facebook Home and go back to your stock launcher

How to set up and use BlinkFeed on Sense 5 with the HTC One

Sense 5: All the changes you need to know

Hands on Tutorial: Sense 5 camera, HTC Zoe, and Video Highlights

Reviews

Mr. Eyes [Sports & Puzzles]

MyPermissions [Tools]

Nexus 10 Book Cover Review

» Read the rest

TalkAndroid Daily Dose for April 15, 2013

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by Robert Nazarian on
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TalkAndroid_Daily_Dose

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Guides

How to securely lock your phone while using Facebook Home as your launcher

How to get your status bar back full time with Facebook Home

How to turn off Facebook Home and go back to your stock launcher

Reviews

Featured Android Game Review: Mr. Eyes [Sports & Puzzles]

» Read the rest

DISH Network targets Sprint with competing $25.5B bid to trump SoftBank offer

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by Jeff Causey on
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DISH Network announced today that they have submitted a merger proposal to Sprint with a value of $25.5 billion. The offer consists of $17.3 billion in cash and another $8.2 billion in stock. According to DISH Network’s news release, the cash portion of the deal represents an 18% premium over the offer currently on the table from SoftBank. DISH Network also points out that the ownership proposal for stockholders is a better deal as Sprint stockholders will end up with a 32% in the entire merged company whereas SoftBank is only offering a 30% stake in the Sprint portion of the company if they buy it up. According to DISH Network, the merger with Sprint will create a unique company that can offer customers video, broadband, and voice services both in-home and out-of-home.

Keep in mind Sprint is also in the process of acquiring full ownership of Clearwire, but that deal is contingent on the closing of the SoftBank deal. With a competing offer now on the table, it is not clear how that might impact the acquisition of Clearwire. Sprint has not yet issued a response to this latest offer. Hit the break for the full press release issued by DISH Network. » Read the rest

DOJ Cites National Security In Request To Delay Sprint/Softbank Merger

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by Rudy Rivapalacio on
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Slow your roll, Sprint! The Department of Justice has stepped in and filed a request for the FCC to defer approval of the Sprint/Softbank Merger. The DOJ said it was “currently reviewing this matter for any national security, law enforcement, and public safety issues.” The deferral request should be seen as a plea for more time rather than condemnation of the proposal. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are also taking part in the review.

An FCC hold will likely push the completion of the deal past the mid-2013 goal Sprint and Softbank stated back in October. It will also delay Sprint’s snail-paced, but growing, LTE rollout. Remember Softbank, Japan’s largest wireless provider, is bringing the green in this acquisition: $20.1 billion ($12.1 billion in cash consideration & $8 billion in capital).

Source: The Verge

Sprint to acquire full ownership of Clearwire, offers $2.97 per share

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by Jeff Causey on
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Confirming news reported last week, Sprint and Clearwire made it official today that Sprint will acquire full ownership of Clearwire. Sprint announced they will pay $2.97 per share, or about $2.2 billion, to shareholders who own the almost 50% stake not currently owned by Sprint. The share price represents a 128 percent premium compared to Clearwire’s closing share price on October 11th, the day before discussions between Sprint and SoftBank were confirmed.

According to the press release issued today, Clearwire’s board of directors unanimously approved the definitive agreement. In addition, commitments were received from Comcast Corp., Intel Corp and Bright House Networks LLC to vote their shares, equal to a 13 percent stake, in favor of the agreement. The transaction is subject to the usual closing conditions, including regulatory approval. The deal is contingent on Sprint and SoftBank closing on their previously announced deal. Both agreements are anticipated to close sometime in mid-2013.

source: Sprint

Sprint Offers Clearwire $2.1 Billion To Become Truly Part Of The Sprint Family

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by Roy Alugbue on
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We already know that Sprint & Clearwire has quite the relationship, but Sprint fully intends from not just owning some of Clearwire, but it wants to acquire what’s left of the available Clearwire share. Reuters reports that Sprint (by way of Softbank) wants full control of Clearwire’s network and subsequent spectrum by making a full $2.1 billion offer. If the deal is approved (and all indications point to its approval), the entire value of Clearwire would be worth somewhere in the area of $4.2 billion— though we won’t see the deal formally approved until at least sometime in the March or April of the upcoming year.

Talk about Sprint wanting to put a ring on it. Sheesh.We’ll be on the lookout for any further developments on this big news.

source: Reuters

Sprint, Clearwire moving closer to deal according to CNBC

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by Jeff Causey on
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Reporting on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, show host David Farber indicated negotiations between Sprint and Clearwire have been heating up in the last few days. Sprint, which already owns a majority interest in Clearwire, has been rumored to be working on a deal to buy out the remaining shareholders. Discussions with some of the other major parties, like Bright House, Intel, and Comcast, have been held in an effort to work through some of the complexities of a potential buyout. According to Farber’s sources, Sprint is trying to gain complete control over Clearwire in order to have access to Clearwire’s spectrum.

Sprint is poised to become a subsidiary of Softbank, probably in March or April 2013. Individuals familiar with the negotiations think the closing of the Softbank deal and the Sprint/Clearwire deal should occur at the same time. In order to provide appropriate notice, Sprint will likely need to issue a statement before the end of the year. Clearwire’s debt holders noted the company did not call First Lien Notes yesterday, adding to the speculation that Clearwire does not anticipate being an independent company for much longer.

source: CNBC

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