If you own an Infuse 4G, you’ll be disappointed to hear that Samsung and AT&T have put the upcoming update to Gingerbread on hold. It seems that there’s an issue that targets a small number of users and they’re currently working on a fix. Surely the teams at Samsung and AT&T will be able to get this update around to Infuse 4G users sooner rather than later.

Source: Samsung
Via: Android Central

With the announcement of Google Chrome for Android earlier today – to a resounding cheer of the Android community – Adobe has stepped in to (indirectly, of course) take a little of that excitement away. Standing by their previous announcement, the Adobe Air and Flash team released a statement on their blog stating that they have no intention of developing a flash plugin for the new Chrome for Android browser. Disappointing? You bet.

However I don’t think this signifies anything more than the necessity to inconvenience yourself with switching browsers for Flash content. With HTML 5 dominance and standardization on the horizon, mobile users will soon be forgetting about the Flash Player days anyway. I do believe that this is a pretty premature move though, since Flash content is all over the web and Adobe has yet to release any HTML 5 alternative for viewing it (though they do note that Adobe AIR will be bringing this in the near future). The full statement follows after the break.

Today Google introduced Chrome for Android Beta. As we announced last November, Adobe is no longer developing Flash Player for mobile browsers, and thus Chrome for Android Beta does not support Flash content. Flash Player continues to be supported within the current Android browser. Adobe is committed to innovating with Flash. We’ll continue enabling content developers to produce rich and immersive applications on mobile devices and PCs via Adobe AIR, and through PC browsers via Flash Player. Flash is uniquely positioned for creating and publishing advanced gaming and premium video content, and that is where we’re focusing our future investment. We recently released hardware accelerated support for 2D and 3D graphics for Flash Player on the desktop and will soon bring these same capabilities to mobile apps via AIR. Together with recent advancements in hardware accelerated video decoding, compositing and content protection, these capabilities provide the richest platform for game developers and video publishers to reach over a billion users across PCs and major mobile app stores, including the iTunes App Store and Android Market. At the same time, we’re actively working to move HTML5 forward via our ongoing collaboration with Google and other members of the Web community. Adobe’s proposal for CSS Regions, which allows sophisticated, magazine-like page layouts on the web, is now shipping in the Chrome browser. We’re collaborating with Google and other members of the Web community on a proposal for CSS Shaders to enable cinematic, visual effects via HTML5 and we’re exploring the potential of its Shadow DOM proposal, which would enable the integration of rich user interface components in web pages. We continue to work on ways to make the Web more expressive, drawing on our experience with Flash. Adobe has always been about enabling content developers to produce the richest content possible and we remain committed to that end across platforms and technologies. Bill Howard, Flash Platform, Product Management

Let’s face it, we love our CM9 ROMs and want to keep abreast of the latest news regarding any developments or updates, right? That’s why the developers of the great ROM wanted to give the masses a status and progress update on where the ROM stands and its future. Among the items highlighted is how much Android 4.0 has changed from previous platforms and the various changes requires updated graphics drivers. The relevance of the need for updated graphics drivers is that the drivers are almost always closed-source… meaning they don’t appear until a device or devkit is released with them. They’ve been able to make some workarounds, but are blocked on some subsystems like the camera.

Moreover, the developers decided to start off with a fresh codebase from Google and are forward-porting features from CM7, keying in on design and better integration by cleaning house on some unnecessary features. For starters, they’ve thrown out the CMParts app, instead electing to add the developer’s custom features directly into the main settings. In addition, the developers realized CM7 had many options that weren’t used, so they’re now taking a “just works” approach— meaning it should achieve a good balance between tweakability and a great out-of-the-box experience.

Of course many of you all are thinking “that’s great, but is my device supported??” Here’s the developers response to that:

“Currently, you can compile CM9 for a small number of devices- notably the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Wi-Fi and T-Mobile versions), the HP Touchpad and Motorola Xoom. The next devices to show up will likely be a whole array of Samsung phones (Exynos chipset), with devices based on the Qualcomm MSM8660 and 7×30 chipsets to follow. It’s still unclear if we can provide support for the QSD8x50 family of devices (Nexus One, HTC Evo, etc), but the answer almost always turns out to be “yes” for these kinds of things.”

There you have it folks, the status and progress of the CM9 ROM.

source: CM Blog

Google’s new bouncer-service that was announced last week is supposed to have dropped the number of malware apps in the Android Market by about 40% already. While that is a great number the Bouncer service isn’t perfect and it probably is the beginning to one of many back and forth battles between the Search Giant and malicious hackers in the making.

However, it appears that hackers may have already found a work around to this service. According to North Carolina State University professor Xuxian Jiang, he and his team have discovered a new malware variant that pulls off a pretty sneaky maneuver. The malware contains no malicious code when it’s first installed on a device. By doing this it evades scans or permission requests that could pick up on its intentions in the first place. Here’s the trick. After it’s downloaded the app is then able to download new code from a remote server and it can hide this in the data transfer from the phone’s communications.  

Part of the code downloaded in the exploit is known as “Gingerbreak.” Yes this is the same Gingerbreak that is used to gain root access on some Android 2.3 devices. This is used to gain full access to the device as root access does, allowing hackers, criminals and whoever else use of any of the phone’s functions whenever. This includes calling paid numbers, reading data, listening through the microphone or installing other malicious apps. Jiang’s team was able to find DroidLive secretly installed. This exploit profits by sending text messages to paid phone numbers.

Known as “privilege escalation” this exploit is quite difficult to achieve on Apple’s more restrictive OS as they only allow approved code to run on their devices. Android devices however have already seen these exploits demonstrated in a research atmosphere by security researcher Jon Oberheide, who was able to previously hide the ability to download this malicious code in two proof-of-concept Android applications. One impersonated a Twilight movie photo app and another was disguised as an Angry Birds “sequel.”

Thanks to this research, Android privilege-escalation has been proven to be more than theoretical. According to Jiang, “Jon had just showed this was possible.” He continued by saying ” This is the first actual malware that we found in the wild that uses this technique.” Jiang calls the new exploit “Rootsmart,” based on the prototype “Rootstrap” made by Oberheide combined with “com.google.android.smart” used by malware authors.

Rootsmart itself isn’t much of a threat to American Android users. In its current form, it doesn’t package itself as anything a user might be tempted to download, and it wasn’t found in the official Android Market, only on a Chinese app download site. However these apps could potentially evade the bouncer service. Given that the program scans all apps uploaded to the market for known malware that’s then simulated as running, it may get a free pass as Rootsmart doesn’t initially contain malware. This means the app could then wait out the Bouncer wait period before malicious code is downloaded. Whether or not the Android Market scans would catch this is untested.

When Forbes contacted Google for comment, a spokesperson pointed out that Rootsmart hasn’t been found in the official Market and right now falls outside of the bouncer’s zone of protection. But Jiang believes that a version could be uploaded to the Android Market that could evade the malware filter. He said: “At the very least, this would cause some challenges for a Bouncer-like system. I expect we’ll see more of this in the future.”

source: NCSU
via: Forbes

Google has finally release its long-wanted Chrome browser for Android roughly a few minutes ago. In order to run the app you must have Android 4.0 installed. It’s in beta right now so expect a few bugs and while we haven’t had a chance to play with it yet you can expect a review from us here in the next few days or so. According to Google the Android version has the following features:

- Browse fast with accelerated page loading, scrolling, and zooming,
- Search and navigate directly from the omnibox,
- Open and switch between unlimited tabs in an easy-to-view stack,
- Sign in to Chrome to sync your bookmarks and view tabs you have open on your computer,
- Send pages from desktop Chrome to your smartphone or tablet with one click and read them on the go, even if you’re offline,
- Browse privately in Incognito mode,

You can check to see if it is available in your country by going here. Hit the break below to for the QR code, market link and marketing video. It is certainly a great day for Android users and Chrome fans everywhere! Again, look for our review of the app shortly. Enjoy!

QR Code

Android Market Link

Click here to view the embedded video.

On February 1st, a couple of tweets from the developers of Swype confirmed that we will have an update to their popular keyboard within the next few days.  Responding to another Tweet, the Swype team promised that the update would be for devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, plus some mysterious “goodies”.  There has been an unofficial hacked version of Swype for more than a month, so we’re looking forward to having the real deal updated.  If you’d like to be a beta tester, be sure to register for the update at forum.swype.com.  Otherwise, wait for the OTA update.

source: Twitter 1,2

For those of you who don’t know Google dropped official “developer device” support for the CDMA (Verizon) version of the Galaxy Nexus last week. While a statement was released explaining why, it apparently required further explanation as it wasn’t officially explained in full as to what this drop actually meant. So without futher hesitation here is what the official Google Group’s post has to say:

“Hi, all! Thanks for all the questions. Here’s a quick omnibus to answer the questions folks have asked…

First, just to be clear this change is only related to AOSP support for these devices — that is, personal custom builds. These are obviously still officially-supported Nexus devices for everyday use, they will receive official software updates, and so on. Similarly, these are still fully-supported development devices for app developers.

Second, as I noted at the top of the thread, Nexus devices will still have unlocked bootloaders, and we’ll continue to make available as many of the closed-source binaries as we can. CDMA support in AOSP has always been more challenging than GSM, and this change is a reflection of that reality.

On that topic, here’s a quick clarification on the core issue. Every device has a number of closed-source software packages included on it. Though Google distributes some of these binaries for Nexus devices for use with AOSP, Google does not own the software. Rather, this software is variously owned by the device manufacturer, the carrier, and their suppliers. We try to get distribution rights for as many of these binaries as possible, but in some cases it is difficult or impossible to obtain these rights. (CDMA specifically has a tricky history of intellectual property.) Combined with the technical issues of needing to sign the apks correctly, this has prevented us from obtaining the distribution rights we need to support these devices in AOSP.

Finally, we will of course continue to work on improving support. If we can resolve these issues, we’ll certainly restore CDMA support to AOSP. In the meantime, we’ve updated our docs to be more accurate about the degree of support.”

For those of you worried that custom ROMs won’t work or that development has been halted this is simply not true. Usually developers take the time to pull the CDMA binaries straight from the device at hand. Even with Google not distributing them this should not be an issue. Given that Google doesn’t have license to use the binaries they can’t fully come out and say that the device is supported. The device will still get timely updates and is officially supported for every day use. Also it will come with an unlockable bootloader so it is still very much a Nexus device. If you want the technical break down you can also check out the link below. While some may still cry foul I feel that this can help the rest us breathe a sigh of relief. What do you think?

CDMA devices in AOSP: technical details – link

source: Google Groups

Motorola has yet another soak test on its way out, this time for the DROID Bionic smartphone. It is perhaps the mysterious 5.9.902 update we heard about previously? It’s highly unlikely this update is the anticipated Ice Cream Sandwich update you owners are yearning for, as the DROID RAZR/RAZR MAXX would likely be the first MOTO phones to see the ICS update, so it’s probably the 5.9.902 update. Word on the street the mysterious update is finally headed out to the beta testers as early as tonight. Stay tuned with Talk Android for any updates on this update.

source: Droid Life

Everyone has an idea of what their perfect android phone would be. While I would say that the Galaxy Nexus running Codename: Android would be as close to a perfect Android experience yet; I have found that I am wanting and missing various aspects that other Android phones have or need. I often contemplate what that phone would be like if I had a say and while I do not have Samsung, HTC, or Motorola on speed dial I’ve decided that I will share my opinion with you. So without further digression here it is, my perfect phone.

Design/Form Factor:

I do like the Galaxy Nexus phone factor. The curved class works well and the phone holds well. However I do have to say that I liked the way the Rezound felt in my hand. That phone felt solid and not overly heavy. I like the Nexus and it feels sleek but the plastic is definitely apparent. I would say that the design of the phone would be perfect if it had Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus sleekness and it were coupled with HTC’s smooth metal finish and solid structure.

Speed/Processing:

While it is general progression of technology and others will question my sanity for suggesting this, I am perfectly fine with dual-core technology or at least if we stopped at quad-core.  We should be working on efficiency now that we have an OS and tech designed for speed. My Nexus hums along perfectly with no lag at all and that’s on an underclocked OMAP processor. So I would be perfectly happy with just a dual-core processor of even staying with the Tegra 3 quad-core for my quick game of Shadowgun.

Battery:

The most important feature in my opinion of the phone is the battery. Battery life on 4G is just abysmal. Seriously, even phones on 3G these days have crappy battery life on stock software. While yes, Motorola released the RAZR MAXX and Samsung is tweaking software, this is an issue that should have been fixed a long time ago. While the MAXX has shown us that a 4G phone can have a day of heavy use, but only if we have a giant 3300mAh battery. If anyone could make it work, it certainly would be Motorola.

Screen:

I have to say while I love the crisp clear Super AMOLED display of my Galaxy Nexus I find that my favorite screen to look at is the 720p display on the HTC Rezound. While some would argue that it’s pales in comparison to the Super AMOLED screens I enjoyed looking at that screen. Movies, emails, texts, games and so on, just looked crisp even with the lack of brightness I complained about in my review. It could have been the whole pile of pixels per inch that HTC packed into that phone but I find that display being the best. If we could get a super AMOLED with that kind of pixel density, things could not look sexier.

Radios:

4G is in and 3G is out, at least according to Verizon’s statement, and so be it with the speeds you can achieve from using it. When we get to the point voice over LTE being a staple I will have to reevaluate but until then I am putting my money on Motorola’s radios.  Every phone I’ve used from Motorola has never dropped a signal in areas that either my HTC or Samsung phone has. Their speeds are beyond exceptional and even if my Galaxy Nexus is reading signals correctly, downloads are stupidly slow. So again, my money is on Motorola in this department for the time being.

Camera:

The HTC Rezound in my opinion has the best camera for an Android phone to date. Why Samsung put a 5MP camera on their current generation device I will never know but 5MP is extremely last year. It’s not bad, but unlike my HTC phones of old I wouldn’t consider just relying on my Nexus camera as my main memory capturing device on a vacation. Even with all the camera apps out there, you can only do so much with the hardware.

Audio:

I like the idea of Beats Audio. Now before you jump on my case as it being a gimmick hear me out. Given that we are using our phones for almost everything from productivity center to mobile media center the idea of having a decent sound output isn’t too far fetched. HTC’s move to add Beats to their phones has spurred others to do the same, like Samsung partnering with Jays, and I certainly like the idea.

I found that I used my iBeats headphones on the Rezound a lot more than I did with any other phone and if others had great sound with great headphones I would certainly believe people would get onboard. However, unlike Beats, I would throw in the ability to mix up equalizers, change how music sounds and make it work with other music programs like Pandora or Spotify. With Beats it’s just the Beats EQ that works in just the specialized music player.

Software:

Ice Cream Sandwich is a heck of a leap forward to that of even Gingerbread. It’s not short of its quirks but so far it’s the most polished Android OS to date. With it, there isn’t even a need for manufacturer skins like Sense or TouchWiz. There is enough flair that the OS feels shiny and new whether it’s your first day or your 1000^th. However things I would like to see that Sense has would be the ability to automatically connect multiple profiles of the same profile rather than manually having to do so. Plus it would be nice to see more social networking integration.

The Sense Widgets are awesome. I love the flip clock, the people widget and the weather widget. While they aren’t actual widgets in a Sense (see what I did there) if HTC made these actual widgets and allowed them on stock ICS they would have a solid product. There are programs that render this moot, like Beautiful Widgets, HTC’s have a polish to them that is hard to duplicate. HTC, Motorola, and Samsung can make stock ICS their own by doing little things like widgets or applications, and not taking away the hard work Google engineers have done to polish up the OS the way they have.

Updates/Pure Google Experience:

While this is something that should be under software I feel that it warrants its own section. Google Nexus devices are known for their timely updates. Being the first to receive updates is a perk and the real reason why I bought the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon in the first place. Even as an unofficial developer device it will still receive more timely updates. Plus the ability to unlock the bootloader with ease should be a staple in every smart phone (hear that Motorola).

Google did make an attempt at getting OEMs onboard with more timely updates and most agreed but it appears it was all for show. Given the current time tables for current Gingerbread devices seeking ICS you’re almost better off finishing your contract and getting a phone built for Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean depending on your contract time frame. OEMs need to work on getting updates out more timely rather than abandon support for phones replaced by new versions a month after, but that’s a rant for another time.

Conclusion:

So to break it down, my perfect Android phone would consist of following:

• Form Factor: HTC’s solidity with Samsung’s sleekness.
• Speed: I am perfectly okay with dual-core.
• Battery: A 4G phone that can last a full day on stock software without the need to be plugged in and without a bulky battery.
• Screen: Super AMOLED with HTC’s pixel density.
• Radios: Motorola’s Radios but with Samsung’s up and coming battery life tweaks.
• Cameras: 8MP at least, 5MP is no longer the norm, seriously. 8MP Minimum.
• Audio: Decent audio for those that use their phones for everything.
• Software/Updates: An Android OS that makes productivity, organization, media and gaming work more efficiently for us. HTC widgets work and act like actual widgets would be nice too. Things that are tedious, like combining contacts, should be automated. Updates should be timely and UI skins should be a thing of the past thanks to ICS.

While this is all wishful thinking and make believe it’s something to think about. If we combined all the best parts of the best devices by all the OEM’s we’d have one heck of a machine. Manufacturers need to start releasing phones in less varieties and make the user experience on fewer devices more important. Focus on updating the phones we have and don’t release an incremental version a month later with a better OS then drop support for the previous phone. Serioiusly, release phones in less flavors, I can’t stress this enough. Get 4G battery life to be better, and bring us a stock experience. Let us have the option of how we want to experience our phones. One could say that if I didn’t like a certain phone go buy another but each manufacturer does this. We all know what we want out of an Android phone and I will conclude with asking, what would your perfect Android smartphone be?

This is a big day for ROM developers everywhere as Xiaomi, a Chinese technology company, has open sourced its MIUI ROM for Android. For those that live under a rock, MIUI gives Android an iOS flair in both look and feel and is based on both Android 2.3.7 and CyanogenMod 7 sources. MIUI 4 (based on Ice Cream Sandwich) is even being toted as extremely stable on the Galaxy S II. You can check out our review on an earlier version here. It’s even safe to say that it’s one of the more popular ROMs out there.

If you are wanting to take a stab at the code you can swing on over to the Github where you will find several application and ROM source codes uploaded. While it may not be all of them you can certainly bet we’ll see more source codes pop up in the near future. Enjoy!

- Compass
- File Explorer
- Notes
- Sound Recorder

source: MIUIAndroid