Sony Mobile to Cut 1,000 Jobs


Reuters has reported that Sony will be cutting roughly 1,000 jobs from its mobile phone unit, Sony Mobile. This follows the Japanese company’s slashed 2012-2013 operating profit forecast.

Sony took over the struggling Sony Ericsson mobile phone unit earlier this year for roughly $1.3 billion, thus renaming it Sony Mobile.

Over half of the cuts will affect its Lund mobile plant in Sweden, which will now be used to focus on software and application development. Sony plans on moving its corporate headquarters from Lund to Toyko this October.

Source: Reuters

Sony Xperia J Smartphone Is Leaked Yet Again, This Time Shows Off Its Curved Back


 

Ah yes, the mysterious Sony Xperia J makes yet another appearance. After seeing a leak just a few days ago, Taiwanese website ePrice.com got their hands on additional shots of the device, giving us a better idea of it as a whole. Right off the bat, the screen looks to be typical of a standard budget or mid-range device coming in or around 4-inches, showing a decent-looking display. While the screen is nothing special, the design of the device is. You’ll immediately note a fairly curved profile and sleek curved back— just like the Xperia Arc smartphone.

All in all, Sony certainly has another device that will be part of its loaded arsenal. Expect a full announcement sometime in the next few weeks or so.

source: Xperia Blog
via: Android Central

Qualcomm Releases Statement About Rumored LG Smartphone with Quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor


It was already rumored that LG was close to releasing a new quad-core Optimus device sometime this year which would be powered by the powerful Qualcomm APQ8064 processor. Today, Qualcomm released a statement confirming the rumor that their mighty APQ8064 processor will be powering an unamed LG smartphone and relased sometime next month:

Qualcomm will supply the latest Snapdragon™ S4 Pro platform to LG, enabling LG’s new quad-core smartphone, which is currently in production with anticipated commercial availability in Korea in September and global rollout to follow. This smartphone will be the newest commercial and global device to offer a quad core CPU Snapdragon S4 processor along with 3G/LTE multi-mode capabilities, delivering a superior mobile experience for voice, web browsing, games, user interfaces and other graphics applications.

Both LG and Xiaomi will be shipping APQ8064 based phones this fall, but we’ll see who makes an official annoucement first.

Source: Anandtech

Pandora for Android gets updated with new look, song history, lyrics, and more


I know there are a lot of Pandora fans out there. I personally prefer Slacker, but Pandora just turned it up a notch with the latest update. The first change is a complete redesign that is more ICS/Jelly Bean like. Next up is song history, which lets you review, rate, or bookmark previously played tracks. Last but not least, when listening to a song, you can now get full song lyrics, artist bios, or find similar artists and tracks. The similar artist option is a nice feature and something I liked in Samsung’s

QR Code generator

Play Store Download Link

 

Google hosting Google Wallet Q&A today at 1:00pm EST/10:00am PST, Watch it live or recorded


Google will host a Google Wallet Q&A at 1:00pm EST / 10:00am PST with Google Wallet Product Manager Robin Dua. Just hit the source link below to watch it live or as a recorded event later on. Anyone can submit questions, so if you have one, be sure to hit the link below as well. I think the top question has to be when will Google Wallet be available outside the U.S.?

watch event / ask a question

Flickr For Android Gets Updated, Brings HTML Capabilities And Custom Filters


 

Those of you Flickr users can look forward to a massive update that was released recently. The update includes a revamped UI that includes a new photo stream that allows users to easily share your life through your photos, while adding an even simpler way to share your photos via social networks like Facebook or Twitter. In addition, the latest update brings a custom filters (think

Google launches official Google Canada blog


 

Google’s managing director of Google Canada, Chris O’Neill, started a new blog today. An individual starting a blog may not be newsworthy, but when it is an official blog for Google, that gets our attention. O’Neill indicates in the blog’s welcoming announcement that he hopes to “share some of these stories from Canada and about Canadians, to make announcements about Google products and events, and to share a glimpse of life at Google in Canada.” He also introduces a new (at least to me) term, “Canooglers” – Canadien Googlers. Hit the source to visit the official blog site. They have already posted an update!

source: Google Canada blog
via: mobilesyrup

Virgin Mobile adds Samsung Galaxy Reverb to lineup


Adding new Samsung Android-powered devices to their lineups seems to be the “in” thing this week as Virgin Mobile USA announces the availability of a new device to their portfolio. For $250, buyers can get their hands on a Samsung Galaxy Reverb. This 4.0-inch display smartphone is powered by a 1.4GHz Snapdragon S2 processor and will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The device is only 3G capable. Virgin Mobile will start taking pre-orders on August 29th and availability is expected some time in September.

source: phone scoop

Pair of Android powered Samsung devices, including Samsung Galaxy S II, to join Boost Mobile lineup


Consumers who prefer or need a no-contract smartphone will have a couple new options available soon through Boost Mobile. For the first time ever, the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G (a rebranded Sprint Epic Touch 4G) will be available with a no-contract carrier. Priced at $370, buyers can get this device starting September 6th with Boost Mobile’s $55 Android Monthly Unlimited plan. In addition to providing unlimited talk, text, and web services, Boost Mobile has a “shrinking” payment feature which results in a discount of $5 per month for every six on-time payments, ultimately dropping the monthly cost to as low as $40 per month. The device is the familiar Galaxy S II with a 4.52-inch display running on a dual-core Exynos processor. The phone will be delivered running Ice Cream Sandwich and can connect to Sprint’s 3G and WiMAX-based 4G network. For an additional $10 per month, subscribers can make use of the device’s mobile hotspot capabilities to provide access for an additional five devices.

For buyers who may not need quite as much hardware, Boost Mobile will also be offering the Samsung Galaxy Rush later in September. Not much is known about the device slated to be available for $150. According to Boost Mobile, the Galaxy Rush will have a 3.5-inch screen and will also be paired with the Android Monthly Unlimited plan.

Hit the break for the full press release.

Read more

Motorola’s bootloader unlocking tool not coming to older devices


Motorola announced today via Twitter that the company would not be offering its bootloader unlocking tool to users with older devices. According to the manufacturer, handsets like the Droid Bionic, Droid 3 and Droid X2 are not “currently in the plan“, meaning owners of these devices will be left out in the cold. Currently, the service only supports the Xoom, Photon Q 4G LTE, and the European RAZR Developer Edition.

No mention was made about the possibility of the original RAZR or RAZR Maxx receiving the special treatment, though it seems highly unlikely that anything other than the company’s newest hardware will gain access. However, with the Droid RAZR HD on the horizon, there may be an alternative.

Source: Twitter

US Cellular’s Samsung Galaxy Metrix 4G Now Available Online For $179


US Cellular now has another 4G LTE handset available to customers, the Samsung Galaxy Metrix 4G. The Metrix 4G is now available online for $179 after a $100 mail-in rebate, but if you purchase the phone in an LTE capable market (or a market that will have LTE by the end of the year), then the device will only cost you $129. If don’t live in an LTE capable market, but live relatively close to one, it may be smart to take the quick drive and save yourself a quick $50. As for the specs of the phone, here’s what you can expect:

  • A slide-out QWERTY keyboard
  • A 1GHz processor
  • A 4.0-inch touchscreen
  • A  5MP rear-facing camera and camcorder
  • A front-facing camera

While it’s no Samsung Galaxy S III, it’s still a more than capable device that will give you 4G LTE speeds. You can read the full press release after the break.

Read more

Optimus Vu headed to Verizon as LG Intuition


We previously heard rumors claiming LG’s square-shaped Optimus Vu would be heading to Verizon this quarter, but new evidence has solidified our suspicions. A leaked internal document suggests that the Optimus Vu will be making its way to Big Red as the LG Intution. If the leak is accurate, the device will be priced at $199 with a new two-year commitment or $549 off-contract. Add this to the fact that a similar device has already passed through the FCC with support for Verizon LTE, and the evidence is overwhelming.

Verizon has yet to release a product to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note, and the LG Intuition could certainly fill that hole. However, the Galaxy Note 2 event is just a week away, and if the rumored specs turn out to be true, Verizon could be in for a heap of trouble.

Source: Droid-Life

Vizio Co-Star gets ripped apart, finally reveals dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM


 

Remember the Vizio Co-Star Google TV box? Much of the specs for the device remained undetermined, but thanks to the folks at ifixit, some important specs are finally revealed. Here’s what you can expect from the Co-Star:

  • Marvell Armada 1500 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor
  • Marvell 88DE2755 QDEO Video Processor
  • Nanya NT5CB256M8GN-DI 2 Gb DDR3 SD RAM (1GB total RAM)
  • Samsung K9GBG08U0A-SCBO 32 Gb (4 GB) NAND Flash

For $99 bucks, this definitely isn’t too bad for the hardware that you’re getting. Has anyone out there purchased one of these? If so, tell us your experience with the device.

source: ifixit