Slatedroid info

It’s update season over at Verizon Wireless and we can now confirm one of their mid-range handsets from Pantech is getting a quick software update this week. It looks like all those rocking the aging Pantech Breakout will be happy to learn that some bugs will be fixed, and some of that Verizon bloatware removed.

The last update for the Breakout was back in December, which still didn’t bring a new version of Android, and sadly this update won’t be updating you to a tasty new version either. We’re still stuck on the same OS flavor, but at least you’ll be getting some bug fixes and such. Here’s what we’ve learned from the Verizon support page.

The update is quite tiny, and while it doesn’t actually list any bug fixes surely there are a few in there somewhere that should improve performance. However, all those pesky Verizon apps wasting valuable internal storage will be gone. Pantech and Verizon are removing Verizon Apps, VZW Video, Rhapsody, and even the Blockbuster app. I don’t think those stores are even around anymore.

The low memory notification issue has been fixed, and that could be due to them removing those worthless apps above. Then as usual we can expect some security improvements and key Google security patches, but that’s seriously all that Verizon posted regarding the update. It’s minor, but you Pantech fans should be on the lookout as it most likely will arrive sometime this week. Head into settings and check for updates yourself if you’d like.

[via Android Police]

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Breakout

Manufactuer : Pantech

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : July 01, 2011

Release Date : September 22, 2011

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 4 Inch
• Resolution : 480×800
• Screen Type : TFT

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.00 Inch
• Width : 2.53 Inch
• Depth : 0.47 Inch
• Weight : 138 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1500 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 2.3.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• AMR
• MID
• MP3
• WAV
• WMA

Video Playback:
• h.264 / AVC
• MPEG-4 (MP4)
• WMV

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU :

CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz

Core : 1

Ram : 512 MB

Internal Storage : .390 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 5 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• 720p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• CDMA

CDMA Band:
• 800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

The LG Revolution, one of the first 4G LTE on the planet, is set to receive a new update as build number VS910ZVB. The update itself is nothing to write home about, as it only contains security patches plus the removal of a handful of bloatware apps like Rockband, Bitbop, Verizon Apps, Blockbuster, etc. The [...]
LG Revolution Update on the Way – Adds Security Patches, Removes All Sorts of…



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The Sprint version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 that we still have in our possession received its first update this afternoon, bringing it to build L720VPUAMDL. The update is 23.8MB in size, however, we have no idea what that includes. We had quite a few performance issues during our review, so hopefully this is fine-tuning [...]
Sprint Samsung Galaxy S4 Receives First OTA Update is a post from:…



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Last week we told all you proud owners of the HTC One that a software update was in the works aiming to fix a slew of things while improving that camera experience. After it initially started a limited rollout to select users across Europe, we can now confirm the same update has hit the UK, and is rolling out to other regions as we speak.

The update you’ll be receiving will bring your international unlocked HTC One to software version 1.29(xx) and along with it comes some pretty good changes to enhance your entire device, but mainly the camera. We’ve been calling it an Ultrapixel enhancement suite, but there’s also some other tweaks and beats audio improvements in there as well.

The Ultrapixel camera will be better especially when you’re using HTC Zoe, and they’ve improved the sound. It also improves noise reduction when you’re doing a slow motion video capture. Over-exposure in non-HDR images was reduced and this improves color reproduction and dynamic range in various conditions. Also if you manually adjust the ISO settings, the correct ISO info will be displayed in the EXIF information.

There’s also something called camera “parameter tuning”, tweaks to Beats Audio to beef up that already stellar sound quality, as well as some location and GPS fixes in there. Sadly we’re still on Android 4.1.2 and you’ll be waiting a little longer for that 4.2 Jelly Bean update. Now we just need this same tweaks for the AT&T and T-Mobile version here in the US. Stay tuned folks.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : One

Manufactuer : HTC

Carrier : AT&T

Announced Date : February 19, 2013

Release Date : March 29, 2013

Also Known As : HTC M7

Display

• Screen Size : 4.7 Inch
• Resolution : 1920×1080
• Screen Type : TFT

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.41 Inch
• Width : 2.68 Inch
• Depth : 0.36 Inch
• Weight : 143 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 2300 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 4.2.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• AMR
• MID
• MP3
• WAV
• WMA

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• 3GP
• MPEG-4 (MP4)
• WMV

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS
• IM

Hardware

CPU : Snapdragon 600

CPU Clock Speed : 1700 Mhz

Core : 4

Ram : 2000 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 4 MP

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• Flash
• 1080p Video Recording
• 720p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light
• Proximity

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• GSM

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11a
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n
• 802.11ac

Bluetooth:
• A2DP
• Bluetooth 4.0

Location Features:
• Compass
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

There’s been quite a bit of speculation the past 4-6 months over the next major update to the number one mobile OS in the world, what Google will call it, and what features we can expect to see. Talk of Key Lime Pie, Android 5.0, and everything else in between. Lately however, new reports and details have started to surface leading us to believe we won’t see Key Lime Pie, and instead Android 4.3 Jelly Bean will be the star of Google I/O next month.

Two weeks ago we posted our thoughts and ideas about what we were hoping to see with Key Lime Pie. Then a reader over on Reddit chimed in with his comments and some pretty compelling proof that it won’t be Key Lime Pie. Instead, Google will be releasing an incremental update to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean – and there’s plenty of details to back that up.

To be more specific, all Android build numbers start with the letter of that flavor. Key Lime Pie builds will start with a K, just as JB and Ice Cream Sandwich builds start with J and I, respectively. Lately server logs and reports have surfaced showing Android 4.3 JWR23B and that would be Jelly Bean. Not Key Lime Pie. Then this week the folks from AndroidPolice did what they do best and did some digging, and found even more evidence to confirm Reddit user danrant’s comments.

Now just like the recent leaked benchmark showing Android 5.0.1 Key Lime Pie, which was fake, server logs can also be faked with ease as well. Artem over at AP did a bit of tracing and those Android 4.3 JWR23B devices appear to be the Nexus 7 and Nexus 4 coming from Google employees. Add in the fact that several bug trackers according to dan show Chrome reports of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and Jelly Bean MR2. The original Jelly Bean builds were MR1.

In closing, it appears that Google will actually be announcing and releasing Android 4.3 Jelly Bean at Google I/O in the middle of May, and not Key Lime Pie. That doesn’t mean we won’t see significant changes and new features, it just means this won’t be the major update many were expecting. Oh, and this also makes that Nexus 4 LTE 32GB model being announced at I/O sound even more realistic. Instead of a new OS and new smartphone to reveal to the world.

Lastly, we’ve heard rumors that Google will also be releasing a PDK (Platform Development Kit) to help manufacturers update Android versions more quickly. And releasing a completely new KLP next month would only make them even further behind the latest and greatest from Google. These details are just coming in, and we’ll surely update when we know more. Don’t forget we’ll be live at Google I/O for all the details too.

Android phones and tablets news:

Excuse us while we interrupt your episode of The Archers, but we thought users of BBC’s iPlayer might like to know about the latest Android app update. Amongst the usual bug fixes, the update promises to offer a “much improved” viewing experience on big hitting devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Note 2, plus the Nexus 4. The Beeb stopped short of spilling further details, but it does go on to confirm that it’ll continue to apply spit-and-polish to the playback experience for as much hardware as it can, without having to wait for app updates. We hope this doesn’t mean it’ll be treading on any toes, of course. Fans of slightly bigger screens (which is more of you, apparently) can expect some attention soon, with a hat tip about a tablet update coming in the next release.

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Google Play

Go to Source

If you’re the proud owner of one of those ASUS tablets, you’ve received your fair share of updates for the device. Except maybe the original Transformer. They’ve been quick with Android 4.1 and 4.2 Jelly Bean, and today the Transformer Pad 300 is getting a quick upgrade to fix some bugs. Take a peek at what below.

As we speak the folks from ASUS are pushing out a quick software update for their TF300 that aims to curb a few issues, sadly they aren’t the problems most users are facing. That sleep issue many reported still seems to be forgotten by ASUS, and instead they are focusing on other areas.

The update has arrived for many already, and according to AndroidPolice we can expect a slew of fixes. Some of those include improvements and additional support for HDMI devices, improved Gmail compatibility with Splashtop, IME bug fixes, and “other minor bugs.” So it looks like those lag issues weren’t worked on either.

ASUS has continued to be one of the best tablet manufacturers in terms of updates, but they do seem to have an ongoing deep sleep issue they need to work out. As usual, head into settings > about tablet > check for updates to get the latest version hitting devices as we speak. Let us know if you have any other outstanding bugs that still need to be addressed.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : Transformer Pad 300

Manufactuer : Asus

Carrier : NA

Announced Date : February 27, 2012

Release Date : April 22, 2012

Also Known As :

Display

• Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
• Resolution : 1280×800
• Screen Type : IPS LCD

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 10.35 Inch
• Width : 7.12 Inch
• Depth : 0.39 Inch
• Weight : 635 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Polymer

• Battery Capacity : mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 4.0.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• MID
• MP3
• WMA

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• MPEG-4 (MP4)

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : Tegra 3

CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz

Core : 4

Ram : 1024 MB

Internal Storage : 16 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Camera Resolution : 8 MP

External Storage:
• MicroSD
• MicroSDHC

Camera Features:
• Auto focus
• 1080p Video Recording

Sensors:
• Accelerometer
• Ambient light

QWERTY :

Cellular Network

Network Technology:
• GSM

GSM Band:
• 850
• 900
• 1800
• 1900

Device Connectivity

Wi-Fi:
• 802.11b
• 802.11g
• 802.11n

Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 3.0

Location Features:
• GPS
• Cellular location
• Wi-Fi location

FM Radio :

NFC :

Android phones and tablets news:

Google just released a new Play Store version (4.0.27) that, at first glance, contains only very minor tweaks — except for one little thing. A new policy change will no longer permit any apps to update without going through the Play Store’s internal system. That won’t affect most software, but there’s a notable exception in Facebook, which recently added auto-downloading to the latest version of its Android app, allowing it to bypass Play. The new policy seems designed to put a stop to that kind of thing, but you never know — it could be just be a coincidence.

Update: Google has reached out to clarify that it also posted the policy changes to its Developer Console with the following statement:

Google Play Program Policies have been updated. See “Content Policies” section, which clarifies that “An app downloaded from Google Play may not modify, replace or update its own APK binary code using any method other than Google Play’s update mechanism.” Google Play is a trusted source for Android application downloads, and we are committed to providing a secure and consistent experience. Learn More.

[Thanks, Thomas]

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Google, Facebook

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Source: Google Play

Go to Source

The folks up in Mountain View at Google HQ have been on a roll lately when it comes to Play Store updates, as we’ve received three in the past few weeks. For those keeping track we received an all-new and completely redesigned Play Store earlier this month and now we’re getting a few minor updates, but so far it doesn’t appear that they’ve changed anything significant.

Back on April 9th Google rolled out a brand new and completely different Play Store, then last week multiple users were updated from 4.0.25 to a minor .26, and this afternoon it appears that Google’s pushing another bug fixing update out for their storefront. I jumped straight to 4.0.27 myself, and so far there appears to be absolutely zero changes up top.

Most likely these are bug fixes and things behind the scenes, because we aren’t seeing any changes on our end. We have heard a few users claim 4.0.27 added some elements that could enable a light/dark theme option in the future, but we haven’t heard anything further on that yet. So we’ll check it out and report back. However, back a few weeks ago we posted plenty of details for those wanting a Black Google Play Store.

According to Android Police Google made a few very small changes to translations and such with this release, but they didn’t find anything else either. So this is nothing special. Should you want the latest and greatest Play Store get it from the download link below and just install over the current store, or hang tight as yours should update automatically soon enough.

Play Store v4.0.27 download

It seems like almost each and every week the folks from Google over in Mountain View are pushing some sort of update out for their popular Chrome Browser on Android. Their main browser is as stable as can be, but the Chrome Beta gets those cutting edge features that sometimes cause issues. Today’s Chrome Beta update looks to curb some issues, and improve some key areas.

Essentially each and every single update claims to “improve performance” but this update Google appears to be focusing directly on page rendering. They’ve improved page rendering response, as well as rendering performance on this latest update that was rolled out last night at this morning to the Play Store.

According to Google the Chrome Browser Beta also has a few pesky bugs that were introduced with some of their new omnibar features, as well as problems on Huawei tablets. For the 10 people that actually own a Huawei tablet, the Chrome Beta should now work properly and not give you that dreaded black screen of death on loading.

The issue where you can’t scroll sometimes after zooming in on images has been fixed, they curbed the black screen issue, and some color glitches causing a blue line to appear below the search box has also been fixed. Go Google! Full details on the latest update are available from the Chrome Blog, then hit the link below to download it today.

What feature would you like to see come to Google’s Chrome Browser?

[via Play Store]