Android ICS 4.0.4 rolling out to Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S?

Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 has reportedly started rolling out to the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S devices

Published on Mar 29, 2012

The Android ICE Cream Sandwich update (version 4.0.4) is now rolling out across SIM free Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S devices in Europe.

Google announced the milestone on its own Google+ page.

The exact announcement read:

‘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. Some of you will be receiving Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time, while others will be receiving an update to your existing Ice Cream Sandwich experience with stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more.’

Followed by a load of predictable comments asking when it will be released for other devices, including the HTC Desire HD, Xperia-branded devices, Galaxy Note and Galaxy S2 (network-branded devices).

Google declined to comment when all these other updates would be coming, but everyday we’re hearing about more devices benefiting from the update.

If you do have the Galaxy Nexus or Nexus S, it may be a good idea to check whether the update has arrived. For those with network-branded devices, you may have to wait a little longer for your network to properly test the update before rolling it out.

via Android ICS 4.0.4 rolling out to Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S? – News – Know Your Mobile.

Google’s Android will overtake Windows by 2016

Android devices will surge to slim lead in 2016

Number of ‘smart devices‘ shipped worldwide will DOUBLE in five years to 1.84 billion in 2016

By 2016, devices running Windows will be eclipsed by phones and tablets running Google’s Android, according to a report by analysts IDC.

More than 90 per cent of the world’s PCs still run Windows – but the whole technology landscape is changing around Microsoft’s operating system.

By 2016, Microsoft’s leading market share of 35.9% will slip to 25.1%.

Devices running Google’s Android will climb from 29.4% to 31.1%.

As smartphones grow in relation to PCs, Microsoft’s market share will slide so that its once-dominant Windows software will be second-placed after Google’s Android.

Microsoft is to launch a new ‘tablet friendly’ version of Windows, Windows 8, later this year.

But analyst IDC still predicts a ‘dramatic shift’ towards devices running Android.

‘IDC expects a relatively dramatic shift between 2011 and 2016, with the once-dominant Windows slipping from a leading 35.9% share in 2011 down to 25.1%,’ the analyst predicts.

The number of Android-based devices running on ARM CPUs, on the other hand, will grow modestly from 29.4% share in 2011 to a market-leading 31.1% share in 2016.

Google ‘to launch’ new GDrive storage service in April to take on rivals such as Dropbox

Meanwhile, iOS-based devices will grow from 14.6% share in 2011 to 17.3% in 2016.

Last year, 916 million smartphones, tablets and PCs were shipped worldwide.

By 2016, that figure will have doubled to 1.84 billion units.

‘Android’s growth is tied directly to lower-priced devices,’ said Tom Mainelli, research director, Mobile Connected Devices. ‘So, while we expect dozens of hardware vendors to own some share in the Android market, many will find profitability difficult to sustain.’

Samsung’s mid-sized Galaxy Note device which recently passed 5 million units shipped: In the next four years, Android devices are predicted to pass Microsoft’s Windows in terms of units shipped.

‘Whether it’s businesses looking at deploying tablet devices into their environments, or educational institutions working to update their school’s computer labs, smart, connected devices are playing an increasingly important role in nearly every individual’s life,’ said Bob O’Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays at IDC.

Next year, 1.1 billion ‘smart devices’ – smartphones, PCs and tablets – will ship worldwide.

The numbers are growing at a compound annual growth rate of 15.4%.

Research conducted by IDC suggests that many individuals own and regularly use multiple smart connected devices. ‘We are in the multi-device age,’ continued O’Donnell, ‘and we believe the number of people who use multiple devices will only continue to increase. The trick, moving forward, will be to integrate all these devices into a unified whole through use of personal cloud-type applications and services. That’s the real challenge of what we have often called the ‘PC Plus’ era.’
‘Smartphone growth will be driven by Asia/Pacific countries, especially China, where mobile operators are subsidizing the purchase of 3G smartphones, thus increasing the total addressable market. In many if not all instances, the smartphone will be the primary connection to the Internet,’ said Will Stofega, program director, Mobile Phone Technologies and Trends. ‘In countries where devices are not subsidized by the mobile operators, competitive and component-based pricing will help drive volume.’

Google’s Android will overtake Windows by 2016 | Mail Online.

Harder than diamond, stronger than steel.

The ideal crystalline structure of graphene is a hexagonal grid. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Imagine a material that is just one atom thick, 300 times stronger than steel, harder than diamond, a fantastic conductor of heat and electricity and super-flexible to boot.This might sound like the stuff of science fiction, but believe it or not, such a material already exists.The name of this supermaterial is graphene and it’s one of the most exciting prospects in science today.In the latest graphene-related research – released last week – researchers from Vanderbilt University found a way to overcome one of graphene’s most problematic flaws – a high sensitivity to external influences which causes graphene-based devices to operate more slowly than they should.The researchers found a way to dampen external influences on the graphene, and could then observe electrons moving through their graphene three times faster than was previously possible.This development could pave the way for a new generation of graphene-based devices including touch screens and solar panels.More on the uses of graphene in a moment, but first: what is graphene?Quite simply, graphene is a new structural form or ‘allotrope’ of carbon – one of the most versatile elements in the universe. It was discovered in 2004 by Russian-born physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who jointly received the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their troubles.Graphene is a single, flat layer of carbon atoms packed tightly into a two-dimensional honeycomb arrangement. The in-plane two-dimensional carbon-carbon bonds in graphene are the strongest bonds known to science. It is these bonds that give graphene its unbelievable mechanical strength and flexibility.Graphene is essentially a single layer of graphite, the material found in pencil ‘lead’. When you draw on paper with a pencil, weakly bound graphene sheets in the graphite spread over your paper like a pack of cards.But because graphene is so thin – the thickness of a single carbon atom – it is extremely difficult to see. This is one of the reasons it took researchers so long to find graphene sheets among thicker stacks of graphite.Despite being so thin, graphene is an excellent conductor of electricity. Electrons flow through graphene with almost zero electrical resistance. This unusual property, and the fact graphene is nearly invisible, makes it an ideal material for the transparent electrodes used in computer displays and solar cells.While scientists have known about graphene since 2004, it was in 2010 that researchers from Samsung and Sungkyunkwan University took a critical step in developing the commercial applications of this material.

Click below to continue reading…

via Harder than diamond, stronger than steel Science Alert.

CyanogenMod-7.2.0-RC1 is upon us…

It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s finally here: CyanogenMod 7.2, the latest version based on Android 2.3(.7), has reached the release candidate stage!

We’ve been delaying it for too long, mostly because new devices kept being submitted to us, and now we feel that at 69 devices, CM7.2 is more than ready for everybody to enjoy 🙂

7.2 adds a couple of backported features and fixes from Android 4 (ICS), over 20 new devices when compared to 7.1, and even some new features to boot (be sure to check out the new predictive contact search in the phone dialer!). We’ve also fixed some bugs along the way. Some of them device-specific, others that affected everybody, and one in particular that’s been plaguing Android for a long time: the mysteriously vanishing SD-card ringtones are no more! You can check the full list of noteworthy changes at the CHANGELOG.

As usual, you can submit bug reports on these builds: if you find anything broken in your device while running CM7.2-RC1, (as downloaded from our mirrors or ROM Manager! Please do not submit reports if your build came from elsewhere), be sure to submit a report through http://code.google.com/p/cyanogenmod/issues/ , so that we can fix it in time for the final 7.2 release.

Also worthy of note: the new release files have a slightly modified naming-scheme, including the codename instead of the commercial/common name in the filename. So the following is a handy “translation chart” to make sure you don’t mis-identify your device:

ace – HTC Desire HD

anzu – SE XperiaArc-LT15i

blade – ZTE Blade

bravoc – HTC Desire CDMA

bravo – HTC Desire

buzz – HTC Wildfire

c660 – LG Optimus Pro

captivatemtd – Samsung Captivate

click – HTC Tattoo

coconut – SE LiveWithWalkman-WT19i

cooper – Samsung GalaxyAce

crespo4g – Google Nexus S 4G

crespo – Google Nexus S

desirec – Droid Eris

droid2 – Motorola DROID2

droid2we – Motorola DROID2 World Edition

e510 – LG Optimus Hub

e730 – LG Optimus Sol

e739 – T-Mobile LG myTouch

encore – Barnes&Noble Nook Color

epicmtd – Samsung Epic

espresso – HTC Slide

fascinatemtd – Samsung Fascinate

galaxys2att – Samsung Galaxy S2 ATT

galaxys2 – Samsung Galaxy S2

galaxysbmtd – Samsung GalaxyS_B

galaxysmtd – Samsung GalaxyS

glacier – T-Mobile myTouch 4G / HTC Glacier

hallon – SE XperiaNeo-MT15i

heroc – HTC Hero CDMA

hero – HTC Hero

inc – Droid Incredible

iyokan – SE XperiaPro-MK16i

jordan – Motorola Defy

legend – HTC Legend

liberty – HTC Aria

mango – SE XperiaMiniPro-SK17i

mesmerizemtd – Samsung Mesmerize

morrison – Motorola Cliq

motus – Motorola Backflip

olympus – Motorola Atrix

one – Geeksphone ONE

p920 – LG Optimus 3D

p925 – LG ATT Thrill

p970 – LG Optimus Black

p990 – LG Optimus 2X

p999 – T-Mobile G2x

passion – Google Nexus One

saga – HTC Desire S

satsuma – SE XperiaActive-ST17i

shadow – Motorola Droid X

sholes – Motorola Droid

showcasemtd – Samsung Showcase

smultron – SE XperiaMini-ST15i

speedy – HTC Evo Shift

supersonic – HTC Evo

tass – Samsung GalaxyMini

u8220 – Huawei U8220

urushi – SE XperiaRay-ST18i

v9 – ZTE V9

vega – Advent Vega

vibrantmtd – Samsung Vibrant

vision – T-Mobile G2 / HTC Desire Z

vivo – Droid Incredible S

vivow – Droid Incredible 2

zeppelin – Motorola CliqXT

zero – Geeksphone ZERO

zeusc – SE Xperia Play CDMA-R800x

zeus – SE Xperia Play -R800i

And that’s all, folks; Head on to http://get.cm/?type=RC , install, and have fun!

Aaa

Woho

via CyanogenMod-7.2.0-RC1 is upon us | CyanogenMod.

DARPA’s “Cheetah” robot sets new speed record of 18mph on treadmill

DARPA’s “Cheetah” robot sets new speed record of 18mph on treadmillBy John Timmer | Published about an hour agoBiologically inspired designs are not a new thing in robotics, but the video embedded below is the first time I’ve ever seen something that looks like it’s modeled on a family pet. Development of the Cheetah robot is being funded by DARPA, the US’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The folks at DARPA have been seing an increased military reliance on robots for disarming and disposing of explosives, so they’ve set about funding programs to improve the perforance of this hardware.Cheetah, built by Boston Dynamics, is an attempt to add some speed to robots with legs wheeled robots can already go pretty fast. It’s somewhat disorienting to watch, because it appears to be running backwards—the legs are flexed in the opposite direction from the one most animals travel, and a bit of hardware that looks like a head is actually in the rear. But one key development is actually in the robot’s body, which is able to flex as part of the stride. The end result is a top speed of about 18 miles an hour, nearly a third faster than the previous record for a robot on legs.There’s still a long way to go before we catch up to an actual cheetah, which can hit 70 miles an hour. A video of the robot is embedded below.

via DARPA’s “Cheetah” robot sets new speed record of 18mph on treadmill.

New Suttronix Facebook Group.

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Dolphin Browser Comes to Barnes & Noble’s Nook | Dolphin Browser® Blog

Browsing just got sweeter for those of you with a Nook tablet.

Dolphin Browser HD is the fastest, easiest and most fun mobile Web browser. It’s also the world’s first Gesture, Webzine and Add-on enabled mobile web browser on Android — All of this is now available on Barnes & Noble’s Nook.

Continue to browse your favourite sites, books, magazines and videos through Dolphin Browser on your Nook.

Download your free Dolphin Browser for Nook Colour and Nook Tablet here.

• #1 Mobile Web Browser on Android Market Over 10 million downloads

• #2 on CNETs 100 Android Apps for 2011

• #1 PC Mags “The 40 Best Free Apps for 2011″

• Dolphin Browser’s Gestures and sidebars make Web surfing fast, intuitive and fun while on the go. – USA Today

• Its a great, simple browser that feels more at home on a touchscreen device than pretty much anything else you’ll try. – Lifehacker

Features:

• Gesture – Let your inner artist out and create a personal Gesture (symbol) to access the mobile and desktop websites you use the most.

• Webzine – Fast Web page loading, with no ads. Dolphin Webzine simplifies the way you read your favourite mobile content, from news to blogs and websites.

• Speed Dial – Visit you favourite mobile and desktop websites on the go with one touch.

• Tabbed browsing – No need to toggle between screens, tabbed browsing lets you open and switch between Web pages fast as lightning.

• Sidebars – Make the best of mobile interface via Dolphin Sidebar.

via Dolphin Browser Comes to Barnes & Noble’s Nook | Dolphin Browser® Blog.

Android To Run On Intel Chips

Google and Intel on Tuesday said that the two companies will work together to ensure that future versions of Google’s Android operating system function on Intel’s Atom processors.

The partnership will help Intel compete against ARM chips, which have been supported by Android since 2008. It also underscores the fact that the “Wintel” alliance between Microsoft and Intel isn’t what it used to be.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini showed off a smart-phone running Android on a Medfield chip at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco on Tuesday, though details about the specific version of Android were not revealed.

He characterized the partnership as a step toward bringing Intel-powered phones to market.

Google SVP of mobile Andy Rubin showed up too, signalling the two companies’ continued commitment to a relationship that encompasses Intel’s involvement in Chrome OS, Google TV, and its effort to port Android 3.0 “Honeycomb” to the x86 chip architecture. Rubin said that all future versions of Android will be optimized for x86. Presumably this includes the next major Android release, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, which is expected before the end of the year.

Intel has had trouble convincing mobile device makers to use its x86-based chips because of their power consumption characteristics. Instead, many have preferred the ARM architecture.

Apple, for example, bought chip design company PA Semi in 2008 and has been deploying its own ARM-based A-series chips in its mobile devices. Intel is reportedly interested in manufacturing Apple’s chip designs, a testament to the direction in which the mobile market is moving.

Even Microsoft is moving to support ARM chips in Windows 8, in addition to x86 chips. The company provided details about its ARM support plans at its BUILD conference on Tuesday.

To compete more affectively against ARM designs, Intel is betting on its Medfield chip platform, which includes a low-power Atom design for mobile phones, and on chips arriving in 2012 based on a 22-nm manufacturing process.

Android To Run On Intel Chips – Hardware – Processors – Informationweek.

‘Superman: Man Of Steel’ Photos Leaked! | Ology

Either Henry Cavill went off his on a very strict diet or l hope they have that Superman suit in one size larger. Maybe it shrunk in the dryer? What I’m saying is that the Superman outfit is too tight.

This was the first official picture from the set.

Laurence Fishburne joins the cast.

…and so does Christopher Meloni

This is footage from the most recent Superman.

They’re still shooting the next Superman (reboot? remake? remimaging?) in Plano Illinois and by all accounts, it looks fine. I have posted barely any Superman: Man of Steel photos because it’s no where near as exciting as the Dark Knight Rises photos that came out of Pittsburgh. I mean, I’m sure there will be exciting moments in the Superman film (see below, helicopters, dismantled streets), but it’s more just shrug worthy than anything. Except now you can see Superman’s penis. Which is nice.

Superman: Man of Steel is to Dark Knight Rises like a Pee Wee football player is to Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers. Just a bunch of people laughing at Superman, going “Aw, that’s so cute.”

It’s a buldging good time!

This has to be fake- right?

“Haha, oh crew, you’re so funny- but seriously, I’m feeling dizzy.”

Oh man, traffic is going to be so bad now.

Now am I supposed to take the kids to soccer practice?

Cue: “Flight of the Valkryies”

FACT: This isn’t from the movie. FACT: I would be more excited for this movie if it was.

via ‘Superman: Man Of Steel’ Photos Leaked! | Ology.

The Best Browsers for Android | PCMag.com

Image via CrunchBase

Your Android phone didn’t ship with the best Web browser. That isn’t to say that Google hasn’t bundled a good all-around browser. The stock browser supports multiple windows, bookmarks, and a host of sharing options. Add to this JavaScript, and, if you’re running Android 2.2 or later, Adobe Flash, and what you see on your phone looks a lot like what you see on your desktop. But that doesn’t change the fact that a mobile browser can be so much more. That’s why we’ve reviewed and rounded up the most talked about alternatives.

Android Means Choice

There’s a flurry of activity in the mobile browsing market. Cult-favorite Dolphin continues to lap the competition with rapid-fire updates to their Mini and HD browsers. Mozilla recently released Firefox 4 for Android alongside the desktop release. And, in the same week, Opera revved their Mobile browser to version 11 and refreshed their massively popular Mini browser. Now is the time to consider out the fruits of the competition.

Regular or Mini?

For this roundup, I’ve explored five alternatives to Android’s stock browser: Dolphin Browser HD 4.5, Dolphin Browser Mini 2.1, Firefox 4, Opera Mobile 11, and Opera Mini 6. The easiest way to sort these browsers is by cleaving them into two categories: traditional, full-featured mobile browsers—Dolphin Browser HD 4.5, Firefox 4, and Opera Mobile 11—and smaller, data-frugal Mini browsers—Dolphin Browser Mini 2.1 and Opera Mini 6. Mobile browsers tend to deliver a more desktop-complete mobile experience with advanced feature sets and support for embedded video, whereas Mini browsers tend to prize performance and backward compatibility.

However, boundaries prove porous with closer examination. For example, while Firefox 4 isn’t classified as a mini browser, Mozilla disabled support for embedded video in order to improve performance. Dolphin Browser Mini 2.1 wears the mini moniker but supports Flash, and, in my testing, failed to miniaturize load times.

Browsers Benchmarked

I’ve benchmarked these browsers wherever possible, and in the case of the mini browsers—not suited to JavaScript tests—I’ve performed real-world testing. Take a look at the reviews, performance charts, and slideshows. What you think you want may change, but, no matter what, you ought to find an exciting alternative to that dusty old stock browser.

via The Best Browsers for Android | PCMag.com.