Hands-on with the Kogeto iCONIC for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Only just a few days ago we learned that Kogeto, the maker of a panoramic lens for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S was planning on announcing their iCONIC lens which was being made for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The software is not fully finished for the Galaxy Nexus as of now so we did have to jump on the iPhone to show how the application functions and exactly what you can expect.
As you can see the device is actually a case that clips on the back of the device and once the application is launched you can begin to record. Once the recording begins you lay the device flat and sit back while it captures 360 degrees of video. After you are finished recording you can watch the application or share it to your favorite social network where your friends and family can share the same 360-degree view that you captured. Hit the break for a few more images and a video demo.

 

Android App Review: Circuitry Live Wallpaper

I'm not usually a big fan of live wallpapers, and it takes a pretty good one to make me want to use it.  It has to be subtle so I can still see the icons, shortcuts and widgets on my homescreen at a glance, easy on the battery, and not make my phone slow down.  Circuitry Live Wallpaper fits that bill.  I've got it in blue above for a better picture, but you have a choice of six different color schemes (including light grey on dark grey, greyscale FTW), and each is rendered pixel by pixel to be crisp on your screen and the whole thing has been optimized in a way that keeps my phone feeling snappy and lag-free.  The jury is still out on battery life, as I've only been using it for a day, but so far so good.  Add in the geek factor of circuitry coming to life on my homescreen, and I think I'll use this one for a while.  Circuitry Live Wallpaper is 99 cents in the Market, and your phone will need to be running Android 2.1 (and have Live Wallpapers enabled) to use it.  Hit the break for a video, download link and some screen shots.

Youtube link for mobile viewing

  

Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 receive FIPS security certification

In the business sector, security has always been a concern but even more so now as businesses are allowing their employees to bring their own devices to work. Samsung who previously announced the Samsung Galaxy Note and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 as being SAFE compatible, now have the pleasure of being able to say those devices are also FIPS certified.

“Earlier this year, Samsung took a huge step forward in setting a high security standard for smartphones and tablets by launching SAFE. The FIPS certification takes Samsung’s B2B-readiness to an even higher level and ensures our devices are now equipped for use in U.S. government agencies and other regulated industries,” said Tim Wagner, Vice President and General Manager of B2B Sales for Samsung Mobile.

FIPS is a federally issued, U.S. information security standard certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In order for a device to be FIPS certified, it has to meet some pretty hefty guidelines so Samsung getting these devices certified means government agencies and regulated industries, such as financial and health-care institutions can make use of them.
Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 receive FIPS security certification
SEOUL and LAS VEGAS – Jan. 11, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a leading mobile device and consumer electronics provider, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States1, today announced that three devices in Samsung’s high-performance GALAXY line of smartphones and tablets have been granted the Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS) certification. Now government agencies and regulated industries, such as financial and health-care institutions, can utilize the global version of the  GALAXY S® II smartphone, Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 Wi-Fi® edition and 4G LTE-enabled Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 with Verizon Wireless to meet their mobile enterprise needs.

FIPS is a federally issued, U.S. information security standard certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to devices which meet strict security and interoperability standards. FIPS helps ensure private and public sector organizations which collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive but unclassified (SBU) information can make informed purchasing decisions when choosing devices to use in their workplace.

“Samsung proactively sought FIPS certification to show our current and potential government and business customers that we take their security and interoperability needs seriously,” said Cho BumCoo, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solution Team at Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd . “This certification is a testament to the high level of enterprise business-readiness of our premium smartphones and tablets.”

The GALAXY S II smartphone and Galaxy Tab 10.1 also integrate a range of enterprise solutions that expand the business capabilities of the devices. Samsung Mobile recently unveiled its own SAFE™ (Samsung Approved for Enterprise) certification for Samsung devices configured specifically for enterprise use which meet rigorous security criteria. This includes providing support for Microsoft® Exchange device management policies, mobile device management, on device encryption and Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity. The devices also feature productivity enhancement capabilities such as the ability to create and respond to meeting requests, view, edit, and create Microsoft-compatible documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, global address lookup, and more.

“Earlier this year, Samsung took a huge step forward in setting a high security standard for smartphones and tablets by launching SAFE. The FIPS certification takes Samsung’s B2B-readiness to an even higher level and ensures our devices are now equipped for use in U.S. government agencies and other regulated industries,” said Tim Wagner, Vice President and General Manager of B2B Sales for Samsung Mobile. “Devices like the GALAXY S II smartphone and Galaxy Tab 10.1 deliver not only stringent security standards that organizations need, but also provide a premium user experience employees desire.”

The Android™ 3.2 Honeycomb  powered Galaxy Tab 10.1 Tab is one of the thinnest mobile tablets currently available in the world, measuring in at an ultra-slim 8.6 millimeters and featuring a brilliant 10.1-inch  touchscreen display. The GALAXY S II features a cutting-edge design, a brilliant Super AMOLED Plus display, and intuitive user experiences that meet both personal and work life needs. To date, the GALAXY S II has sold more than 10 million units globally, and is one of the top-rated smartphones on the market.

Sprint Galaxy Nexus has 32GB of internal storage

 

An early Sprint LTE landing page listed the Sprint Galaxy Nexus as having 16GB of internal storage, compared to the 32GB offered by the Verizion version. Sprint got in touch with us today, however, to confirm that its version of the Galaxy Nexus will ship with a full 32GB, just like Verizon's. So that's that.
We got to play with the Sprint Galaxy Nexus at a CES gathering last night. Check out our hands-on coverage for more info (spoiler alert: it's a Galaxy Nexus, on Sprint).

A quick look at TripIt for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

A few days ago TripIt announced that they would be launching their very popular travel application on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and we got lucky enough to get a hands-on demo of the application from them. Last night while at the ShowStoppers event here at CES 2012 the folks at TripIt took some time to walk us through the application, and as you can see they have done a really nice job with the application and design.
If you are unfamiliar with the service it is a travel planner, you forward your itinerary to them and they do the rest for you. Once the email is forwarded your itinerary will then show in the application, showing your flight information, hotel information, rental car and more. Having quick and easy access to this information on the go is priceless, and if you have yet to try it or would like to install it on your Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 be sure to hit the break for the market

HzO shows us how you really waterproof a device

Let's just start this off by saying yes it is real, and no you can't just add it to any device. Now that we got that out of the way let's talk about the amazingness that HzO brought to us here at CES 2012. Walking around the tech floor I saw a display of some devices sitting underneath falling water like it was nothing, people were playing with the units, they were playing music and it was like everything was normal, wet but normal. Instantly I was intrigued and walked over and that is when it happened. Off came the battery door, SIM card and battery exposed and boom, there went his beloved Android device in the water like it was nothing, and thanks to HzO it is like nothing happened to the device, it remains fully functional with zero damage to any of the electronics.
So you are wondering how it works, right? Well unfortunately it isn't something that we (the consumer) can purchase to add on to an existing device, instead this coating has to be applied at the factory during production. The thin coating which they have named WaterBlock that is applied prevents water from coming in contact with the electronics and important parts inside the device, thus making it water resistant and giving you the ability to dunk it and not have to be worried. Unfortunately it doesn't appear as though there are many (if any) devices that are currently available with this product, but we can sure hope that the exposure from CES 2012 gets this installed on devices. Hit the break to check it all out in some video action.

Android 4.0.2 for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus rolling out again

 

Mmmm. Can you taste that (almost) fresh new version of Ice Cream Sandwich? It appears as though Android 4.0.2 is rolling out to the GSM versions of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus again via an OTA update, so if you were one of the unlucky ones who have yet to receive it now may be your time. Weighing in at only 8.8MB it is pretty obvious that this is just a few bug fixes, but hey who doesn't enjoy a nice update for their device. If you haven't been notified of the update be sure to head into your settings and check manually for the update. Be sure to hop in the forums and let us know how it works out for you, and what you changes you notice.

Samsung Galaxy Note versus the HTC Titan

The Samsung Galaxy Note and the HTC Titan. Two great phones with great names. The Galaxy Note has emerged on AT&T this week at CES in Las Vegas, and we took our pal Dan from WPCentral to the Samsung booth to show him what a really big phone is like.
Sure, his HTC Titan's got an awesome name, and the 4.7-inch Titan is nothing to sneeze at. But damned if it didn't look downright diminutive next to the Galaxy Note. And then there's the Galaxy Note's Super AMOLED HD display. Even Dan had to admit it's beautiful.
So check out the video above, and check in on the comments on WPCentral's post to see how the trolling's going.

Youtube link for mobile viewing

Sprint announced their own LTE Samsung Galaxy Nexus

A few days ago we learned that Sprint might be the second carrier to carry the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, today Sprint's LTE landing page reveled the Galaxy Nexus as their first LTE smartphone and confirmed by a Sprint PR.

 

Sprint didn't announce a price or release date for the device but they did mention that it will be available in a 16GB model and a 32GB model, compared to Verizon only offering the 32GB model, and Google Wallet, that was also a Sprint exclusive on the Nexus S. Notice how Sprint is carful to only mention thing to make you conceder their Nexus to Verizon's?

 

No word on specs or on the CPU clock speed bump to 1.5GHz, but we assume it will remain the same specs and size as the Verizon LTE version

Sprint Continues the Momentum for LTE Launch by Unveiling Three Initial 4G LTE Devices – Galaxy Nexus, LG Viper and Sierra Wireless Tri-Network Hotspot

LAS VEGAS (BUSINESS WIRE), January 09, 2012 - Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced the initial group of devices that will operate on its 4G LTE network – Galaxy Nexus™, boasting a pure Google™ experience, LG Viper™ 4G LTE with eco-friendly features and Sierra Wireless™ Tri-Network Hotspot, 3G, 4G and 4G LTE mobile hotspot. Full product specifications, pricing and availability will be shared closer to each device’s launch date.

The debut of these devices is a key element of Network Vision, Sprint’s plan to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless solution. With Network Vision, Sprint customers can expect to enjoy ultra-fast data speeds, improved 3G voice and data quality, and stronger in-building signal penetration providing a more valuable wireless experience and enhancing the value of current unlimited plans.

“The first three products that will run on the Sprint 4G LTE network exemplify the cutting-edge technology our customers can expect from Sprint as we progress with our 4G LTE rollout,” said Steve Elfman, president of Network, Wholesale and Product Development for Sprint. “Galaxy Nexus packs industry-leading features and the best of Google into a beautiful design while LG Viper 4G LTE continues Sprint’s commitment to green devices that don’t sacrifice speed or technology. These products combine with our unlimited data pricing plans to give Sprint customers a powerful wireless experience.”

On Jan. 5, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse announced that customers in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are expected to be among the first to benefit from 4G LTE and improved 3G coverage in the first half of 2012. Additional areas that will receive 3G enhancements and 4G LTE expansion in 2012 will be announced later in the year.

Approximately 15 4G LTE devices are currently on track to be launched in 2012 including handsets, tablets and data cards. Additionally, 4G devices, including HTC EVO™ Design 4G, Samsung Epic™ 4G Touch and Nexus S™ 4G, will continue to be sold in 2012.

The new 4G LTE smartphones will benefit from Sprint Everything plans including the Everything Data Plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM offering unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint Network. With Sprint’s unlimited data plans, customers don’t have to worry about throttling or surprises on their monthly bill from data overage charges like they might with tiered data plans from other carriers.

Sprint’s unlimited data plans also benefit NBA fans. As the Official Wireless Service Partner of the NBA, Sprint exclusively offers Sprint NBA Mobile on Android phones, including the upcoming 4G LTE LG Viper. This new custom app provides in-game and post-game video highlights, news, scores, stats and live home and away radio broadcasts to NBA fans.

Robust Features at 4G LTE Speeds

Pairing the beauty of Samsung hardware with a pure Google experience, Galaxy Nexus on Sprint is built on Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. Ice Cream Sandwich brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. It has a redesigned user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC support and a full web browsing experience. Galaxy Nexus features software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones. The lock screen, home screen, phone app and everything in between has been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and useful.

Ice Cream Sandwich introduces innovations such as Face Unlock, which uses facial recognition to unlock your phone. Using NFC (Near Field Communications) technology, Android Beam allows users to quickly share web pages, apps and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping phones together. Users can even video chat with up to 10 friends with Google+ Hangouts for mobile. Galaxy Nexus will also be Sprint’s second smartphone enabled with NFC supporting Google Wallet, enabling the phone to be used like a wallet to make safe, secure purchases at hundreds of thousands of participating retailers.

Green without Compromising Speed

LG Viper 4G LTE brings customers the benefit of eco-friendly features without missing out on speed or the latest technology. Initial eco-friendly features include a charger with a no-load consumption rating of .03W, which exceeds the EC Code of Conduct on energy efficiency and the casing is made of 35 percent recycled plastics. Additional details will be provided closer to availability.

Powered by Android 2.3, Gingerbread, LG Viper 4G LTE is equipped with a 1.2GHz dual core processor and two cameras – a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a VGA front-facing camera that makes face-to-face video calls a fun and easy experience. It offers a 4-inch WVGA NOVA display, hotspot capability and a microSD™ slot supporting up to 32GB. It is also compatible with DLNA-capable devices.

As a Sprint ID smartphone, LG Viper 4G LTE allows users to cut through the clutter of more than 400,000 apps in Android Market™ by selecting from a variety of mobile ID packs featuring apps, ringers, wallpapers, widgets and more. Currently available Sprint ID packs include Green, Fashion and Beauty, E!™, MTV™ Music, CMT and NASCAR Sprint Cup. In addition, LG Viper 4G LTE is NFC-enabled and capable of providing Google Wallet.

Hotspot Combines 4G LTE, 4G WiMAX and 3G

Sprint expands its mobile broadband portfolio with its first 4G LTE mobile broadband device, Sierra Wireless™ Tri-Network Hotspot. It will be the first tri-network (3G, 4G and 4G LTE) mobile hotspot and will easily allow families, small businesses and traveling co-workers to share their high-speed connection.

With Sierra Wireless™ Tri-Network Hotspot, customers can extend their Sprint 3G/4G experience beyond just their laptops to up to eight Wi-Fi® enabled devices, such as cameras, music players, personal media players and portable game consoles. In addition, its microSD™ slot allows teams to share files and presentations with network storage. It is simple to set up with no software required.

For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 53 million customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index showed Sprint is the #1 most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, over the last three years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

Galaxy Tab LTE and several DROID RAZRs for Verizon debut

Verizon joined AT&T and Sprint by making several major announcements at this year's CES. The biggest player on the US carrier market unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, Motorola DROID RAZR Purple edition, DROID RAZR MAXX and Droid 4, whilst the HTC's Beats-powered beast the Rezound is getting a $100 price cut on its two year deal.

Verizon Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE
The 7.7" Super AMOLED Plus-packing Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE is finally about to land in the US. But save for the LTE connectivity, nothing has changed specs-wise - it features the same 7.7" 1280 x 720 super AMOLED display, dual-core 1.4 GHz Exynos chipset and Android Honeycomb with a TouchWiz UI on top.
The popular DROID RAZR received a shiny new purple paintjob that should appeal to the nerdettes out there. But don't think you boys aren't covered too - Motorola and Verizon also unveiled the DROID RAZR MAXX. It measures 8.99 mm, has 32GB of onboard storage and an insanely long-lasting battery. Moto says that the 3300 mAh monster of a battery can last for around 21 hours of talk time on a single charge. It will retail for $299 on a two year deal with Verizon, which is quite pricey. Still you can't put a price on stellar battery life these days.

Motorola DROID RAZR purple version
The powerful battery and added girth aside, the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX is identical to the DROID RAZR. It features the same 4.3" Super AMOLED display of qHD resolution 8 MP camera, dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, etc.

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
Both the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX will run on Verizon's LTE network. Motorola also confirmed that the RAZR devices will come out running Gingerbread but will be updated to Ice Cream sandwich eventually.
The Motorola DROID 4 offers a 4" qHD (540 x 960) display, a slideout QWERTY keyboard for enhanced texting, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, LTE connectivity for fierce data speeds and Motorola's business-minded email, calendar and contacts encryption.

Motorola Droid 4
All above-mentioned devices will become available at Verizon retail and online stores in the coming weeks.
The last Verizon-related piece of news for today is that the HTC Rezound got a healthy $100 price cut on a two year deal. What was once $299 is now available for $199 at Verizon stores.

Samsung expects to rob Nokia of top maker title this year

The time of Nokia's unquestionable reign in the mobile phone market is drawing to a close it seems, as the Finns lost the smartphone shipment race last year. Samsung are reportedly gunning for the top, confident they can outsell Nokia in all categories in 2012.
They've beaten their 2010 sales records, moving the impressive 300 million phones in 2011, which seems to set them on the right track. They were on top in terms of smartphone volumes, but still trail Nokia when you consider all phones.
Analysts from Gartner are less certain that the South Koreans can steal the crown, saying that Nokia's strong position in emerging markets will allow it to maintain its lead. Especially, because the growth of the smartphone market is expected to slow down this year, except in emerging markets where Nokia reigns supreme. This is something Samsung will need to address if they really want the top spot, analysts say.
Reuters is predicting Nokia will sell 388 million phones in 2012, with Samsung following close by with 359 million. Their predictions for 2011 were 418 million and 320 million respectively, so predictions aren't always exact.
We'll see how things go. Samsung is pushing forward with Android, Bada and maybe Tizen, while Nokia is making Symbian (now Nokia OS, previously the top OS by market share) play second fiddle to their new love Windows Phone, which both Nokia and Microsoft expect to really pick up this year.