Opera to debut new versions of its browsers at MWC; social features and mobile payments are a go

Many of you may not remember this, but Opera released its Android browser during Mobile World Congress, two years ago. It is now one of the most popular third-party browsers out there, but it is about to get a bit better.

The company has just announced that Opera will be debuting updates Opera Mini and Opera Mobile browsers at MWC. And it does not look like a small update, at all. Opera is hinting mostly at social browsing features and mobile payment announcements.

Opera will come up with new versions of the Opera Mini and Mobile browsers whose new features will focus a lot on the social aspect of browsing. Opera has the highest market share when it comes to mobile browsing with more than 160 million active monthly users worldwide. Opera will also be making an announcement related to mobile payments which will democratize the area by bringing it to not just smartphone users.

Now, that is an interesting idea. But we will have to wait and see just what these guys are talking about. Stay tuned for Opera’s announcements, as this is starting to sound quite enticing.

[Via: TalkAndroid]

View the original article here

Samsung Epic 4G Touch leaked official Android 4.0 ROM now working

Samsung has not been the best at updating Sprint devices, but things are turning around this year. Samsung is currently working hard at updating the Epic 4G Touch to Android 4.0. An official ROM was leaked yesterday, but it had problems with booting, past the kernel screen.

As expected, we are not going to conform and let things be. Developer Shabbypenguin messed around with the coding and managed to make the ROM work. This ROM is version FB09 [ 4.0.3], and it comes pre-rooted, so no need to move anything else around.

It is also important to note that this is not a pre-release version, so it is not perfect. WiFi, 3G and 4G are working, but there seem to be issues with MMS and the keyboard constantly force closing. You might or might now want to use this as a daily driver, but it is cool to get an idea of what Samsung’s official ICS update will be like.

For details, check out Shabbypenguin’s post. He also provided some cool videos with ste-by-step guides for installing the ROM, as well as a brief review. As always, be careful, do your research, and if something happens to your phone, no one else takes responsibility, but the owner.

Is anyone trying this one? If so, let us know how you like it!

[Source: ACSyndicate Via: XDA Developers]

View the original article here

Apple complains about Motorola with European authorities, wants more transparency in patent licensing

After losing against Motorola, in a permanent injunction, Apple was requested 2.25% of all 3G Apple devices sold in exchange for patent licensing. If Apple’s profit numbers are considered, that percentage amounts to quite a hefty amount of cash. And Cupertino Giant is not commiting to anything until it knows that Motorola is being fair.

Apple believes that Motorola is trying to take advantage of Apple, due to their rivalry, which is why Apple asked for more transparency about Motorola’s deals with other manufacturers. But they have taken things a bit farther, and have now asked European regulators to intervene.

Asking for a full-blown intervention from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Apple is thinking that Motorola is going against patent FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) standards.

As it goes with the legal wars, there is rarely a conclusion. We will have to wait and see if this is what is happening. Stay tuned and let’s hope all of this stops Apple from being a playground bully.

[Source: Reuters Via: Engadget]

View the original article here

Huawei continues to tease us with its “fastest smartphone yet”

Huawei has a bad reputation for releasing phones only low-end devices. We mostly see them with carriers like Metro, Cricket or Boost Mobile. But the Chinese company in in the middle of transitioning to a high-end products market strategy. They will be competing with the big boys now, and are about to announce the Huawei Ascend D1 Q at Mobile World Congress.

The team may not have the best naming strategy, but we have to say that things don’t look bad for Huawei’s future. We checked out the Huawei Ascend P1 S, which is the thinnest device around, measuring at 6.68mm of thinness. The device looks great, and perform amazingly smooth, even compared to high-end devices from popular brands.

The new Ascend D1 Q will be announced next Sunday, so the company is only giving us quick glimpses at this device. It is not looking bad, though. And the build quality is looking much like that of HTC smartphones (which are known for great build quality). We will have to wait until MWC to see more details, but do expect some improved releases from Huawei, from now on. Check out the images and let us know what you think.

It might be hard for Huawei at first, though, due to its reputation. Do you guys think you would switch to Huawei if they proved to be a good competitor?

[Via: Unwired View]

View the original article here

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note rooted before release

The AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note will be hitting retail stores tomorrow morning. And while AT&T and Samsung are busy with the hardware, developers have been busy with the software. Some of you might have already received, or will be receiving the Galaxy note soon, if you pre-ordered it. Whatever the case is, there is already a root method and you can enjoy your device to its full capacity.

This was made possible thanks to the fine gentlemen of XDA Developers; Da_G, specifically. It is possible to flash his kernel via ODIN. Among other things, the kernel enables custom boot animations, adb root and init.d scripts.

Those that are interested in doing this should realize that there are some dangers, though. There is a risk of voiding your warranty and/or bricking your device. If anything happens, the owner is the only person responsible for such results. With the disclaimer out of the way, just be careful about making the decision, take your time, follow instructions, and read the material before executing the procedure.

The details and instructions are posted in the XDA Developers forums, so simply head over there to get what you need. Root away, guys!

[Source: XDA Developers Via: XDA Developers]

View the original article here

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note rooted before release

View the original article here

Poll: What do you really want in your next phone?

View the original article here

Apple complains about Motorola with European authorities, wants more transparency in patent licensing

View the original article here

Hear ye! Hear Ye! CyanogenMod needs our help

View the original article here

Acer Iconia Tab A100 and A500 getting Android 4.0 update in mid-April

View the original article here

CyanogenMod reaches its donations goal; Android community never stops surprising us

View the original article here

Samsung Epic 4G Touch leaked official Android 4.0 ROM now working

View the original article here

Verizon flips the 4G LTE switch in 7 new markets

View the original article here

The Atlantic Resort and Spa, powered by Galaxy Tab 10.1

View the original article here

HTC Sensation gets Android 4.0 port from HTC Endeavor

View the original article here

Huawei continues to tease us with its “fastest smartphone yet”

View the original article here

Waiting for the Sony Xperia S? Check out this unboxing video

View the original article here

Swiftkey X keyboard on sale, in celebration of over 5 million downloads

View the original article here

ITC dismisses HTC’s patent infringement claim against Apple

View the original article here

Opera to debut new versions of its browsers at MWC; social features and mobile payments are a go

View the original article here