T-Mobile denies removing G2x from shelves, says high demand has created shortages

What a day it was for the T-Mobile G2x. One of the hottest Android devices now available, the phone was the subject of rumors earlier in the day that problems with the phone had caused the carrier to pull the model from the shelf. Users have been complaining that the dual-core processor powered model had suffered from random re-boots, leakage of light around the display and minor control issues.

Gas was poured on the fire when T-Mobile replaced the G2x as one of its two phones being featured on tonight's after-hours sale, with the Sidekick 4G. That sale begins at 12 midnight tonight, eastern daylight time.

As it turned out, the only thing that the T-Mobile G2x was suffering from was heavy demand. T-Mobile sent out a tweet today that read, "The T-Mobile G2x has been very popular and high demand has resulted in inventory constraints, which we are working to address." As for those owners of the device who have been having problems with the phone, a trip back to the place of purchase might be in order.

source: TmoNews

How to set a custom ringtone or notification sound on Android

You may have noticed that since the Music app for Android updated to version 3.0, it has gained the power of Google Music (for those lucky few in the beta), but it doesn't have an important feature: setting a song as a ringtone or notification sound. Luckily, Android has an easy way to do this manually.

Granted, there are third party music apps which have the option of setting a song as a ringtone, but setting it up manually will make it easier when upgrading to a new phone because it will follow you on your SD card, without having to install a specific app. It's quite easy, here's how:

1. Connect your phone to your computer and mount the storage card, or grab a file explorer from the Market like ASTRO or ES File Explorer.
2. Create a folder in the root directory of your SD card named "ringtones" (no quotes) or "notifications"
3. Place songs or sound files in the appropriate directory

Once that is done, when you go to the "Sound" option in the Settings menu of your Android device, the song or sound file will appear in the list of options for ringtones or notification sounds. And, best of all, as long as you keep the same SD card when you upgrade your phone your ringtone follows with you!

Sprint employees get trained to become experts on the Motorola XPRT

With the Motorola XPRT about to launch on Sprint June 6th, it is about time for the carrier to teach its reps and technical crew all about the handset. So sure enough, a leaked screenshot of a page from the online training lesson was revealed. To pass the test, a Sprint employee needs to score a grade of 80% or better, according to the picture.

For those who have forgotten all about this device, the Motorola XPRT is Sprint's version of the DROID Pro which in turn is the DROID version of a BlackBerry style handset. With a 3.1 inch display and a physical portrait-facing QWERTY keyboard, the comparisons to a BlackBerry are obvious. A 1GHz single-core processor is under the hood and Android 2.2 is aboard. Like the DROID Pro, the XPRT is a world phone with GSM/CDMA capabilities. As we told you when we first reported on the introduction of the model, the XPRT will cost $129.99 with a (all together now) signed 2-year contract.

source: AndroidCentral

Sprint employees are training to become an expert on the Motorola XPRT

Google Maps updated to 5.5 and crosses 200 million mobile users

Rejoice, Android users! Google Maps has been updated to 5.5 and it brings a slew of updates Place pages by adding a button for check-ins and one for rating that place. It also improves home/work location tracking in Latitude, and public transit Place pages. These updates come on the heels of the news that Google Maps has passed 200 million mobile users across all platforms. Of course, not all platforms get the same features, and, being Google's baby, Android gets all the best tricks first.

This Maps update is all about making existing features more prominent and easier to find. It adds easy access to a check-in button on the Place page, so you can check-in or check-out of your favorite places. It also adds easy access to the rate and review button. The tweaks to Latitude make it easier to edit your home and work addresses if you use Latitude's cool location history feature. This feature was released last month, and gives users a dashboard to track how much time they spend at home, at work, or out. This location history is completely private unless you choose to share it.

The last change is to the public transit Place pages, which adds information about upcoming departures for lines at that station. Google Maps transit information is a wonderful resource available in 440 cities worldwide, and this update makes it easier to find information from a nearby station without having to search for directions.

You can grab the update in the Android Market.

HTC HD7S Unboxing

Six solid months have covertly flown by under our feet, and amazingly enough, we haven’t seen any new Windows Phone 7 devices during that span for AT&T, which is remarkable to say the least when the platform is trying to gain ground against the competition. Well, the dry spell is finally over as the HTC HD7S is about to grace the carrier’s lineup with some minute improvements over the version that T-Mobile has been offering since the fall.

Not swaying from the norm, its packaging follows the same path trodden by many AT&T handsets before it by flaunting the usual white and orange colored box with the image of the HTC HD7S profoundly center and upfront. On its sides and rear, there are some useful information alluding to its specs, but there isn’t anything out of the ordinary with this one. Moreover, its contents prove to be predictable since it packs along the wall charger, microUSB cable, stereo headphones, and customary set of documentation.

Following closely to the design principles set forth by the beloved HTC HD2, the HTC HD7S is definitely likeable, pocketable, and gracious with its design – though, it doesn’t quite have the same allure as before. Naturally, it’s identical to T-Mobile’s version in almost every way except for the distinct offset yellow color surrounding the handset’s camera and kickstand. Once deemed as massive, the feeling is no longer the same since we’ve come across some larger, and even bulkier looking smartphones more recently. Regardless, we still adore its chrome trim bezel and soft touch back cover.

Thankfully, the HD7S employs a higher quality 4.3” WVGA (480 x 800) Super LCD display that exponentially looks fabulous versus the washed out looking one in use with T-Mobile’s version. More importantly, colors have a good amount of saturation to them, while retaining their tone at pretty much most angles. Some of its other features include a 1GHz  processor, 512MB ROM, 576MB SDRAM, 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with dual-LED flash, 720p video recording, 16GB internal storage, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, and microUSB port.

Out of the box, it offers the latest and most up-to-date Windows Phone 7 experience, though, we’re still drooling over what Mango has in store for us in the fall. Still, we’re greeted with other software features like copy and paste to make the experience decent over what we first checked out with the platform.

Analyst predicts RIM will sell 450,000 PlayBooks this quarter, 2.3 million for the fiscal year

Scott Sutherland is an analyst with Wedbush Securities and his expectations for the BlackBerry PlayBook have been lowered. Checking retail outlets where the tablet is offered, Sutherland now expects RIM to sell 450,000 units in the current quarter that ends next month. For RIM's fiscal year that ends in February, Sutherland says that the Canadian based firm will end up selling 2.3 million of the tablets.    

Earlier this month, we reported  that Mike Abramsky, General Manager at RBC Capital Markets, wrote that RIM had sold 250,000 of the 7 inch tablets in the first month after launch. Abramsky expects RIM to sell 500,000 PlayBooks in the current quarter and 3 million for the year. His more bullish forecast was based on checks at 180 Best Buy locations.

Sutherland's lowered forecast was partially due to the lack of email on BlackBerry Bridge and the reluctance of carriers to support the PlayBook. The tablet is currently shipped without an email client, a calender or a contacts list. Despite the sluggish sales estimates, the Wedbush Securities analyst still expects RIM's device to outsell the Motorola XOOM. Motorola has said that it would ship more than the 250,000 units sold in its first month of sales, but would not say how many more units they expect to sell.

RIM has bristled at talk of low sales for its first tablet from BGR and pointed out how Best Buy had said earlier this month that sales of the PlayBook were well beyond expectations after more than a week of being offered by the big box retailer. RIM says that it would answer the question of how well the BlackBerry PlayBook is selling when it makes its next quarterly earnings report next month.

source: electronista

LG Revolution Benchmark Tests

Knowing that its 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8655 processor isn’t anything revolutionary by today’s standards, the LG Revolution is still undeniably classified as a high-end smartphone – especially when it’s still one of the few to offer 4G LTE support.

Already, we’re seen what the HTC ThunderBolt and Samsung Droid Charge are able to put out in terms of benchmark scores, but as we’ve come to realize, they’re nothing too flattering when comparing them to the results with other devices packing dual-core processors. Fittingly, the LG Revolution is in the same boat as the other two available 4G LTE smartphones with its single-core processer, but interestingly enough, it manages to put up some decent scores that might give it an edge against the competition.

Running the Quadrant benchmark app, it doesn’t take much time for the handset to complete the test – thus getting us scores between 1,897 and 2,179. By comparison, the HTC ThunderBolt manages to get score around 1,430 to 1880, while the Samsung Droid Charge puts out score between 1,037 and 1,050. Additionally, we ran the AnTutu Benchmark test where the Revolution is able to tally a total score of 2,007, which is okay, but nothing impressive to give it some bragging rights. Naturally, the results aren’t anything spectacular and it goes to show how devices with dual-core handsets are still tops in terms of pure benchmark figures.

AnTutu benchmark results.

Quadrant benchmark results.

Despite the less than stellar results, the overall operation so far with the LG Revolution is in line to our expectations. In fact, it executes most basic operations without much fluff, and for things like gaming, we have yet to come across much lag or slowdown with its performance. Again, benchmark numbers might give some people an indication of raw processing speed, but it ultimately comes down to the actual user interaction to really gauge its performance. Either way, we’ll surely put it through some further testing to concretely make a definitive decision on its operation.

The other side of the proposed Do-Not-Track bill

There is a lot of news around the newly proposed Do-Not-Track bill in the U.S. Senate, but it seems as though most of the coverage doesn't give both sides of the argument. Media has been good about covering the reasoning behind the privacy advocates and the purpose of the bill, but most do not mention the potential effects that a bill like this could have on the Internet and the ecosystem it powers.

The Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2011 has been proposed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va). The bill would create a service by which people to opt-out of being tracked online, and give the FTC power to pursue companies that violate these rules. It can be likened to the Do Not Call list which prevents telemarketers from calling someone on the list; because, similarly the Do-Not-Track bill would allow people to opt-out of all tracking without having to opt-out of each tracking service.

Proponents of the bill and privacy advocates argue that someone's personal data is just that: personal, and so people should be able to control how that data is used. For example, if someone checks-in at a location on Facebook, they should have the choice as to whether or not that information is sold to advertisers, or shared with other companies. Also, the bill would stop companies from buying information from a person's search or shopping history in order to target advertising to that person.

In those terms, sure tracking seems creepy, and it seems like a given that people should have this right. The thing is: people not only already have this right, but they have the tools to make it happen. And, many people don't understand the full benefits of tracking and ramifications of too many people choosing a Do-Not-Track option without understanding the whole issue.

Added Value

Let's not forget that our "private data" has been used this way for a long time before the Internet existed. Any time you filled out a raffle in a store, your address would then be sold to companies which would send you flyers in the mail. The Internet just makes the process more efficient. Let's also not forget that all of the "free" services on the Internet and on our mobile devices are not really free, but are more often than not ad-supported, and those ads are much more valuable when targeted to users based on their location and interests.

Targeted advertising is much more effective and profitable for businesses and advertising companies. If a company knows that you like to buy their brand of socks, they'll pay a little extra to send an advertisement your way, and they'll pay a little more to send that ad around the time it is likely that the last pair of socks you bought might be wearing out. And, the value isn't just added for those selling the ad or recommendations, but for users too.

Think about it, what is the best thing about shopping on Amazon? The recommendations. Without tracking, Amazon wouldn't be able to learn your habits, and your preferences, and it wouldn't be able to recommend products based on the purchase habits of other customers. Those recommendations are a necessity online. We need to be able to draw on the wisdom of the crowd when shopping online, because we can't physically touch the product or try out the product. Not to mention, we may not know that there is something we should buy. We would lose that serendipity of finding a great new book simply because others who share our tastes liked that book.

The new trend of special deals wouldn't be possible without "personal data" either. Stores can't offer you coupons without getting your location, or knowing that you like a certain store or product.

Who are You?

Another trouble with this debate is that there is no demarcation between "personal data" and "personally identifiable data". While many companies may sell your location to a company to target an ad better, many times that company doesn't know who you are. The data doesn't know that Stephen Clarkson is in the area, it knows that there is someone with a mobile phone in this area, and maybe that person would like a cake from the shop around the corner. Or, the data knows that the person using your device likes to read stories about Seth MacFarlane, so a story about a new Family Guy DVD might be of interest, but there isn't necessarily a link to you personally.

There are companies that will put a name to that information, and there should be ways to stop that, but if companies were more clear about what information of yours is shared, people might not be so wary of sharing.

The Browser Push

On a certain level, it seems like overkill to need a federal law for something like this, because the market has already pushed browser makers to add Do-Not-Track options, even atop those options that had already existed. For years, browsers have had the option to turn off cookies, which are most often used to track user behavior and history. More recently, browsers have been adding "private browsing" modes which not only doн't allow cookies, but also do not keep any history of a user's activity.

Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome on desktops and Firefox for Android have all recently added Do-Not-Track options to their browsers already. Granted, the solutions are not yet comprehensive, and each have their flaws. As well, there is no standardized implementation of Do-Not-Track, but those kinds of things often get sorted out in time. In the mean time, we should be careful not to count "requiring work" by users as a flaw of any implementation.

Personal Responsibility

Requiring work on the part of the user is not a flaw, it is training. The world will not be going backwards; it will continue on forwards. Social is a trend that will continue on the Internet, so people have to be trained to control their own data. People have been trained to not fill out every flyer they get in the mail for "free products", and people have learned that maybe it isn't the best idea to tell a stranger where you live or what your name is. The same ideas need to be brought to the Internet.

People need to be educated about both the negative consequences as well as the benefits of sharing on the Internet, and people need to learn how to best navigate those choices. We need to teach people how to use their fancy new smartphones to turn off location tracking, and present both sides of the debate.

It is not all pure benefit for consumers, there are companies that are making quite a bit of money from this information. Google is probably the biggest example of that. Google's entire empire is built on the back of serving ads and making those ads more relevant and therefore more lucrative. But, we do need to keep in mind that while Google may be making big profits by using this information, that ad revenue has subsidized projects like Google Maps, Gmail, and even Android. So, any blanket reaction to the ills of online tracking will serve to not only punish those who would use your information maliciously, but those who use that information responsibly and at little risk to you. There need to be protections against abuse of tracking and personal information, but if those protections go too far, many of the benefits and "free" services that we've come to enjoy could start disappearing.

source: Nokia Conversations

LG Revolution Unboxing

First we saw the HTC ThunderBolt thundering its way to Verizon’s lineup as the first 4G LTE enabled smartphone, then soon after that, we also witnessed the arrival of the first DROID branded device with LTE connectivity in the Samsung Droid Charge. However,  now we’re supposed to be experiencing something revolutionary now that LG is joining the pack with their 4G LTE Android smartphone in the LG Revolution.

Although we’re surprised to see its packaging donning a complete black exterior, with only some Verizon, LTE, and LG brandings etched on some parts, it’s still rather strange to see not a single image of the handset anywhere on the box. Considering that we’re only a day away before this thing goes on sale, we’re fairly confident to say that this is what the actual final retail packaging will look like if you happen to pick one up tomorrow. Inside, there’s absolutely nothing that we haven’t seen before – especially when it packages along the microUSB cable, wall charger, and usual set of documentation. Considering that this is truly yet another revolutionary device, we were hoping to see some additional accessories – like a useful microHDMI cable.

As for the handset, it hasn’t changed much since we first feasted our eyes on it back in January during CES, but it’s still nonetheless your typical high-end handset boasting a larger than life display. Taking to account that it’s a 4.3” WVGA (480 x 800) LCD display on there, we’re rather impressed to say the least that it’s able to produce such gorgeous and saturated looking colors – while exuding some great looking clarity and details too. Besides that, the overall construction is pretty tight, especially when it employs a subtle soft touch coating all around its exterior. Though, it doesn’t necessarily come off as being more solid feeling than the HTC ThunderBolt, but at least its weight and size is more manageable in the hand.

Some of its other features include a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8655 processor, 5-megapixel auto-focus rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, microUSB port, microHDMI port, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Android 2.2 Froyo, 16GB microSD card, and 12GB internal storage. Needless to say those specs aren’t anything unusual, but knowing that it’s a 4G LTE device, its ability to exhibit fast data speeds are undeniably its biggest attraction. Then again, it’s rather hard to say right now what truly makes this device any better (or not) than the previous two LTE smartphones we’ve reviewed. Regardless, we’ll be testing it out over the next few days to better gauge its performance. So expect our in-depth review soon!

What will Google do with modu's patent portfolio?

There may be a new mobile strategy to consider: come up with interesting concepts that never make it to market, go bankrupt, then sell your patent portfolio to pay off your debts. It may not be the sexiest strategy, but it has been the path taken by modu. Modu was an Israeli company that had pioneered the idea of mini-mobile devices that could be swapped into multiple "jackets". So, rather than having a full-mobile device with various docks, like the Motorola ATRIX 4G, you would have a miniature device that could be swapped into a phone jacket, speaker system jacket, picture frame jacket, etc. The modu phone even made the Guinness Book of World Records as the lightest cell phone.

The idea was that you have the very basics - phone+storage - in the modu phone, and that could be swapped into various hardware, or even newer devices. This would mean data portability for a fast moving ecosystem, much like the combination of Google's cloud sync and your personal SD storage card, or iTunes sync. The idea also plays into an increasingly niche-driven market where all of the solutions are one-size-fits-all. Smartphones, media players and tablets are designed to appeal to the widest swath of consumers, but modu wanted to offer a customizeable solution which could fit into each niche without adding unnecessary features, and therefore cost. 

Unfortunately, modu, which was started in 2007, could never get the idea off the ground and was forced to shut its doors in February of this year due to mounting debts and back salaries. Modu had been searching for investors since November 2010 to stave off this fate, but hadn't found anyone willing. Last month, Google stepped in, offering to buy the company's patent portfolio for $2 million. Now, it has been reported that Google will pay $4.9 million for the portfolio, and modu will be using that money to settle its debts and pay its former employees. The question then becomes: why would Google do this?

Data disruption

The answers are hard to come by, because no one is sure what patents are included in the portfolio. The more far-fetched theory is that it is part of Google's mobile strategy to work around the mess of carrier constraints and restrictions. Google has been working towards creating Android devices that can be fully functional with data only by incorporating features like SIP calling, and Google Voice. The modu phone would still need a data plan through a carrier, but it could disrupt the way we deal with data plans as that one device could be swapped into a phone or tablet "jacket". As is, consumers are forced to either pay extra for tethering, separate data plans, or a MiFi device, but the modu phone could potentially be the one connected device that powers all of your screen sizes. 

This doesn't seem like a very likely scenario to us though. 

Android @Home... portable

Another possibility is as part of the ambitious Android @Home project, which is aiming to add Android capabilities to every electronic device in your home, so you can control lights, sound systems, etc. from your mobile phone or tablet. Google's hope for this is that everything in your home will be connected to the web, so you can control things from a central hub. But, with modu your personal preferences can travel with you. Imagine a modu dock in a hotel room, where you plug in your device and it instantly routes your calls to the room phone, sets the room temperature to your preferred level, and tunes the TV to the program that you'd normally watch at that time. It could also be a good backup option for those with unreliable Internet connections, or those who want the benefits without an Internet connection.

This would certainly be a long-term play and again maybe not the most likely as Google likes to have everything run through the web, but it is certainly a possibility for the jet-setters out there. And, it couldn't hurt for Google to have more offline enabled services since there are still many areas, especially in the US where Internet connections are not great quality.

Nothing but protection

Of course, the most likely, and probably most boring reason for this would seem to be the patent protection alone. Google itself isn't the target of as many lawsuits as the manufacturers of Android devices like HTC and Samsung. Right now, the only major lawsuit aimed at Google's mobile platform and services is the case that Oracle has brought, and even that case has been partially cut down in Google's favor. Eventually, the patent lawsuits will likely come crashing to Google's shores in a big way, and having a fully stocked patent portfolio is the best defense.

The trouble here is that we don't know what the modu portfolio includes; and, again, Google is a software and service company, whereas it would seem that modu would have more hardware patents than anything else. However, it is always possible that there is a telephony patent included that may come in handy if Google ever has trouble with a mobile carrier.

Time will tell how or if Google has a concrete reason for buying this patent portfolio, but if Google does put the patents into use, it could lead to some very interesting products across a variety of Google services. Which direction do you see Google taking with the newly acquired patents?

source: IntoMobile

Employees of the Broadway Apple Store charged with racial discrimination in lawsuit

According to a lawsuit filed in New York, on December 9, 2010, Brian Johnston, 34, and Nile Charles, 25 walked into the Apple Store on Broadway. The two black men, wearing "baggy jeans and large sweaters with hoods", had entered the store in search of a pair of headphones to purchase.

The men claim that at around 3:20pm, they were confronted by a white Apple Store employee in his 50's, 6 foot 2 inches in height and about 225 pounds, who invaded their "personal space" in an intimidating fashion. He said to the pair, "You know the deal. You know the deal". The employee told Johnston and Charles that they had to either make a purchase or see a Mac specialist. But before they could respond, the pair were told that they were not welcome in the store because of their race. The lawsuit quotes the employee as saying, "And before you say I'm racially discriminating against you, let me stop you. I am discriminating against you, I don't want 'your kind' hanging out in the store."

Using a cellphone to record the conversation, Johnston and Charles-by now feeling "shocked and humiliated"-were told by another employee, "Now you have to go, If you want to know why, it's because I said so. CONSIDER ME GOD. You have to go." When the duo tried to speak to a manager, the store's head of security allegedly ignored them. The pair finally found a manager and discussed the situation with him. But our story does not end here. The plaintiffs say in the complaint that, "In order to further harass, degrade, humiliate, and discriminate against Plaintiffs, the manager asked Defendant's Head of Security to call 911," which resulted in the pair being prevented from their "right to purchase property because of their race."

Johnston and Charles are asking the court for punitive damages because of "emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, and other non-pecuniary losses." The suit accuses Apple of discrimination under both New York and federal civil rights laws. Last year, another lawsuit accused an Apple Store in Orlando of age discrimination when a store employee in his 60's said he was not given a promotion due to his age.

source: AppleInsider

This law suit charges employees of the Apple Store on Broadway with racial discrimination