Gears & Guts brings together zombies and reckless driving

Gears & Guts cruised into Android today, bristling with all manner of unlikely weaponry. This free top-down action game puts players up against a horde of zombies that they have to clear out with car-mounted chainsaws, flamethrowers, and machine guns. Here's what you can expect.

• Wide-open combat in massive environments.
• Sports cars, monster trucks and armored vehicles.
• Dozens of cars and items to earn, including rare, experimental weapons.
• One car vs. hundreds of zombies, like...
• The Walker: Cannon-fodder, but deadly in groups.
• The Bruiser: A walking mountain of undead flesh.
• The Runner: Keep your speed up or theyll drag you down.

Glu recently churned out Mutant Roadkill with an obscene reliance on in-app purchases and ads, and was also oddly about running over mindless shamblers. I've played around with Gears & Guts for a little bit, IAPs and ads aren't quite as obnoxious, though they're still a big part of the picture. If you're into gore, give Gears & Guts a shot.

Via: Gears & Guts brings together zombies and reckless driving

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Google postpones Nexus Q retail launch, will give pre-order customers a free sphere

Google has postponed the consumer launch of the Nexus Q to add additional functionality. To make up for it, Google will give those who pre-ordered a Nexus Q a free device.

Here's the e-mail that just went out:

We have an important update about your Nexus Q pre-order.

When we announced Nexus Q at Google I/O, we gave away devices to attendees for an early preview. The industrial design and hardware were met with great enthusiasm. We also heard initial feedback from users that they want Nexus Q to do even more than it does today. In response, we have decided to postpone the consumer launch of Nexus Q while we work on making it even better.

To thank you for your early interest, we'd like to extend the Nexus Q preview to our pre-order customers and send you a free device. If you had other items in your order, your credit card will be charged for those items only.

Your Nexus Q will be on its way soon and you will receive a notification and tracking number from Google Play when it ships.

The Nexus Q Team

The Nexus Q, for those of you who don't have one -- which is most everyone -- is a small sphere that connects to your Google account and streams music, Youtube and movies and TV shows to a television and stereo set or bookshelf speakers. And that's all it does, though it certainly does so stylishly. The device is hackable, and folks have already gotten CyanogenMod and Android apps running from it, and XBMC has plans as well.

It was nearly a week ago that we first noticed that Google had limited new orders of the Nexus Q -- if you'd already ordered one, that was it.

Via: Google postpones Nexus Q retail launch, will give pre-order customers a free sphere

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Wikipad gaming tablet specs revealed, Tegra 3 and Jelly Bean

What we see here is the Wikipad, a gaming centered Android tablet that first made an appearance at CES in Las Vegas. In an interview with the guys over at Venturebeat, the hardware specs of the device were revealed in full. And it reads pretty nicely.

Powering the Wikipad is a 1.4GHz Tegra 3, RAM is set at 1GB and onboard storage sits at 16GB. The storage could still be increased however prior to any actual launch of the device. Which version of Android will we see, Gingerbread? Ice Cream Sandwich? No. At launch the Wikipad will be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Cameras, they're included too and there is an 8MPshooter on the back, and a 2MPon the front.

The key to the gaming credentials lie within that pretty spectacular looking gamepad dock peripheral. Many might be expecting to have to shell out some of their hard earned green for it, but happily that isn't the case. The gamepad will be included in the box with every Wikipadpurchased. It doesn't hide away any of the tablet's ports or speakers either, so it can pretty much live in this state round the clock if desired.

Talk of a gaming focused device wouldn't be complete with talk of the screen. There isn't anything groundbreaking, but what there is should do the job well enough. The 10.1 inch display is an IPS panel running at 1280x800. For future models, glasses-free 3D may be considered -- although personally, we kind of hope it isn't.

But what about battery life, a potential stumbling block for a device such as this. Apparently the battery is good enough to power 6 hours of continuous gaming, and 8 hours of video playback. Again, not groundbreaking but adequate for most prospective buyers.

No specific pricing or release dates were discussed, although the intention is to ship the Wikipad before the end of the year. That leaves plenty of time to get it on to your Christmas lists.

Source: Venturebeat

Via: Wikipad gaming tablet specs revealed, Tegra 3 and Jelly Bean

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Samsung EHS60 Stereo headset review

Sometimes, you dont need anything fancy you just need a headset that gives you a bump in quality from the crappy ones that tend to get bundled with phones these days.

Your New HTC One X or Evo 4G or Galaxy S III is capable of producing very nice music you should have a decent set of headphones to bring that out. See if the Samsung EHS60 fits the bill.

The Samsung EHS60 sits at the bottom of the line of available Samsung headphones. Even the bottom of their line is usually an upgrade of what you already have. Also, think about how you use your headset. If you use it for exercise or commuting or working around the yard, there is a good chance you might damage a very expensive pair of headphones.

Like most headsets these days, the Samsung EHS60 comes with a built in microphone for taking calls and pausing and playing music.

Samsung EHS60

Whats in the box

The Samsung EHS60 is pretty sparse in terms of what you get. It comes with the headset, two extra sets of ear gels (small and large medium is already on the headset) and thats about it. No case, no cleaning tool nothing extra.

Design

The Samsung EHS60 is a pretty basic design. The ear buds themselves are rounded black plastic with rubber at the ends that is attached to the wire. The wires are very thin almost so thin that I would worry that if I got these caught, I might break them.

Attached to the right ear bud wire is the in-line microphone. On one side sits the mike opening and on the other side is one button. The jack is a very basic 3.5 mm jack that fits pretty much every Android phone.

Functionality

The Samsung EHS60 functions both as a headset for taking and receiving calls, and as a stereo headphone for listening to music.

The microphone (as stated above) is on the right hand cable fairly close to your mouth.

Unfortunately, functionality of the Answer/call button was inconsistent to say the least. On the EVO 4G LTE, push the button to pause or play music. Double click it to redial the last number and push and hold to activate voice dialing.

On the HTC One X, push once to pause or play, double click to go back to the start of the song and sometimes push and hold for voice dialing.

On the Galaxy Nexus, push once to pause or play, push twice to go back to the beginning of the song and voice dialing doesnt work.

On the iPhone (just for comparison sake) push once to pause or play, push twice to advance to the next song in a playlist and hold to activate voice dialing.

If a call comes in, just push to answer that was consistent.

Comfort

The Samsung EHS60 were a little on the large side to be comfortable for me but that is a very subjective thing. There are three sets of ear gels, so it is possible to get a better fit depending on the size of your ear canals.

These are in-ear headphones, so they do need to sit in your ear canal and form a good seal in order to give you the best sound quality.

Call quality

The microphone for the Samsung EHS60 is, as mentioned earlier, on the right hand cable. It does not appear that there is any sophisticated noise cancelation built into these headphones and for the price that makes sense.

Callers felt that I sounded like I was in a cave or at the beach even if I was in the house with no wind around me at all. I could still hear people fine and they could make out what I said, but not with the same clarity as a more expensive Bluetooth headset.

Music quality

I was surprised that the music quality was really pretty good with these headphones. Now, this is not the stellar dynamic range and sound separation you will hear on a higher end pair of Klipsch headphones but it certainly beats the pants off most bundled ear buds.

Bass was definitely muddy with the Samsung EHS60s there was not the clear press on the bass drum or the little puff of air that accompanies a good subwoofers bass reproduction. Again, in a low-end headset I wouldnt expect anything different.

Midrange frequencies were pretty good and the high end lacked the crisp detail of a more expensive headset but symbols and high strings were nice.

I tried lots of different music when listening to the EHS60s. For general Pop or Rock music, these did just fine. These wont be the headphones I will pull out to listen to all the instrumentation in a YES song, but to listen to Zeppelin or the Stones while on a bike ride these are fine.

The wrap up

The Samsung EHS60 is a worthy replacement to whatever came with your Android phone. The inconsistency with the Call/Answer button is a little frustrating, but you will learn once what it can do with your particular phone and remember it from there. For a knock around set of headphones that allow you to take calls these might work out well for you.

The good

• Inexpensive
• Various size ear gels included
• Cable does not tangle
• Sound quality was not bad

The bad

• A bit uncomfortable
• Call/Answer button did not function consistently

The verdict

The Samsung EHS60 is a decent upgrade to most stock headphones. If you only occasionally take calls when on your headset and dont need to be able to consistently activate voice dialing from the headset, these are a good, economical pair of headphones.

Buy it now

Others like this one

Via: Samsung EHS60 Stereo headset review

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HTC closes office in South Korea following slow sales

HTC has announced it is to close its office in South Korea, according to reports from Korean news agencyYonhap. The move reportedlyfollows slow sales of HTC's smartphones in the country, and continuing difficulty in competing with Samsung in its own back yard.

In a market dominated by domestic manufacturers, analysts at Canalys estimate HTChad just one percent market share in South Korea in the first quarter of the year, down from two percent in 2011. By comparison, a recent report from Korea'sMK news site estimated up to a 70 percent share of the Korean market for Samsung by the end of July, following the recent Galaxy S3 launch in the country.

HTC has taken a beating in terms of profits and market share over the past six months, after it saw record earnings in 2011. The Taiwanese manufacturer saw a 57.8 percent year-on-year fall in net profits during the second quarter of 2012, a situation it blamed on lackluster European sales of the HTC One series, in addition to litigation from Apple which briefly delayed the phones' U.S. launch.

Source: Yonhap; via: ZDNet

Via: HTC closes office in South Korea following slow sales

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Instapaper seeing huge increase in downloads since the Nexus 7 launch

We heard earlier in the week about the success the guys at Shifty Jelly have had since the launch of the Nexus 7, but, it seems they're not alone. Mobelux, the developers of the Instapaperapp for Android, has shared some of their own numbers. And, much like Shifty Jelly, there has been a definite increase in download numbers since the launch of the Nexus 7.

The figure, is a massive 600% increase in downloads of the app since the date of the Nexus 7 launch. There is of course every chance that the $25 free credit for the Play Store has helped their cause. But it's great to hear stories of developers increased success since the Nexus 7 came to town. An application like Instapaper is something that would naturally suit a 7-inch tablet -- it's a perfect size for reading on after all. The Nexus 7 is the first 7-inch Android tablet -- not counting Amazon's Kindle Fire -- to really capture consumer interest in large numbers, and so far everything is coming up roses.

Source: TNW

Via: Instapaper seeing huge increase in downloads since the Nexus 7 launch

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Samsung goes behind the scenes at the Olympic opening ceremony

As we reported yesterday, Samsung's Galaxy Note and Galaxy S3 phones appeared as part of the Olympic Games opening ceremony in London last night. Now the manufacturer (and global Olympic partner) is taking us behind the scenes, showing how Olympic staffers and opening ceremony performers have been using its Android phones. In addition appearing last night's show in Hyde Park, the Note has been used by Olympic organizers like Head of Ceremonies Martin Green in their day-to-day work preparing for the games. And it looks like Olympic volunteer dancers got shiny white Galaxy Notes for their troubles too, which is nice.

Check out the full presentation embedded above. You'll find more Android/Olympics crossover news over atthis story tag.

Via: Samsung goes behind the scenes at the Olympic opening ceremony

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LG Nitro HD sees another Android 4.0 ICS leak ahead of official update

As we already know, AT&T will be updating the LG Nitro HD with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on July 31st but just in case you simply cannot wait, there is a new leak now out there claiming to be to be the official final build. You'll need to use the notably crappy LG Windows Suite to get it loaded up but it's there and available for download.

As with all things not officially official, we suggest some caution loading it but if you're one to tosses that suggestion to the wind, you'll find the link below. If you're on a different carrier, say Bell Mobility you're going to want to read through it all to ensure compatibility but that's where those cautionary measures come in once again.

Source: XDA

Via: LG Nitro HD sees another Android 4.0 ICS leak ahead of official update

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From the Android Forums: Nexus 7 hard reset questions

Willter12asks in the Nexus 7 forums,

I have read that a hard reset is activated by:

1. Turn off.
2. Hold vol up/vol down/power on
3. Select Recovery using vol buttons and press power button
4. After several minutes, screen with red triangle will appear
5. Hold volume up and press return for menu to make hard reset

All goes well til 4. Here I get blank screen showing "Google" and it never moves into the red triangle picture and just freezes. I have waited over 20 minutes for the boot into recovery menu and nothing happens.

Have I missed a step or is something wrong? If onboard recovery process is broke is there a way to fix it? I would like to have access to hard reset should something dire go wrong.

No I am not rooted nor have I tried to root and have only loaded apps at this point.Everything else is working fine and this appears to be an excellent device.

Thanks for any advice....

You read right, willter12. But it happens that there's a bit of a bug and you won't be able to follow those standard directions with the Nexus 7. Amend them with an extra step -- plugging the tablet into your computer. Once you are at the bootloader screen, you can't move on to recovery unless there's a connection on the USB port. Plugging it into the wall won't work, but the computer you use doesn't have to have the SDK or Fastboot set up on it, it just needs to be turned on. Change your steps to read like so:

1. Turn off.
2. Hold vol up/vol down/power on
3. Plug the tablet into the USB port on a computer
4. Select Recovery using vol buttons and press power button
5. After several minutes, screen with red triangle will appear
6. Hold volume up and press return for menu to make hard reset

It's inconvenient, we agree. But at least it's fairly easy to work around since the computer requires no set-up. As you mention, this is important for everyone -- not just those that live to hack.

Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch!

Via: From the Android Forums: Nexus 7 hard reset questions

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HTC One X sees a price drop at Radio Shack, and the Trade & Save special is back

If you're looking to pick up a new Android phone on AT&T this weekend, you might want to swing by Radio Shack and have a look at the HTC One X this Sunday. The folks at the Shack are dropping the price down to $100 (on a contract, of course) and have brought back the Trade & Save specials. That means that if you bring in any working phone when you buy a new one (again, with a contract) you will score somewhere between $30 and $300. Beats the heck out of trolling Craigslist looking for a buyer, or just letting your old phone sit in the junk drawer.

We know the best way to buy a phone is to get an unlocked GSM model and be free of pesky multi-year contracts. We get it. But not everyone is ready to spend upwards of $700 on a new phone, and if you're happy with your carrier and plan to be there for two years anyway, why not save some cash, right? Radio Shack is making it easy to get a great phone, at a great price, and maybe you'll even get some folding money from your old one. The promotion starts Sunday July 29, and the Trade & Save offer will run until Saturday Aug. 11.

Via: HTC One X sees a price drop at Radio Shack, and the Trade & Save special is back

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Amazon's Q2 2012 earnings are in - net income down, net sales up, Kindle Fire still their biggest seller

Amazon has released their quarterly earnings, and like many companies in the tech sector, things are good and bad. The bad looks really bad, so let's start there. Net income has dropped to $7 million, which is a 96-percent decrease when compared to the same period in 2011. On the plus side, sales are up $12.83 billion (with a "b"), a rise of 29-percent. When sales go up, and income goes down, one of the likely suspects is the economy and Amazon says changes in the foreign exchange rate caused a $272 million hit to sales figures.

On the Android side of things, the Kindle Fire remains the single best selling product across the millions of goods one can purchase from Amazon, and the top 10 selling items were all associated with the Kindle line -- Kindle units, Kindle books, and Kindle accessories. The economy may be tanking, and profits are down everywhere, but Android still makes Amazon lots o' dollars. Read the full press release after the break.

Amazon.com Announces Second Quarter Sales up 29% to $12.83 Billion

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 26, 2012-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2012.

Operating cash flow was $3.22 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $3.21 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2011. Free cash flow decreased 40% to $1.10 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $1.83 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2011.

Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 468 million on June 30, 2012, consistent with 468 million one year ago.

Net sales increased 29% to $12.83 billion in the second quarter, compared with $9.91 billion in second quarter 2011. Excluding the $272 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 32% compared with second quarter 2011.

Operating income was $107 million in the second quarter, compared with $201 million in second quarter 2011. The unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $8 million.

Net income decreased 96% to $7 million in the second quarter, or $0.01 per diluted share, compared with net income of $191 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, in second quarter 2011. The second quarter 2012 includes $65 million of estimated net loss related to the acquisition and integration of Kiva Systems, Inc.

Amazon Prime is now the best bargain in the history of shopping that is not hyperbole, said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. We successfully launched Prime seven years ago with free unlimited two-day shipping on one million items. The price of annual membership was $79. Since then, Prime selection has grown to 15 million items. We've also added 18,000 movies and TV episodes available for unlimited streaming. And weve added the Kindle Owners Lending Library borrow 170,000 books for free with no due dates it even includes all seven Harry Potter books. What hasnt changed since we launched Prime? The price. Its still $79. Were very grateful to our Prime members, and thank them whole-heartedly for the business and for the word-of-mouth that has made this program grow.

Highlights

Kindle Fire remains the 1 bestselling product across the millions of items available on Amazon.com since launch. Over this same period, the top 10 selling items on Amazon.com were digital products Kindle, Kindle books, and accessories.
Kindle Owners Lending Library has grown to over 170,000 books available to borrow for free as frequently as a book a month, including many titles exclusive to Amazon. Additionally, customers can now borrow all seven Harry Potter books in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
During the quarter, 20 of our top 100 bestselling Kindle titles were from Kindle Direct Publishing authors.
Amazon expanded its catalog of title offerings for Prime Instant Video to more than 18,000 movies and TV episodes, announcing licensing agreements with Paramount Pictures and MGM, for titles including Braveheart, Forrest Gump, Mean Girls, Nacho Libre, Clueless, Moonstruck, Rain Man, Silence of the Lambs, Species, Stargate and many more.
Amazon.com announced that Prime Instant Video is now available on the Xbox 360 console. Customers can now access Amazon video content through Kindle Fire, PlayStation 3, Mac or PC, or on a TV using either a compatible connected device such as a Blu-ray player or a Roku or directly on compatible Smart TVs.
Amazons LOVEFiLM, the leading European film and TV subscription service, announced new multi-year agreements with Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution and NBCUniversal International Television Distribution, providing LOVEFiLM members in the U.K. exclusive streaming access to movies and TV series from the studios, including Despicable Me, Green Zone, and Robin Hood. The agreements are the latest in a long line of exclusive content deals announced by LOVEFiLM, including agreements with Disney, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Entertainment One and STUDIOCANAL.
North America segment sales, representing the Companys U.S. and Canadian sites, were $7.33 billion, up 36% from second quarter 2011.
International segment sales, representing the Companys U.K., German, Japanese, French, Chinese, Italian and Spanish sites, were $5.51 billion, up 22% from second quarter 2011. Excluding the unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 28%.
Worldwide Media sales grew 13% to $4.12 billion. Excluding the unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 15%.
Worldwide Electronics and Other General Merchandise sales grew 38% to $8.16 billion. Excluding the unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, sales grew 42%.
Amazon.com announced that developers can now submit mobile apps for distribution through our upcoming appstore launches this summer on the Companys U.K., German, French, Italian and Spanish sites. In just over one year, the Amazon Appstore on www.amazon.com has grown to tens of thousands of apps and games. For additional information, visit https://developer.amazon.com/welcome.html.
Amazon.com introduced GameCircle, an all-new gaming experience for Kindle Fire, and released a series of APIs for developers to add this new experience to their games. GameCircle offers gaming customers a series of features such as achievements, leaderboards, and sync that make gaming even more fun, convenient and social on Kindle Fire. The newly-released GameCircle APIs will help game developers quickly and easily integrate their games with GameCircle, allowing them to grow their business by reaching new customers and keeping them engaged. For additional information, visit http://amazon.com/gamecircle.
AWS relaunched AWS Support with the expansion of free support for all AWS customers, a reduction in pricing on premium support plans and adding multiple new features to help customers better interact with and improve their use of AWS, including chat functionality and proactive alerts when opportunities exist to save money, improve system performance, or close security gaps. The price reduction marked the 20th time AWS has lowered prices since its launch in 2006. For additional information, visit http://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport.
Amazon announced the Amazon Career Choice Program, providing employees with a resource for building the job skills needed for today's most in-demand and well-paying careers. For employees whove been with Amazon as little as three years, the program will pre-pay 95% of the cost of courses such as aircraft mechanics, computer-aided design, machine tool technologies, medical lab technologies, nursing, and many other fields.
Financial Guidance

The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.coms expectations as of July 26, 2012. Our results are inherently unpredictable and may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce and the various factors detailed below.

Third Quarter 2012 Guidance

Net sales are expected to be between $12.9 billion and $14.3 billion, or to grow between 19% and 31% compared with third quarter 2011.
Operating income (loss) is expected to be between $(350) million and $(50) million, down from $79 million in the comparable prior year period.
This guidance includes approximately $275 million for stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, and it assumes, among other things, that no additional business acquisitions, investments, or legal settlements are concluded and that there are no further revisions to stock-based compensation estimates.
A conference call will be webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available for at least three months at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Companys financial and operating results.

These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments, the mix of products sold to customers, the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services, the extent to which we owe income taxes, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international growth and expansion, the outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, risks of inventory management, seasonality, the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to new products, services and technologies, system interruptions, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. In addition, the current global economic climate amplifies many of these risks. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.coms financial results is included in Amazon.coms filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Our investor relations website is www.amazon.com/ir and we encourage investors to use it as a way of easily finding information about us. We promptly make available on this website, free of charge, the reports that we file or furnish with the SEC, corporate governance information (including our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics), and select press releases and social media postings.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earths Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earths most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazons developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazons own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. The new latest generation Kindle is the lightest, most compact Kindle ever and features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch 3G is the top of the line e-reader and offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch, with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle Fire is the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon Silk (Amazons new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser), vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, Amazon.com, we, our and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Via: Amazon's Q2 2012 earnings are in - net income down, net sales up, Kindle Fire still their biggest seller

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Nexus 7 launch doubles sales of Shifty Jelly's Android apps

Application developers at Shifty Jelly have taken to Twitter to let us all know that they have doubled their Android app sales since the release of the Nexus 7 and Google's $25 Play Store credit. The developers of the popular Pocket Casts podcast app and down under weather app Pocket Weather Australia are clearly seeing the benefit of Google selling the Nexus 7 at cost with Play Store credit as a gateway to Google Play, and remarkedabout the influx of new users.

Weve noticed that sales of all our apps have doubled on Android, coinciding with Nexus 7 sales and Google giving out $25 for the Play Store

Their attention to detail and great communication have made Pocket Casts one of the premiere podcatchers on Google Play, and we're not surprised to see users downloading the app en masse. It's also great to see Google's idea of selling the Nexus 7 as a gateway to Google Play is working -- there's a lot of great content there, and 25 bucks of it for free looks like it was a good move. Great developers deserve this kind of support, and we hope others are seeing the benefit as well.

Source: @shiftyjelly

Via: Nexus 7 launch doubles sales of Shifty Jelly's Android apps

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MLS MatchDay 2012 Updated to Fix Jelly Bean Crashes

So lets say you like soccer. Maybe you also live in the US. And just maybe you have a phone running Googles latest-and-greatest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Its a stretch, we know, but if you fit the bill we have an app that you have to check out. MLS MatchDay 2012 just got an update pushed in the Play Store, reiterating its latest features such as AT&T Goal of the Week, High quality videos and "Improved team schedule". All of these features have been in previous versions though, so why the update?

The big news here is the last line: Crash fixes for Jelly Bean. Now if youve used and relied on the app for all things MLS in the past, youve no doubt noticed the crashes. It was unstable in Ice Cream Sandwich, and downright unusable on Jelly Bean. Were happy to report that the update sticks to its word, and the app has yet to force close a single time going through all of the menus and screens. So what are you waiting for? Fire up your Jelly Bean-equipped Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus or Nexus S, and go pickup MLS MatchDay 2012 in the Play Store at the source link.

Oh and of course, go Seattle Sounders FC!

Source: Google Play Store

Via: MLS MatchDay 2012 Updated to Fix Jelly Bean Crashes

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Google Nexus 7 available at Carphone Warehouse from Friday

Wanting to get your hands on the Google Nexus 7 in the UK, but come up empty-handed so far? Carphone Warehouse sends word that it'll be stocking the highly-anticipated (and highly-demanded) Jelly Bean tablet from this Friday, July 27. Carphone's only stocking the more expensive 16GB version, which retails for 199.99 in the UK. That's also the version that's currently sold out on Google Play, so if you want to get hold of a 16GB Nexus 7 in Old Blighty, this may be your best bet.

In addition to the option to buy an N7outright, Carphone is also offering the ASUS-made tablet on a tethered contract, which includes a Mifi and an (undisclosed) data allowance. Normally we'd say you'd have to be a bit mad to pick up a tablet on-contract with a mobile operator, but if you're after a Mifi anyway, you could certainly do worse than picking yourself up a free Android 4.1 tablet in the process. Prices on the tethered contracts are said to start at 20.50 per month.

Check the full press release after the break, and make sure you read up on our full Nexus 7 review before parting with your cash.

Google Nexus 7 available from Carphone Warehouse from 27th July

Available in stores, online at www.carphonewarehouse.com or by calling 0870 870 0870

London, 25th July 2012, Carphone Warehouse today announced that the eagerly awaited Nexus 7 will be available to buy from Friday 27th July. The Nexus 7 is the first tablet in Googles Nexus line of devices and the lead device for Android 4.1, Jelly Bean. The Tablet, made by Asus, will be available from Carphone Warehouse priced at 199 standalone or for free on a tethered contact from 20.50 per month.

Boasting a 7in HD display, and an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, gyroscope and accelerometer, the Nexus 7 is ideally suited to gaming. With over a million pixels in your hand, text is sharper, high-definition movies are more vivid, and the responsive touchscreen makes switching between apps, flicking through ebooks or surfing the web buttery-smooth.

The Nexus 7 has all the portability of a paperback book, but is connected to the entire digital world of entertainment. Nexus 7 was made for Google Play, putting all the entertainment you love right at your fingertips -- choose from more than 600,000 apps and games, thousands of ebooks and movies, and everything the web has to offer.

Commenting on the release, Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer at Carphone Warehouse, says, Its interesting to see that despite larger 10 inch tablets dominating the market, Google is forging ahead with its own 7 inch model. A smaller tablet has yet to prove itself in a category dominated by bigger screens, but if anyone can make it happen, Google can. Im sure the other leading tablet manufacturers will be watching closely and be ready to follow suit in the coming months.

The Google Nexus 7 will be available from Carphone Warehouse stores, online at www.carphonewarehouse.com or by calling 0800 925 925 priced at 199.99 standalone or for free on a tethered contact.

Via: Google Nexus 7 available at Carphone Warehouse from Friday

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New renders pop up for the rumored LG Spectrum 2 on Verizon

It was only a couple of weeks ago that we found photos and a service manual leak for the rumored LG Spectrum 2 on Verizon. Now some renders have popped up for the second version of one of LG's flagship phones in the United States.

The Spectrum 2 will be packing a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.7-inch IPS display, 16GB of storage, 1GB RAM, Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and a 8MP rear-facing camera.

Source: TechnoBuffalo

Via: New renders pop up for the rumored LG Spectrum 2 on Verizon

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Google helping out newcomers with Nexus 7 getting started video

For many, the Nexus 7 could be a first foray into the world of Android. Google hasn't forgotten about those people, so they've gone and posted a quick getting started video to help guide through the process of setting up the tablet. While not providing compelling viewing for the more experienced -- many of the Android Central readers -- we should remember that we were all new once. It's a nice touch to see Google ensuring that all types of user are catered for. We'll take a guess that we haven't seen the last of these educational type videos either.

Something to note too -- the Nexus 7 in the video has clearly had its bootloader unlocked. Then again, it is a Nexus, after all.

Via: Google helping out newcomers with Nexus 7 getting started video

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Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean confirmed for the Motorola Xoom WiFi

Just in case you needed any other sort of confirmation that the soak test happening for the Motorola Xoom WiFi in the U.S. was indeed Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, we managed to score the full and complete change log for you all:

Android 4.1.1, Jelly Bean Software Update for the Motorola XOOM WIFI in the U.S.

Introduction - We are pleased to announce a new software update for the Motorola XOOM WIFI in the US. This Android 4.1.1 (JRO03H) software update includes numerous enhancements. Upgrade today for peak performance.

Who Can Use This Release - ALL Motorola XOOM U.S. WIFI users.

After downloading and installing the software release, you will notice:

• Improved User Interface and Response - Android 4.1.1, Jelly Bean, is the fastest and smoothest version of Android yet. Moving between home screens and switching between apps is effortless, like turning pages in a book. Jelly Bean makes your Android device even more responsive by boosting your devices CPU instantly when you touch the screen, and turns it down when you dont need it to improve battery life.
• Expandable, Actionable Notifications - Now you can take action directly from the notifications shade. And because the notifications are expandable, you can get an even deeper look into the things that matter most, like multiple emails or photos on Google+.
• Widgets work like magic - With Jelly Bean its now even easier to personalize your home screen. As you place widgets on the screen, everything else automatically moves to make room. When theyre too big, widgets resize on their own. Interacting with your favorite apps and customizing your home screen has never been easier. Seamlessly view and share photos - Just swipe over from camera to filmstrip view to instantly view the photos you just took, and quickly swipe away the ones you dont like. Now sharing--and bragging--are a breeze.
• A Smarter Keyboard - Androids dictionaries are now more accurate, more relevant. The language model in Jelly Bean adapts over time, and the keyboard even guesses what the next word will be before youve started typing it.
• Improved Text-to-Speech Capability - With improved text-to-speech capabilities, voice typing on Android is even better; it works even when you dont have a data connection.
• Accessibility - With Jelly Bean, blind users can use 'Gesture Mode' to reliably navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures in combination with speech output. Jelly Bean also adds support for accessibility plugins to enable external Braille input and output devices via USB and Bluetooth.
• Voice Search - Android lets you search the web with your voice, and its convenient for getting quick answers on the fly. It speaks back to you and is powered by the Knowledge Graph, bringing you a precise answer if it knows it, and precisely ranked search results, so you can always find out more.
• A new look for Search - Android has search at its core. With Jelly Bean, a redesigned experience uses the power of the Knowledge Graph to show you search results in a richer way. Its easier to quickly get answers and explore and browse search results.

Nothing in there is unexpected really, but it sure is nice to see it all laid out. Now we'll go back to waiting for it to fully appear on some devices, if you happen to see it land on your Xoom, we wouldn't mind you dropping by the forums and saying so.

Via: Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean confirmed for the Motorola Xoom WiFi

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How to use S Memo on the Galaxy S3

Samsung has put a bunch of proprietary software on the Galaxy S III (S3) and some apps, like S Memo are particularly useful.

There are lots of note-taking apps for Android. Some of them sync with cloud servers like Google Drive and others sync with desktop note-organizing apps like Evernote.

Samsung has attempted to create a proprietary note-taking app that syncs with all these services, uploads to Dropbox and allows you to post your notes to your various social media networks. In short, S Memo tries to be all things to all users, and, surprisingly, it does a pretty good job.

Getting started with S Memo

S Memo is installed, by default, as one of the four quick start icons on the lock screen. You can always adjust that we teach you how to do that here.

You can start S Memo from the lock screen by swiping up on the icon. You can also simply find the icon in your App drawer or on your Home screen and tap the icon to start the app.

When you start the app, you will see a series of pre-made memos already on the phone. You can edit, delete, rename and use the preset memos in any way you want. Most users will want to delete these and start with their own memos.

Deleting the pre-installed memos

To delete the pre-installed memos, just:

1. Touch and hold any of the memos you wish to delete
2. Choose Delete from the menu
3. Confirm the deletion

Creating a new memo

To create a new memo using S memo you will tap one of the two buttons at the top right of the screen; either choose the Drawing icon to draw a memo or touch the T icon to start a text memo.

Whichever you choose, you will be greeted initially with a pop-up tutorial window explaining either panning and zooming options or text input options. You can always click the dont show this again window to not be bothered with the annoying pop-ups.

Create a drawing memo

Touch the Drawing icon to start a drawing memo. Along the top of the memo you will see the tool bar with icons for:

• Choosing pen and color
• Switch to typing mode
• Erase
• Undo the last action
• Redo the last undo
• Record a voice memo

To change the color of the pen, just touch and hold the Pen icon and choose a new color. You can then draw and write and create your memo. If you choose to write your memos with the drawing tool, consider looking into a good stylus, we have a bunch of them reviewed here.

Create a text memo

Touch the Text icon to start a text memo. Use the keyboard to type in whatever you want. When you are ready to save the memo, touch the Menu soft key on the Galaxy S3 and choose Save as. Give the memo a title and save it.

Adding voice memos

One of the nice features of S Memo is that you can easily add voice recordings to your memo. From the Edit memo screen, just touch the Microphone icon to record a Voice memo to embed into the memo. If you choose to email your memo or post it to a social media site later on, the voice recording will be part of the memo for people to listen to.

Handwriting to text

One of the very cool features of the S Memo app is the Handwriting to text function. Essentially, you use the drawing note function and the Galaxy S3 will try to covert your handwriting to text.

I tried it in the example below; I made a grocery list in my usual poor handwriting. To use the Handwriting to text feature:

1. While in edit mode, touch the Menu soft key on the Galaxy S3
2. Choose Handwriting to text from the menu
3. The screen will divide with the first guess of your memo at the top
4. When I tried this, I had limited success most likely due to my poor handwriting. The handwriting to text can be adjusted and retried, however so that you can get it just right.
5. Drag the blue box in the bottom window over a particular section of text
6. Touch the Handwriting-to-text icon
7. Choose the input language
8. The Galaxy S3 will try to re-convert the handwriting to text

I still had limited success with this feature and wound up feeling as though it were more of a novelty than a truly useful feature. After all, I can just select the Text memo icon and type out my memo in the first place.

Options from within a memo

From the Edit note screen, there are many options available to the user. To see all the options, just tap the Menu key. Options include:

• Rename
• Share via Bluetooth, WiFi, Messaging, Flipboard, Google+,Dropbox, Twitter or any other service installed
• Handwriting to text
• Export as image or PDF
• Sync to Google Docs, Evernote or with your Samsung account
• Save as
• Add picture
• Add tag
• Add as favorite
• Change background to one of eight backgrounds
• Link to Calendar
• Lock
• Set as contact icon or wallpaper
• Print to a Samsung printer

From the main S Memo screen, you can also look at and adjust the app Settings.

1. Tap the Menu key from the main S Memo screen
2. Choose Settings

From the Settings you can:

• Auto sync notes to your Samsung account
• Change your PIN
• Adjust the Screen timeout in the Memo app
• Auto hide the toolbar

Deleting memos

After a while, you may find that you accumulate quite a few memos. Deleting memos can be handled in one of three ways:

Method 1

From the main screen of the S Memo app, tap the Menu key

1. Select Delete
2. Put a check mark in any memo you wish to delete or choose Select all
3. Choose Done and the memo(s) will be deleted

Method 2

1. Touch and long press (touch and hold) any memo
2. From the menu, choose Delete
3. Confirm the delete on the next screen

Method 3

Make sure you are in Edit mode in any memo

1. Touch the Trashcan icon
2. Confirm the delete

All in all, S memo is a very versatile Memo app for your Galaxy S3. The fact that it can sync with Evernote or Google docs/Google drive makes it even more versatile as you can pick up your notes wherever you are from any device.

Toss in the ability to add images, tags and voice memos and for most users this will prove to be a very versatile way to keep track of your memos and cut down on those pesky post-it notes all over the desk.

Via: How to use S Memo on the Galaxy S3

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Restoring your Nexus 7 using Google Factory images -- a guide [from the forums]

So you bought a Nexus 7, partially because it's a Nexus device and you wanted to hack the living crap out of it. Cool -- me too. Whether you're just beginning, or an old pro you will need factory images to fix the things you've broken. But having them isn't enough, you'll need to know how to use them. It's one of those things that isn't hard, but when you're not used to doing this type of thing it's always nice to have a friend to guide you. AC ForumsAdviser 2defmouze is that friend, and he's prepared everything you'll need to know about fixing your Nexus 7 once you've made it unbootable. And that is priceless. Hit the Nexus 7 forum link below and bookmark it right now, and be sure to give 2defmouze some love while you're at it.

The best part about having folks like 2defmouze and the rest of the great crew in the forums working on guides and how-tos is the level of support you'll get if you come across something you can't figure out on your own. We're picky here at AC, and we don't hand out Adviser badges to just anyone. You can trust these guys with your precious toys. That's why I'm always steering you guys there -- they are Android nerds to the core, and know their stuff.

[GUIDE] Factory Image Restore for your Nexus 7

Via: Restoring your Nexus 7 using Google Factory images -- a guide [from the forums]

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The full SDK for Android 4.1 now available, along with new NDK and tools

Google has made the full 4.1 Android SDK available for download, along with a revised set of SDK tools (20.1.1) and the NDK(rev 8b). As always, the SDK and assorted tools are available for Windows, Mac and Linux, and are a must have for any serious Android application development. You can grab the updates through the SDK manager of your existing installation, or at the Android Developers site.

Speaking of serious application development, Android engineer Nick Butcher has also written a great blog post about writing apps that take advantage of the new Jelly Bean API and the features found on the Nexus 7. He brings up a great point -- for most users, the Nexus 7 will be their first look at Jelly Bean. You w ant your applications to shine, and not just work. He gives tips and methods so that your apps can do just that. Be sure to give it a read at the source link below.

Source: Android Developers blog

Via: The full SDK for Android 4.1 now available, along with new NDK and tools

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Books now available from Google Play in France

The slow, global march of new markets receiving Google Play content continues. This time up, it's the turn of France, where as of today, Books are available to download from Google Play.

In countries where Google Play content has been available for some time, we often take it for granted. But, if the Nexus 7 is to be a truly, globally loved device, then the content has to be there. For some it still isn't, but in France, today is a step closer.

If you're in France, head on over to the Google Play Store now either on the web, or on your device, and browse all the reading material on offer. Don't forget too, to download the Google Play Books app, which you'll find a handy download link for below.

Source: Google, Download: Google Pl ay Books

Via: Books now available from Google Play in France

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Nexus S Jelly Bean update reportedly set to start rolling out in the next couple of days

It seems like the good news week is set to continue for Nexus fans, with reports emerging that the hotly anticipated update to Android 4.1 is set to starting rolling out to the Nexus Sover the next couple of days.

Down under, in Australia, Vodafone Australia has posted to their blog the following in relation to to the Jelly Bean update:

Approved by Vodafone, roll out by Google scheduled for 1:00pm AEST, 19th July 2012. Keep an eye on our blog for further information.

Don't forget, that July 19 in Australia is actually July 18 in the U.S -- albeit only just given the time. That time translates to around 04:00 BST23:00 Eastern, and 20:00 Pacific.

Elsewhere, SFR in France, also has something t o say on the update, which pretty much ties in with Vodafone Australia:

However, the deployment is slightly delayed on the Nexus S! Jelly Bean should be deployed July 18, 2012!

So, the signs are looking good. We'll be keeping a close eye on this one, but remember, it's pretty likely that this will only apply to the GSM versions as with the Galaxy Nexus -- sorry Sprint users. Until we see it though, as ever, let's treat it with a slight pinch of salt. Carriers have been known to give out incorrect information in the past let's not forget.

We'll be keeping a close eye out for this one, but if any of you guys happen to see an update notification, hit us up in the Android Central forums or in the comments below.

Source: SFR, Vodafone Australia

Via: Nexus S Jelly Bean update reportedly set to start rolling out in the next couple of days

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Early CyanogenMod 10 preview build available for international Galaxy S III

If you like to live dangerously, and can't wait any longer to get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on your Galaxy S III, you'll be pleased to hear that a (very) early preview build of CyanogenMod 10 is now available for Samsung's 2012 flagship. The build isn't yet feature complete, but it seems to be about as functional as the current batch of CM9 nightlies of the S III. That is to say the current build includes a couple of known stability issues with the camera and Wifi tethering -- the kind of thing you'd expect from a nightly-level build. Also, this build is only for the international Galaxy S III -- that's the one with 'GT-i9300' listed under Settings > About device > Model number.

Preview builds are also available for some of the North American (Snapd ragon S4-based) Galaxy S III's, albeit with far more stuff broken. Find 'em here and here.

So it's not complete just yet, but it's an early taste of Jelly Bean on the Galaxy S III, and early reports suggest it's very quick and surprisingly stable. If you're feeling brave, you'll find flashing instructions -- and some disclaimers you should definitely read -- over at the source link.

Source: XDA

Via: Early CyanogenMod 10 preview build available for international Galaxy S III

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Introducing Lloyd Gear: T-Shirts, caps and pins are here!

Get your first taste of the all new Lloyd Gear from Android Central and ShopAndroid.com!

Awww,yeaahhh Lloyd Gear is here. Our first round of new gear includes a supernaturally good t-shirt, a sweet baseball cap and a secret society pin. If you love Lloyd. If you love Android. If you love to be awesome. Then you can get these. Also some really great bonus offers in here read on after the break.

Lloyd Overlord T-shirt

Bow down to Lloyd! Our first high quality T-shirt with the popular Overlord print is finally availab le for you to own. This is Lloyd how we initially envisioned him towering over the mass of lesser droids engulfed in flames. Nice.

If you wear this t-shirt the following things are GUARANTEED* to happen; birds will sing your name, mothers will name their first-born after you, it will never EVER rain on you ever again. This has been tested.

The new Lloyd T-shirts are eco-printed in San Francisco on the finest charcoal colored 100% combed cotton jersey that we could find. We love these t-shirts and they have survived stringent wear and wash tests. We wear them to work. We wear them to parties.

We basically wanted nothing less than the highest quality t-shirts for our community so that you could proudly walk around with Lloyd on your chest and enjoy all the benefits listed above.

• Get your Lloyd Overlord T-shirt from ShopAndroid.com!

Lloyd Cap

Do you keep sensitive secrets in your head? Worried about mind-reading aliens/governments? Or perhaps you just need to shade your head from the burning sun. Either way, Lloyd is here to save the day again*. Wear Lloyd where he matters most on your head.

Made from 100% washed cotton. Made in Vietnam, embroidered in San Francisco.

• Get your Lloyd cap from ShopAndroid.com!

Secret Society Pin

Do you want a more subtle way to display your undying devotion to Lloyd? This smart little pin can be placed on any material you dare stick a pin-size hole in.

Guaranteed* to get you in to any nightclub, members club, golf tournament, VIP Lounge and Private Beach. Also, everlasting happiness and fortune will be yours.

• Get your Lloyd pin now from ShopAndroid.com!

Plus, there's more! Free shipping and free pins!

BONUS OFFER 1: For a limited time, whenever you add either a Lloyd T-shirt or Lloyd cap to your basket we'll offer you FREE shipping on your entire order. This means that you'll be able to combine both superb Lloyd Gear and great Android accessories at zero shipping cost.

BONUS OFFER 2: For a limited time we'll also give out one of our Lloyd pins for free with every Lloyd T-Shirt or Lloyd cap order.

* Not really

Via: Introducing Lloyd Gear: T-Shirts, caps and pins are here!

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Google now shipping the Nexus 7 to UK pre-order customers

What a pleasant way to start the day. Looks like Google is now starting to ship out pre-orders for the Nexus 7 over here in the UK. Receivedthis morning just before 2am, came my own shipping notice from Google Play confirming that my shiny new Nexus 7 has been shipped.

By my reckoning, it should be arriving on Thursday -- 2 day shipping in mind -- which would sit with the original July 19 date that other, high street retailers, started working to when their initial pre-order pages went up. It does take upto 24 hours for the TNT tracking reference to go live though, so if you've woken to a similar email, bear that in mind as you frantically hit the tracking page.

The question goes out to our friends in the other -- non U.S. -- countries that are still w aiting on their Nexus 7 shipments. Hit us up in the comments below and let us know where you are if you've just received the same email.

Update:Looks like we can count our Canadian friends in too, with this statement present on the Google Play support page:

We're now shipping Nexus 7 preorders. All US and Australia preorders are scheduled to ship by July 17th. UK and Canada preorders have also begun shipping in waves.

Via: Google now shipping the Nexus 7 to UK pre-order customers

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T-Mobile Galaxy Note is officially official

T-Mobile has sent out a press release letting us know that the Samsung Galaxy Note will be coming "in the coming weeks", confirming the Tweet that went out this morning. The 5.3-inch T-Mobile Galaxy Note will feature HSPA+42 speeds, and be running the Qualcomm Snapdragon like it's counterpart on AT&T. It's also shipping with Ice Cream Sandwich, and features the same great S-Memo application we saw last week.

T-Mobile specific features are Wifi calling, a 5-device mobile hotspot capability, and S.A.F.E. (Samsung Approved for Enterprise) designation, which means a full suite of enterprise-ready features and capabilities, IT policy support,AES256-bit encryption, enhanced support for Microsoft Exchange, and integ rated VPN support. You can read the full press release after the break.

T-Mobile Expands Its Galaxy Lineup With the Samsung Galaxy Note

Smartphone Delivers Innovative All-in-One Experience With the Perfect Blend of Work and Play Features

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 17, 2012 T-Mobile USA, Inc., the No. 1 mobile operator brand in Samsung Galaxy Ssales, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide¹, today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Galaxy Note.One of T-Mobiles fastest devices leveraging its 4G (HSPA+ 42) network and running on Android4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Samsungs Premium Suite, theGalaxy Note provides an innovative, all-in-one experience that is perfect for work, play and eve rything in between.

Consumers are demanding larger smartphone screen sizes. In fact, a recent T-Mobile survey²showed 77 percent of consumers prefer a device with a 4.5-inch or larger display rather than a smaller screen. The Galaxy Note speaks directly to that demand with a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLEDtouch screenthe largest screen on a T-Mobilesmartphone. The device is elegantly designed to handle both business and home tasks with ease.

The Galaxy Note with Premium Suite provides a range of productivity-enhancing features, such as the S Pen, S Note, S Memoand Polaris Office. Now T-Mobile customers can write notes, to-do lists and annotate documents; share ideas and edited content; and create documents, presentations and spreadsheets to maximize efficiency while on the go. S Note helps to professionalize communications by providing templates for seven commonly used documents such as an idea note, tra vel notes, diary entry, meeting notes and recipes. S Note also allows you to import and annotate a PDF file and convert dictated or handwritten memos to text with the Continual Voice Input and Handwriting-to-Text features. With S Memo, Galaxy Note users have one-touch access to creating a typewritten, handwritten or voice dictated memo; researching information during creation; and adding an image.

The Galaxy Note also has the SAFE (Samsung Approved for Enterprise) designation, which means it has a full suite of enterprise-ready features and capabilities, including comprehensive IT policy support for top-tier mobile device management (MDM) providers, on-device AES256-bit encryption, enhanced support for Microsoft Exchange, as well as integrated support for a range of virtual private network (VPN) solutions. The Galaxy Note also provides Wi-Fi Calling capabilities and, with a qualifying rate plan, can act as a Smartphone Mobile HotSpot for up to five devices.

In addition to larger screens, today customers demand more from their devicesfrom having safeguarded access to corporate email and other productivity features to being able to rely on a speedy network for streaming content, said Andrew Morrison, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. With the unique and highly innovative Galaxy Note in our lineup, we are even better equipped to help our customers strike the perfect balance as they juggle both professional and personal activities.

The Samsung Galaxy Note also offers the T-Mobile 4G Pro App Pack, an aggregation of key applications, such as Dropbox, Evernote, Square, TripIt, CamScanner and LinkedIn, that can reduce the complexity and effort associated with finding and downloading business-related applications. By providing an easy path to cloud services such as Dropbox and Evernote, T-Mobile helps professionals easily store and access the documents, files, images and notes that will help them better ma nage their work from virtually anywhere.

Featuring a snappy QualcommSnapdragonS3 Processor with 1.5 Ghz Dual-Core CPUs, the Galaxy Note provides customers with incredible 4G experiences, making it the perfect all-in-one device to maximize efficiency and productivity, in addition to fun. The Galaxy Note offers a variety of entertainment experiences, such as T-Mobile TV in mobile HD³for watching live TV programming, Samsung Media Hub for renting and buying the latest movies and TV shows, and Google Play Music for streaming and purchasing music. The Galaxy Note also features an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, to capture pictures and HD videos to share with friends, family and social networks.

Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note is expected to be available at select T-Mobile retail stores and online viawww.T-Mobile.comin the coming weeks.

Via: T-Mobile Galaxy Note is officially official

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Weekly photo contest winners: Markers

Another photo contest is in the can, and we get a handful of really cool artwork to show off from it. Last week's contest is proof that Android fans can draw just as well (maybe even better) than they can photograph, and that the Markers app kicks as much butt as I always thought it did. Ask anyone who entered, and I bet they'll tell you it's an addictive little application.

We picked five winners this go around, and each will be getting a stylus from ShopAndroid so they can make even more and even better drawings on their phones and tablets. If you see your drawing below, be sure to check the e-mail you used to register with AC for instructions on how to claim your prize. Click through the break to see the winners, and keep an eye out for the next contest from AC!

Winners, in no particular order:

Cheetah23, drawn on his new Galaxy S III

Chocu1a, drawn on the Acer Iconia A100

Dame95, drawn on the Verizon Galaxy Nexus

Droid Brick, drawn on the ASUS Transformer Prime

goander, drawn on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Via: Weekly photo contest winners: Markers

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