Here's how you can make your iPhone's Apple logo glow

Here’s a super simple mod for your iPhone that will make its logo glow just like the one on a MacBook - it just takes around five minutes to unscrew the rear panel of your iPhone (and void your warranty along the way, so be warned). You’d also need screwdrivers and sticky tape, and that’s about it. 

To mod your iPhone with a cool glowing logo, along with the instructions in the video below you’d need a $43 kit which is selling for a very very limited time on KOGadget’s Facebook page. There’s limited quantities available with more promised only later on, when the initial demand is met, so keep on checking that webpage at the source link below if you’re interested.

Also, the whole modding won’t make your iPhone thicker or any different, so you'd still be able to outfit the handset with your favorite case. The glowing logo uses the iPhone’s battery power but it should be a minimal drain which you probably won’t even notice.

News Galaxy Nexus having issues with multi-touch with certain apps

The first month after the launch of a new smartphone, especially one running a new version software as well, is when we start learning about the bugs and glitches in the system from the users, and the Galaxy Nexus is no exception to this phenomenon.

Now that people have got the phone in their hands and have started using it we have started hearing about the issues and the first one is regarding the multi-touch functionality of the display.

As it happens, certain apps makes the multi-touch functionality fail, especially in the bottom-right corner of the display. Curiously, though, the problem continues even when these apps are closed and then is seen in all the other apps too. The only way to solve this for now is by switching off the display and back on.

While it is easy to dismiss it as a problem with those specific apps not being compatible with ICS, one must also wonder why the problem persists when these apps are closed. This means that the issue could also be with the operating system. However, one must remember that the Galaxy Nexus is running 4.0.2 and for all we know the problem has already been solved in 4.0.3 update. This might explain why we could not reproduce this issue on the Nexus S running 4.0.3.

LG Optimus Black and Samsung Replenish heading to Boost Mobile

Heading to Boost Mobile’s lineup sometime in the near future are a couple of Android-powered smartphones known as the LG Optimus Black and the Samsung Replenish that will surely entice some new customers.

At this moment there is no official word on when these handsets will be launched on the no-contract carrier. Their impending arrival was solidified by the press photo that both handsets have posed for. The LG Optimus Black features a 4-inch display while the Samsung Replenish only has a 2.8-inch display but adds a portrait-style QWERTY keyboard.

These two devices will add to what is becoming a pretty solid Boost Mobile lineup that already features the Samsung Galaxy Prevail and the Samsung Transform Ultra. Pricing and availability are still a mystery but you can probably expect to see these smartphones hit the shelves sometime in early 2012.

Facebook update for iOS brings Timeline for parity with Android app

 Earlier today, we reported to you that a survey revealed that on an average day, more users visit the Android version of the Facebook app than the Apple iPhone version of the Facebook app. This is a fairly new situation for the Android Facebook app which had been trailing the Apple iPhone app in daily visitors as recently as last month.

One of the reasons we gave for this change was the newly updated Android app which offered the Timeline feature, something that was not on the latest version the Apple iPhone app. But in this industry, things change quickly. So quickly in fact, that the latest Facebook update for the Apple iPhone has been launched globally and it does include the Timeline feature. The update is for the Apple iPhone only although a version for the Apple iPad is coming. To access Timeline on your iPhone, you will need to set it up on the original web based version and the new update will give you access to your friend list and subscriptions.

Now that Apple and Android are on an even playing field, it should be interesting to see if Android keeps its lead over the Apple iPhone in the number of average daily users to the Facebook app. The new 4.1 build is 10.1MB in size and requires the user to have a device running iOS 4 or higher.

Siri can now be legally ported to iPhone 4

Siri has been ported to the iPhone 4 already, albeit with mixed results, but the newest iOS update brings a big change in this effort, namely that it is no longer illegal to port Siri to the iPhone 4.

The issue had been that the ramdisks holding the system files for Siri had been encrypted, meaning that anyone who decrypted the files and pulled them out for other uses (such as Siri on the iPhone 4) were infringing on Apple's copyright (we'll withhold judgement on the rationality of said copyright). The newest update for iOS, 5.0.1, has non-crypted ramdisks, so the system files for Siri are free to be pulled out and used wherever they may, which of course means getting Siri on the iPhone 4. 

So, Siri should be coming to the iPhone 4 relatively soon, and should work properly this time, because hackers won't have to work around all the troublesome roadblocks that Apple had put in place requiring unique identifiers from the iPhone 4S in order to connect to Siri servers. Of course, there's no guarantee that decrypting the ramdisks was intentional by Apple, or even that they will stay decrypted in future updates. But, for now it should lead to some fun projects involving Siri.

Android 4.0.2 rolling out OTA to GSM Galaxy Nexus

Today has been a big day for Android Ice Cream Sandwich updates. First, we learned that Ice Cream Sandwich has begun its rollout to GSM Nexus S phones, then Google announced Android 4.0.3, which is set to be the baseline version of ICS that will be pushed in updates. And now, the party is continuing with version 4.0.2 which has now begun rolling out on GSM versions of the Galaxy Nexus.

 

 

 

It is a little odd that Google has labeled 4.0.3 as the baseline version of ICS, but the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus are only getting 4.0.2 starting today, but it would seem likely that another update wouldn't be too far behind these. Still, if you have a GSM Galaxy Nexus either outside of the US, or as a US importer who just couldn't wait, you may see this update pop up sometime soon. Early reports had users in the UK and New York seeing the update first, but it's sure to spread. 

Android 4.0.2 is a pretty small update, just under 9 MB, and is cryptically labeled as "bug fixes". The bigger changes are slated for 4.0.3. If you're adventurous, xda has a walkthrough in how to manually update, but it's unclear how safe that is at this point.

LightSquared mobile broadband network still interferes with GPS signals

Last week, the results from the latest testing of LightSquared's mobile broadband network were revealed by a leaked document, and they did not look very promising. In particular, the network that the LTE wholesaler is trying to deploy was still found to interfere with GPS communications despite the company's claims that it had found a solution to the issue.

 

 

 

Now, the test results have already been made official and confirm what the leaked papers stated. LightSquared's network is unable to affect the operation of cellphones, but can cause “harmful interference to the majority of other tested general purpose GPS receivers,” as the U.S. Defense and Transportation departments said in a joint statement on Wednesday. Besides, the LTE wholesaler's towers can interfere “with a flight safety system designed to warn pilots of approaching terrain,” as indicated by a separate test conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Sanjiv Ahuja, CEO of LightSquared, reiterated that the GPS is to blame for lacking the filters necessary to block out the frequencies licensed to his company. 

Back in July, LightSquared and Sprint agreed to a 15 year deal that grants the former with access to Sprint's 3G network. At the same time, Sprint will be allowed to purchase half of LightSquared's LTE network. However, if the government prevents the wholesaler from turning on its network, that might hinder Sprint's transition to LTE.

Nokia Lumia 800 buried in ice, challenges you to dig it out

The Nokia Lumia 800 is supposed to bring the best out of Nokia and Windows Phone, and it’s certainly an impressive handset with a neat polycarbonate body and design. It takes a massive marketing campaign to elevate it to higher highs though and it all started in London with a massive show featuring DJ deadmau5. Now, it continues in Germany where the Nokia Lumia 800 (or actually a mockup of it) has been frozen in huge ice blocks displayed on central streets. The challenge is to break the ice to get to the handset and if you succeed you get what you've dug, but also get a real brand new and supposedly never frozen Nokia Lumia 800.

The crowds were of course there and everyone had a different method for breaking the ice ranging from melting it to punching it to hammering it down. 

Check out the video below to see how it all ended up and who was the most effective in breaking the ice. Would you have participated as well? Is the Nokia Lumia 800 worth it?

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline now free for a limited time on the App Store

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline is one of the hottest racing titles on the App Store with a solid 5 star rating from thousands of users and now Gameloft is offering it for free. Actually it’s also the most downloaded racing game in Apple’s app catalog. It’s now free for both the iPhone and the iPad. Do you really need more incentives to rush to the App Store?

Just in case you do, we have to say that Asphalt 6 comes with enhanced visuals on the iPhone 4S with smooth real-time rendering. It allows you to race not only computer opponents but also up to 6 of your friends in multiplayer mode. It offers 42 cars and bikes from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Ducati and others.

Asphalt 6 takes you to the streets of LA, Tokyo, the Bahamas and more. Finally, you can also tune those luxury vehicles to their best.

Smartphone penetration booms in 2011, iPhone the most popular device

We all can see it - smartphones are getting more and more popular, and now it’s not just your peers having them, but even teens and the elderly. Smartphone penetration has jumped in the last two years and while in Q3 2009 it stood at a mere 18%, at the end of the same period in 2011, it’s already 44%, according to market researchers from Nielsen. 

The younger crowd is leading the smartphone push with nearly two thirds of 25 to 34 year olds and more than a half of 18 to 24 year olds having a smartphone.

How has the phone landscape changed? In 2009, the most popular phone nationwide was the Motorola RAZR, a feature phone. This year, it’s the iPhone 4 with a large touchscreen and plenty of apps.

When it comes to the smartphone world, Android is king with the lion’s share of 44.2%, trailed by Apple and iOS with 28.6%, and finally RIM’s BlackBerry dropped to 17%. Windows in its various mobile flavors accounts for only 5.3%, further down from 6.1% in the second quarter.

When broken by age groups, Android stilled ruled supreme in every category, but it was the youngest crowd that preferred it the most.

Sony Ericsson Xperia phones now getting 50GB of storage on Box.net

The Sony Ericsson Xperia lineup is getting their promised 50GB of storage on Box.net now and the promotion is now active running until the end of next year. 

The only thing you need to do if you have an Xperia smartphone is downloading the free Box application on the Android Market and log in with your account to the service or register.

Luckily, Box.net is not limited to particular kinds of files so you can easily drop anything in your cloud storage - music, documents, even movies with so much space. The company mentions that 50 gigs are enough for approximately 50,000 docs, photos, and presentations. 

The offer is also reportedly available in all regions, and it’ll also be available on next year’s Xperias so it’s definitely something to check out. Go to the Market to get the app and let us know if it’s all worked out fine in the comments below.

Verizon Galaxy Nexus finally on sale, costs $299.99 on a contract

It’s finally happening, guys! The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is finally available on the US largest carrier, Verizon. The Android top dog can now be purchased with next day shipping from both the Verizon on Amazon websites in the US.

The asking price for the LTE-pakcing Samsung Galaxy Nexus is $299.99 and that's only if you sign a 2-year contract. It certainly is expensive, but we can't say we are surprised, really . Verizon is trying to push all their top-shelf smartphones to the $300 price point for some time now and we couldn't imagine the Galaxy Nexus would go much cheaper.







The good news is that there's already a nice deal to be had with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The online retailer LetsTalk is willing to sell you the smartphone for $154.99 if you sign a new contract, which is nearly half the regular asking price of the smartphone. If you are a Verizon subscriber, looking to upgrade, you'd have to pay an extra $20, but the price still remains unbeatable.
All you need to do to get the discounted rate from LetsTalk is insert the code $75VZN at checkout.
Let the shopping begin!

Batman: Dark Knight Rises Nokia Lumia 800 special edition unveiled

Nokia has lifted the cover off a brand new version of the Nokia Lumia 800 - Batman: Dark Knight Rises aims to become your first batphone, but only if you manage to get your hands on one and that’s already a daunting task. Why? There are only 40 of those made worldwide. Also, it won’t ever go for sale to the general public making your task even harder.

The first and most noticeable thing that makes the Batman: Dark Knight Rises edition of the Lumia 800 is the laser-etched Batman logo on the back. There are also some slight modifications to the software - two of the live tiles were modified to show the Batman logo, but we don’t know if the handset will arrive with any big changes.

The phone posed for the camera just before the IMAX premiere of the Batman movie in London. If for some reason, that’s the exact phone you’ve been waiting for, we’d suggest you keep your eyes on auction sites like eBay in the near future - but the price probably won’t make you happy. Check out the quick unboxing video of the Batman: Dark Knight Rises Nokia Lumia 800 below.

Apple extending AirPlay to Bluetooth 4.0 territories?

Apple is planning to provide accessory developers working with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with extended support for AirPlay via Bluetooth 4.0 by introducing a new chip. Cupertino is hoping to make it easier for developers to make products by leveraging the low-power low-latency Bluetooth 4.0 specification. That’s what the company has reportedly said to two thousand members of its Made for iPhone (MFI) program in China, Japanese blog Macotakara reports. Apple thus aims to expand the market for accessories seven-fold and we hope to see the biggest increase in health accessories and others that make perfect use of the low-power BT 4.0 profile.

The Bluetooth 4.0 standard allows wireless transfers of music and other data. Apple and particular products like the iPhone and the iPad have attracted the attention of many accessory makers in the past year and up until now Android and other rival platforms are rather neglected in terms of accessories. Now, with new chip, iOS devices would be able to stream content not only via AirPlay but also via BT 4.0. This will help users to make better use of the feature when they don't have immediate access to Wi-Fi networks. 

Cupertino has started supporting BT 4.0 in its latest products like the MacBook Air and Mac mini, and just around two months ago the iPhone 4S arrived with support for the protocol. It seems that the inclusion of Bluetooth 4.0 is something that will become a standard for future Apple products.

The biggest advantage of BT 4.0 however isn’t in music transfers where large chunks of data get shared between devices, but rather in small data transfers where the standard really shows its low power hunger and resulting battery efficiency. Among other of its benefits are the extremely fast pairing (reduced from 6 seconds for Bluetooth 2.1 to 6 miliseconds in 4.0) and the low latency of the connection.

Software bug in Windows Phone Mango crashes handsets, disables Messaging hub

Since Microsoft is giving away free Windows Phone handsets to Android malware victims, one might think that its platform is free of vulnerabilities, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Apparently, all it takes is a text message to be sent to a Mango device for it to start misbehaving.

By sending a text message to a Windows Phone user, an attacker can cause the victim's device to crash. What the text message must contain in order for the bug to be triggered is not clear. Once the smartphone is turned back on again, its Messaging hub becomes inaccessible. Chat messages sent via Facebook or Windows Live Messenger reportedly work as well.

The cause for the bug is said to lie in the way the Messaging hub handles incoming texts. The vulnerability does not appear to be device-specific as it has been replicated multiple times on different Windows Phone handsets, such as the HTC Titan and the Samsung Focus Flash. Besides, both the 7740 and the 7720 build versions of Mango are said to be exposed to attacks.

At this time, the only to get an affected device working again seems to be performing a hard reset. Thankfully, Microsoft has been made aware of the issue, so we hope that a patch gets released soon.

Microsoft clarifies NFC support status: it's not there yet

Just a couple of days ago, a UK-based Microsoft product manager led us into thinking that Windows Phone Mango already has NFC support and it just needs to be enabled by device manufacturers. “So, if any OEM wants to enable it, that can be done by all means,” he mistakenly said earlier prompting an official clarification from Microsoft.

"While NFC is not currently supported on Windows Phone 7.5, it is coming. We expect NFC-enabled Windows Phone devices to ship within the next year,” a Microsoft spokesperson set the record straight.

This falls in line with Microsoft’s previous promises of bringing NFC on its phones in 2012. NFC, an abbreviation for Near Field Communications technology, allows secure transfers of small chunks of data and is the technology behind mainstream phone-based payment systems. Google Wallet for example uses NFC for quick payments from your cell phone.

Former manager at Microsoft reviews Android and the Samsung Galaxy S II, gives two thumbs down

Charlie Kindel is a former General Manager of the Windows Phone Developer Ecosystem. After being with Microsoft for 21 years and dedicating tons of his time and effort to bringing Windows Phone to the world, he left the company back in August in order to start a business of his own. Ironically, he just recently won an Android smartphone – an AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II, to be precise, and decided to share his thoughts in his blog after using the device for a while.

In a nutshell, his experience with the Android platform and the Galaxy S II is pretty underwhelming, even though the device is regarded as one of the year's best smartphones. Sure, there are things he likes, such as the drop-down notification bar and the broad software selection, yet his final judgement is definitely on the negative side. Here is how Kindel summarizes his impressions:

A typical non-geek consumer would be absolutely-fraking-crazy to pick an Android phone over a Windows Phone. Windows Phone is vastly more refined, cohesive, and easy to use. Period. People who enjoy “managing” their phone might enjoy “managing” their Android smartphone. Those folks will probably forget how much fun “managing” a smartphone was after they’ve used Windows Phone for a while. Instead they’ll see how much fun it is to “use” a smartphone.

Of course, Kindel admits that he loves Windows Phone, which is not surprising having his background in mind. However, he is not with Microsoft anymore, meaning that he has no benefit from supporting its mobile platform. At the same time, Kindel is well familiar with what makes a platform user-friendly, so if Android scores points in that category, one would expect him to point it out. If you are interested in checking out his full review, just follow the source link below.

Analysts predict global LTE fragmentation

That the LTE networks operated by Verizon and AT&T are not compatible with each other is something we are already aware of. However, we might be looking at what is the tip of a global LTE fragmentation iceberg, and we seem to be headed in its direction.

According to Wireless Intelligence, LTE networks around the world will use 38 different spectrum frequency combinations by 2015. The number of LTE networks is predicted to reach 200 by that time, or about five times as much there are today. At the same time, the most common 700MHz spectrum, which two thirds of LTE networks globally use today, is what only 16% of them will operate on.

If this unfortunate scenario becomes reality, global LTE roaming will likely be rendered close to impossible. And what hinders it is that manufacturers will have to equip their devices with radios compatible with a huge number of spectrums. Furthermore, switching between carriers will be even more difficult due to LTE incompatibility.

All of that can be avoided if a cross-network LTE standard is established so that all LTE networks use the same spectrum. However, with more and more slices of spectrum expected to be put up for auction and with a multitude of carriers choosing to use a frequency band of their own, that does not seem very likely to happen easily.

Spectrum fragmentation by % of LTE connections, 2011/15

Nokia Lumia 710 now shipping, €270 plus tax can make it yours

Nokia has just announced that it has started shipping its second Windows Phone Mango-running handset, the Lumia 710. The more affordable part of the Lumia duo is leaving the Nokia factories and is making its way to the stores as we speak.
Taiwan will be the first market to receive the Nokia Lumia 710, with sales of the WP smartphone in the Far East country starting today. Availability in Singapore, Hong Kong, India and Russia will follow over the next seven days, while worldwide availability should come in the following few weeks.
Nokia Lumia 710 is expected to retail for €270 before local taxes and subsidies and will come in black and white color options for the front panel. As for the back, it's easily customizable in five different colors thanks to the interchangeable back covers (you'll need to purchase those separately, though).

So, if the Lumia 800 and its sophisticated non-painted unibody wasn't enough to convince you to join the Nokia WP bandwagon, maybe the Lumia 710 with its youthful appeal and more attractive price tag will do a better job of it.

NFC already supported on Windows Phone according to Microsoft UK executive

Will Coleman, product lead for Microsoft UK, says that Windows Phone models already support Near-Field Communications, the short range radio system commonly known by it's initials NFC. Coleman says that as far as he knows, the technology is in the software but just needs to be enabled by each individual phone manufacturer. So far, no Windows Phone model has NFC service enabled on the handset.

Keith Varty, the head of Nokia apps, confirms Coleman's comments and basically said that it will be coming to Nokia's Windows Phone lineup. However, Nokia wants the service to offer a secure payment system and Varty pointed out that with many other phone manufacturers offering NFC enabled handsets, those who offer a safer and secure system will be able to use that to their advantage when it comes to promoting phones supporting NFC.

As we recently reported, there are rumors that Microsoft might bring "squirting" back to Windows Phone models. Early models of the Microsoft Zune offered this technique which shared songs between a Zune and another device. There is talk that the Tango update for Windows Phone models might bring the NFC technology to handsets using Microsoft's mobile OS. If this helps bring back squirting, it will help Windows Phone models catch up with Android 4.0 which already is designed to allow two similarly NFC enabled phones to share information.

Other uses of NFC technology include making wireless payments from your phone, getting information off signs and displays, pairing up with Bluetooth accessories and getting information from location tags.

Day 5 of Google's 10 cent app giveaway discounts: big name games and more

Day 5 of Google's 10 cent apps to celebrate 10 billion app downloads has come, and Google is definitely playing around this time with 5 amazing games as part of today's set of discounted games. The discount celebration has been successful in not only bringing quality apps to users very cheap, but in it's peripheral agendas of raising the profile of older apps, and getting more users to sign up for Google Wallet/Checkout.

Today is day 5, and it brings these 10 apps down to just 10 cents:

• Apparatus
• The Sims 3
• SlideIT Keyboard
• Snowfall Live Wallpaper
• Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD
• Season Zen HD
• Pano
• Drop 7
• Age of Zombies
• Kids Connect the Dots

There's a lot to like in this batch. Apparatus is a great physics puzzle game, The Sims is The Sims, Asphalt is a fantastic racer, Drop 7 is an addictive puzzler, and Age of Zombies is a hilarious top-down shooter. And, if you haven't given gesture keyboards a shot, definitely grab SlideIT, because at 10 cents, there's never been a better time to try it out. 

China finally gets the Apple iPhone 4S with launch set for December

Regulators in China have finally issued the necessary paperwork that allows the Apple iPhone 4S to be sold in the country. According to MIC Gadget, earlier this week China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology signed off on the necessary network access permit. The Apple iPhone 4S has received a Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Certificate that will allow it to be sold in the country for three years. There should be no more obstacles in the way to prevent the phone from being launched during the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

China Unicom says it will rollout the Apple iPhone 4S later this month after it already had finished preparations to offer the phone by November. The carrier will sell the 16GB model for 4,999 Yuan ($786 USD) off-contract. Analysts are waiting to see if they need to up their estimate of Apple iPhone 4S units sold in the current quarter. If the Apple iPhone 4S is launched in China before the end of December, the estimate of 28 million units sold predicted by JP Morgan analysts will certainly be raised considering that China has the largest population in the world. At the same time, the Apple iPhone is available at 7,000 locations in the country.

China recently took over the title of the world's largest smartphone market from the U.S.and Apple CEO Tim Cook calls growth in the country "Amazing". With Apple the leading smartphone brand in China, a survey shows that the Chinese plan on buying the phone in numbers that are 4.5 times the device's current market share. The model that went through the testing by Chinese regulators is compatible with GSM, WCDMA, HSDPA / HSUPA, Bluetooth, and WAP.

While China Unicom will be offering the Apple iPhone 4S,  before the death of Steve Jobs, he was in the process of trying to get the Apple iPhone on to the lineup of the world's largest carrier, China Mobile. With more than 600 million subscribers, getting the Apple iPhone 4S in front of that large an audience would be big news, even for Apple. In September, the carrier was alleged to have received a positive reply from Apple on building an iPhone to run on the carrier's TD-LTE network, although nothing  has been announced. A launch is expected in 2012. Currently, 8.5 million Chinese have an Apple iPhone on China Mobile's network, but must put up with 2G speeds. 

Eric Schmidt says Google doesn't support or work with Carrier IQ

Carrier IQ has created some big trouble around the mobile industry. The software has been found to record keystrokes and other personal data on cell phones, and the backlash has forced manufacturers and carriers to explain if they are using the software or not. Google definitely wants to distance itself from the mess that carriers and manufacturers have gotten themselves into with Carrier IQ, and so Eric Schmidt has confirmed that Google has nothing to do with the software.

At an Internet freedom conference  in The Hague in The Netherlands, Schmidt explained that because Android is an open platform, bad software can be put onto devices. He goes on to say that Carrier IQ is one of those bad pieces of software, which will keep your keystrokes. But, he adds that Google doesn't work with the company, nor does Google support the software.

We'd have to believe Google on this one, because even on carriers like Sprint where Carrier IQ has been found on many devices, the software has never been found on a Nexus device.

Apple Store At Grand Central Station opens to huge crowd

The newest Apple Store opened at New York's Grand Central Station on Friday. The 23,000 square foot location is expected to gross $100 million a year, none of which is going to the MTA unlike most of Apple's neighbors who have a revenue sharing deal with the agency. That, plus the sweet $60 a square foot lease price that Apple is paying for the prime location, is the reason why the entire deal is under investigation



The store opened at 10am Eastern time as a large crowd of New Yorkers came to do some holiday shopping. The store, which is located by the East Balcony, was the scene of what one worker in the building called "Chaos". Unlike the 24 hour Apple Store on 5th Avenue, this location closes 9pm weeknights, 7pm on Saturday and 6pm on Sunday. With the large crowd at the Grand Opening and the rush of holiday shopping, those working at the new Apple Store certainly will need their rest.

Google Wallet launching in UK in time for Olympics

Despite the extremely limited number of handsets that can actually run the app, a report has said that Google is planning a pilot program which will have Google Wallet launching in the UK in time for the Olympics. The report comes from French newspaper Les Echos.

Apparently, Google is working hard to have the pilot program up and running in London in the first quarter of 2012. The plan is then to have Google Wallet fully functional in time for the London summer Olympics, which begins July 27th, 2012. In preparation, Google is reportedly in negotiations with several banks, distributors and retailers.

Having Google Wallet fully functioning in time for the Olympics is a good start in getting visibility for Google's NFC payment system, but if Google limits the program to Android devices, that will mean only Nexus S owners will be able to use it (and Galaxy Nexus owners who have unofficially loaded it.) There has been no indication that Google is planning to release Wallet for any other platforms, but getting it on BlackBerry would certainly help as there are far more BB devices with NFC than Android.

Motorola DROID BIONIC to receive update soon

The Motorola DROID BIONIC is shortly to receive a massive update that improves some of the problems that owners of the phone have been complaining about. Besides killing off the usual assortment of bugs, the update increases to 8 the number of devices supported by Mobile Hotspot, improves the stability of the 3G and 4G data connection, repairs media playback through Bluetooth and improves stability to avoid power cycles for the smartphone.

One of the problems that DROID BIONIC owners have been experiencing is having their phone frozen with a black screen, which required a battery pull to fix. This update will eliminate that problem and hopefully will also remove the whining noise that users have been hearing when using earphones. Another interesting problem that this update addresses is one in which the Motorola DROID BIONIC powers itself back on after being turned off.

This update might have to do with the project that certain owners of the device were asked to get involved in last month by Motorola. The manufacturer often asks for willing participants to conduct a soak test before disseminating an update to all users of a specific model. While the update is imminent, don't jump off a roof if you don't have it yet. Not everyone will receive it at once as the OTA update gets rolled out in waves.

ZTE planning high-end phones for US market

ZTE has traditionally made its money and built its market share with budget devices and free devices, but now the Chinese manufacturer is planning high-end devices for the US market. Even just a couple days ago we saw new ZTE budget phones that are headed to Virgin Mobile, but the company wants to move past the budget market.

ZTE's North American CEO Lixin Cheng told the Wall Street Journal that the company is in talks with all four major US carriers to bring high-end phones to market. Cheng said the high-end phones are aiming to be on par with the iPhone as far as features, but be more affordable, and that the company is looking into both Android and Windows Phone 7 for the devices. Of course, even a statement like that comes off as if ZTE doesn't fully understand the high-end smartphone market, because if you're planning to put out a high-end Android or WP7 phone, you're already on par with (or ahead of, depending on who you ask) the iPhone in terms of features. Perhaps it was just a marketing ploy in calling out the iPhone directly.

Either way, Cheng expects the USA to be a huge market for ZTE and projects that the US will be the company's biggest market by 2015. This points to a full force effort by ZTE to bring quality phones to the US market, so we're excited to see what the company can offer.

T-Mobile begins sending out 'performance and stability' update for the HTC Sensation 4G

In our never-ending happiness of getting software updates, T-Mobile’s HTC Sensation 4G is the latest smartphone to see light of a new one that simply offers additional ‘performance and stability’ improvements – according to the carrier.

With this new software update, it brings the beloved handset to software version 1.50.531.31, however, it keeps its feet firmly on Android 2.3.4 and the HTC Sense 3.0 experience. Even though it doesn’t particularly come off as a major update, it’ll nonetheless provide some happiness to owners.

Now don’t fret if you haven’t received that notification just yet, seeing that it’s rolling out starting right now, and all the way through until January 15th. Certainly, if you’re impatient about these kind of things, you can initiate the process manually yourself. Just like before, all you have to do is check for the updates under the Android settings menu.

So here’s what’s going on with this one:

New Features:

• Software stability
• Improved battery life

Improvements:

• Improvements to Trace dictionary
• Screen  unresponsiveness resolved
• Device taking screen shots resolved
• Lock screen shifted up resolved
• Icon pixilation resolved
• Improved Wi-Fi connection
• Green lines on photo resolved

The MHL capability of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus demonstrated on a big screen HDTV

The MHL ports of recent handsets from HTC, Samsung and others haven't gotten enough attention yet, but knowing the tech is there is still comforting. Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) basically is the microUSB port on these phones, where you can plug a $15 MHL-to-HDMI dongle, and connect your phone to an HDTV without the need for an extra microHDMI port.

Some TVs are already shipping with the MHL tech built-in, and their ports look like regular HDMI ones, but can also charge your phone while playing games or watching 1080p HD movies. For almost any other TV you have to use the dongle.

Naturally, we all prefer the connection to be done without cables, but DLNA and other wireless streaming technologies we've found not to always be up to snuff with the task, especially with high-definition movies or games. They are also battery-hogs, so the good old cable is often the best solution, and the MHL output along with a cloud gaming service like OnLive can be a decent alternative to consoles on the cheap.

LG P940 aka the LG Prada K2 is benchmarked with Android 2.3.7 aboard

Recently a site called Antutu displayed the results of a benchmark test for a handset called the LG P940. If that sounds familiar, it is because a few weeks ago a loyal reader sent us pictures of the phone which was called the LG Prada P940, or the LG Prada K2. Additionally, this model recently made it through the guys at the FCC with NFC support in tow. The benchmark results, now taken down by the site, revealed that the phone is powered by Android 2.3.7 which is a nice change of strategy by LG as the first two Prada branded handsets were featurephones, including the first LG Prada which is known as being the first commercially available touchscreen handset.

Earlier this month, invitations were sent out for a event scheduled on December 14th at which the Prada phone by LG 3.0 is expected to be introduced. This is just another name, albeit more formal, for the LG Prada K2. Whatever name you use, the thin 8.8mm device has a 4.3 inch LCD NOVA display with a 1GHz TI OMAP4430 dual-core processor with 21Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. The rear and front-facing cameras come in at 8MP and 1.3MP respectively. Of course, with the Prada name on the device, it will probably be a must have accessory among the fashion conscious overseas when it is expected to launch early next year. The first two Prada versions never made it to the States, but perhaps as a smartphone a trip across the pond is more likely.

The upcoming LG Prada K2 will run Android 2.3.7

Flipboard is now available on the iPhone

Flipboard is an application that iPad owners are likely familiar with. In a nutshell, it masterfully transforms the information that is being shared with you – news feeds, social network updates, and the likes, into an elegant magazine with a personal touch. And the app just got even better – Flipboard has gone down in size and is now available on the iPhone too.

Besides being modified to fit the iPhone's screen, Flipboard has also received a new feature that the iPad version has yet to get. Based on the type of content that you read the most, the app compiles a selection of cover stories – stories that are most likely to be of interest to you. And the more you use Flipboard, the smarter it gets. Of course, social network integration is still present, and the global search bar can dig through all of your accounts.

If you have used Flipboad on an iPad before, your content will be automatically made accessible on the iPhone as soon as you log in. And if you have not tried the app yet, feel free to check it out by hitting the source link below.

Apple might have had its best ever November sales, says analyst

Apple's supply chain orders are showing signs of such an increase that Brian White from Ticonderoga Securities predicted how Apple might have had its best November sales ever.

He follows an index called "Apple Barometer", which is a self-made list of Taiwanese manufacturers that supply components for Apple's gadgets and derive a lot of their income from that business. Supply chain sales there have increased 17% compared to October, whereas they have been growing 2% on average for the last few years.



This, according to him, is indicative of how Apple might log in its best quarter ever this holiday season, buoyed by the availability of the iPhone on more carriers, in more markets, and at various price points. October was relatively weak in supply chain sales, as people were waiting it out for the new iPhone, and this got reflected in Apple's stock price.

Samsung SCH-W999 is a 2xCore, 2xSIM, 2xScreen droid

In collaboration with China Telecom, Samsung has unveiled the SCH-W999 Android smartphone. It's a clamshell phone with two 3.5-inchers of WVGA resolution - one on the inside and one on the outside. Both screens are of the SuperAMOLED variety too, which is a treat even now with the Plus out on a couple of devices.



The SCH-W999 comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 processor, 5MP camera, dual-mode GSM/CDMA EV-DO 3G, Bluetooth 3.0 and dual-SIM support.
The SCH-W999 will arrive at China Telecom next year (no specific dates are available) and is expected to have a price as high as $1570 so it isn't what you'd call a bargain. Worldwide availability is unclear as of now but we can't really see too many people line up for the peculiar droid, but hey - we could be wrong.

Sony Ericsson to become simply Sony by mid-2012

If you thought saying Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini pro was a mouthful then you will be happy to know that at least one word out of that enormous name will be dropped by next year.

As we already know, Sony had announced their intent to acquire the Ericsson's stake in Sony Ericsson back in October. The transaction was said to complete sometime in January, 2012.
Now, however, we know that the name change to simply 'Sony' (which was inevitable) won't happen before mid-2012. Also, once Sony takes over, the brand will only concentrate on selling smartphones, with the current feature phones being dropped completely.

Kristian Tear, executive VP and head of sales and marketing at Sony Ericsson, while speaking to the Times of India, said:

"A lot of planning goes into getting the branding right but we will be done by middle of next year. It will also mean that the marketing and advertising investments will go up. We haven't been as fierce as we were a few years back but we will step it up, refocus and invest more in brand-building in select markets and India is one of those markets."

With their focus now being solely on smartphones, we can expect a lot better ones from Sony Ericsson in the future. Sorry, we meant from Sony.

Asus Padfone launching early next year?

Remember the Padfone? You've probably got a pretty keen memory then. The smartphone and tablet hybrid was first spotted back in May and has caught the camera now and again since, but launch details have been scarce. However, that could be about to change.

According to Netbooknews, which has it on 'good authority', Asus could be about to show off the finshed item as soon as February 2012 at the Mobile World Congress event. It also adds a couple of juicy details too. First up, the device will pack the quad-core Tegra 3 processor, which should push it ahead of the pack. Also, it will be running Ice Cream Sandwich at launch.

The last point was pretty much as expected. If you missed it first time around, the Padfone, as the name suggests, is a smartphone that turns into a tablet. The 4.3-inch phone slips into the 10-inch tablet frame, when you require something a little larger. That means just one data plan for two devices – which has got to be a good thing. To work across both a tablet and a phone, the operating system was inevitably going to be Ice Cream Sandwich and with a launch in February, it's pretty much perfect timing. The first quarter of 2012 seems to be the time for the influx of first-gen ICS devices.

All the other details are being kept back for that launch event, as you might expect. Asus is no stranger to weird and wonderful devices, so we'll be interested to see if this is one that works in practice when we get hands-on. Not long to wait until we do. Just over two months in fact.