You can expect Sony to announce even more new Xperia devices at Mobile World Congress as they are sending out invitations to members of the press. Not even a month ago, Sony unveiled new phones at CES in the Xperia S and the Xperia Ion, the first phones to drop the Ericsson branding due to Sony swallowing up the mobile side of their partnership. Sony’s invite specifically mentions Xperia so we can at least expect them to show off phones and hopefully tablets. We wouldn’t hold our breath for any Google TV devices considering Mobile World Congress is about, well, mobile. We’ll be there to bring you all the coverage.

Android Phone Fans

Lumigon first announced their Lumigon T1 smartphone at Mobile World Congress way back in February of 2010. The company will be back at MWC this year, this time showing off…the Lumigon T1. If you aren’t familiar with the device, it was one of a set of handsets initially unveiled by the mobile hardware startup. Plans for S1 and E1 designs were abandoned as Lumigon focused its efforts on their flagship device, which was promised to launch by the end of 2010. After throwing an unveiling party for the T1 the handset never managed to surface. Two years later Lumigon is at it again and looks to be unveiling a redesigned T1 at this year’s MWC.

When originally announced the T1 was specced with a 3.5-inch display, HDMI output, 5MP camera, and a 1GHz CPU. Later a partnership with Bang and Olufsen promised to bring premium audio to the handset. The phone was positioned as an industry leader in terms of hardware, so the assumption is Lumigon will have an updated device to show off at this year’s event (if they plan to stay at the head of the premium market). We’ve been tracking the smartphone equivalent of Bigfoot since its first announcement. Perhaps this year we can bring you a hands-on overview.

[via AndroidCommunity]

Android Phone Fans

While some are wondering what’s going on with a quad-core Exynos processor of some sort, most of us know that Samsung still has yet to push the boundaries of dual-core. Their Exynos chipset series is one of the most efficient, fast and capable chipsets around and the Exynos 5250 will take things a step further.

It’s an ARM Cortex-A15 chipset that will boast a 2GHz clock speed, all the while sucking even less power than some of their earlier chipsets. The chip has begun sampling, according to Samsung, and will hit mass production sometime in Q2’12.

This gives them a good timeline to put the chip into an early device and showcase it at a recent event. Taylor Wimberly from Android & Me says that recent device could be a new Galaxy Tab and that the show could be Mobile World Congress in a new rumor.

The device they’re looking to bring out is reportedly bigger than 10 inches. Yes, I know – it’s hard to imagine anything bigger than 10 inches to be considered wieldy enough for practical use. “Well what if the device is just 10.1 inches,” I asked myself. That’d be plausible if not for the belief that it will come with a WXQGA display (2560×1600), something that the Exynos 5250 will indeed support.

Wimberly reportedly saw a prototype device of the same cloth but was unable to take photos of it. We’re not sure if his rumor stems from that device alone but we can’t say excitement will drape all over us if it did.

Prototypes and development devices are usually specced well beyond what is usually necessary for consumer use. We do hope to see a device of some sort with the Exynos 5250 at MWC, though.

I can confirm that Samsung System LSI was indeed on-hand at CES showing off top secret prototypical Exynos devices, however I was not ultimately granted permission to take a look myself.

In my meeting with them they sounded like they had a product ready to show off in the very near future. We’re hoping this rumor holds true and we’ll be at Mobile World Congress to see whatever they’re willing to show.

Android Phone Fans

Lenovo and the National Academy Foundation have announced a partnership that will see the latter bringing mobile application development curriculum to students of high schools within their network. Five schools will be getting the program but the NAF aims to bring it to their entire network of schools in due time.

Lenovo’s contribution will come from providing the devices for development and testing. Namely, some of their ThinkPad tablets will be headed straight for several classrooms. Pretty exciting stuff, though I’m the nerd who always wanted to learn mobile application development while I was in high school. Kind of makes me want to rewind time, actually. Anyway, the press release is below.

Lenovo and the National Academy Foundation Launch Mobile App Development Program for High School Students

Schools Pilot Premier Curriculum Using Latest Technology Devices to Strengthen 21st Century STEM Skills

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – JANUARY 24, 2012: Lenovo and the National Academy Foundation (NAF) today launched an innovative program to teach mobile app development to high school students across the United States. Five schools from NAF’s network of career academies are piloting the program as part of Lenovo’s initiative to encourage greater student interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects and to strengthen 21st century skills. This innovative curriculum will also strengthen NAF’s mission to prepare students for college and career success. N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue and members of Lenovo and NAF’s executive leadership team made the announcement today at Apex High School’s Academy of Information Technology in Apex, N.C., one of the participating schools.

“High – tech skills are critical for North Carolina’s pipeline of future workers,” said Gov. Perdue. “Unique partnerships like this one not only give high school students real-world, real-time learning opportunities, but they align with the broader goals of business, education and government to create North Carolina’s next generation of professional leaders.”

To aid the students and teachers implement the curriculum, Lenovo provided a package of technology products to each school, including Android-based ThinkPad Tablets and large format ThinkCentre HD All-in-One desktops, among other items.

“To succeed in tomorrow’s workforce, students need a solid foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with fluency in the technologies that will power the global economy,” said Michael Schmedlen, worldwide director of education, Lenovo. “This exciting program engages students via the technology and apps they use every day. By partnering with the National Academy Foundation, we’re delivering a rigorous and relevant curriculum that will help create our next generation of developers and entrepreneurs.”

The other schools that will offer the app development course are part of the National Academy Foundation’s Academies of Information Technology: Grover Cleveland High School in New York City, Downtown Magnets High School in Los Angeles, Pathways to Technology Magnet School in Hartford, Conn., and A.J. Moore Academy of Information and Technology in Waco, Texas. The program aims to ultimately make the curriculum available to NAF’s 100 Academies of Information Technology.

“Our schools are strong because we have great partnerships with business and industry,” said Anthony J. Tata, superintendent of the Wake County Public School System. “This unique program gives our students practical experience with innovative technology at a time when they’re making decisions about their future careers. We’re creating the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

The course is designed to be implemented as either a 12-week after-school or “out-of-school time” activity to supplement the NAF-developed IT courses students take during the school day or as part of the existing NAF daytime curriculum. Student teams will develop a working wireframe, business plan and implementation schedule for an Android-based mobile application.

“The partnership between NAF and Lenovo is a real example of how business and education can play a pivotal role in changing high school education to ensure college and career success. We are pleased to be working with such innovative thinkers to inspire and equip tomorrow’s leaders,” said JD Hoye, president of the National Academy Foundation.

New Research Shows Kids Want to Learn App Development but Lack Tech Confidence

New research from Lenovo also supports creation of the mobile app development curriculum. The research shows that while students have a strong interest in mobile apps – which many of them use on a daily basis – and see app development as a valuable skill, they don’t have confidence that they will have the technology background needed for tomorrow’s workforce. The Omnibus survey of American teenagers, conducted in December of 2011, found that:

80 percent of American teens would be interested in learning how to create their own mobile app.
Almost a quarter (22 percent) think that mobile app development will be the most important technology skill to have when entering the workforce in a few years.
63 percent are only somewhat confident, at best, that the technology know-how they have now is enough to secure a good job upon entering the workforce.

[Engadget]

Android Phone Fans

Greetings, everyone! You seem to have stumbled into the Android Overload. This is the place where we pool all the stories that come across our desk from throughout the day — the ones that didn’t get the star treatment on our front page. That doesn’t mean they’re unimportant, not at all. There’s always a little something for everyone in here so have a look around and see what you can pick up.

• Android developer patches GPS problems for Galaxy S II and other devices. [BriefMobile]
• Hotmail for Kindle Fire now available. [Amazon]
• Extended warranty provider, SquareTrade, lands $ 238 million from Bain Capital. [GigaOM]
• Clearwire’s Q4 revenue is up. Costs are down. [Engadget]
• Bell and Virgina Mobile rollout “HD Voice” for select devices. [MobileSyrup]
• Nvidia cuts revenue forecasts. Shares drop. Blames hard drive shortage. [Reuters]
• The Lenovo ThinkPad tablet has been rooted. [AndroidPolice]
• Texas Instruments closes plants in Texas and Japan. [BGR]

Android Phone Fans

Having 500,000+ applications in the Android Market sure sounds amazing but do you ever get the feeling that you’re missing out on a hidden gem? The best way to discover something new is to simply ask your friends what they’re playing but pinging them on Twitter/Facebook every day could prove bothersome.

Well, Heyzap looks to make that process a little easier by introducing a mobile gaming community. While this may sound much like the many “app discovery” applications already on the market, Heyzap is different in that it allows for game-based checkins — similar to apps like Foursquare — so you always know exactly what your friends are playing.

The company has recently signed with 12 new partners to integrate their service into their titles. Spacetime Studios, PocketGems and Digital Chocolate are just a few of these new developers on board, adding to Heyzap’s growing list of over 800 mobile game developers.

If you want to give Heyzap a go, the application can be downloaded for free, right now, in the Android Market. If you’re a mobile games developer and want to increase your app’s awareness, you can also find the link for integrating Heyzap’s service in your own app via their SDK link below.

[Market Link | Heyzap SDK]

Android Phone Fans

Not yet down for the count, T-Mobile is attempting to stay competitive in 2012 with a pair of new “secret” promotional data feature bundles. Starting January 25th, T-Mobile will begin throwing in both their Smartphone Mobile Hotspot and MobileLife Album Plus services for free with either the Unlimited-Premium 5GB or 10GB plans. All-in-all, customers can look forward to about $ 20-$ 15 worth of savings.

The silent promotion will only be available for a limited time and even though it wont be advertised in commercials or print ads, it will be good for both new and existing customers, as long as you upgrade to the new Unlimited-Premium 5GB or Unlimited-Ultra 10GB plans. So, if you’re looking to (legally) tether that shiny new tablet you received for Christmas, there’s no better time than now.

[Via TmoNews]

Android Phone Fans

There are tech lovers all over the world, but we’re often given very different gadgets, services, and opportunities depending on where we live. One key example is Mobile Digital TV which has long been available in Asian Markets but has evaded American consumers for quite some time. This year, the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) – which includes partners such as Samsung, LG, and Dyle – are pushing their Digital TV (DTV) and Mobile Digital TV (MDTV) standard hard in 2012 with a growing number of broadcasters and hardware partners.

You might be surprised to find that MDTV is already available in your area. I checked out their Signal Map and found that Baltimore/Towson was already listed as an available service area; they may only have 1 channel available, but kicking it off is a good start and as products roll out, more and more broadcasters will offer local, live, mobile TV content. With all the smartphones and tablets flooding homes and offices, I can imagine Mobile Digital TV has a perfect opportunity for a coming out party.

One company which looks to be a huge initial player is Dyle who has partnered with 15 major broadcasting groups to offer 72 stations in 32 markets, reaching almost 50% of the entire US population. Actually, Dyle isn’t a single company but a joint venture known as MCV: the Mobile Content Venture. Some of the partners include FOX, ION, NBC, Cox Media, EW Scripps, Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst, Meredith, and Post-Newsweek, indicating that this TV partnership is Ron Burgundy… kind of a big deal.

The first Mobile Digital TV product we saw at CES 2012 was an update to an existing RCA device (video below).  In summer of 2012 expect to see the release of MIT700 adding yet another Android OS device to RCA’s lineup.

This device comes equipped with a 7 inch HDTV touch screen, standard headphone and audio ports along with other standard Android features.  As they were not able to provide what Android OS they are running, I would hope to see RCA keeping this product relevant with providing a more current OS for production.

The highlight to the design of this device is that it has a common folding capability simular to a laptop.  What makes this device stand out is not only can it receive streaming standard ATSC signals but also has built in compadability for digital streams compatible with Dyle Mobile TV.  Currently the MIT700 is set to be released in summer of 2012 with a estimated retail price of $ 200.00.  RCA currently had no disclosed locations of where this device will be sold but it will be available in the United States.  Stay tuned for updates throughout CES and all of 2012 on RCA’s MDTV and others.

One reason we’re excited about Mobile Digital TV is because it’s adopted/promotion is by a coalition rather than any one company. There’s a much better chance it will grow and thrive as an all-inclusive sort of service that consumers will enjoy rather than a fragmented subset of service providers and broadcasters offering their own live mobile product and content as exclusive and limited.

Android Phone Fans

The NFL today announced that the Super Bowl will be streamed live to viewers on the internet and on Verizon Wireless mobile devices that have the NFL Mobile application. The reason it’s exclusive is because Verizon is the official wireless sponsor of the NFL.

Alongside the big game, which is set to kick off on February 5th, 2012 in Indianapolis, users will also be able to stream the Saturday wild card games and the Pro Bowl.

While I prefer to watch my championship football on the big screen this is a great option for those who won’t be as lucky for whatever reason. Grab the NFL Mobile client in the Android market here. [via NBC]

Android Phone Fans

Looks like Boost Mobile is about to get a few new very adequate Android devices in the coming months. The LG Marquee (Optimus Black) and Samsung Replenish will be joining their Android lineup of which the LG device is the most interesting. Both devices have been made available for months now on Sprint and were leaked for Boost Mobile in the promo images you see above. Still no word on pricing or availability just yet but as soon as we learn more we’ll let you know.

[Via Pocketnow]

Android Phone Fans