Google says ‘Holo’ theme required by vendors that want Android Market access in Android 4.0

One of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich’s most noticeable new features is the “Holo” theme, a set of UI widgets and design elements baked right into the operating system that give it a unique look. The Holo theme also provides a set of visual elements that help developers to create apps and widgets that will have a unified look and feel. Google is so proud of this new theme that the company has made the inclusion of an unmodified Holo theme a compatibility requirement for vendors that want access to the Android Market on their devices. Google is looking to give Android a more unified look, while still supporting manufacturer skins and helping more devices update more quickly. Themes such as Samsung’s TouchWiz, HTC’s Sense UI and Motorola’s MOTOBLUR interface can still be included on devices, however these themes cannot alter default widgets or other elements as much as they do now.

Read more on Google says ‘Holo’ theme required by vendors that want Android Market access in Android 4.0…

Read more...

Google’s rumored Nexus tablet could cannibalize sales of partner tablets

Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt made comments during a press conference in mid-December that suggested his company was working on building its own Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. It’s entirely possible that Schmidt’s comments were taken out of context, so we’re still chalking the slate up as a rumor. If Google does in fact decide to launch a tablet, however, sources speaking to DigiTimes believe it could have an adverse affect on tablet sales for Google’s Android partners. DigiTimes’s sources said Google may deploy a newer Android 4.1 operating system on its tablets while forcing other vendors, such as Acer, Lenovo and Asus to launch devices powered by an older Android 4.0 build. As one might expect, Android 4.1 will likely offer features unavailable to Android 4.0 users, which could result in more customers favoring Google’s tablet over competing devices. Google partnered with Samsung to launch its “pure Google” Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, earlier this year. However, this time around it is suspected that Google will partner with Motorola, which it is currently trying to acquire for $12.5 billion.

Read more on Google’s rumored Nexus tablet could cannibalize sales of partner tablets…

Read more...

Google freezes Nexus S Ice Cream Sandwich rollout in some areas

Nexus S owners may notice that the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update, which began rolling out on Friday, isn’t properly installing after the download finishes. As it turns out, Google has “paused” the update in some areas while it monitors feedback from the initial population of Nexus S ICS users, which has thus far suggested there are bugs Google needs to address before it begins the mass rollout again. As such, many Nexus S owners could experience installation failures. Google’s Paul Wilcox explained the situation recently in Google’s support forums:

Read more on Google freezes Nexus S Ice Cream Sandwich rollout in some areas…

Read more...

Google introduces Google Currents news app [video]

Google on Thursday announced Google Currents, a news reading application that will compete with the likes of Flipboard, News360 and more. Currents allows users to customize their news feeds and browse through stories in a magazine-style interface. It is currently available for iOS and Android devices, including both tablets and smartphones. Google partnered with 150 different publishers and is offering content from more than 180 different publications. It also provides access to “Google trending editions,” which allows users to read the five most recent trending stories in a variety of topics, such as entertainment, sports or science. Users can add their favorite blogs and feeds and each edition is available offline as well. The application is free and is available in the iTunes App Store and the Android Market now.

Read more on Google introduces Google Currents news app video…

Read more...

Day 2 of Google’s 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration

Read more on Day 2 of Google’s 10-day, 10-cent, 10 billion app download celebration…

Read more...

Samsung and Google to update Galaxy Nexus with fix for volume bug

Read more on Samsung and Google to update Galaxy Nexus with fix for volume bug…

Read more...

Android Market refund window apparently expands to 48 hours (update: Or not?)

Read more on Android Market refund window apparently expands to 48 hours (update: Or not?)…

Read more...

Droid X 8GB Black motorola google android Verizon 3G contract free clean esn box

$86.00 (8 Bids) End Date: Sunday Nov-6-2011 17:30:44 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Read more...

Google+ updated to v2.1.1 – Home screen widget returns, bugs fixed

Read more on Google+ updated to v2.1.1 – Home screen widget returns, bugs fixed…

Read more...

Google details new Gmail changes [video]

This past summer, Google began rolling out a sample of its revamped Gmail user interface and on Tuesday it discussed many of the brand new changes that will be deploying over the next few days. Gmail’s conversation view has been streamlined and now includes photos of each contact. Additionally, it will automatically resize itself to look best depending on your screen size thanks to a new “elastic density feature.” Themes now support HD images and there is a new “smarter navigation” panel on the left hand side of the display that is customizable. Google also added a drop-down search box for more accurate email searches. The software giant says users will begin to see the option to “switch to the new look” in the bottom right-hand of their inbox over the next few days. A video of the changes follows after the break.

Read more on Google details new Gmail changes video…

Read more...