First image of the next Nexus branded phone got leaked

After Sprint customers recently managed to get comfy with the Google Nexus 4G, now it seems that we’re beginning to see the first tide of worthwhile news regarding a true successor to the Nexus line of Android powered phones. We’re getting a first glimpse of the handset in its prototype stage.

You can see that the front is completely clean looking with no sight of any physical or capacitive buttons that we tend to associate with Android phones.

A Google employee who works in the Android development team says that HTC and LG want to get in on the action of producing the Nexus 3. The new smartphone will not be available until December, with Android Ice Cream Sandwich of course.

What do you guys think? Should HTC produce the new Nexus? Or is LG is the better choice? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play will have Minecraft before anyone else

Are you one of the lucky owners of the first dedicated Android gaming phone, you have reason to be happy about the fact that SE keeps its promise about having games on your mobile phone before anyone else can play them.

Such is the case with the very popular game Minecraft, he game that has more than 8 million registered users building awesome things with just simple blocks.

Mojang said :"When playing on smartphones you will have a different screen size compared to PC, different hardware, different attention spans and thus the game needs to be customized to fit the mobile specifications"

That means Minecraft will be specifically coded to take advantage of the gamepad on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, which might mean we most likely won't see it soon on other Android devices.

What do you guys think? Will Minecraft make you think about buying the SE Xperia Play ? Or the game won't be as cool as the desktop version? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

source: Gamasutra

Apple is against Amazon's claims that the term “app store” is generic

Apple is against Amazon's claims that the term “app store” is generic. The exact statement: “Apple denies that, based on their common meaning, the words ‘app store’ together denote a store for apps,” the company commented in a filing for the federal court in Oakland, California.



The term “app store” has been trademarked by Apple, but other companies such as Microsoft joined the fight against Apple for such a trademark.



What do you guys think? Did Apple trademark a very generic term? Or the other companies just want in on the cash? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

source: Bloomberg

Google Talk's video chat over 3G blocked by T-Mobile

If you want  Google Talk's video chat to work, you will need an Android phone with a front-facing camera and the 2.3.4  build of Google's OS. For example the T-Mobile Nexus S and the Sprint Nexus S 4G. If you want to use the feature anywhere where your carrier has coverage, you can only use the Sprint model. Why? Because T-Mobile is blocking the video chat feature over its 3G pipelines.

If a T-Mobile Nexus S user tries to use the Google Talk video chat, he/she gets a message saying "You must be connected to a WiFi network to start a video chat."

Most future Android phones are equipped with front-facing cameras. Once the new handsets are launched with Android 2.3.4 and the other models receive upgrades to that build, the number of phones able to use Google Talk's video chat will grow in number tremendously.




What do you guys think? Are you with Google on this one? Or T-Mobile is right to do whatever they want with their network? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

source: AndroidCentralForums via Google

Apple iPhone 4 and the App Store are both listed in the 2011 Book of World Records

The Apple iPhone 4 and the App Store each received notice, becoming record-holders in the 2011 Book of World Records for breaking records having to do with mobile gaming. For example, with analysts estimating that 1.5 million units of the iPhone 4 having been sold on launch day, the smartphone now holds the record for the "Fastest-Selling Portable Gaming System".  The 1.5 million units sold blows away the competition like the Sony PlayStation Portable selling 200,000 models on its 2005 launch date and the Nintendo DS ranging up sales of 900,000 units during its first week of existence in November 2004.

The App Store also received notice as the "Most Popular Application Marketplace" and the "Largest Downloadable Video Game Store."

Rovio's Angry Birds also received recognition , it is now listed as the "Top Paid-For App Store Game in Most Countries." As of last October, Angry Birds was the top paid-for game in the App Store in a record 67 territories around the globe. Rovio's Peter Vesterbacka told the Global Mobile Internet Conference that total downloads of the game across all platforms had reached a whopping 140 million.

source: GuinnessWorldRecords via AppleInsider

iRobot will use Android tablets to power service robots

iRobot CEO Colin Angle hopes to create a market for mid-range service robots. And is there something better than a robot serving as your daily helper? The robot, named AVA, will be powered by Android tablets! The Android tablet, a Motorola XOOM in this case, will serve as the processing and sensory core, while the iRobot machinery underneath will provide the mobility and physical functions.

Colin Angle explains how the tablet and AVA came together: "We in the robot industry realized this is a fantastic head for a robot...what was missing was the body." With the front-facing camera, microphone, speakers, and accelerometer, the XOOM has everythings needed.

Some keen readers might remember that AVA was initially demonstrated with an iPad at CES. Colin explains that the change was made for features like voice and video chat. "We're tablet-agnostic...Right now, Android has what we need," explains Colin.

Android powered Motorola was chosen over Apple's iPad.
What do you guys think?
Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

source: CNET

Google has Good Humor; next OS release nearly confirmed as Ice Cream Sandwich

The next build of the Android OS is expected to be nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich. This continues the tradition of naming each new build of Google's open source OS after a dessert in alphabetical order. So far, we have seen Cupcake, Donuts, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb and now Ice Cream Sandwich.

While not officially announced by the Mountain View based company, in a reply to an emailed question about an unknown issue by an AOSP forum member, Google's Romain Guy replied, "A bug fix will be provided in Ice Cream Sandwich." We could get confirmation at the approaching Google I/O.

While the thought of ice cream and bugs doesn't really sound too good, makes us wonder what dessert will be used after this one.

source: AndroidCentral