Google Wallet and Google+ app updates for Android released

Google has started pushing out a new updates for its Google Wallet and Google+ apps on Android. While the Google+ update doesn't do much except the usual “stability improvements and bug fixes”, the Google Wallet app has received more significant updates. According to the changelog, Google Wallet now has the ability to handle PO boxes and increased allowable address length for prepaid card top up, fixes to rewards card syncing, improvements for supporting more handsets and core wallet system fixes.

Ubergizmo, Google Wallet and Google+ app updates for Android released

2 million Samsung Galaxy Notes sold until now, Samsung wants to sell 10 million more before the end of the year

Back in December, at the end of 2011, Samsung announced that it sold 1 million Galaxy Notes - you know, that phone-meets-tablet device with a 5.3 inch Super AMOLED HD display, a special stylus called S Pen, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Now, two months after that (and four months after the device's initial debut), the South Korean company unveiled to Forbes that the number of Galaxy Notes shipped had passed 2 million units.

Unwired View, 2 million Samsung Galaxy Notes sold until now, Samsung wants to sell 10 million more before the end of the year

Nissan Leaf available nationwide in March

The wait is over. After the initial launch in limited markets at the end of 2010 and a methodical rollout in 2011, the Nissan Leaf will finally be available to order all around the U.S. starting pretty much immediately. Nissan recently sent out an email that reads, in part:.
Your time has arrived. Orders for the 2012 Nissan Leaf will begin in March, making the Nissan Leaf available nationwide. we are officially a 100% electric nation. look out for an e-mail around 3x1x12 detailing when you can order your Nissan Leaf.

There is a caveat, of course.

Autoblog, Nissan Leaf available nationwide in March

Hyundai downscales vehicle buy-back promise

Back in April, Hyundai launched the Assurance Trade-in Value Guarantee ensuring every new Hyundai's resale value two to four years down the road. Unfortunately for most folks still shopping for a Hyundai, that program has now ended. Keyword being "most" since Hyundai will no longer ensure the value of their mainline cars, but well-heeled buyers of the Genesis and Equus models can still sleep well knowing their high-end Hyundai will depreciate at a rate comparable to their neighbor's Toyota Avalon.

Autoblog, Hyundai downscales vehicle buy-back promise

Hands-on with the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD

Huawei is really bringing their ‘A' game to Mobile World Congress this year. We already took a look at the Ascend D Quad smartphone and we swung back by Huawei's booth to get some hands-on time with the new Mediapad 10 FHD. It's almost shocking how quickly a company once known for low-end handsets destined for China has turned things around, developing their own in-house quad-core processor and throwing it in a tablet that looks and feels more polished than any previous attempt. The Mediapad 10 FHD runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich on a 1.5GHz quad-core chip, features a 10-inch HD display and measures in at only 8.8mm thick.



Android Phone, Hands-on with the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD

[Live Blog] Microsoft at MWC 2012

[MWC 2012] Today is the third day of MWC 2012 and Microsoft is set to make an announcement about its plans for the future of its mobile operating system today. No confirmation about what will be announced, but we might be treated to the unveiling of Windows Phone Tango today. Microsoft's Consumer Preview of Windows 8 will also be released, so look out for that if you're interested in loading your computer with the latest version of Windows before the retail version hits the shelves.

Ubergizmo, [Live Blog] Microsoft at MWC 2012

iOS speaker dock with built-in projector concept is clever

There are tons of iOS speaker docks out there, but a speaker dock with a built-in projector is rare, if it even exists at all. Perhaps it's the rarity that has prompted designer Chen Nanyu to come up with a concept design of a speaker dock for iOS devices that comes with a built-in projector, which we have to admit is a pretty clever design. The thing about most pico-projectors is that while they're great for on-the-go presentations, sometimes the audio can be a bit spotty coming from your laptops or smartphones or tablets, so the addition of a speaker is surely a welcome feature.

Ubergizmo, iOS speaker dock with built-in projector concept is clever

Avaya Launches Outsourcing Solutions to Improve Performance, Reduce Costs of Business Communications Networks

Avaya Communications Outsourcing Solutions provides multi-vendor, custom-managed services for large businesses, helping to unlock potential of aging communications environmentsSolutions tap Avaya’s global managed services scale, investment and expertise to accelerate cost-savings, performance and transformation across many locations Avaya is North American market leader in communications managed services according to Frost and Sullivan; company has 3 million ports globally under contractWednesday, 29th February, 2012Basking Ridge, NJ – Avaya today introduced a new set of outsourcing services to help companies dramatically

Press Release Distribution, Avaya Launches Outsourcing Solutions to Improve Performance, Reduce Costs of Business Communications Networks

TI reveals more OMAP 5 details at MWC 2012

All these new quad-core smartphones announcements had us all puzzled. How good are they, and what makes each of the different from each other. We have the Nvidia Tegra 3, the TI OMAP 5, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 having a three-way fight over at MWC 2012, so TI has stepped forward to explain more about their latest and greatest, the OMAP 5. We've known about its dual Cortex-A15 and Cortex-M4 architecture since this time last year, but we didn't know that those M4 cores are there to handle real-time processing of multimedia — like video encoding and decoding — which TI claims can provide up to ten percent power savings.

2DayBlog.com, TI reveals more OMAP 5 details at MWC 2012

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 first DLC now available for PlayStation 3

It's been awhile since the release of the first DLC for Modern Warfare 3, but it looks like PlayStation 3 owners will finally get to enjoy the new maps. According to an announcement on the Call of Duty blog, the Liberation and Piazza maps are now available for Call of Duty ELITE Premium members on the PlayStation Network. In addition to the release of the maps, the announcement also confirmed the release date for Overwatch map for PlayStation 3 Modern Warfare 3 players: March 29th. Unfortunately there's nothing you can do about the delay bar going out and getting yourself an Xbox 360 and another copy of the game.

Ubergizmo, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 first DLC now available for PlayStation 3

Facebook to simplify in-app payments with streamlined carrier billing

Need another watering can to irrigate those crops on your highly-profitable Facebook farm. Soon you may be able to boot that expense directly to your monthly mobile tab, just as you do with other necessities, like ringtones and emoticons. The social networking site is working with carriers to streamline billing, eventually enabling Facebook users to pay their app dues along with their monthly phone bill.

Engadget, Facebook to simplify in-app payments with streamlined carrier billing

Jaguar unveils new global brand direction with 'Alive' commercial

Jaguar's turnaround has taken its next public step with a new global brand direction and a marketing campaign called "Alive." The marketing will lock in on Jaguar's visceral connection with buyers, "positioning the brand as animate – seductive, emotional, unique, energetic and high-performance – while asking consumers, "How alive are you?". It will be supported on television, in print, on the web and with events, and will attempt to explain to younger buyers not only why they should be considering a Jaguar, but what Jaguar means as a brand.

Autoblog, Jaguar unveils new global brand direction with 'Alive' commercial

Big decisions loom for next Subaru WRX this week

Subaru is currently plotting the future of the next-generation WRX STI. Company delegates from various world markets are currently headed to Japan to decide whether the rally bruiser will continue to be a hardcore racer straight from the factory or if it will head in a new, somewhat posher direction. According to GoAuto.com (and previous reports), the new STI will be significantly different from the base Impreza and WRX, and that difference may translate into a more upscale performance model. Think something along the lines of a BMW M or a Mercedes-Benz AMG machine.

Autoblog, Big decisions loom for next Subaru WRX this week

OpenWays adds NFC to its Mobile Key for hotels

OpenWays already got the world of smartphones and hotel keys more acquainted, now it wants to make them even more intimate. Working with NXP semiconductors, OpenWays has announced it's bringing a little near-field magic to its Mobile Key solution. Now, you can receive your room number direct to your phone, saunter past reception and wave yourself safely past the door. The makers claim that the optimized antennas mean it can work with any phone, carrier and lock system, effectively future-proofing it.

Engadget, OpenWays adds NFC to its Mobile Key for hotels

Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coming to devices in April or May

. Corning announced on Monday that the first shipments of Gorilla Glass 2 have been sent to the company's partners. Corning's second-generation of Gorilla Glass is 20% thinner than the original without sacrificing performance or strength. “Corning's new glass composition, Gorilla Glass 2, enables slimmer and sleeker devices, brighter images, and greater touch sensitivity, providing an ideal solution for the newest, most sophisticated smartphones, tablets, and personal computers," Corning's global director of marketing and commercial operations, David R.

Boy Genius Report, Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coming to devices in April or May

Windows Phone gets free private and group messaging in GroupMe

There is a spanking new version of GroupMe released for the Windows Phone platform, and for those who are unfamiliar with what GroupMe is, this group messaging service is perfect in helping one keep in touch with other important people within their circle. Windows Phone users of GroupMe are on the receiving end of a new update that offers additional features such as the ability to pin groups to the start screen. GroupMe was developed in conjunction with Microsoft, making life a whole lot easier for users of GroupMe right from the comfort of their Windows Phone.

Ubergizmo, Windows Phone gets free private and group messaging in GroupMe

MWC 2012: Nokia adds Lumia 900 and 610 to its Windows Phone portfolio. Transition prospects just got brighter

In addition to that crazy good 41 megapixel PureView 808 Symbian cameraphone, Nokia added two smartphones to its Windows Phone portfolio. The worldwide version of high end Lumia 900, and the cheapest yet – Lumia 610. Nokia Lumia 900 doesn't bring anything new to the U.S. AT&T version that was announced at CES. They just replaced LTE radio with dual cell HSDPA+ which should give you 42 Mbps download speeds, if your carrier supports it.

Nokia Lumia 900 is priced at EUR 480 before taxes and subsidies. Which, at 60 Euros more, sounds a tad expensive compared to Lumia 800.


Unwired View, MWC 2012: Nokia adds Lumia 900 and 610 to its Windows Phone portfolio. Transition prospects just got brighter

Truck driver beats AT&T in court, gets $850 for throttled data pain

. It is not often that a good ol' citizen beats a big company in court. But being an angry, unemployed truck driver may very well do the trick. Matt Spacarelli was given $850 because his data had been throttled by AT&T, despite the fact that his contract agreement stated he was allowed unlimited downloading.
Spacarelli was not aiming low, though. He was asking for $10,000. This was declined by the judge, who instead decided to give him $85 per month, out of 10. But things are not as simple, and Matt may not bee seeing his money anytime soon (if at all).

AT&T has already stated that it will appeal the ruling.

Android Phone, Truck driver beats AT&T in court, gets $850 for throttled data pain

NaviSite Introduces Enterprise-Class Desktop-as-a-Service

United Kingdom – February 28, 2012 – NaviSite, Inc., a premier provider of enterprise-class hosting, managed applications, managed messaging and managed cloud services, today introduced an enterprise-class, cloud-based Desktop-as-a-Services (DaaS) offering that enables IT organisations to deliver virtual desktop services to local and remote users from the cloud with an increased level of security and management and the same functionality as traditional desktops.NaviSite’s DaaS offering, powered by the NaviCloud platform and Desktone, a desktop-as-a-service pioneer, provides IT departments the ability to add or re

Press Release Distribution, NaviSite Introduces Enterprise-Class Desktop-as-a-Service

Samsung Galaxy S3 to feature 4.8″ display and ceramic back [Rumor]

MWC is well under way and while Samsung has unveiled a handful of devices themselves, like the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Beam, Galaxy Note 10.1, and the Galaxy S WiFi 4.2, safe to say many were disappointed that the Galaxy S3 did not make it for event. However if you're on the hunt for Galaxy S3 news, thanks to a fresh set of rumors, additional details of the device has been revealed.

Ubergizmo, Samsung Galaxy S3 to feature 4.8″ display and ceramic back [Rumor]

ASUS PadFone new “Expand Your World” ad shows us a day filled with the tri-force

. The not-so-new ASUS PadFone has just been announced at MWC, and we know some of you may be dying to get your hands all over it. So are we. But ASUS has given us a bit of a tease while we wait, with a new commercial called “Expand Your World.”.
The video displays 2:38 minutes of full PadFone glory, and we have to say it is not such a bad commercial. It revolves around the functionality that such device(s) can bring to your daily life. A couple has it, as well as a bunch of their friends.



Android Phone, ASUS PadFone new “Expand Your World” ad shows us a day filled with the tri-force

Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational puts SEMA cars to the test

We love SEMA. There's simply no better place to see the aftermarket go wild. Unfortunately, most of the cars, trucks, vans and other heathens that occupy the Las Vegas Convention Center each November are built to do little more than look pretty under the lights. We've always wanted to see the best of the best throw down on a track.
Fortunately for us, there's the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.



Autoblog, Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational puts SEMA cars to the test

HTC debuts One brand at MWC 2012, unifies Android device lineup, making everything more Sensible

Shearing clippers meet HTC's Android device portfolio. It appears UK head Phil Roberson wasn't just blowing the proverbial smoke this past January when he stated intentions to tighten up the manufacturer's portfolio with fewer releases focused on “amazing hardware” experiences. At today's MWC keynote the company announced an initiative that'll quite literally institute a One product line to rule them all ethos.

2DayBlog.com, HTC debuts One brand at MWC 2012, unifies Android device lineup, making everything more Sensible

Nokia Lumia 900 Available For Pre-Order In The UK

The all new Nokia Lumia 900 is now available for pre-order in the UK via Unlocked Mobiles. The handset retails for 445.98 GBP (about $705) SIM Free. To refresh your memory, the Lumia 900 packs a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 AMOLED touchscreen display, a 1.4GHz Scorpion processor, a 512MB RAM, a 16GB of storage, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, an 8MP rear-facing camera, GPS, 4G LTE support, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 1830mAh battery and runs on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS.

TechFresh, Nokia Lumia 900 Available For Pre-Order In The UK

ZTE Era flagship phone brings Tegra 3, 4.3-inch qHD display, 7.8mm chassis

We're just about to get hands-on with ZTE's latest high-spec ICS phone, the Era, but in the meantime here's a heads-up on the main credentials. The guts are all NVIDIA, with a Tegra 3 quad-core processor and an Icera HSPA+ modem. The display has 960 x 540 pixels spread over 4.3-inches of real estate, housed in a razor-like 7.8mm-thick (0.31-inch) slab. The 8GB of onboard memory is expandable via microSD, while there's also HD Voice and Dolby sound processing.

Engadget, ZTE Era flagship phone brings Tegra 3, 4.3-inch qHD display, 7.8mm chassis

Lumigon's T2 smartphone wants to control your TV, obey your commands

Ever notice how often you lose your TV remote, but how rarely lose track of that social lifeline you call a smartphone. So did the folks at Denmark-based Lumigon, that's why they've put their Scandinavian heads together to build the Lumigon T2, a Android 4.0 smartphone that's also a universal remote control. In addition to this handset's 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8 megapixel rear facing camera and Bang & Olufsen ICEpower sound, this phone's northern lip can copy commands from remote controls and emulate them using on screen buttons or programmable gestures.

Engadget, Lumigon's T2 smartphone wants to control your TV, obey your commands

Ultra fast WLAN Duo: Router and WLAN USB Adapter with 600Mpbs

UlDual band Router TL-WDR3600 and USB Adapter TL-WDN3200 combine the power of two 300Mbps connections over 2.4GHz and 5GHz running simultaneouslyLondon, UK, 27th February 2012 - TP-LINK’s TL-WDR3600 is a performance optimized simultaneous dual band wireless router, combining the power of two 300Mbps connections over 2.4GHz and 5GHz. With simultaneous dual band, users have 600Mbps of total bandwidth to power numerous bandwidth intensive applications, at the same time, in a home or office setting.

Press Release Distribution, Ultra fast WLAN Duo: Router and WLAN USB Adapter with 600Mpbs

Samsung announces the Galaxy S (Player) WiFi 4.2 at MWC

In all the other MWC bombast, you might have missed that Samsung's added another member to its humble Galaxy S WiFi (Galaxy Player) PMP-lineup. This version packs a 4.2-inch WVGA (480 x 800) screen, runs Gingerbread 2.3 and has dual cameras (2-megapixels 'round back and VGA for video calls). Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0 and WiFI 802.11 b/g/n round out your connectivity and you'll also find it toting a 1,500mAh battery. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is bundled bundled as standard, which is great for some illegal street-racing on the go. It'll come in 8 and 16GB variants, with the usual microSD card slot for that extra 32GB of space when required.

Engadget, Samsung announces the Galaxy S (Player) WiFi 4.2 at MWC

Option Enables Mobile Broadband With A Purpose

Option showcases suite of connectivity solutions at Mobile World Congress 2012LEUVEN, Belgium – February 27, 2012 – Option (EURONEXT: OPTI; OTC: OPNVY), a global leader in wireless connectivity, security and experience, is showcasing its portfolio of connected devices at Mobile World Congress. Combining multi-band radio design expertise with connectivity management and application software, Option enables purposeful broadband connectivity through its portfolio of innovative connected solutions.

Press Release Distribution, Option Enables Mobile Broadband With A Purpose

iomart Hosting provides cloud storage and backup for new branding network

What Is My Brand launches in UKiomart Hosting, one of the UK’s leading providers of cloud computing and managed hosting services, is providing cloud storage and backup for a new personal branding network that’s just launched in the UK.What Is My Brand, www.whatismybrand.com, is an online network that allows people to showcase their own unique talents, build a personal brand and express opinions on the brands they like and use. Sunny Arora, founder of What Is My Brand, says: “The most successful companies in the world all have strong brands - a great brand sells.

Press Release Distribution, iomart Hosting provides cloud storage and backup for new branding network

Apple says iCloud and MobileMe push email down in Germany, due to Motorola lawsuit

Cupertino says it is has suspended push email via iCloud or MobileMe for users in Germany, due to “recent patent litigation by Motorola Mobility.” Numerous disputes currently rage between the two companies, but this issue likely relates to a recent injunction Motorola won against iCloud. Push still works for Contacts and Calendars, but there's a page up on Apple's German support site (see the source link) telling people to use the Fetch settings on their iOS device to collect emails. There's a similar page on Apple's US site giving the same instructions to users who are travelling to Germany.

2DayBlog.com, Apple says iCloud and MobileMe push email down in Germany, due to Motorola lawsuit

Sony Xperia P and Xperia U announced – they're smaller versions of the Xperia S

Sony has officially announced two new Android smartphones at MWC 2012 - the Xperia P and Xperia U. These can be considered little brothers of the Xperia S, as they're similarly designed. Another thing that the Xperia U and Xpeira P have in common with the Xperia S is that they'll run Android 2.3 Gingerbread at launch, and should receive updates to Android 4.0 ICS at some point later.
The Xperia P is the biggest of the two.


Unwired View

See also:
itnet, Sony Xperia P and Xperia U announced â€" they're smaller versions of the Xperia S

BMW M135i will be produced, offer xDrive

BMW hasn't announced it yet, but sources familiar with BMW's production plans have told Autoblog that the M135i concept, which will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show, will go into production. The 1 Series hatch with M Performance modifications and a gas-powered, turbocharged inline six will send 300+ horsepower to its 18-inch wheels in either rear-wheel drive or xDrive configurations.

Autoblog, BMW M135i will be produced, offer xDrive

Sony Xperia P hands-on

. We're here in sunny Barcelona, Spain on day 0 of the annual Mobile World Congress trade show - yes, several companies couldn't even wait for day 1 to hold their press conferences - and Sony's media event has just wrapped up. In case you missed it, Sony unveiled two devices at this year's show, one of which was the sleek new Xperia P smartphone that will launch in the second quarter. The handset's design is reminiscent of earlier Xperia handsets, but like the other members of the “Xperia NXT” family, it features a clear strip near the bottom of the phone that adds a variety of unique lighting features to the device.





Boy Genius Report, Sony Xperia P hands-on

Facebook follows your spouse's steps and starts reading your text messages?

. Let's take a break from the Mobile World Congress madness and talk about security. This is a huge issue in the smartphone market, as our devices hold all of our personal information. But we might be a little careless at times, and give developers too many rights. Today's security issues revolve around Facebook, who is being accused of reading users' text messages.

We already know that Facebook is not exactly the most careful about your private information. But London's Sunday Times is reporting that Facebook has gone as far as to read user's text messages. Of course, not as a hobby, though.

Android Phone, Facebook follows your spouse's steps and starts reading your text messages?

Sony Xperia P announced

[MWC 2012] Sony has just announced two new handsets to their NXT series of Android handsets, the Xperia P and the Xperia U, but if you were interested in a Sony Android phone whose features are closer to that of the Xperia S, then perhaps the Sony Xperia P could be the handset you are looking for. Keeping in line with the rest of Sony's NXT handsets, the Sony Xperia P will sport a minimalist design with a precision crafted aluminum body.

Ubergizmo, Sony Xperia P announced

LG Optimus Vu preview

[MWC 2012] I got some hands-on time with LG's new Vu, a rather large handset that is without a doubt a two handed smartphone. In some ways, this is LG's Galaxy Note if you want. It has a different format as it is not as long. It looks a bit odd at first, but the wider display does provide a visually comfortable usage. For the hand, things are a bit different. It feels even wider than the Galaxy Note (!), so people with small hands may not be able to hold it comfortably, if at all.

With two hands, it's a breeze, and the width lands itself very well for fast typing with the virtual keyboard.

Ubergizmo, LG Optimus Vu preview

Powis iCase iPad Case Review

I'm always impressed with companies that are flexible in a changing environment. A company who can adapt to this evolving landscape is a healthier company. Powis makes bookbinding and collating equipment for the corporate market. As things have been moving into the digital realm, Powis has smartly taken some of that book binding knowledge and applied it to a different market by creating the iCase, a book-like iPad case.
When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Powis knows how to make books. So why not make an iPad case that looks like a book? This is not an original idea. Other companies have done this with success.










The Gadgeteer, Powis iCase iPad Case Review

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 with larger 10.1″ display announced

About two weeks ago, we reported that Samsung had launched the Galaxy Tab 2, which at that time we thought was merely a refresh of its original 7" Galaxy Tab, and if you were hoping for a larger display, you're in luck as it turns out Samsung will be launching two Galaxy Tab 2s – a 7" model which we covered in our previous post, and a 10.1" model.

Ubergizmo, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 with larger 10.1″ display announced

Need more power? Try the Kuel F60Q by Spigen

Ever wished you had more battery life in your devices when you're away from any electical outlets?  That's where Spigen's Kuel F60Q portable mobile battery comes in.  It works just like any other portable mobile battery pack, except that the Kuel packs a 6000 mAh lithium ion battery which outputs at 5V at 2 Amps.  The 2 Amps means that you will be able to charge an iPad or even charge the iPhone faster.  But of course the Kuel can charge other USB devices.  The only downside to all this power would be the high price of $124.99, direct from Spigen.

The Gadgeteer, Need more power? Try the Kuel F60Q by Spigen