RIM Launches the New Easy to Use BlackBerry Curve 9220 Smartphone in Indonesia

Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the launch of its most affordable BlackBerry 7 smartphone for customers in Indonesia – the BlackBerry® Curve™ 9220. Designed to be both easy to use and easy to own, this compact and sleek smartphone provides many features and apps that help users to ‘stop missing out’ and stay connected to the people and information that matter most throughout the day.

Hastings Singh, Managing Director, South Asia at RIM, said: “The new BlackBerry Curve 9220 is a great upgrade for current feature-phone users, providing an amazing mobile experience with all the unique social networking benefits that the BlackBerry solution has to offer. The new BlackBerry Curve 9220 even integrates a dedicated BBM key, a new feature that many customers in Indonesia have asked for.”

Singh added: “The BlackBerry Curve 9220 offers Indonesians unmatched messaging and social connectivity features at an affordable price.”

The new BlackBerry Curve 9220 smartphone also offers the longest lasting battery life yet in a BlackBerry Curve model, allowing users to make the most of their day.

The dedicated BBM™ key on the BlackBerry Curve 9220 brings the power of RIM’s popular mobile social network up in an instant. The Facebook® for BlackBerry and Twitter® for BlackBerry apps are included, as well as Social Feeds, which allows users to post updates to multiple social applications simultaneously and capture updates from news sources (RSS), social apps and instant messaging apps all in one consolidated view.

Wtih BlackBerry® 7.1 OS, the BlackBerry Curve 9220 supports the full complement of BlackBerry services, and the smartphone's built-in Wi-Fi® can provide smooth and fast Internet browsing without incurring mobile data usage costs. It also includes a built-in FM radio, allowing users to tune into their favorite local stations, and listening to the FM radio does not require a data plan or use data services.

The user experience with this compact and sleek smartphone is further enhanced with a long lasting battery, giving users up to 7 hours of talk time or up to 28 hours of music playback or FM radio listening on headphones.

Beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, April 25, 2012), the BlackBerry Curve 9220 smartphone will be available for Rp. 1,999,000 from authorized partners PT. Teletama Artha Mandiri, PT. Selular Media Infotama and PT. Comtech Cellular.

For more information, please visit: http://id.blackberry.com/Curve or www.facebook.com/BlackBerryID

Motorola brings the MOTOLUXE to Canada

Motorola is still all about bringing its devices to as many countries as possible, and that is something that we have grown to love. Next up on their list is a Canadian release of the MOTOLUXE, the 4-inch widget heavy device that we first got our hands-on back at CES.

With its stylish design and media features, MOTOLUXE is the perfect smartphone to complement our busy lives, said David Petrou, sales director, Motorola Mobility Canada. Not only does MOTOLUXE have the power of Android, it also has a fun, adaptive and easy-to-use user interface, a big vibrant screen and a sharp camera to help you capture your everyday life.

The device should hit carriers around Canada in Q2 of 2012, so be sure to be on the lookout for it! Press release after the break.

MOTOLUXE Smartphone to Launch in Canada

Easy, fun user experience packed into a best-in- class design

TORONTO, April 30, 2012 The new MOTOLUXE^TM by Motorola Mobility Canada Ltd. keeps you entertained and connected with a dynamic new interface that learns what you like and adapts to help you do tasks faster, providing unique and seamless access to content that is relevant to you. The Android^TMpowered smartphone sets the bar high with its elegant design and a unique multi-coloured LED notification light so you can easily keep track of incoming c alls, texts or e-mails. With a 4-inch touchscreen thats perfect for surfing the web and watching movies, youll have fun and stay connected whether hanging out with friends or out on the town.

MOTOLUXE features a lively new interface that learns who you talk to and which apps you use and keeps all of that information front and center. The Social Graph feature gives you easy and fast access to the people who really matter. It learns whos most important to you and uses that knowledge to populate the home screen. The more frequently you communicate with someone, the bigger their icon becomes. The Activity Graph focuses on your app habits, automatically changing to reflect the apps you use the most. With Music+, you can easily play your favourite music, while the Smart Gallery displays your favourite pictures as collections.

With its stylish design and media features, MOTOLUXE is the perfect smartphone to complement our busy lives, said David Petrou, sales director , Motorola Mobility Canada. Not only does MOTOLUXE have the power of Android, it also has a fun, adaptive and easy-to-use user interface, a big vibrant screen and a sharp camera to help you capture your everyday life.

The unique multi-coloured LED indicator sets MOTOLUXE apart by letting you easily see when youve missed a call, have a message waiting or your battery is low. MOTOLUXEs 8-megapixel autofocus camera with flash lets you shoot like a pro and share your favourite shots instantly, a bonus for mobile upload fanatics.

When youre on the go, MOTOLUXEs GPS technology will point you in the right direction and make sure you get to where the action is. If that isnt enough, the smartphone is Bluetooth-enabled, and gives you access to Google Play where youll find thousands of games, apps, books and movies.

Availability

MOTOLUXE will be available in Canada in Q2. For more information, please visit motorola.ca.

About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

BSkyB preps 'Sky Go' app for ICS and more handsets, HDMI still no-go

Since its launch last year' the Sky Go application for Android has been available only for a handful of approved phones. And on top of this limitation, the app doesn't support Android 4.0, meaning even supported devices are out of luck once they're updated to the latest version of the OS. However, it seems Sky's preparing to open its on-demand TV service up a little more, with reports emerging today that ICS support is inbound, along with support for a couple of new Samsung devices.

UK tech blog TechRadarreports that support for the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus, as well as ICS updates for other phones already on the list (HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S II) is "coming soon". Interestingly the site also reports that Sky's unable to offer the app on phones with HDMI output in order to avoid breaching its broadcasting contract. That's somewhat odd, as many officially supported phones, including the Sensation and Galaxy S II, include MHL capability, which does exactly the same thing over a different connector.

In any case, it's good to see Sky (slowly) opening things up to more popular, and recent handsets. However, with new, high-end Android phones appearing all t he time, we have to question whether the broadcaster will be able to keep pace with its certification process -- the Sensation is already old news with the launch of the HTC One series, and the Galaxy S II is set to be succeeded in days by the Galaxy S3.

Source: TechRadar

First software update now rolling out for European HTC One X

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The first official new software update is now rolling out for unbranded HTC One X retail units in Europe, bringing HTC's new flagship phone up to version 1.28.401.9. The 30MB update is being delivered over-the-air, so head to 'Settings > About > Software Updates' to grab the new version. Note that if your One X is network-branded, you'll likely have to wait a little longer for your carrier to approve this update before it's pushed out. And for what it's worth, the new software version is still based on Android 4.0.3 rather than the slightly newer 4.0.4 that's running on some Nexus devices.

So far we're only seeing a few minor changes on our One X -- the phone no longer incorrectly displays the on-screen menu key in certain Google apps, like YouTube, and automatic brightness levels seem to have been pared back somewhat, too. This version is also supposed to fix the battery life issues many One X owners have been reporting in the two weeks since the phone's launch. In addition, we're hearing that the bug which occasionally resulted in garbled text and icons in the notification bar has also been squished.

One X owners, be sure to shout out in the comments if you've noticed any other changes or fixes.

Galaxy series ICS updates arriving from today, says Samsung Canada

After a five-month long wait, Samsung phone and tablet owners in Canada can finally look forward to an update to the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. The manufacturer has today announced that nine devices, including members of the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab families, as well as the Galaxy Note, will be getting ICS from today, "on select devices in Canada."

There's no information on exactly which devices will be first, and as is always the case, when you get your update will probably be heavily dependent on your carrier of choice. Regardless, the fact that these updates se em to have been rubber-stamped by Samsung is a good indication. Here's the manufacturer's list of ICS-upgradable devices --

• GALAXY S II
• GALAXY S II LTE
• GALAXY S II LTE HD
• GALAXY S II X
• GALAXY Note
• GALAXY Tab 7.0
• GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus
• GALAXY Tab 8.9
• GALAXY Tab 10.1

We'll be keeping an eye on our Samsung devices in the days ahead, as many of these haven't yet received Android 4.0 outside of Canada. We'll update you soon as there's any word on when exactly ICS is rolling out. In the meantime there's more specifics in Samsung Canada's press release, which you'll find after the break.

Samsung Canada Offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade

Now available in Canada for Select Samsung GALAXY devices

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 30, 2012 Samsung Electronics Canada is pleas ed to announce the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for Samsung GALAXY devices. The upgrade will be available today on select devices in Canada and will continue rolling out to devices and carriers throughout the quarter.

Ice Cream Sandwich brings a fresh look and feel to Android. It has a new user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, a full Web browsing experience and innovations such as Face Unlock, which uses the front facing camera for facial recognition to unlock the smartphone.

We are passionate about providing the best possible mobile experience to Canadians and the upgrade to Android 4.0 will offer an improved user experience for Samsung GALAXY devices, said Paul Brannen, Vice President, Mobile Communications at Samsung Canada. We expect that our customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade and we remain commi tted, alongside our carrier partners, to satisfy our customer needs.

Devices eligible for an ICS upgrade include:

GALAXY S II

GALAXY S II LTE

GALAXY S II LTE HD

GALAXY S II X

GALAXY Note

GALAXY Tab 7.0

GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus

GALAXY Tab 8.9

GALAXY Tab 10.1

Recently introduced to the Canadian marketplace, Samsung GALAXY S II X and Samsung GALAXY S II LTE HD are NFC enabled, which enables consumers to utilize Android BeamTM. Android Beam allows users to quickly share Web pages, apps and YouTube videos with friends by simply tapping two phones back-to-back. Users can even use fun effects while shooting video or video chatting with Google Talk.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and wireless carriers requirem ents. For carrier specific details, please visit your nearest carrier retailer. For more information on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, please visit www.samsung.com.

HTC One X gets a second firmware update, v1.29 incoming

A second firmware update is currently rolling out to the international, Tegra 3-flavored HTC One X, according to reports from multiple sources, including the Android Central forums. The update to version 1.29.401.7 weighs in at around 35MB and is being pushed out now to unbranded, unlocked European One X phones. Early reports from the forums indicate that this new version may address the intermittent Wifi disconnection issues that have been affecting some One X owners. In the meantime we've reached out to HTC for any official info on changes in the new firmware version, and we'll update you when they get back to us.

If you're rocking an international One X, head to Settings > About > Software updates to begin your journey to version 1.29. And if you notice anything new or improved, be sure to shout out in the comments!

More: HTC One X forums

Samsung Galaxy Nexus accessories finally available in the UK

It really seems like we've been waiting forever forUK stock of the Samsung OEM accessories for the Galaxy Nexus. After all, the phone itself arrived back in November, and it's taken more than five months for the accessories to arrive.

British online retailer Clove Technology is now stocking the official HDMIdock and the desktop dock for the Nexus. There's still no sign of the car dock, but the fact that anything at all is available is a positive development. Clove has also now received stock of the replacement battery and spare battery charger, as well as the Sam sung branded MHL/HDMI adaptor.

The HDMIdock will run you for 42 inc VAT and the desktop dock slightly more at 49.99. More details can be had at the source link below, but the advice is clear. If you've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting, now is the time. Have at it, folks.

Source: Clove Technology

More:Samsung Galaxy Nexus OEM desktop dock review

International HTC One X and Galaxy Note get early CyanogenMod 9 builds

If you're a custom ROM aficionado looking to get stuck into rooting and flashing your HTC One X, then there's finally an unofficial build ready that'll let you do just that. The first CyanogenMod 9 port for the international, Tegra 3-powered One X has appeared over onMoDaCo, courtesy of team TripNDroid. In addition to replacing the bright colors of Sense with the more subdued, angular look of stock Android, you also get a mostly-functional smartphone, which is something of a rarity when dealing with early, unofficial builds. Much of phone's hardware is working, with camera and Wifi hotspot being borked in the current build.

The CM9-based fun isn't limited to the One X, though -- the international Samsung Galaxy Note (that's the one that also goes by the name GT-N7000) has received its first CM9 build today, too. The build comes courtesy of renowned Samsung hackers TeamHacksung, and gives N7000 owners their first semi-official taste of CM9. The list of known issues in the first experimental build is fairly short, but one of them will be a showstopper for many -- voice calls don't work properly at the moment, and if you make or receive one, the other person won't be able to hear you. Nevertheless, if you're determined to live on the bleeding edge of the custom ROM scene, we're sure you'll take that sort of thing in your stride. After all, phones are for flashing ROMs, not for talking to people.

So if you're after stability, or something you can use as a daily driver, we'd recommend holding off for now. But those looking to hack around and tinker with the latest and greatest bits from the CM team can find more info, along with download links, over at the source page.

Source: MoDaCo, XDA

Verizon announces new prepaid wireless plans

Starting tomorrow (May 1), Verizon will begin offering up a new prepaid wireless plan, with unlimited talk and text plus 1GB of data for $80 monthly. You'll have to buy a new phone of course, and for now the only phone being offered is the less-than-stellar Samsung Illusion. You will be able to grab one in stores or online for $170, and it should be coming soon to Target, Best Buy, Radio Shack and WalMart.

If you're looking for something with a bit more oompf, the prepaid Verizon Jetpack LTE hotspot could be what you're needing. Pricing starts at 250MB for $15 per week, 3GB for $60 per month or 10GB for $90 per month. The Jetpackitself will be available for $129.99 at Verizon stores and online, and it's also coming soon to Best Buy, Radio Shack and WalMart.

You'll find the press release after the break.

Unlimited Talk, Text and 1 GB of Data Smartphone Plan for $80 per Month; First Prepaid 4G Jetpack Offers a Variety of Mobile Broadband Data Plan Options

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.,April 30, 2012/PRNewswire/ --Verizon Wireless today announced the availability of a new prepaid plan beginningMay 1, offering unlimited talk and text messaging, as well as 1 GB of data for$80per month. This monthly plan, available on the prepaidSamsung Illusion, provides customers with an affordable, flexible option to take advantage of the nation's largest, most reliable 3G network without the commitment of an annual contract. The Samsung Illusion prepaid package will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online atwww.verizonwireless.comfor$169.99. In the coming weeks, the Samsung Illusion prepaid will also be available at Best Buy, Target, RadioShack and Walmart.

Additionally, startingMay 1, customers can purchase a prepaidVerizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4510Land take advantage of new prepaid Mobile Broadband plans. With the prepaid Jetpack, customers can now create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously. Prepaid 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans are as follows:

• $15for 250 MB of data weekly
• $60for 3 GB of data monthly
• $90for 10 GB of data monthly

The Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4510L prepaid package will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online atwww.verizonwireless.comfor$129.99. In the coming weeks, it will also be available at Best Buy, RadioShack and Walmart.

From keeping in touch with friends to surfing the Web, Verizon Wireless gives customers the power and flexibility to stay connected with no annual contract to America's largest and most reliable high-speed wireless network. For more information on prepaid plan offerings, visitwww.verizonwireless.com/prepay.

For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go towww.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 93.0 million retail customers, including 88.0 million retail postpaid customers. Headquartered inBasking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visitwww.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast- quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library atwww.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Galaxy series ICS updates arriving from today, say Samsung Canada

After a five-month long wait, Samsung phone and tablet owners in Canada can finally look forward to an update to the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. The manufacturer has today announced that nine devices, including members of the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab families, as well as the Galaxy Note, will be getting ICS from today, "on select devices in Canada."

There's no information on exactly which devices will be first, and as is always the case, when you get your update will probably be heavily dependent on your carrier of choice. Regardless, the fact that these updates se em to have been rubber-stamped by Samsung is a good indication. Here's the manufacturer's list of ICS-upgradable devices --

• GALAXY S II
• GALAXY S II LTE
• GALAXY S II LTE HD
• GALAXY S II X
• GALAXY Note
• GALAXY Tab 7.0
• GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus
• GALAXY Tab 8.9
• GALAXY Tab 10.1

We'll be keeping an eye on our Samsung devices in the days ahead, as many of these haven't yet received Android 4.0 outside of Canada. We'll update you soon as there's any word on when exactly ICS is rolling out. In the meantime there's more specifics in Samsung Canada's press release, which you'll find after the break.

Samsung Canada Offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade

Now available in Canada for Select Samsung GALAXY devices

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 30, 2012 Samsung Electronics Canada is pleas ed to announce the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for Samsung GALAXY devices. The upgrade will be available today on select devices in Canada and will continue rolling out to devices and carriers throughout the quarter.

Ice Cream Sandwich brings a fresh look and feel to Android. It has a new user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, a full Web browsing experience and innovations such as Face Unlock, which uses the front facing camera for facial recognition to unlock the smartphone.

We are passionate about providing the best possible mobile experience to Canadians and the upgrade to Android 4.0 will offer an improved user experience for Samsung GALAXY devices, said Paul Brannen, Vice President, Mobile Communications at Samsung Canada. We expect that our customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade and we remain commi tted, alongside our carrier partners, to satisfy our customer needs.

Devices eligible for an ICS upgrade include:

GALAXY S II

GALAXY S II LTE

GALAXY S II LTE HD

GALAXY S II X

GALAXY Note

GALAXY Tab 7.0

GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus

GALAXY Tab 8.9

GALAXY Tab 10.1

Recently introduced to the Canadian marketplace, Samsung GALAXY S II X and Samsung GALAXY S II LTE HD are NFC enabled, which enables consumers to utilize Android BeamTM. Android Beam allows users to quickly share Web pages, apps and YouTube videos with friends by simply tapping two phones back-to-back. Users can even use fun effects while shooting video or video chatting with Google Talk.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and wireless carriers requirem ents. For carrier specific details, please visit your nearest carrier retailer. For more information on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, please visit www.samsung.com.

Android Central weekly photo contest: The great outdoors

We're back for another weekly photo contest, and this go 'round the subject is something near and dear to my heart -- the great outdoors. It means different things to different folks, but I think inside all of us there's a part that loves seeing the beauty in the world around us. Yours won't look like mine or anyone else's, and that's what makes it great. Take a minute and share what you see with us all, and get a chance to win a cool little prize -- the AndruUSB charger. It's shaped like bugdroid, has light up eyes, and will keep your phone charged up and ready to go. The rules are simple:

• Use an Android device to take a picture. Any Android device
• Submit the picture in the forum thread we have set up for this week, so everyone can see your handiwork. E-mail was swamping us, and not everyone got to see all the entries. This way, we get to see them all. We like seeing it all.
• Only submit one. We're going to check, and we'll know if you try to game the system.
• Be sure to tell what device you used, and any effects or filters used on the photo. We can learn from these as well as have fun.
• Get your picture in by Friday midnight (your local time). We'll pick the winner and the runners-up and throw them on the blog Sunday afternoon.

Enter this weeks contest

Sony Xperia PLAY (Verizon) getting updated -- still not ICS

Sony and Verizon are pushing out an update for the Xperia PLAY, bringing it to version4.0.2.E.0.57. Relax, 4.0.2 is the version number from Sony and not Android 4.0.2 -- but don't feel bad, I thought the same thing.

While the update may not be the one everyone is waiting for, it does bring a couple nice things to the table -- new versions of Verizon Navigator and Verizon Video on Demand! I'll stop. There is something cool in this update though -- use the right trigger button to take a picture while running the camera app. The rest you ask? Certainly.

• Verizon Wireless Video on Demand now comes p reloaded.
• Improved user experience and new delivery method of preloaded games.
• When connected via Bluetooth, the Music Player now supports Fast Forward and Rewind.
• VZ Navigator has been updated with the latest 3D map improvements.
• Upgraded to Gingerbread 2.3.4 operating system.
• A long-press of the power button will successfully capture a screen shot.
• Charging issues forcing device to remain in landscape mode have been resolved.
• Recommended contacts now populate correctly whenusing the dialpad.
• Right trigger successfully captures a picture.
• Record video in 720p with continuous auto-focus.
• Device is now enabled with the Wireless Emergency Alerting System.
• Mobile Hotspot ID broadcast can be turned off to increase security.

Start mashing on the system update button, and holler out in the forums when you see it!

Source: Verizon. Thanks everyone who sent this in!

ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway 61: SGP Leather Case for Kindle Fire, LG Spectrum Icon Case & more

Welcome back to another week of giveaway's from ShopAndroid.com! Today we're featuring the SGP Leather Case for Kindle Fire, Body Glove Icon Case for LG Spectrum, Seidio Horizontal Slim Fit Leather Case, and the Mobi Hard Shell Case for Droid RAZR MAXX.

To become eligible to win one of these featured accessories, just leave your comment below stating which item you'd like for your Android device. One lucky winner will be chosen at random and announced next week.

SGP Leather Case for Kindle Fire

The SGP Leather Case is a foldable stand case designed to harmonize with the simple and slim form of the Amazon Kindle Fire. This case is made with leather that would provide an excellent protection against shocks and impacts. The portion of the case on which the Kindle Fire rests is made from polycarbonate plastic. The matte surface of the polycarbonate makes it smooth to the touch.

>> More Kindle Fire accessories

Body Glove Icon Case for LG Spectrum

The Body Glove Icon Case is a hard shell case for the LG Spectrum with a metallic soft touch top and black soft touch bottom. Chrome accents complete the stylish look, the slim hard shell offers durable protection from bumps and scratches, and the soft touch finish makes the case easy to grip.

>> More LG Spectrum accessories

Seidio Horizontal Slim Fit Leather Case

The Seidio Horizontal Slim Fit Leather Case is made from quality leather with classic black stitching which will let you to carry your device securely and in style. The case features side elastic bands that will stretch or mold with your phone which will allow you to use it with or without a case or skin, and the strong reinforced leather belt clip will keep this stylish case securely at your side.

>> More Side Cases for Android

Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX

Help keep your Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX protected with the Mobi Hard Shell Case while not sacrificing the slim look of your device. This hard shell case is designed specifica lly for the Droid RAZR MAXX and has precision cutouts for all the device's features, including the screen. The case is a two-piece design and is easy to install and remove.

>> More Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX accessories

How I do it: Covering live events with the Samsung Galaxy Note

One of the perks of this job is getting to travel to (mostly) interesting places and play with shiny new toys as (and sometimes before) theyre announced. But while live events can be a lot of fun, theres also a huge amount of work involved. Therere press conferences to be liveblogged, videos to be shot, photos to be taken and words to be written, all the while dealing with crowds of sweaty tech journalists and spotty data connections.

As we said in our review, the Samsung Galaxy Note isnt the phone for everyone -- its size alone makes sure of that. But the device has found a place at the heart of my workflow whenever Im covering a live event, be it a simple phone launch in London, or the back-to-b ack mobile armageddon that is MWC in Barcelona, Spain. The Notes size makes it a capable content creation device, in addition to its media consumption prowess. Head past the break to find learn how I use the Note to keep on top of live events for Android Central.

Keeping in touch - Campyre, Google Talk and Gmail

In the midsts of a maj or phone or tablet announcement, its important to keep in touch with the rest of the team, especially if youre flying solo. Gmail and Google Talk are both obvious choices for this.

Weve got a writers mailing list that allows us to keep track of what were writing, and lets Phil yell at us when we do something dumb. And as were all using Android phones, Google Talk is often faster and easier for short messages than SMS or email.

In addition to Googles stuff, we also use Campfires real-time group chat service to keep things running smoothly whenever were dealing with bigger eve nts like MWC or CES. When were on the go, the Campyre app for Android lets us keep in touch with each other just as if we were sitting in front of a desktop browser.

Liveblogging - CoverItLiveand Swype

Liveblogging is best done from a proper keyboard, were not going to argue that. But if theres more than one of us covering an event, then the CoverItLive app for Android does a serviceable job. In particular, the ability to grab photos directly on the device and upload straight to the stream is extre mely useful -- often on a PC youd have to resort to juggling cables or SD cards to perform this kind of task.

Swype comes pre-loaded on the Galaxy Note too, and when you combine it with the Notes S Pen, it ranks among the fastest, most accurate typing experience you can have on a virtual keyboard. It's not quite fast enough to liveblog, but it comes perilously close. And it's certainly up to the task of Swyping out a few photo captions as youre uploading.

Getting files back to the team - Dropbox

Google Drive may have just launched, but most of the AC team still uses Dropbox to juggle around files, and the simplicity of the service makes it a great choice. Features like instant photo upload are useful for shooting quick were here! pictures back to the site when we arrive at a venue. And the Galaxy Notes USB host support means its even possible to upload a full complement of high-res device pics directly from an SD card to the cloud without booting up your PC or Mac -- and thats pretty freaking cool if you ask us.

Media crunching - USB Host, Video Maker and YouTube

This is probably the coolest and most useful set tricks the Galaxy Note has up its 5.3-inch sleeve. The device supports USB Host (aka USB OTG), meaning you can hook up removable storage to the phone using an USB OTG cable. That includes your SD card reader, and even some digital cameras. And when you consider that the Note also includes a fully-functional video editor and (like all Android phones) YouTube upload capabilities, it suddenly becomes feasible to check, edit and upload hands-on videos directly on the device.

In the right situation, this has meant weve been able to shoot hands-on videos back-to-back, and have them processing and uploading on the Note while were recording the next one. That, in turn, has meant that our videos are already uploaded and waiting for us when we come to the written portion of the hands-on post. That helps us get stuff done even more quickly.

Thats not the only benefit of USB host, though. Often companies at major tech events will provide specs, press releases or official images on SD cards or USB sticks, and being able to view these without firing up that PC or Macbook can be invaluable, especially, when youre huddled outside an auditorium.

Kicking back - Draw Something

With all that extra productivity and efficiency in our live event coverage, weve saved time for more important things, like screwing around with OMGPOPs excellent Draw Something game. If theres one Android game thats a perfect match for the precision of the Notes S Pen, its this, and wed be amazed if Sammy didnt partner with the developer to bundle this app onto future S Pen devices.

So there you have it. Its not possible to completely eliminate laptops from equation when covering live tech events -- after all, no-ones going to try to write up a full article or hands-on post on a virtual keyboard. But with the right selection of apps, the Galaxy Note can perform a surprising array of content creation tasks.

For me, the most useful feature of the Note is its ability to reduce amount of time spent tethered to a computer waiting for things to render or upload. Its an exciting step towards truly mobile cont ent creation, and you can bet Ill be packing my Note when we arrive in London this Thursday to cover Samsungs next big thing...

Deal of the Day: Body Glove Icon Slide-On Case for HTC Rezound

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The April 13 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Body Glove Icon Slide-On Case for HTC Rezound. The Icon is a hard shell case with a metallic soft touch top and black soft touch bottom. Chrome accents complete the stylish look, and the slim hard shell offers durable protection from bumps and scratches.

The Body Glove Icon Slide-On Case is available for just $12.95 today only, 48% off the regular price.  Get yours while they're in stock!

AT&T One X benchmarks pit Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 against NVIDIA Tegra 3

Don't tell Jerry or Phil -- you know how they feel about benchmarks -- but superscientific in our HTC One X forums managed to sneak some head-to-head benchmarks between an AT&T HTC One X that was on display, and his own Tegra 3-powered international HTC One X.

Dude runs Quadrant, Nenamark 2 and Linpack, and there's a little back and forth over which one fares better in specific tests.

Now, you never know with demo units in stores -- we've seen them get all sorts of fouled up. But this video might well show you what to expect when the AT&T One X finally is available next week.

This changing anyone's mind over whether dual core isn't as good as quad core?

More: HTC One X forums

The Google Play store Galaxy Nexus winner

You may recall that last week we ordered an unlocked GSM Samsung Galaxy Nexus from the Google Play store to give away. There was this gigantic forum thread and everything. Well, we fired up ye olde random number generator last night and picked a winner, and now we're gonna announce it.

S cmurphy13, enjoy your Galaxy Nexus!

Keep an eye peeled for more contests and giveaways -- we like having them as much as you like winning them. Congrats,scmurphy13, from everyone here at AC!

The greatest battery widget ever

I'm not sure why nobody showed me this Metroid-style battery widget before, but I'm holding each and every single one of you personally responsible for this oversight.

Download: Super Android Battery; via Dovahkiin in the Android Forums

Deal of the Day: Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX

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AppId is over the quota

The April 18 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX. This Hard Case from Mobi Products offers solid protection against drops, and has cut outs for all of the devices features while leaving the screen exposed for full functionality. Available in black, blue, red, purple, and pink.

The Mobi Products Hard Shell Case is available for just $4.95 today only, 75% off the regular price.  Grab yours while supplies last!

Start your week with the Greatest Android Podcast in the World!

Where the heck were you on Thursday night? If you weren't with us for the live recording of the Greatest Android Podcast in the World, you definitely missed a good one. We've got our bags backed for Thursday's Samsung event in London. Plus we break down the all-new (sort of) Google Drive, talk even more about the HTC One line (you know we couldn't resist), plus we answer your e-mails and voicemails!

The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. Plus, we answer your e-mails and voicemails. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast.

Mozilla Firefox 12.0 Review

The world of Internet browsers is going crazy, and Mozilla is right up there holding the flag of craziness with Google. We reviewed Firefox 4.0 only one year ago and now it's already at version 12.0. Is it true that the higher the version number, the better the software? Or it's just a psychological maneuver?

A year ago the community was redding itself for the new and improved Firefox 4.0, but the users didn't just receive a new browser, but also a new roadmap for future releases.

We all knew that a new version of Mozilla Firefox took a really long time to become a reality, and with the rise of the Google Chrome web browser and its insane development schedule, it forced the immediate competitor to make some changes regarding their own development. Thus we now review Firefox 12.0. Crazy, right?

I don't think we can really blame anyone for this course of events, especially in a world where automatic updates have started to rule and where the version number of a particular software it's not that important anymore.

In any case, this is how things work inside Mozilla's brain. According to the developer, all changes to the Firefox source code are initially integrated in the mozilla-central Mercurial repository. At scheduled intervals, the changes are imported from mozilla-central to release channels with wider audiences, such as the Beta channel. Eventually, the changes appear in the Firefox release.

The problem, or in this c ase the solution, is to make a rapid development cycle and Firefox's is just 16 weeks, more or less. This means that Firefox 12.0 is now stable, 13.0 is Beta and 14.0 is Alpha (or Aurora, as they like to call it) and 15.0 in Nightly (daily builds).

Installation

Most of today's important Linux distributions provide the latest version of the Firefox web browser. We tested Firefox 12.0 on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin), a distribution that only came out a few days ago. Canonical was gracious enough to make the latest Firefox available through their repositories from day two.

User can also download Firefox 12 from the official website, in the form of a archive that contains all the necessary files in order to run the software. Think of it as a portable package, although the profile will not be created in the same directory.

Usage

The problem with multiple versions of a software, such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, is that it's hard to keep track of what's been added in previous versions. I can't actually remember when a particular feature was introduced or if it has been available for some time.

Reviewing a software like Firefox could be a massive undertaking and I'm quite sure that not everyone is interested to read in detail about all the nook and crannies of the software, so I'll just enumerate the good and the bad and let you decide if this is the browser for you.

Before making a decision, users must keep in mind that the experience with Mozilla Firefox will be different for each and everyone of you as people tend to use the browser in different ways.

The Good

The best feature of Firefox is without any doubt its abili ty to integrate third party addons, making the original software expanding in unimaginable ways.

I am a Firefox power user and this means that mostly I need functions that are not available in the default package. The add-ons community is so large that it's almost impossible to want something and not find it.

Another important feature of Firefox 12 is the Awesome bar. Maybe it has a flashy name, but I have to give props to Mozilla. It's pretty awesome! It uses all the history to make searching easier, it modifies according to usage to make links that are accessed more frequently pop up at the top of the list, and users can just type some of the words and not the exact link.

The third and probably one of the features I wanted most and which came to Firefox a year ago is Firefox Sync, a functionality that is not yet perfect, but is getting close. This function makes a backup of your bookmarks, cookies, history, and most importantly, add-ons, in the Mozilla cloud server.

Before Firefox Sync, when transiting from one operating system to another, there were some third party solutions, but they never worked quite the way they should and just moving a profile from one OS to another produced some problems.

The Bad

The best feature of Firefox, the multitude of add-ons, is also its greatest problem. The fact of the matter is that some features should be available by default and not introduced with third party extensions.

In theory, add-ons sound great, but they can also slow down the browser and even the operating system, especially when there are a lot of them, like in the case of a power user.

The other major issue with Firefox is the fact that it's quite a resource hog. One of the improvements I noticed when I reviewed Firefox 4.0 was a slight improvement in resource management and it got better over the past year, but it's still a major problem.

Conclusion

Some users have criticized the version policy of Mozilla and I even have friends that still use Firefox 3.5. I can safely say that it was a great decision to increase the pace of development, and it shows in the number of features and the overall feeling of the application.

I hated Firefox in the pre 3.5 versions because of the memory issues and because I had to install numerous addons just to make it the way I like it. Now, I can't imagine how I could do my work with any other browser, although there is some fierce competition out there.