HondaLink brings your Android smartphone into the cockpit, starting with the 2013 Accord

Honda's getting serious about connecting your smartphone with your car, and it'll be launching its new HondaLink system this fall in the 2013 Honda Accord. 

HondaLink follows in the footsteps of the Chevy MyLink system we demoed at General Motors' test facilities last summer in that the infotainment system uses the data connection from your phone but is controlled through the traditional in-car systems. Android smartphones will connect over Bluetooth, while iPhones can use Bluetooth or the usual iPhone cable.

Honda has teamed up with Aha by Harman to provide music, podcasts, news, Twitter and Facebook feeds, all of which are to be provided safely hands-free use in mind. Also on board are Pandora and voice-to-text SMS services, which Honda's already unveiled on the 2012 CRV.

The 2013 Accord is just the beginning, Honda said today, and that you can expect to see it on upper trim levels going forward. 

Hit the source links below for the full pressers, or check out the promo video after the break.

Source: Honda, Aha

Sprint's LTE network starting to fire up ahead of the official July 15 launch

We already knew that the Sprint LTE network was due to fire up on July 15 in selected markets, but it seems as though it's already starting to be seen across those lucky cities. 

According to various different reports in the Android Central forums, Sprint users are starting to see LTE data in cities slated for tomorrows turn on. We've got threads stating that LTE has been turned on in San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta, Kansas City and Houston, all the cities we were expecting to see fired up tomorrow. 

If you're seeing LTE yourselves, why not let us know down in the comments below, or head on over to the Android Central forums and join in the discussion.

More: Android Central Forums

Galaxy S III coming to AT&T July 6th, starting at $199.99

The flagship Android device of 2012 is going on sale at AT&T stores this Friday, July 6th. Pricing will match that of other carriers, with the 16GB variant going for $199.99, and the 32GB model retailing at $249.99. In addition to the Marble White and Pebble Blue options, AT&T will be offering a red [...]]]>

Samsung Galaxy S III official Canadian launch pegged for June 20th starting at $159

Samsung’s response to the newly freed One series of devices is already available in many parts of the globe and while those of us in the U.S. are still just grasping at rumors, our neighbors to the north can now lord their certainty over us as Samsung has confirmed that the [...]]]>

CyanogenMod 7.2 RC2 builds starting to appear for some devices

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AppId is over the quota

As promised last week, fresh release candidate for the Android 2.3-based CyanogenMod 7.2 are starting to appear, bringing the popular custom firmware to a handful of new devices, while bringing the usual mix of software enhancements and bug fixes. A quick glance at the CyanogenMod download site reveals that CM7.2 RC2 builds are now available for a number of popular devices, including the LG Optimus Black, 2X and 3D, and a number of Galaxy S variants.

As the CM team mentioned in their status update last week, development of CM7 is scheduled to continue beyond version 7.3, even as many devices transition to the ICS-based CyanogenMod 9. New additions to the CM stable in version 7.2 RC2 include the HTC Status (aka ChaCha), HTC Wildfire S, LG Optimus Chic, Motorola Photon and Samsung Galaxy 5.

Check the source link for download info.

Source: CyanogenMod

LG Viper may be available in Sprint locations starting April 22

Sprint has already announced that the LG Viper pre-orders will begin tomorrow, but what they managed to leave out was the actual date it would arrive in stores. The only information given was that it would be later this month, but the folks at Engadget received a tip today that puts it in store on April 22. This date could make sense being as it would be 10 days after the start of the pre-order, and it falls on a Sunday which is a common day for new phones to enter the market. While this is still unofficial at this point, we can cross our fingers that it is the day, and Sprint will make it official soon as well.

Source: Engadget

Sony outlines Xperia ICS update plans - manual upgrade only, starting mid-April

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Sony Mobile (or Sony Ericsson, as it was known back then) was one of the first Android manufacturers to step forward with a a definitive upgrade plan for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. We've even seen public beta ROMs released for a couple of devices by Sony devs, and active engagement with the community to track down bugs.

Today Sony's offering up more details about exactly when each of its 2011 (and 2012) Xperia handsets will be getting the latest version of Android. The manufacturer had previously promised updates during Q1, but with just two days of the current quarter remaining, it should come as no surprise that things haven taken a little longer than anticipated.

The first Sony devices to get ICS will be the Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V and Xperia Ray, starting mid-April. Next up it's the Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, Xperia Active and SE Live with Walkman, which will get ICS from "the end of May/early June."

If you've just bought a brand new Xperia S, though, you'll be in for a much longer wait. Sony's new European flagship isn't expected to get ICS until late Q2. As we said in our review, the Xperia S is a phone which sorely needs that ICS update, and early adopters will no doubt be frustrated to find themselves at the back of the line.

Sony also revealed that for 2011 Xperia phones, ICS will be an optional upgrade rather (through the PC Companion app) than a automatic over-the-air update. This is similar to the strategy adopted by Sony Ericsson with the Xperia X10's Gingerbread update. Writing on its Developer World Blog, Sony explains that ICS may actually degrade performance for some users due to increased memory use, and changes to the way SQL databases are handled, so it's not forcing the update on anyone in an OTA.

More technical details are available at the source link, but the upshot is that Sony's giving customers a choice between sticking with the familiar and stable Gingerbread experience, or living life on the edge with ICS. As far as we're concerned, that's got to be a good thing.

Source: Sony Mobile Blog; Sony Developer World

German HTC Sensation XEs apparently starting to get Ice Cream Sandwich

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AppId is over the quota

Update: Forum reports now indicate that the original HTC Sensation is also getting the ICS update, though for the moment it seems to be limited to Germany and Nordic countries.

Have a German HTC Sensation XE? Looking for your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update? Tired of us asking questions when you know darn well where this is going?

That's right, boys and girls, it looks like the ICS update is starting to hit the Sensation XE in Germany, along with an update to Sense 3.6. You're not going to get all the features in the new Sense 4, but somehow we think nobody's going to turn this one down.

HTC had promised the update would hit by the end of March. So that we're seeing it drop in Week 2 is pretty promising. Other phones expected to get ICS this month are the HTC Sensation and Sensation 4G, followed by the Sensation XL.

Head into the settings and check for the update now!

Source: HTCInside.de; via BestBoyz

Update: Looks like the basic Sensation is getting an update, too!

Toshiba Excite 10 LE coming March 6, starting at $529

Toshiba announced today that their new Excite 10 LE will be available for purchase starting March 6, and a starting price of $529. Billed as the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet (7.7mm and 535g respectively), the Excite 10 LE will cost $529 for the 16GB version, and $599 for the 32GB version. It's packed full of new features like an AutoBrite display, covered in Gorilla Glass, SRS sound, and an anti-smudge coating to keep it looking good. Here's the specs:

• Android 3.2, Honeycomb


• 10.1-inch IPS display


• Corning Gorilla Glass


• 10-finger multi-touch support


• 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio


• Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core 1.2GHz processor


• 1GB LPDDR2 RAM


• 16GB and 32GB configurations


• 2 megapixel front-facing camera


• 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash


• Micro USB, Micro HDMI ports


• Micro SD card slot


• Wifi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR


• Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and Ambient Light Sensor


• Stereo speakers with sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS Labs


• Built-in 25 watt-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery


• 10.1” (W) x 6.9” (D) x 0.3” (H)


• 1.18 pounds (535g)

The Excite 10 LE ships with Honeycomb, but Toshiba says the Ice Cream Sandwich update is in the works and coming this spring. We're not thrilled when manufacturers say coming soon, but a tablet this thin and light almost makes up for it. The full press release is after the break.

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