Wednesday, March 28, 2012
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Review
Seriously, this is our Transformer Prime review. As you know,we first got our hands on this next-gen Android tablet back in December, but for reasons we can't explain (other than Kellex being bored to death with Android tablets), we are just now putting it all together. Apologies are in store though, we really have no excuse for this being 5 months late. With that said, you should already know that it is one of our favorite tablets as we talk about it
Android 4.0.4 Update Rolling Out to the Galaxy Nexus…GSM Variant
As you know from our report earlier, Android 4.0.4 has been pushed to AOSP and has started to rollout to the XOOM WiFi and T-Mo Nexus S. You can add GSM Galaxy Nexus to that list as well. Hate to say it, but seeing the LTE G-Nex left off of that list is not all that surprising anymore. After Google decided to drop AOSP support from all CDMA Nexus variants, you sort of get the feeling that this is how it will go down from now on (HSPA/GSM phones first, CDMA second). And not that the LTE Nexus has been completely written off, as I'm sure it will see 4.0.4 (or 4.0.5?) in the "coming weeks" as the Android team mentions in their latest Google+ post. But since being released, we have gone update-less (unless you count the release day 4.0.2. push) – it sure would have been nice to be at the front of the line this time.
Via:
Google confirms Android 4.0.4 rolling out to multiple devices, Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus not included
Update: Google just announced that Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich, is rolling out to mutiple devices. The latest update includes "stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more." Some devices are seeing Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time, while others are receiving updates from previous versions of Android 4.x. More devices will be supported soon, but the first wave of devices that are receiving it now include:
- UMTS/GSM Nexus S
- Xoom WiFi
- HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus
Android developer Jean-Baptiste Queru, or JBQ as he's so lovingly called, has announced today that Android 4.0.4 is finally being pushed into the Android Open Source Project.
According to JBQ, Android 4.0.4 features "a few hundred changes over 4.0.3," and it "matches the update that has been sent to a few devices since yesterday" (more on that below). As previously mentioned by Google, "files related to CDMA devices have not been tested in the context of AOSP." There's no solid timeframe for when 4.0.4 will reach all of the various Google Experience Devices out there, but some devices are already seeing the update.
The WiFi version of the Motorola Xoom has already been pushed the update, and an update file for the Nexus S has made available online.
That's right, after months of waiting for Google to finally get their act together, an Android 4.0.4 update file for the Samsung Nexus S has finally been uploaded to Google's servers, ready to be manually flashed over the botched update to Android 4.0.3.
Coming in at just 18MB, today's update for the Nexus S is meant strictly for flashing over Android 4.0.3. It has been confirmed to work on both the i9023, and i9020-T (the T-Mobile Nexus S variant). There's good reason to believe 4.0.4 should hit be available as an over the air update sooner than later, but if you don't want to wait to receive it on your stock Nexus S, you can download it directly from Google now.
According to those who have successfully flashed the update to 4.0.4, it runs much smoother than 4.0.3, and features quite a few big fixes to well documented problems.
To check and see if your Xoom is ready for the update, simply head to Settings > About tablet. For GSM Nexus S users, check XDA for more info.
I've been running CM9 nightly builds on my Nexus S for quite some time now, but I may revert back to stock to see if the update fixes any major problems. Let us know if you've given the update a shot.
LG Lucid Arrives in Verizon Stores for Tomorrow’s Launch, Poses for Pictures
The LG Lucid, a mid-range dual-core Android device, will go on sale tomorrow in Verizon stores for $79.99 on contract and after $50 mail-in rebate. In predictable fashion, units started to arrive today so that patrons can begin to lineup around the block, in hopes of getting their hands on it first. Wait…
Cheers ___!
Android Gaming Weekly: Battlefield 3, Men in Black 3, King of Fighters, Gangstar Rio
Welcome to our new column