Google bumps Android to 4.2, keeps Jelly Bean moniker

Google bumps Android to 42, keeps Jelly Bean moniker

Well, it's no Key Lime Pie, but Android 4.2 is certainly a treat in its own right. The latest version of Google's mobile OS makes a number of evolutionary improvements to its already impressive repertoire -- including a new quick settings menu that can be accessed from the notification pull down and support for multiple user profiles. The multiple user support is especially handy for tablets like the new Nexus 10, which are much more likely to be shared, and now offer quick and easy user switching right from the lock screen. If you don't want to share your tablet, just what's on it, the new support for Miracast makes will allow you to wirelessly beam movies, games or anything else to a compatible display. The 10-inch tablet UI has also received a slight tweak, moving closer to the design for phones and the Nexus 7, with centered navigation buttons and the notification area up top. It might seem strange for users used to the Honeycomb-style tablet layout, but the new design is much simpler and provides a consistent experience across devices.

Google has also overhauled the photo experience and added Photo Sphere -- a 360-degree panoramic shooting mode that captures everything around you. Obviously, you'll be able to post those shots to Google+, but you'll also be able to add them to Google Maps, basically creating your own personal Street View. Interestingly, Google has also taken a page from Swype's playbook, adding "Gesture Typing" to its keyboard. There's also a new screensaver called Daydream that offers up news, photos and other content when a device is docked or idle.

Perhaps the biggest, and creepiest improvements are to Google Now, which can monitor your Gmail for relevant content such as flight numbers. Hotel and restaurant reservations are now presented as cards, as are packages enroute to your humble abode. The service will even remind you of events you've purchased tickets for, essentially making Calendar redundant for a lot of your personal life. For more info check out the source links.

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Google bumps Android to 4.2, keeps Jelly Bean moniker originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus 4 official: Android 4.2, Snapdragon S4 Pro, 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 display

Nexus 4 official Android 42, Snapdragon S4 Pro, 47inch 1280 x 768 display

Hurricane Sandy may have put the kibosh on Google's gala in New York City, but it's not stopping the company from taking the wraps off of its latest pure Android phone. LG's Nexus 4 is finally official, after a cavalcade of leaks that spelled out just about everything ahead of time. As for the official specs? We're looking at a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display (1,280 x 768), an 8 megapixel rear camera, Gorilla Glass 2, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM and the latest rendition of Google Now. Naturally, turn-by-turn navigation via Google Maps is included, as are 3D Maps, Street View and Indoor Maps. The Nexus 4 will be sold (at least initially) unlocked, supporting some 200 carriers that play by the GSM / HSPA+ rules. It'll be made available in both 8GB and 16GB versions starting November 13 in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia, with pricing set for $299 (8GB) / $349 (16GB). The 16GB version will also be available through T-Mobile for $199, with a 2-year contract.

Continue reading Nexus 4 official: Android 4.2, Snapdragon S4 Pro, 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 display

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Nexus 4 official: Android 4.2, Snapdragon S4 Pro, 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 display originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s Nexus 10: 2,560 x 1,600, 300 ppi display and Android 4.2, shipping November 13th $399

Google announces Nexus 10 tablet with 2,560 x 1,500, 300 ppi display and Android 42, shipping November 13th for $399

Weather? What weather? Google has announced the Nexus 10, a Samsung-made 10.05-inch tablet that appears to share a lot of DNA with the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Android chief Andy Rubin revealed that the device will be packing a 2,560 x 1,600 display, promising a pixel density of 300 ppi. Google has also indicated that the Nexus 10 will crank out nine hours of continuous video playback and 500 hours of standby on its 9,000mAh lithium polymer battery. Of course, no new tablet would be complete without a new operating system, and while we'll still be calling it Jelly Bean, it's now been bumped all the way up to Android 4.2.

The official specifications match those that were leaked late last week, and inside the device is a dual-core, Cortex A15-based 1.7 GHz Samsung Exynos 5250 CPU. In addition, there's a Mali T604 GPU, stereo speakers, 2GB of RAM, NFC, 802.11 b/g/n (MIMO + HT40) WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, with front-and rear NFC (Android beam) radios. 'Round back you'll find a 5-megapixel main camera and a 1.9-megapixel forward-facing shooter. Weighing 603 grams, it's 8.9mm thick and offers microUSB, Pogo Pin, microHDMI and the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. It'll be available from November 13th on Google Play in the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Canada and Japan -- with the 16GB edition costing $399 (£319 in the UK) and the 32GB version setting you back $499 (£389).

Continue reading Google's Nexus 10: 2,560 x 1,600, 300 ppi display and Android 4.2, shipping November 13th $399

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Google's Nexus 10: 2,560 x 1,600, 300 ppi display and Android 4.2, shipping November 13th $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG exec claims Nexus due at October 29th event, ships to India one month later

LG Nexus G leaked by Onliner.by

It's either a premature confirmation or one of the larger executive gaffes we've seen in recent memory, but it's hard to ignore. LG's Mobile Product Planning lead for India, Amit Gujral, just claimed in an interview with IBNLive that the "LG Nexus" will launch at Google's October 29th event and ship to India "by the end of November." He even stuck his neck out to offer specifications -- the Nexus will reportedly have a very Optimus G-like 4.7-inch screen and quad-core 1.5GHz chip while throwing the unreleased Android 4.2 into the equation. Nothing's official so far despite the statements, and we're not expecting to Google to spoil its own party; if Gujral really does have the inside track, though, we may have been given a peek at the main attraction in Google's playground.

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LG exec claims Nexus due at October 29th event, ships to India one month later originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparent Gmail for Android 4.2 leak shows off pinch-to-zoom, swipe features

Apparent Gmail for Android 42 leak shows off pinchtozoom, swipe features

If you've been desperate for new Gmail on your Android, a leaked APK obtained by Android Police -- that may or may not have come from one of those LG E960 Mako (alleged) Nexus phones that it seems everyone has -- is sporting some fresh tweaks. As seen in this demo video, the update adds pinch-to-zoom on individual messages, as well as swipe to delete or archive. The app itself is labeled as version 4.2, and while the APK isn't widely available, the site reports that if it is released you'll need to be rooted and running Android 4.0 or higher to get an early taste of the future.

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Apparent Gmail for Android 4.2 leak shows off pinch-to-zoom, swipe features originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 01:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG’s rumored Nexus, the E960 Mako, poses for Belarusian glamour pics

LG's rumored Nexus, the E960 Mako, poses for Belarusian glamour pics

While Google and LG have kept quiet on the subject of any prospective Nexus phone, the leaky ship that is the LG E960 "Mako" popped another hole today as Belarusian site Onliner.by has apparently gotten its hands on a prototype unit. According to the site the specs match many of the previous leaks saying it's similar to the Optimus G, rocking a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, 1280x768 4.7-inch display and 2GB of RAM, but only 8GB of storage built-in and an 8MP camera. It's running the just-released Android 4.1.2 for now, so unfortunately there's no hint of any potential Android 4.2 features. Hit the source link to check out a few more quality snaps of the "with Google" handset, but at this rate we'll probably have more details any minute now.

Continue reading LG's rumored Nexus, the E960 Mako, poses for Belarusian glamour pics

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LG's rumored Nexus, the E960 Mako, poses for Belarusian glamour pics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 06:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 4.2 shows up in our server logs, shocks no one

Android 42 shows up in our server logs, shocks no one

Reports have been circulating that devices running Android 4.2, rumored to be code-named Key Lime Pie (though it's seeming more likely that it will retain the Jelly Bean moniker), have been popping up in server logs and benchmarks across the web. Well, after doing some digging through our own records, we're seeing quite a few instances of hardware running the unannounced Google platform visiting Engadget. Now, we do feel it necessary to add the caveat that there are some strange reports in our logs as well, coming from hardware allegedly running Android 5.0 and 6.0, but we're not convinced of their authenticity. We are, however, fairly certain that the numerous Galaxy Nexii hitting our site sporting Android 4.2, build JOO90B, are legit. We're also seeing a number of occams, potentially an obtuse reference to the RAZR (a Moto Nexus perhaps?) pinging our servers running the same build. Like others, we're seeing reports of the Arc S running 4.2 as well, but upon further investigation it seems more likely that this is a beta of Jelly Bean 4.1 currently being tested by Sony. Obviously, none of this is official, but it only makes the impending release of a new Nexus or Nexii seem all the more likely.

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Android 4.2 shows up in our server logs, shocks no one originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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