Portable Electronics Ltd // Technology you can carry.

Last month at the CES 2012, Verizon and Motorola officially announced the latest in the line of "Droid" headed to Big Red. As usual there was no information as to when we actually see it on the shelves. According to the Verizon Equipment Guide, that day will be February 10th with a rumored priced tag of $199. Last time we heard about the price of Droid 4, it was $249.99. Anyway, cheaper is always better. 

The Droid 4 will feature a  4-inch qHD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and 4G LTE connectivity. It comes with Droid traditional five-row QWERTY keyboard, and it looks way better than the predecessor keyboard.

Hopefully, we will see the Droid 4 hitting Verizon shelves next week, anyone planning to pick it up? Tell us about it in the comment box below.

Via: BGR

Verizon Motorola Droid 4 Priced and Release date leaked originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. The number one reason you should buy a Nexus device is because your updates come directly from Google. Meaning you have first dibs and the lastest and greatest Android has to offer.

When we learned that some GSM Nexus devices were not going to be updated by Google, instead being controlled regionally by carriers and Samsung, we were a little disappointed. But at least Verizon’s CDMA/LTE Galaxy Nexus is safe. Well, it was.

There’s been no official word from Google, but the Android Developers website tells it all. The CDMA Galaxy Nexus, codename “toro,” is no longer supported on the Android Developers website. Special CDMA radio installation and download instructions have been yanked, and factory images for the CDMA Nexus are listed as “archived, for reference only.”

There’s no telling exactly what is going on, but it doesn’t look like a mistake. Perhaps Verizon wanted more control over the device? Maybe they needed to add more custom apps, or decided they wanted to exclusively handle the updating procedure? Whatever the case, this is a sad day for Verizon customers who thought they were buying a developer device. It’s not that this will really impact consumers for the most part, but enthusiasts will surely feel let down.

We’ll let you know if the situation changes.

Update:

Dan Morrill has taken to the Android Contributors Google Groups page to explain the situation.

For various technical reasons, recent CDMA Android devices implement core telephony functionality in .apk files provided in binary form by the carriers. To function correctly, these .apk files must be signed by the so-called 'platform' key. However, when an individual creates a custom build from the AOSP source code, they don't use the same signing key as these CDMA flies were signed with.

The result is that these files don't work properly, and pure AOSP builds running on these devices can't place calls, access mobile data, and so on. Because we aim to make sure that we are as clear as possible about the degree of support that devices have, we updated the docs over at source.android.com to reflect this reality.

We will still make available as many as possible of the closed-source binaries for these devices, and Nexus devices will continue to have unlockable bootloaders. And, of course, GSM/HSPA+ devices are still supported, as are any other devices we're able to support. We've simply updated the documentation to be clearer about the current extent of CDMA support.Dan MorrillGoogle

It looks like there’s nothing really going on here. Developers compiling and using pure AOSP builds are leaving CDMA phones less than functional. Your weekend has been saved.

The company behind the glass displays on many of our current smartphones and tablets, Corning, has just published another video showing us their vision of the future and the possibilities with Gorilla Glass and beyond. While almost everything from the video clip is futuristic it does give you an impressive look on the possibilities in the future with not only Corning’s glass, but devices and tablets as a whole.

For those that don’t know, Corning and their hardened glass technology is what is currently being used in most smartphones and tablets available today, especially in Android devices. Their scratch resistant, anti-glare glass gives us better and stronger displays for all of our favorite devices. I could break down the video but instead I’ll let you enjoy it for yourself.

I must admit, they did go a little overboard as not everything can be made of transparent glass — but the learning and educational possibilities alone are quite impressive. The multi-user multi-touch display we see later in the video is something already being used today, just not on that scale. At CES 2012 we saw multiple large screen platforms with Corning themselves hosting a huge 80? Gorilla Glass 2 strengthened projected display and more.

It seems that technology may be advancing a little slower than Corning would like. With handheld devices, 3D projectors, and homes being entirely reliant on glass this shows us a future we can only dream of. Or do we think we’ll have these types of technologies soon? Corning also released an unpacked version of the video with a complete breakdown of the technology and you can see that here.

Back in mid-December, some information about what Google was working on at their top secret Google X lab made its way online that left us wanting more. According to 9to5 Google, Google has been working on some Android powered smart glasses that would feature a heads up display for relaying information from the cloud. We still don’t know if this is true, or if it is, when the smart glasses would hit retail shelves, but Google has filed a request with the FCC signaling they are ready to test an “entertainment device” that will eventually be available to the masses.

In the original rumor report from 9to5 Google’s Seth Weintraub, Google’s smart glasses were detailed as looking like your average pair of eyeglasses, save for some unobtrusive buttons on the arms. The lenses would feature some sort of transparent display technology, similar to Samsung’s transparent Super AMOLED, that would show information based on several different things. If paired with an Android device, the glasses could very well let you know who is calling when your phone goes off, give a brief description of an email, or notify you of a calendar alert. But Google’s glasses might not have to be used with an Android device at all.

Rumors peg the glasses as capable of running on their own. They’d have some sort of data or WiFi and GPS access for connecting with your Google account, and bringing you location aware information. For example walking into your favorite gelato shop downtown may trigger a notification letting you know Google has a coupon available for this store. We imagine Google Maps navigation is another real possibility.

The reality of the situation here is that none of these rumored features could ever make it to consumers without some serious real world trials. Which is exactly what Google’s FCC request is all about.

Google has sent a request to the FCC to test 252 “entertainment devices” from January 17, to July 17, on home WiFi networks and through Bluetooth. At this point, we have no solid idea on what Google could possibly be testing. But we do know that the smart glasses rumor does have some weight behind it. “Prominent wearables” PhD Richard DuVaul, whose work centered around wearable heads up displays, has been employed at Google for just over six months now, or just enough time for a prototype device to hit the real world testing phases. Then again, we could be looking at something far less revolutionary like a watch.

With 252 of these new entertainment devices in the wild, someone is bound to leak something soon.

We have something special for your daily flurry of lawsuit news. We usually see Cupertino Giant messing with all the little boys in the playground. Today, Motorola has taken a big swing at Apple, winning a permanent injunction in Germany. This forced Apple to pull most of its devices from its online store (you could still find them at stores) for a while.

Devices affected included the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and all 3G-enabled iPads. These went off the German Apple Store website for a while, until the ban was lifted again. An appeal took place after Apple complained that Motorola was not being helpful with the licensing of the patents at hand. Apple made a licencing payment offer, and its products should be back in the shelves soon. [1]

Regardless, it seems like iPhone and iPad users in Germany might still be losing some iCloud functionality. Mainly, the use of push e-mail, which is a great loss, if you ask us. Being able to get your e-mail & notifications in time is crucial for many users.

It seems like Google was not so wrong making the decision to acquire Motorola, in order to defend the Android operating system and manufacturers from legal battles. Motorola is on a roll with Apple, with this being the third time they won against Cupertino Giant, in Germany.

We are also still waiting to see what happens in Florida, where Motorola sued Apple, as well. Odds are looking awfully great for Motorola. And with this happening in Apple’s home country, we can expect to see those tables not only turned, but flipped upside down.

References

1. Via BBC News ?

Woot had a Motorola XOOM sale at the tail end of 2011, and as it turns out now, there were a batch of these units that still contained their original users data upon them. For those that give up their units to the refurbishing points across the USA often do not know that they have to reset their devices before they hand them over, believe it or not. For a period between March and October of 2011, refurb groups across the USA did not check the devices correctly.

Motorola is warning users that turned in their units between those months that they should speak with Motorola if they’ve experienced any strange happenings with their personal data. Motorola is also giving a free two-year subscription to an Experian credit monitoring system if they’ve turned their devices in during that period so that they might check their credit and assure themselves that they’re not getting messed with. Stores affected include Best Buy, BJ’s Wholesale, eBay, Office Max, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, and Staples.

If you feel you’ve been affected on either side of this equation, you should contact Motorola customer support at 1-800-734-5870 or at their website for this situation over at Motorola XOOM Return. This situation is sure to stopper up some Android lovers if the XOOM was their first tablet, but only a tiny fraction of XOOM users have actually been hit thus far. Stay strong on the XOOM front, users!

[via SlashGear]

Starting Sunday, Feb 5th Best Buy will be allowing pre-orders of the latest Samsung device on AT&T. The Samsung Galaxy Note, is a 5.3" HD Super AMOLED device boasting a fast dual core processor. 

The handset will go for a retail price of $299 on a new 2 year agreement with AT&T. Included with the device is the new user input technology S Pen stylus. Other specs include an 8MP rear camera along with a 2MP front facing camera.  16GB of onboard memory is also a nice feature, and also supports an external microSD card which is not included.

So, you can pre-order on the 5th and the device will be available on Sunday February 19th. The free protective Flip Cover case is available while supplies last, with no rain checks.

Source:BBPR

Pre-Order Samsung Galaxy Note from Best Buy and Get Free Flip Cover Case originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Anybody who’s bought an expensive Android phone in the last couple of years can probably commiserate with all those waiting months and months for an official update. Many times users root and install custom ROMs not out of any particular desire to mod, but just to get the features in the current version of Android. US Government officials made a bold claim on CNN this morning, saying that they can send out major software updates to their secure Android-based phones in just two weeks, side-stepping both manufacturers and carriers to deliver updated code based on Android’s open-source releases.

The official further stated that the government’s choice of Android for secure phone operations was specifically because of the operating system’s open-source nature. Publicly-available code enables modifications like the NSA’s ultra-secure Android variant, not to mention all the changes that OEMs and carriers place on phones and tablets. But since the government’s changes are relatively small and only apply to a few thousand phones at most, it follows that they could keep a tighter lid on their changes. The official said that they had approached Apple for customized versions of the iPhone and iOS for government use, but were denied access to the software’s source code.

Of course, updates to secure government-issued hansets aren’t going to grace the headlines of gadget blogs any time soon. But given the generally deplorable state of Android updates, wherein some customers wait for six months to a year for new software (if they get it at all) would seem a might bit more pathetic if Uncle Sam could do so much better. Private sector, consider yourself bested.

[via GigaOm]

The UPnP forum recently listed 2 new LG Android devices which recently passed certification. There isn't much information available regarding these new handsets, but we know them as the LG-P880 and LG-p700.

According to the LG website source, the LG-P700 is running Android v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with a display resolution of 480x600. Kind of an odd resolution if you ask me, but LG is known for their small handsets, so it makes sense. We've yet to see ICS on a smaller device with crappy resolution, completely different than the high-end handsets we've become accustomed to.

The LG-P880 boasts a HD 720p resolution which seems to be the new standard for high-end Android devices. Perhaps this is the LG-X3 we saw a few weeks ago?  That would make it a quad-core Tegra3 device, but that's enough speculation.

I'm sure more information will be released in the coming weeks, and we'll be right here to let you know about it.

Source: PocketNow

A couple new LG Androids pass certification originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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We know some of you have been waiting for a high-end QWERTY phone on Verizon’s LTE network for months. It looks like that wait is finally (finally!) coming to a close, and we can expect to see Motorola’s DROID 4 show up in Verizon stores in the middle of February. A new leak at Droid Life shows how much you’ll be spending for the privilege: $199.99 with a new two-year contract, or $549.99 without any commitments. Verizon’s standard tiered voice, text and data plans will almost certainly apply to the latest DROID phone.

Assuming that the price in question hold steady, it’s a surprisingly good price for a new high-end phone. Motorola’s DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX will both run you $300 (though you can – and should – shave $100 off the price of the RAZR by getting it without a MicroSD card), as will the Galaxy Nexus and HTC Rezound. Placing the new DROID model at Verizon’s mid-range price seems odd, but clearly they’re setting it at a lower tier when compared with other phones, even though the DROID 4?s specs compete pretty evenly with them.

Speaking of specs: the DROID 4 is basically a copy of the DROID RAZR, with a smaller screen, removable battery and of course a slide-out keyboard. The DROID 4 comes with a 4-inch screen running the same 960×540 resolution, but sadly trades in the AMOLED panel for a more pedestrian LCD.   You still get a 1.2Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP camera and (sigh) Motorola’s Gingerbread with a custom UI and a locked bootloader. We spent some hands-on time with the DROID 4 at CES and came away impressed – everyone else should be able to in a week or two.

Story Timeline

• DROID 4 and DROID RAZR MAXX Official: Hands-on on Jan 11th 2012
• Verizon MAP leaks showing DROID 4, RAZR, and Bionic all getting prices slashed on Jan 26th 2012
• Motorola DROID 4 coming soon, lands on Droid Does site again on Feb 1st 2012
• Motorola DROID 4 may hit Verizon February 9th on Feb 2nd 2012
• DROID 4 launching in "All Channels" February 10th according to leak on Feb 2nd 2012

Sony Ericsson today announced that they have partnered with Australia's surfing and sports clothing brand Billabong. Why?  Because they can.  That, and because they want to expand the reach of their smartphone brand to surfers and sporty types.  Starting today, consumer in select markets will be able to purchase limited Xperia active Billabong Edition handsets with custom covers and exclusive content.  Tailored apps and software include Billabong screensavers, videos, a Billabong LIVE application which happens to be available to other Android users.  Extending beyond the Xperia active, an exclusive Surf Trip game is available for the Xperia PLAY.

Sony Ericsson Drops into Extreme Action Sports with Billabong

Global partnership promises entertainment and access to exclusive experiences for consumers and fans

XperiaTM active Billabong Edition now available in select markets

London, UK – February 3 , 2012 – Sony Ericsson today announced an expanded global strategic alliance with Billabong,  a brand that promotes an authentic lifestyle and the true values of core boardsports (surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and  wakeboarding),  which connects the Xperia smartphone brand to a new and highly influential consumer audience and extends to a retail offering for smartphone users. At the center of the partnership is the XperiaTM active Billabong Edition smartphones designed with extreme sports enthusiasts in mind.

“Billabong brings a new, enthusiastic and engaging audience who are early technology adopters and influencers in the areas of sports and technology,”said Stephan Croix, VP Head of Global Marketing Creation for Sony Ericsson. “This partnership is a perfect fit with our brand and the XperiaTM range of smartphones.”

The XperiaTM active Billabong edition is an  ideal smartphone for extreme sports enthusiasts who can capture all of the excitement up close and personal.  This tough, scratch-resistant smartphone is packed with technologies such as wet finger tracking and has received some of the highest marks in dustproof and water resistance categories (IP67).  Click here for more information on the Xperia active.

“The partnership is an expansion of our long term relationship with Sony and an extention of an Asia Pacific alliance developed with Sony Ericsson in 2011,” said Scott Wallace, Billabong’s International VP of Strategic Partnerships & New Media. “Our customers are very tech savvy and their top interests include music, photography, social media and, of course, action sports. Each of these interests can be captured or experienced through the XperiaTM active and we are working on some exciting apps and accessories that should add to the user’s experience. The first to benefit will be the athletes at our major international events who will be testing the XperiaTM active device in conditions as diverse as the snowfields in Austria, surfing the big waves of Tahiti and even skateboarding in Singapore.”

The partnership extends beyond the XperiaTM active as Sony Ericsson and Billabong have also co-created exclusive content for additional XperiaTM devices. The XperiaTM active Billabong Edition will feature preloaded Billabong screenscavers, videos and Billabong LIVE, a mobile app now available in the Sony Ericsson channel in Android Market, and the Xperia TM PLAY will boast an exclusive surf game, Billabong Surf Trip.

Sony Ericsson XperiaTM smartphones will be featured in major Billabong events worldwide. In addition, Sony Ericsson has more to offer its retailer and operator partners with this unique alliance which gives way to an amplified retail strategy with assets, such as merchandise and event access, which will be used in retail promotions.

Gnarly dude! Sony and Billabong team for special edition Xperia Active, exclusive content originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Asus hasn't even got rid of all the bugs in the Transformer Prime and yet there's another Transformer on the way bearing the codename TF300T. Given the fact that the Tranformer Prime is still quite new and it would be unwise to release yet another Android tablet this soon, this device is probably running Windows 8 although there's no sign of the obligatory Windows button on the front. Of course it's possible that the TF300T runs Android - it's just highly unlikely - but we wanted to let you know about this one anyway.

Also interesting is the 'T' in the codename. Asus announced a HD version of the 'old' Transformer Prime, dubbed TF201T, at CES 2012, which leaves me with the belief that this leaked device is running at a resolution of 1200*1920 as well.

Source: Engadget

Picture of Asus TF300T leaks, Transformer Prime successor? originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Samsung’s Galaxy S III is fast becoming the biggest rumor monger in the Android universe, replacing the Galaxy Nexus at the top of ridiculous speculation. The latest tidbit comes from a “well-placed UK independent phone retailer“, who claims that the next version of the Galaxy S family will come with a coating compound that blocks out water and other liquids in a pretty amazing fashion. He claims that both the Galaxy S III and the iPhone 5 will have a waterproof seal provided by Liquipel, whose gadget-dunking demonstrations impressed onlookers at CES 2012.

The technology behind these seals has been available for years. They’re impressive, no doubt: basically, the system coats a phone or tablet with a near-invisible compound that can block out almost any liquid and moisture. It can repel several meters of water pressure for extended periods of time, making an accidental dunk in a tub or sink a non-issue. Liquipel’s coating technology penetrates into the device itself to cover all interior components as well: their demonstration below shows an HTC ThunderBolt running submerged with the battery cover off, as water trickles into contact with the protected mainboard and other components.

How likely is this rumor? Well it’s certainly not impossible. Liquipel currently offers its coating technology directly to consumers via a mail-in program, charging between $60 and $80 per device. Partnering with a huge company like Samsung or Apple could cut their per-device cost down to a couple of dollars, while adding a huge amount of value for end users. I’d honestly be surprised to see Apple adopt this – they tend to have a wait-and-see approach, never adding a feature if they don’t need to (case in point: the original 2G iPhone). But Samsung might add it to their flagship as yet another differentiation versus Apple.

All this is extremely speculative at the moment; just about the only thing we know for sure about the Galaxy S III is that it won’t shoe up at Mobile World Congress in late February. I’ve been hoping that someone would use one of these waterproofing processes on a mainstream device for a while now. Samsung, are you up to the challenge?

Story Timeline

• Samsung Galaxy S III camera sample leaks, tagged GT-I9500 on Dec 28th 2011
• Samsung teases possible Galaxy S III in CES presentation on Jan 17th 2012
• Samsung Galaxy S III launch delayed according to new rumors on Jan 25th 2012
• Samsung GT-9300 and GT-9800 appear online - Galaxy S III and something new on Jan 27th 2012
• Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note S rumors continue, aiming for March release on Jan 31st 2012
• Samsung: no Galaxy S III at MWC, separate event to come later on Feb 1st 2012

[via Cult of Android]

Xiaomi is a Chinese tech company most notably known for its MIUI version of Android. MIUI is based on Android v2.3.7 and CyanogenMod v7 sources. With its iOS look and feel, MIUI gives Android users yet another form of customization. 

For the first time ever, MIUI will be open source. If you check the Github you will find several applications' source code. So far, we are looking at a handful of applications as well as the ROM source. The MIUI applications up on the MiCode Github are listed below.

• File Explorer
• Notes
• Sound Recorder
• Compass

We are expecting more source to pop-up in the near future.

Source:MIUIAndroid

Xiaomi makes MIUI ROM and Applications Open Source originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Remember those reports from last month that showed Apple beating out Android in the latter half of 2011? The ones that half the internet jumped on as proof that Android was “falling behind”? Yeah, not so much. Despite a massive rise in iPhone sales in the fourth quarter, Android is still way out in front of the mobile landscape with 47.3 % market share, according to ComScore. Their number crunchers say that’s a 2.5 point increase since Q3 2011. Apple continues to rise at a slower pace, capturing 29.6% of the total smartphone market in the US.

Both Android and iOS are continuing a trend of stealing market share from RIM’s BlackBerry and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile/Windows Phone. For the last quarter of 2011, combined Windows market share dropped down to 4.7%, with RIM dropping three points down to just 16%. Both companies are doing better than Microsoft’s recent partner Nokia, whose Symbian OS has just 1.4% of total US smartphone users. Nokia is transitioning its smartphones to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform, because every gambler knows there’s no sense loading up on the favorite.

Samsung continues to dominate the total mobile sector as far as OEMs go, representing 25% of all phones used in the 3rd quarter. LG and Motorola round out the top three, with Apple taking 12.4% of total phone sales and RIM dropping down to 6.7%. The figures represent combined figures, with 40% of US mobile subscribers using smartphones. Oh, and that gloom and doom report from Nielsen I mentioned earlier? That was for new smartphone buyers in December, not total market share.

[via Beta News]

A new Samsung ROM based on Android 4.0.3 has been found and when we say new, it's pretty current stuff.  Dated just a few days ago (January 29), it's said that this (I9100XXLPB) ROM is ready for daily use and is considered very stable.  You'll see from the short video below that it incorporates both Android 4.0 aesthetics with the Samsung TouchWiz UI and features a slight 3D swiping experience on the home screen. SamMobile is reporting that this release also offers improved battery performance, calling it "lots better".  If you'd like to download and flash this ROM to your Galaxy S II then you can grab it directly from SamMobile.com/firmware.  Otherwise, wait a few weeks and get it once it officially rolls out.

New Android 4.0.3 ROM found for Galaxy S II (I9100XXLPB) originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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LG’s right proud of its international flagship, the Optimus LTE, and rightly so. The high-end smartphone has sold more than a million units worldwide, including Asian and North American markets. The company hopes to sell a few more in Canada soon, at the behest of wireless carrier Telus: the cellular provider recently showed up in a list of supported carriers on LG’s Canadian website. Telus has remained mum on the subject, probably because its LTE network isn’t scheduled to go live until later this month. Canadian competitor Bell as the Optimus 4G LTE.

By now you should be familiar with the Optimus LTE’s hardware but just in case you’re not: the biggest selling point is the combination of a 1280×720 4.5-inch IPS display and a high-speed LTE connection. Inside the phone you’ll find a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor and 1GB of RAM, with the obligatory 8MP camera thrown in for kicks. In both American versions of the phone that Android Community has reviewed thus far (the LG Nitro HD on AT&T and the Spectrum by LG on Verizon) it’s come with just 4GB of on-board storage and a free 16GB MicroSD card. Software is still limited to Gingerbread with LG’s custom skin.

The absence of the Optimus LTE on Telus’ site is odd, since they’ve already announced LTE versions of the Samsung Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab 8.9 for the upcoming high-speed network. It could be that they simply haven’t finalized a marketing deck just yet, and LG let the cat out of the bag early on their own site. Whatever the reason, expect to see the Optimus LTE grace retail and online Telus stores within the next few weeks.

[via MobileSyrup]

“Oh, I’d never use an Android phone – those things crash too much!” This mantra is often heard from those cradling their iDevices, basking in the self-satisfied glow of the latest incrementally updated iPhone Designed by Apple in California (and Made by Foxconn in China). But is it true? Recent research from mobile analytics firm Crittercism says no. Based on data collected in November and December of last year, iOS apps crashed at a significantly higher rate than Android apps – more than three times as much for top selling apps. Don’t panic, Apple faithful, just keep repeating this soothing chant to yourself: “It just works.”

The research was normalized for both platforms, taking relative downloads out of the equation. Even in the most extreme example, less than 4% of iOS apps and 3% of Android apps crashed with regularity. The biggest OS version offender by  far was iOS 5, making up more than a quarter of app crashes all by itself. That makes sense, since new operating systems have the most compatibility issues with older apps – at least until you read that Android 4.0 has just 1% of the share of crashed apps. Apple’s combined mobile OS made up more than two thirds of total normalized app crashes. The biggest portion of Android crashes went to Gingerbread 2.3.3, with just under 4%.

Looking at Android specifically, Gingerbread makes up more than half of crashed apps across all versions - which makes since, considering that it’s at roughly 60% penetration across all Android devices at the moment. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich does show a disproportionate amount of app crashes, with just under 7% of the Android total. When taken across both mobile platforms, iOS still has the majority of crashing apps, even considering its greater share of total app downloads.

[via Forbes]

The last time we covered Team Kang‘s Android Open Kang Project, it was back on Milestone 1. Milestone 3 is available now for both the GSM and CDMA versions of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. AOKP has been through quite a few nighties since then, so here are some of the main features you could be missing!

One of the main additions in Milestone 1 was the incorporation of Roman’s power menu and ICS-like toggles. Another welcomed improvement since then includes the ability to unlink ringtone and notification volumes. The stock setting was quite irritating on my Galaxy Nexus, and hopefully this will be pushed into other ROMs as well. Using the ‘Phone’ app in landscape mode now works too! It’s great when trying to dial a number when your phone is docked in the car.

A tiny SMS icon has also been added into the lockscreen for easy access. This currently doesn’t help you Google Voice users, but eventually the team plans on making it configurable. Countless other fixes were also baked in, and head here if you want to take a look at them all. This is essentially a ‘nightly’, but Milestone builds are more focused on stability rather than the introduction of new features. Tell us how you like it! AOKP has been butter smooth on all our devices so far, so this one should be no different!

[via RootzWiki]

Motorola has just now started rolling out a major software update improving both performance, as well as security. Update v55.13.25 will completely remove Carrier IQ from the device, and if you don’t exactly know what that is – navigate here. You’ll see about 9 fixes, and of them improved picture clarity delivered from the camera will be most noticeable.

Other than improving overall performance, the Mobile Hotspot application has been updated to help retain a better connection to devices. The AT&T messages app has been revamped as well, offering easier methods for accessing texts stored in your cloud. They’ve gone ahead and renamed a few applications, but it shouldn’t effect anything. They’ve been shortened for easy access in the app tray.

If you’re not too anxious about having the update as soon as possible, then it should be pushed to your device. But those of you looking to get it sooner should navigate through Settings > About Phone > and tap System Updates. During an update, it’s smart to be plugged into an outlet, and also connected to your home wireless network to avoid climbing over your data cap. Hopefully it’s easy and painless, but let us know if any problems occur.

[via Phandroid]