LG Nexus smartphone expected to be announced on October 29

The LG Nexus smartphone rumors are coming in thick and fast, with each one adding a new piece to the puzzle that is very close to being complete.

First off, there are couple of new pictures as seen below that show the phone in a better light. The back says 'with Google' that has raised a few questions, as Nexus phones usually have just the Google logo on the back. Then again, this is not a final product so the back could change by the time it releases. In fact, from what we have heard, the actual phone has a Nexus logo, with a big multi-colored 'X' in the middle.

Next bit of rumor pegs the worldwide launch date on October 29. This bit of information comes from a French publication Le Figaro. They also say that France itself will get the phone around December.

The next bit of info comes from Carphone Warehouse's inventory listing, that suggests that the phone will be called the LG Nexus 4 (which, just for the record, is an infinitely better name than LG Optimus Nexus) and that it will be sold in black and white.

Lastly, there is some disappointing bit of information regarding the internal storage of the phone. It is being said that the phone only has 8GB internal memory and just like previous Nexus devices there is no microSD card slot. If true, it will be an absolutely appalling decision on Google/LG's part. 8GB is way too less for a handset that otherwise sports top notch specifications. We honestly doubt Google/LG will ship the phone with so little memory and think this specification could be changed by the time the phone is announced.

We'll continue to put our ears to the ground and report anything new learned about this device.

Source 1 ? Source 2 ? Source 3

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CyanogenMod plans quick Android 4.1 turnaround – all CM9 devices expected to receive CM10 update

Google has yet to release the source code for Android 4.1, but that’s not stopping the CyanogenMod team from predicting a quick turnaround for CM10. According to a Google+ post which went up earlier this afternoon, the changes and new features introduced with Jelly Bean should be incorporated pretty quickly in the CM10 build, but some code changes for CM’s LockScreen enhancements, Theme Engine and Trebuchet will need to be made.

No promises are being made, but it sounds like CM10 should be available to all  devices which have CM9 support. The CyanogeMod team isn’t discussing an ETA quite yet, but they do say that work on CM10 won’t truly begin until Google releases the source code for Android 4.1 and a stable CM 9.0.0 release is pushed out.

While we can’t wait to see what CM10 can do, this update from the CM team should be good news for those waiting for official Android 4.1 updates from handset manufacturers. If work on CM10 should be hassle free, OEM’s (who’ve had early access to the Android 4.1 PDK for some time now) should be able to push out their Jelly Bean updates before the holiday season… we hope.

Will any of you be jumping on the CM10 train once it’s ready or will you be holding out for your handset’s official Android 4.1 update?

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As expected, Google Maps is going offline

Google has announced today that it will be taking Maps offline, right down to street level detail. An update to Maps for Android will go live in 100 countries over the next few weeks to provide users with offline access to Google Maps data for selected locations. This will give you access to essential navigation and mapping features without needing to be connected to a data network, perfect for areas with weak coverage.

It’s unclear exactly how Google will be implementing this feature, though a Maps for Android Labs option has been available for quite a while now. Under this feature, users could long-press on the screen select an area they’d like to download a map for, and Maps would initiate a download for offline access. We expect this feature will simply shed the beta tag and land on the updated maps application, hopefully with some bugfixes and feature enhancements.

Regardless, the time for rejoicing is nigh, as Google Offline Maps is coming soon to your Android device.

View the original article here

As expected, Google Maps is going offline

Google has announced today that it will be taking Maps offline, right down to street level detail. An update to Maps for Android will go live in 100 countries over the next few weeks to provide users with offline access to Google Maps data for selected locations. This will give you access to essential navigation and mapping features without needing to be connected to a data network, perfect for areas with weak coverage.

It’s unclear exactly how Google will be implementing this feature, though a Maps for Android Labs option has been available for quite a while now. Under this feature, users could long-press on the screen select an area they’d like to download a map for, and Maps would initiate a download for offline access. We expect this feature will simply shed the beta tag and land on the updated maps application, hopefully with some bugfixes and feature enhancements.

Regardless, the time for rejoicing is nigh, as Google Offline Maps is coming soon to your Android device.

View the original article here