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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Android 4.0 only on 11% of Android devices weeks before Jelly Bean release

The Android Developer site has just released their latest dashboard which paints a picture of operating system penetration. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was announced back in October of last year, and in the 9 months since launch has only managed to find its way onto 11% of Android devices. Frankly, that’s an abysmal figure and points to the failures of the so-called Android Update Alliance.

But let’s ignore throwing blame around, for now; after all, there’s plenty of that to go around. Last week, Google took the wraps off of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is set to launch to Nexus-caliber devices in the coming weeks. Will it be another 9 months until the masses a treated to their favorite jelly bean treat? We’re hopeful that the answer to that question is a resounding no.

Google and its partners are very keenly aware of the adoption problem, and have released the Platform Development Kit, which will be made available to handset makers a good two to three months before new Android releases are made available to the public. In theory, manufacturers have had access to Jelly Bean for a few months now, and with such early access could more rapidly build the custom UI elements they believe differentiate their devices and add support for component drivers, which should result in more timely upgrades for consumers.

Hopefully we’ll see more timely upgrades starting with Jelly Bean, but we’ll have to wait to see how it all pans out in the next few months. Jelly Bean will provide the first true test of the PDK and its effect on the Android ecosystem.

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Nokia AIR cloud service promo video leaks, shows cool devices

A promo video has leaked showing Nokia Air, the company's own cloud syncing solution.

 

Nokia Air is designed to sync apps, contacts, media across Nokia tablets and smartphones. By the looks of it, Symbian Belle is the OS destined to receive Nokia Air first.

Curiously, the video also showcases a couple of really cool looking devices: a Symbian-running tablet, smartphone and a mini-slider phone. They'll probably continue their lives as concepts, but if Nokia manages to actually deliver Air by the time Nokia World rolls around this Fall, it'll draw a breath of fresh air for Symbian Belle users.

Check out the promo video below. It looks a lot like Symbian Belle Feature Pack 2, don't you think?

So, is Nokia Air something to look forward to, or will it get lost amidst the sea of cloud storage services already on the market?

Source

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Upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices leak out, show their screen specs

With the availability of the first BlackBerry 10 devices quickly approaching, some additional details about the first two handsets have emerged. Courtesy of a leaked internal slide from RIM, we now know the alleged resolution and screen technology implemented in the first two smartphones, which will boot RIM's upcoming OS.

 

The BlackBerry L-series will be the first handset to break cover. The smartphone will offer touchscreen-only experience - right in line with previous rumors on the subject. The first L-Series smartphone will offer an OLED screen with the impressive resolution of 1280x768 pixels (think BlackBerry 10 developer alpha unit here). The density of the aforementioned pixels is bound to be even more impressive at 356ppi. The screen of the first L-series smartphone is expected to be 55mm wide.

The BlackBerry N-series on the other hand will be available with a RIM purists pleasing, hardware QWERTY keyboard at some point in Q1, 2013. The first member of the BlackBerry N-series will also sport an OLED display. In order to make space for the hardware keyboard , the unit's resolution has been trimmed to 720x720 pixels. The pixel density however is almost as impressive as in the L-series device at 330ppi, while the unit's width is in the 52-53mm range.

We are quite curious to see these two in production attire, given the fact that the fate of the company's handset's business likely depends on them. Naturally, we'll keep you posted as soon as we find out more details.

Source | Via

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Legacy devices denied WP8, offered WP7.8 instead

After several long months of contradicting rumors, the owners of the current crop of WP smartphones finally got official information regarding the eligibility of their devices for a WP8 upgrade. Sadly, the answer Microsoft delivered isn't the one we were all hoping for.

It was confirmed that the just announced Windows Phone 8 won't be coming to any of the existing WP smartphones. The reasons for this are yet unclear, with some pointing to the limited hardware and others speculating it's just an attempt by Microsoft to make users upgrade.

The consolation is that even if you don't change smartphones, at least some of the cool Windows Phone 8 features will be made available to you. Microsoft will be treating legacy hardware to a Windows Phone 7.8, which will enable the resizable live tiles as well as a few other features that weren't explicitly mentioned.

The Windows Phone 7.8 update will be brought directly to the users, which means carrier approvals won't slow down its rollout. There's no saying yet when the update will be delivered, though.

Via

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