Today Google released Chrome For Android beta finally bringing their popular desktop browser to the mobile arena. Currently is only available for Android 4.0 ICS devices so not many will be able to run it now but that will change soon with more Android 4.0 devices coming out and older devices being updated. Google will also be separately developing Chrome For Android separate from the standard Android browser but I’m sure it won’t be too long before these two merge together into one.

Since it’s a beta we won’t give it a full official review but I’ll point out some of the key features from the beta that I like.

• Familiar Interface – If you have used Chrome before then Chrome For Android will look very familiar to you. The colors and the main page layout look very similar to what you see on the desktop version of Chrome.
• Fast Page Loading and Rendering – Pages load fast and accurately. I didn’t see many checkerboard waiting for the page to load up.
• Smooth scrolling and smooth pinch & zoom – Two key features of any mobile browser is how smooth is scrolling and pinch & zoom. This is best I’ve seen and android based browser do with both. I didn’t t see any lag or stuttering.
• Chrome Desktop & Mobile Syncing – This is great feature as you are able to sync all of your bookmarks between both your desktop and phone. there is also a separate section for mobile bookmarks as well. The best part of it is tab syncing which will let you see a list of tabs that are open on your desktop and let you access these tabs on the so you can take that cool webpage you just found with you on the go. Hopefully the syncing will include to extensions as well.
• Tabbed Browsing – While this is nothing new to mobile browsers I do like the way Chrome for Android does it. When you hit the tab icon you will see each open tab with an image of the contents within that tab. You can control how  far the tabs stack on top of each other and there is a really cool animation for when you close a tab fully.

There are many other features that we didn’t list here as I wanted to focus on the ones I felt were key.  For a beta this is solid and I would recommend every users with an Android 4.0 device to download and give it a try.  Google did very well with their first web browser so there isn’t any reason not to expect them to excel in the mobile web browser space too.

Guest Post Written By Donna Baxter

The internet is a huge, fast-moving, virtual jungle that is crisscrossed with information, transactions, communication, images and far, far more than was ever thought possible in the past. It is, in a byte rather than a nutshell, absolutely huge and rather hard to comprehend.

In order to appreciate just how immense the internet is, it’s worth breaking down some of the interactions that go on there in any one 60-second period. This is a real quantifier. In just one minute there are 44,481 tweets sent on Twitter, according to reports. That’s a lot of people telling each other what TV program they’re watching and what they had for breakfast! Of course there is also far more useful and important information exchanged but it has to be said that there is a good deal of trivia. Twitter could be described as the small talk of the masses.

Another breathtaking statistic is that Google handles two million search queries every 60 seconds, according to figures released by the search giant. It’s no wonder that Google astounds people when they learn the extent of its activities and how much information it has at its command.

If you go by Go-globe.com’s statistics from last year, there are 6,600 images submitted to Flickr every 60 seconds. The photographic evidence of human history recorded on its servers is something that will be looked on and marveled at for decades to come

It also states in this research that 168 million emails are sent every minute, which is a staggering figure. The advent of the internet has truly changed the face of communication. Children today must marvel at the bad old days, when we used a pen and paper to send letters which took days if not weeks to arrive. Distance now is not a factor, as an email takes seconds to travel from one side of the world to the other. The internet and email have brought about nothing short of a communications revolution.

You may be surprised to learn that 300,000 status updates were found to have been made on Facebook every 60 seconds as well. Even though Facebook has over 800 million users, these statistics are almost beyond comprehension.

Slightly more worrying is that research has also shown that there are 416 hacking attempts every 60 seconds on Facebook. This is a figure that is well worth taking note of. Always ensure you use a password that is hard to guess and do not use the same password on multiple internet accounts. Phishing emails are commonly sent out with the hope of gaining access to your personal or business details. Save yourself a lot of trouble and don’t get caught out.

The internet has opened up the market for individuals as well as businesses. Craigslist boasts 1200 adverts uploaded every 60 seconds. If you have an unwanted Christmas present sitting in your cupboard in pristine condition, but totally unwanted, why not consider putting it online to take advantage of such an easily accessible market.

Another amazing statistic is that 13,000 iPhone applications are downloaded from the internet every minute. Programming has become the new entrepreneur’s ticket to success with this huge appetite for virtual consumer products. The internet truly is a superhighway and the number of users traversing and using the virtual roads is almost unbelievable if you think of it in terms of what happens in just 60 seconds

About The Author:

Donna B. is a Freelance and Staff writer who writes informative & creative articles on SEO and Technology for various search engine optimisation company. Her expertise are in writing articles related to comcast internet , SEO, Social media etc.

Finally after the long wait we get our hands on a Verizon Galaxy Nexus. A fortunate few like Mike Woods was able to get his hands on it early but now we have our review unit and can experience Ice Cream Sandwich ourselves. To run down the specs one more time. The Galaxy Nexus comes with a 4.65 inch HD AMOLED curved display with 720p resolution, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, 1850 mAH battery, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash plus 1080p HD video capture, 4G LTE data and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.Check our our unboxing video and stay tune for our full review coming soon.

Press Release:

GALAXY™ NEXUS™ BY SAMSUNG NOW AVAILABLE ON
THE VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK
First Smartphone to Combine Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and the
Power of America’s Fastest, Most Reliable 4G Network
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) and Google™ announced Galaxy™ Nexus™ is available starting today in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
Customers can browse the Web, stream music and more at blazing speeds using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Galaxy Nexus customers can enjoy access to the 4G LTE network in 190 markets covering over 200 million people across the United States, and fly through the Web with fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps within the 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area.
Galaxy Nexus runs Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. Galaxy Nexus offers customers a redesigned user experience with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Near Field Communications (NFC) sharing with Android Beam™ and a full Web-browsing experience. The lock screen, home screen, phone app and everything in between have been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and useful. Galaxy Nexus also features an ultra-thin 9.47mm design with a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ Contour Display to watch movies, view pictures and play games that come to life in 720p (1280×720) resolution.
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) features:
• Redesigned user interface – software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones, and a dedicated recent apps button to make multi-tasking easy
• Face Unlock – use state-of-the-art facial recognition to unlock Galaxy Nexus
• Android Beam™ – quickly share Web pages, apps, contacts and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping two compatible phones together
• Redesigned Camera – introduces panorama mode, 1080p video capture, zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, and effects such as silly faces and background replacement
• People Application – browse friends, family and coworkers, see their photos in high-resolution and check their latest status updates from Google+ and other social networks
• Cloud Services – keep email, contacts, photos, music, browser bookmarks and other data synced to the cloud, available across multiple devices so customers never lose important data
• Google Music – upload up to 20,000 songs to the cloud, discover and buy new music from Android Market™, and stream it instantly on Galaxy Nexus and from the Web for free
• Google+ – Create a Google+ account right from the phone and check status updates, manage circles, quickly share updates and photos, video chat with up to ten friends with Mobile Hangouts, and chat with groups of friends with Google+ Messenger
• Support for Google Mobile™ Services – Gmail™, Google Maps™ with 3D maps and free turn-by-turn navigation, Google Earth™, Movie Studio, YouTube, syncing with Google Calendar™, a redesigned Google+ app and access to more than 300,000 apps, millions of eBooks, thousands of movies to rent, and millions of songs available to download from Android Market
Additional features:
• Dual-core 1.2 GHz application processor and HTML5 Web browser – optimized dual-core processing with Android 4.0 combined with lightning fast 4G LTE connectivity for fast downloading of graphics, applications processing and Web browsing
• Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G LTE or 3G connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, autofocus and LED flash with full 1080p recording
• Front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat
• Textured soft-touch back cover – enhances the ergonomic feel and makes the phone slip-resistant
• Bluetooth® 3.0 technology – support for headset, hands-free, stereo, phonebook access, human interface device (HID) and object push for vCard and vCalendar
• 1 GB RAM and 32 GB on-board memory (actual formatted capacity will be less)
Pricing and data packages:
• Galaxy Nexus is available now in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a Galaxy Nexus by Samsung will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Finally the wait is over the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Verizon Wireless will be on sale starting December 15th for $299.99.  With so many leaks and so many false release dates its great to get a solid release date from Verizon. As we all know the phone comes with a 4.65 inch HD AMOLED display with 720p resolution, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, 5 megapixel camera, 4G LTE data and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Check out our video below of the Galaxy Nexus from Mike Woods who was able to get one before they were officially on sale.

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Press Release:

GALAXY™ NEXUS™ BY SAMSUNG NOW AVAILABLE ON
THE VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK
First Smartphone to Combine Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and the
Power of America’s Fastest, Most Reliable 4G Network
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) and Google™ announced Galaxy™ Nexus™ is available starting today in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
Customers can browse the Web, stream music and more at blazing speeds using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Galaxy Nexus customers can enjoy access to the 4G LTE network in 190 markets covering over 200 million people across the United States, and fly through the Web with fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps within the 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area.
Galaxy Nexus runs Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. Galaxy Nexus offers customers a redesigned user experience with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Near Field Communications (NFC) sharing with Android Beam™ and a full Web-browsing experience. The lock screen, home screen, phone app and everything in between have been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and useful. Galaxy Nexus also features an ultra-thin 9.47mm design with a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ Contour Display to watch movies, view pictures and play games that come to life in 720p (1280×720) resolution.
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) features:
• Redesigned user interface – software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones, and a dedicated recent apps button to make multi-tasking easy
• Face Unlock – use state-of-the-art facial recognition to unlock Galaxy Nexus
• Android Beam™ – quickly share Web pages, apps, contacts and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping two compatible phones together
• Redesigned Camera – introduces panorama mode, 1080p video capture, zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, and effects such as silly faces and background replacement
• People Application – browse friends, family and coworkers, see their photos in high-resolution and check their latest status updates from Google+ and other social networks
• Cloud Services – keep email, contacts, photos, music, browser bookmarks and other data synced to the cloud, available across multiple devices so customers never lose important data
• Google Music – upload up to 20,000 songs to the cloud, discover and buy new music from Android Market™, and stream it instantly on Galaxy Nexus and from the Web for free
• Google+ – Create a Google+ account right from the phone and check status updates, manage circles, quickly share updates and photos, video chat with up to ten friends with Mobile Hangouts, and chat with groups of friends with Google+ Messenger
• Support for Google Mobile™ Services – Gmail™, Google Maps™ with 3D maps and free turn-by-turn navigation, Google Earth™, Movie Studio, YouTube, syncing with Google Calendar™, a redesigned Google+ app and access to more than 300,000 apps, millions of eBooks, thousands of movies to rent, and millions of songs available to download from Android Market
Additional features:
• Dual-core 1.2 GHz application processor and HTML5 Web browser – optimized dual-core processing with Android 4.0 combined with lightning fast 4G LTE connectivity for fast downloading of graphics, applications processing and Web browsing
• Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G LTE or 3G connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, autofocus and LED flash with full 1080p recording
• Front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat
• Textured soft-touch back cover – enhances the ergonomic feel and makes the phone slip-resistant
• Bluetooth® 3.0 technology – support for headset, hands-free, stereo, phonebook access, human interface device (HID) and object push for vCard and vCalendar
• 1 GB RAM and 32 GB on-board memory (actual formatted capacity will be less)
Pricing and data packages:
• Galaxy Nexus is available now in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a Galaxy Nexus by Samsung will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Android and updates are always a source of controversy amount the Android community. Google release a new update and the wait is on for when you are going to get it. The blame for the wait sways between the carriers and the manufactures. Motorola recently posted the process that happens when they look to update an android device and its pretty interesting.
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From Motorola:

Each new version of Android launches with one device partner, in what is called the “Google Experience Device” or GED, the showcase device for a new Android release.  The GED partner for each launch works with Google during the development of the OS so that the device and new Android version are ready for a coordinated simultaneous launch.

Steps in Motorola’s Android Update Process:

1. Merge and adapt the new release for different device hardware architecture(s) and carrier customizations

This means that we take the source code and incorporate it into upgrades for devices on which this can perform well, along with making sure the carrier requirements are met.  Silicon partners such as Qualcomm, TI, and nVidia adapt this to their chipsets in parallel and we incorporate these as they become available. This is also the time when we begin integrating all of the Motorola-specific software enhancements into the source code.  Features like MotoCast, Smart Actions, and our comprehensive enterprise solutions are integral parts of our device experiences, and we want to make sure we continue delivering differentiated experiences for our consumers with these software upgrades.

2. Stabilize and ‘bake’ the result to drive out bugs

This means that we will prepare the upgrade to meet the quality and stability requirements to enter the wireless carrier’s certification lab.

3. Submit the upgrade to the carriers for certification

This is the point in the process where the carrier’s lab qualifies and tests the upgrade. Each carrier has different requirements for phases 2 and 3. There may be a two-month preparation cycle to enter a carrier lab cycle of one to three months.

3.5 Perform a Customer pre-release

We may perform some customer testing before a final release is delivered publicly to our user base.

4. Release the upgrade

We are planning on upgrading as many of our phones as possible.  The ability to offer the upgrade depends on a number of factors including the hardware/device capabilities, the underlying chipset software support, the ICS support and then the ability to support the Motorola value add software.

So if you want to get the latest update right a way you’ll need to get yourself a “GED” device like one of the Nexus S handsets or the soon coming Galaxy Nexus. It’s great to know what exactly goes on for your device to receive an update. It would be nice of course to find a way to shorten the process but it would be better to find a way to streamline it to make it as fast and as smooth as possible. I think the more Android is developed that the process will become shorter.

Click here to check out the full post from Motorola.

It’s been awhile since we have seen or heard from Google TV. The initial tries with the Sony Internet TV Player and the Logitech Revue failed to meet expectations. Now Google is looking to give it a second go with the latest Google TV update that brings Android 3.1 Honeycomb. The new update also brings a new a new interface that brings TV & Movies to the center stage. There is also better navigation between your content putting live tv, movies, streaming and internet content all in one place. There is also now access to the Android Market for apps to expand capabilities.  The update will roll out to the Sony Internet TV Player first then the Logitech Revue later on. Check out the demo videos below to get a quick glimpse at what’s new in Google TV.

*

So its official the Galaxy Nexus will be here in the US and it will be 4G LTE on Verizon. Verizon is the only carrier not to have a Galaxy S II phone and now it finally all makes sense why. They are the first US carrier to announce and could possible have some type of exclusive period to the Galaxy Nexus before other US carriers will announce theirs. There is no pricing or date announced yet but rumors say November 10th could be the launch day for it.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus announced earlier this week is the first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone with a 4.65” HD Super AMOLED display, 1.2 GHz TI OMAP dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM,  5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 1080p HD video capture, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, options for 16 GB or 32 GB of storage and NFC support. You can check out our quick specs summary below and the Verizon press release.

Press Release:

Verizon Wireless Introduces The Galaxy Nexus By Samsung

Features the Latest Version of Android and America’s Fastest and Most Reliable 4G Network

10/21/2011

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced that the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung, the world’s first smartphone running on Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich is coming to Verizon Wireless. The Galaxy Nexus will be available later this year in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com.

Ice Cream Sandwich brings a redesigned user interface with enhanced multitasking, notifications, full Web browsing experience and more. Customers will also be able to enjoy the innovative new features that Ice Cream Sandwich offers, such as Face Unlock which uses facial recognition to unlock the Galaxy Nexus. Customers can take advantage of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network to access more than 300,000 apps and games from Android Market™ or rent movies and stream them instantly on the 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display.

Additional features:

• 4G LTE – customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE mobile broadband coverage areas
• Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
• First smartphone to feature a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display (1280 x 720)
• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM
• 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, zero shutter lag and 1080p full HD video capture
• 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting
• Near Field Communications (NFC) enabled
• Android Beam allows customers to quickly share Web pages, apps and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping compatible phones together
• Support for Google™ mobile services – Android Market, Gmail™, Google Maps™ 5.0 with 3D maps, Google Earth™, Movie Studio, YouTube™, syncing with Google Calendar™ and a redesigned Google＋ app

Customers that purchase the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung smartphone will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 107.7 million total wireless connections, including 90.7 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Android, Android Market, Google, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Earth, YouTube, and Google Calendar are all trademarks of Google, Inc.

MC Hammer hopes to say “You Can’t Touch This” to Google with his new search engine project called WireDoo. The project have been in development for about two years and it said to go deeper than just search results. Its goal is for you to search and find no only the direct search result but related items and the full relationship beyond keyboards. The search engine is taking submissions for beta access when it’s released. I don’t really know what to say or where to begin. We’ll just have to wait to see what comes out of this. You never know WireDoo and Hammer just might “hurt’em”

WireDoo Beta Signup Page

Source: CNN

Thanks Ryan for sending this in: Ryan’s Twitter: @THEREALCHUA

We’ve all seen this coming even before Google+ showed up. Google Buzz the first attempt at a social networking platform is officially being  taken down over the next few weeks. Buzz came out at the beginning of 2010 and met with a negative reaction from users and even caused a lawsuit because of privacy concerns. The network also was quickly filled with just post and spam messages, the user experience was underwhelming and the mobile experience was almost non-existent with just an app to post but not to view the post or anything else. You could only do that through the mobile browser.

Google credits Google Buzz as a teaching process on how people want to use social networking to share and interact online.  As Google VP Brad Horowitz puts it “We learned a lot from products like Buzz, and are putting that learning to work every day in our vision for products like Google+. Our users expect great things from us; today’s announcements let us focus even more on giving them something truly awesome.”

So here what’s going to happen going forward with Buzz:

• In a few weeks we’ll shut down Google Buzz and the Buzz API, and focus instead on Google+. While people obviously won’t be able to create new posts after that, they will be able to view their existing content on their Google Profile, and download it using Google Takeout.
• The Google Buzz API will shut down so 3rd party apps that used it will no longer have access

Most people won’t even notice Google Buzz being gone since they either shut it off from their Gmail or ignored that it was even there because their too busy on top social networks like Facebook and Twitter but now Google hopes that Google+ is also added into that list top social networks.

Via Andronica

Source: Official Google Blog

Well we will have to wait a little bit longer for it but there is now leaked video of the Samsung Nexus Prime running Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Romanian website Mobilissimo.ro has posted video and pictures of the long awaited successor to the Nexus S the Nexus Prime. From the picture it looks like it matches up with the rumored specs of a 1.5 Ghz dual core processor, 4.65 inch Super AMOLED HD display with a 1280 x 720 resolution and 5 megapixel rear facing camera. The new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich looks like a combination of Android honeycomb and gingerbread which looks to be more use friendly at stock than previous versions.

Samsung and Google postponed their “Unpacked” press event which was schedule for October 11th during CTIA Fall 2011 and probably where they device as going to be make its big debut. Check the video for now to hold you over for now.
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Via Booredatwork

Source Mobilissimo.ro