Samsung is giving us another reason to hate Android skins with its recent news that the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab won’t be getting Ice Cream Sandwich. The reason why the devices won’t get the update is because there’s simpyl no room for the ICS with TouchWiz and other Samsung apps that are on the devices. Samsung argues that the the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab both lock the RAM and ROM to run Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz. Without TouchWiz the devices would presumably be fine as the Nexus S, which is essentially the same hardware as the Galaxy S, already has Ice Cream Sandwich rolling out to it. According to Samsung the difference lies in the custom skin, carrier services, video chat software, and the mobile TV that’s found in some versions of the devices. The Samsung Galaxy S was first released in June 2010, with the US carrier versions coming between July and October of the same year. Going by the earliest release the 1GHz Hummingbird CPU-powered Galaxy S is just 18 months old. So those early adopters of the phone will have to wait several months before they can get anything other than Gingerbread on their smartphone, and only then by replacing the phone. Sure, many users just won’t know or care about the lack of an upgrade, but it doesn’t seem fair to those who do. For them the only option for Ice Cream Sandwich on their current phone is to root it, which isn’t exactly easy. Read [Samsung Tomorrow (translated)] and [The Verge]  
Roku isn’t letting its early adopters out in the cold, instead the their players are now receiving and update that teh Roku 2 and Roku LT received last week. Earlier Roku players are now able to upgrade to version 3.1 which brings a few new features and improvements. With the upgrade to version 3.1 early Roku players will now be able to use the Roku iPhone app which was released last week. So now you don’t need to upgrade your Roku to control it via your iOS device. Along with the new control option the update brings support for the new Amazon Instant Video channel. The new layout looks nicer, and is presumably a bit easier to use. Other updates include improved MP4 playback which should make the video file play more smoothly over the web or from a USB drive. Perfect for that DRM-free Louis CK video. The grid layout has also been improved to fix some issues that were present in the previous version of the Roku software. Finally, there’s a new option to buy new Roku players and accessories through the new Roku Channel Store, for when you’re finally ready to upgrade to the Roku 2. Not that there seems to be much of a rush. So far Roku is still supporting older devices, you just have to wait a week or so to see the new features and improvements. That’s not a bad deal at all. Read [Roku blog]  
Samsung Korea has just announced two new additions to its smartphone line-up, and these are the Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos. Obviously, you’re interested to know why both smartphones have “duos” in their name, right? Well, the term somehow give aways what these two smartphones have in common and that is the fact that both happen to have two SIM card slots. In case you’re not aware, dual-SIM phones are pretty big in emerging countries. And I’m pretty sure, such smartphone will also be very useful for those in the advanced countries such as the US. Anyway, aside from having two SIM card slots, the Galaxy Y Duos also features Android 2.3 Gingerbread, an 832MHz processor and a 3MP camera. The Galaxy Y Pro Duo on the other hand has the same OS and processor clock speed but also features a 2.6-inch display and full QWERTY keyboard. The Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos will be available in Russia first. The Galaxy Y Duos is also scheduled to be released in Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and China. While the Galaxy Y Pro Duos will be released in Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southwest Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Unfortunately, no exact date has been announced yet for the two smartphones release. Via [BGR]  
As CES 2012 is quickly approaching we are beginning to see more and more teasing done. One of the those products that we will be seeing officially unveiled during CES is the Blue HR Bluetooth heartrate monitor from Wahoo Fitness. This heartrate monitor is a Bluetooth device and will be compatible with the “iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices.” And in short, the Blue HR will be able to provide users with real-time heart rate readings on their smartphones. The nice part here is that the Blue HR is going to be compatible with more than a few already existing fitness apps. For example, it was noted that the Blue HR Bluetooth heartrate monitor will work with Runkeeper as well as with MapMyFitness, 321Run, Runmeter and MotionX. Additionally, more app support was promised to come in 2012. Otherwise, the Wahoo Fitness Blue HR heartrate monitor will be available in January of 2012 and it will arrive priced at $79.99. Via [Wahoo Fitness] Keep reading to check out the full press release… Wahoo Fitness Reveals the Blue HR, the World’s First Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Monitor Unveiling at CES 2012, the Blue HR harnesses the power of Bluetooth Smart Ready Devices, transforming your smartphone into an all-in-one training partner Atlanta, GA – December 22, 2011 – Wahoo Fitness, the leader in smartphone fitness technology, announces the Wahoo Fitness Blue HR, the world’s first Bluetooth Smart heart rate monitor. Using the latest in Bluetooth technology, the Blue HR (Heart Rate) will communicate directly with the iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices, providing users with real-time heart rate readings on their smartphone. With Wahoo’s Blue HR and the fitness app of your choice, you now have your heart rate data, music playlists, phone, GPS maps and more, all in one place. Priced at $79.99, Wahoo’s Blue HR will hit stores nationwide in January of 2012. To see Wahoo Fitness’ Blue HR product test, click HERE Blue HR is launching with full support of several of Wahoo Fitness’ app partners, who have been working with Wahoo’s Open API to support the Blue HR. Already tested and released in the App Store are several of the most popular fitness apps – MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, 321Run, Runmeter, and MotionX – with more to come in 2012. Without ties to a specific app, Wahoo’s heart rate strap provides the millions of users already using these apps, with the heart monitoring information they need, regardless of sport, in a customizable application of their choice. “So many smartphone fitness monitors limit you to using their own smartphone application,” says Chip Hawkins, CEO of Wahoo Fitness. “Wahoo has been working with the top fitness app developers on other smartphone fitness monitors for years, so the Blue HR is simply the next step. Our partnerships allow users to easily incorporate all their fitness data into the app they already know and love. Whether you log your miles on Runkeeper, MapMyRide, or one of the other top 100 fitness apps, the Blue HR will seamlessly integrate your heart rate data into the interface of your choice.” The Blue HR also marks the first release of a Bluetooth Smart app enabled accessory for the iPhone 4S. Like the iPhone 4S, by the end of 2012, virtually all new smartphones will include the Bluetooth v4.0 technology that is in all Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. Bluetooth Smart is a low-energy wireless technology that provides longer battery life, enhanced range, and creates new opportunities for Bluetooth product developers and manufacturers, specifically in the markets of health care, sports, fitness, security, and home entertainment. Wahoo Fitness Blue HR features include: • Wirelessly relays heart rate information via Bluetooth Smart technology to your iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices, no additional hardware or key needed
• Generates heart rate information in real-time, providing the most accurate number of calories burned during workout
• Compatible with the most popular fitness apps, including Runkeeper, MapMyRun, and the free Wahoo Fitness App
• Optional Wahoo Armband provides comfortable protection for your iPhone 4S with full touch screen access The Wahoo Fitness Blue HR will hit store shelves in January of 2012.
  
Barnes & Noble have announced a new addition in Nook Apps. And in addition to a recently released app, they have also teased of a few others that will be coming available in the new year. As of now, Words With Friends is in the Nook Apps app store. The Words With Friends app comes priced at $2.99 and is available for use with both the Nook Color and the Nook Tablet. Otherwise, the apps that were being teased for next year include Twitter and Plants vs. Zombies, both of which are said to be coming “early next year.” That being said, Words With Friends joins the Nook Apps app store and now sits along side many others such as Netflix, Angry Birds, SCRABBLE single user edition, Office Gamebox, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Jeopardy!, Wreck This App, Magic 8 Ball, Doodle Jump Christmas and many many more. So sure, Barnes & Noble may have recently killed the ability to sideload apps, but at least they are giving you more through the official channel. Via [Barnes & Noble]  
Rockstar Games, as they promised, released Grand Theft Auto III for Android and iOS on December 15th. The game launched with a $4.99 price tag for both platforms and since then that price has remained the same. And well, coming as of this morning, those who wanted to but have yet to make a purchase will be happy — the price has dropped. In short, Grand Theft Auto III is now priced at $2.99 for both Android and iOS. But that being said, the price drop is only temporary and will go back up to the regular $4.99 price point as of December 29th. In other words, make sure you buy before the 29th or it will end up costing you $2.00 more. Via [Android Market] and [iOS App Store]  
Google Books has been updated and this one should come as a welcomed update for those who find themselves wanting to read offline. Yup, Google has rolled-out offline reading support within Google Books. But that being said, there are some points that you will need to know up front. To begin with, in order to read Google Books offline you will need to first install the Google Books app. That app is available by way of the Chrome Web Store (link below) which brings us to the second point — this offline reading support is available only for those using Chrome. Otherwise, aside from the newfound ability to read offline, Google Books for Chrome also brings the following goodies; Great Reading Experience - Change font, search within book, information about book
- Night-reading mode
Discover Millions of Titles - Millions of books in every imaginable category, from the New York Times ® bestsellers to favorite classics
- Nearly 3 million free ebooks available instantly
- Hundreds of thousands of ebooks for purchase
- Free preview pages
- Unlimited storage of books in the digital cloud
- Worry-free archive
Via [Inside Google Books] and [Google Books (Chrome Web Store)]  
Earlier in the week Dropbox offered a preview release of version 2.0 of their Android app. And well, it looks like the preview period went well because the app has since come available in the Android Market. Yup, Dropbox 2.0 for Android is now officially available for all. The app comes as version 2.0, measures in as a 3.0M file download and is compatible with devices running Android 2.1 or later. That being said, while compatible with Eclair and later, Dropbox 2.0 arrives optimized for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. And in addition, the other new features that come along with Dropbox 2.0 include the following; - Favorites: quick offline access to files
- Bulk upload photos and videos
- Rename files and folders
- Single-tap access to all file and folder actions
- Improved gallery view
- Upload from and export to local storage
- Numerous bug fixes and stability improvements
Via [Android Market]  
We have seen some good and some not so good come in terms of the recently launched Republic Wireless. And well, coming a bit more recently, it looks like they are taking a stance on the whole unlimited thing. According to details that were recently posted on the Republic Wireless blog, the company has stated that they are “all-in.” Breaking that down a bit further and it looks like they will truly be unlimited and users will not have to worry about having their service cut off for reaching some magical and mysterious usage level or anything along those lines. “Rather than revising our fair use policy, we've decided not to have one at all. There will simply be no thresholds, and no risk of losing service. We're doing away with all of that to keep all of the focus instead on where it really belongs: Creating a new wireless future together. A future that is simple to understand, unfettered to use, and an amazing value for all. That's what we started down this path to do. That's where the power of this vibrant community, dynamic Wi-Fi ecosystem and revolutionary technology should be invested. We're all-in.”
Via [Republic Wireless]  
It looks like US Cellular has officially announced their latest smartphone offering. The handset arrives as the Huawei Ascend II and it will be free. More specifically, the Ascend II will be free on a two-year agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. In terms of when the handset will be available for purchase, US Cellular has stated that it will be available on the US Cellular website as of “next week” and that it would be arriving in-stores sometime in “early January.” And lastly, in terms of features, the Huawei Ascend II will bring goodies such as a 3.5 inch (320 x 480) HVGA touchscreen display, 600MHz processor, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and will ship with a 2GB microSD card included in the box. Via [US Cellular]  | |
