In This Issue... - HTC One XL and One S for Telstra expected to undergo Android 4.1 testing in near future
- HTC produces black HTC One S devices, but for T-Mobile employees only
- CyanogenMod 9 Final Release is now one step closer as RC2 comes available
- Apple rolls out iTunes in the Cloud for movies in more than 35 countries
- Can Flickr become "awesome" again? One Flickr Group is trying to do just that
- Wendr, a social planning app launches for the iPhone, aims to make it easy for you to discover what your friends are doing
- Samsung Galaxy S III, the 64GB model, will be available during the second half of 2012
- Dell's Project Sputnik is a go, means they will soon begin selling Ubuntu ultrabooks
- Google Play Music for Android has been updated, arrives with the promise of being "harder, better, faster, stronger"
- Metra Unveils Audio Mount
- Search GadgeTell
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On Telstra’s smartphone software update page, the HTC One XL and One S are on the top of the chart and said to be prepped for Android 4.1 in the near future. Given the fact that these two devices are leading HTC’s One series of devices, it is no surprise that HTC wants them to be fully up to date in terms of Android software. Telstra claims HTC is working on the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the One XL and One S and should be submitting it soon to the Australian carrier for testing. Unfortunately, Telstra does not know when the update will be ready to test. After the carrier is able to confirm the update works properly on its network and the device, it will be able to push out the update to its customers who own the device. Read [Telstra] Via [Engadget]  
Most smartphone options come in at least two colors, so it is sort of surprising to see a high-end device launch in only one color option. The HTC One S on T-Mobile is only available in a gradient blue color, so fans of black devices will have to look at a different device altogether. However, according to the image above, it appears HTC actually manufacturers the One S is an all black design. Unfortunately, the general public cannot get their hands on the black One S because it is reserved for certain T-Mobile employees able to reach a certain threshold of HTC device sales. Other than the different color, there is no internal hardware difference between the special edition black One S and the common blue One S. There is no word at this time on whether T-Mobile and HTC plan on releasing it to the public. Via [TmoNews]  
The folks at Cyanogen released CM9 RC1 back in late-June and as of today — they have announced that Release Candidate 2 has come available. And while this is probably good news for those who are using RC1, the better news is that this means the Final Release is one-step closer to becoming a reality. And in addition to the release of CM9 RC2 with support for all the devices that were supported with RC1 — the team added a few additional devices. Coming with RC2 is support for the following additional devices; - Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (all variants)
- Samsung Galaxy SII on AT&T – Skyrocket
- Samsung Galaxy SII on T-Mobile – Hercules
- Samsung Galaxy Note on AT&T
- Samsung Galaxy SIII – i9300 (International GSM model)
Otherwise, it was noted that RC2 included some bug fixes and updated translations. Lastly, while the CyanogenMod team almost never gives any sort of timeline for future releases, they have noted that the path to a final release of CyanogenMod 9 “should be just around the corner.” Via [CyanogenMod]  
It appears that Apple has started expanding the coverage of iTunes in the Cloud for movies in various countries. As of the latest count, the service is now available in more than 35 countries. iTunes in the Cloud was previously introduced by Apple to let users stream purchased music from iCloud. This means that contents are no longer residing on iOS devices to be accessed anytime, anywhere. Now, this same functionality is being rolled for movies purchased from the iTunes Store. iTunes in the Cloud or iTunes Match was previously available only in the U.S. and U.K. The roll out was reported to have started with the launch of iTunes Match in Poland and Hungary. Later on, more countries started getting the service as well. MacRumors has been monitoring the roll out and got the following updated list of countries which got iTunes in the Cloud for movies already activated. Australia, Argentine, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.K., Venezuela, and Vietnam
Via [9 to 5 Mac]  
http://www.technologytell.com/gadgets/search/flickr We have been seeing quite a bit from Flickr over the past few months and while I would like to say that they have returned to their previous state of bliss and happiness — I cannot go as far as saying that just yet. Despite plenty of changes and improvements to the site, there still seems to be lots of uncertain users. Take me for example, I began with Flickr from day one and was a paid member for a number of years. I eventually let me membership slide when things started going down a bit and regardless of some recent thoughts, I have yet to renew. But at the same time, I will go as far as saying that I do want to renew and once again become a Flickr Pro member. And then this whole Marissa Mayer taking over as Yahoo CEO thing happens and once again — users are getting hyped on Flickr. Well, more specifically, users are getting hyped about seeing Flickr get better again. In fact, a recent campaign has been started over at dearmarissamayer.com where they are asking for help in making Flickr “awesome” again. This campaign is centered around the #dearmarissamayer hashtag and is asking you to post your support on various social sites. The interesting part here, the Flickr team has responded with a newly launched “Dear Internet” page on Flickr and are asking users to come and help make Flickr “awesomer.” The Flickr team are using their own #dearinternet hashtag. Bottom line here, regardless of what Marissa Mayer can or will do for Flickr — it seems that both the Flickr team and the Flickr users want the same thing — the old days. Now, we have to wonder if they will come back. With that, let me ask you this, if you were once a Flickr Pro member and have since let your membership lapse — What would it take to get you back? Via [Flickr] and [Dear Marissa Mayer] and [TNW]  
A new social planning app has recently launched for the iPhone. The app, which can be found in the iOS App Store, is called Wendr. The app is currently sitting at version 1.1.7 and sports the requirement of iOS 4.3 or later for use. Those two bits aside, lets get into what Wendr is and what it can do. According to the app description; “Wendr makes it easy to discover what your friends are doing #TONIGHT and access nighttime events & activities. Find your night on Wendr.”
Breaking this down a bit further and we see that Wendr brings a few main features — Crews, Plans and Tonight. These three are fairly self explanatory by name, however lets dive into each to get a better idea. The Crews section shows what your friends are doing, the Plans section will allow you to set your plans and share them ONLY with the friends you want and Tonight, well, this shows your events and activities. All said and done, the app seems to be decent enough, though I will confess that I have yet to spend a ton of time with it. The big catch here appears to be convincing your friends that they will want and/or need to use this app. I will admit to trying and failing with several friends — they told me they can already make plans using, you guessed it, Facebook. Via [iOS App Store]        
We have seen quite a bit in terms of the Galaxy S III roll-out over the past several weeks. And well, while we had originally heard of a 64GB model, the news on that front seems to have died down entirely — almost to the point of rumors of discontinuation. That said, it looks like Samsung has not yet cancelled the 64GB GSIII and instead has plans to release the handset during the second half of the year. That is the good news, as for the bad, or well, the uncertain — Samsung has been slightly vague in terms of where the 64GB GSIII will be available. In fact, as of this time, here is what they have to say on that matter; “The market availability and timing may vary and will be determined at the time of release.”
Bottom line, if you were holding out hope for a 64GB Galaxy S III — you may be better off purchasing the 32GB model and throwing in a larger microSD card. Via [The Verge]  
A few months back we heard of Project Sputnik from Dell, which for those who missed it, that was a test period in which the company was going to trial selling Ubuntu based ultrabooks. And well, it looks like the project was a success and a limited amount of Ubuntu running ultrabooks will be available from Dell. “Originally a six-month exploratory pilot to create an Ubuntu®-based developer laptop, Dell is taking Project Sputnik from pilot to product this fall.”
The first model that will be available is the XPS 13 and the notebook will come with Ubuntu 12.04LTS. This Ubuntu running XPS 13 will be available in “select” (and still unspecified) geographies. Simply put, this appears to be a way of saying the Dell will not be selling these notebooks on a global basis. Still, it would will be nice to learn where they will be coming available. Of course, we suspect that most users that want Linux are able to do so on their own. Then again, we can only hope that these Ubuntu running XPS 13 notebooks are going to be selling for a bit less as compared to their Windows counterparts. After all, they should not have the Windows tax. Otherwise, the XPS 13 feature set includes options for an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor and up to 256GB of SSD storage along with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, a mini DisplayPort and a 47Whr battery. Lastly, the XPS 13 measures in at 12.4 x 8.1 x 0.71 inches and weighs in at right around 3 pounds. Via [Dell] and [Liliputing]  
Google has rolled-out the latest update for the Play Music app on Android. The updated release brings the app up to version 4.3.606 and it can be found in the expected location — the app section within Google Play. This updated release maintains the requirement of Android 2.2 or later for use and brings some improvements to the user interface and the promise of the app being harder, better, faster and stronger. Ultimately that last bit will have to be decided by you — the user. But in the meantime, here is the changelog; - Now Playing queue that allows for queuing and reordering of currently playing music.
- New UI for navigation with transport controls on the action bar.
- New large album art view on Recent.
- Playlist art is now constructed from album art of songs in the playlist.
- Now Playing widget has album art and support for thumbs up.
Via [Google Play]  Metra’s Home Theater Group and its Audio Solutions brand recently unveiled a unique audio mounting product, known simply as The Audio Mount (model number VAM3-1A). The product, which was demoed at CEA Line Shows in New York in June, is being marketed by the company as an alternative to a sound bar. The product is unique in that it works as both a TV wall mount and a high-end audio system, featuring a 6.5 inch subwoofer. The Audio Mount mounts to the wall behind the TV. The Audio Mount is available in both 2.1 and 3.1 systems. Here’s a video demonstrating how the 3.1 system works: 
For more visit www.audiosolutions.com  | |
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