Last week we heard rumors that suggested Sprint was going to begin offering a free ZTE Optik tablet along with the purchase of any new smartphone. And well, it looks like the carrier has since confirmed those details. Of course, when your consider the long term cost, this may not be the best deal. That thought aside, in fairness to Sprint we will spell out the deal — they are offering customers (new and existing) the option to get a ZTE Optik tablet for free with the purchase of a new smartphone. Any smartphone. The catch here, you will be required to sign a two-year agreement for both devices, hence the maybe not the best deal comment. The other bit worth mentioning, the smartphone and tablet must be purchased in the same transaction. Otherwise, for those not as familiar with the ZTE Optik, it is running Android 3.2 Honeycomb and has hardware features to include a 7-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) touchscreen, dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4000 mAh battery, 2 megapixel front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. Our suggestion, buy a smartphone and make sure you have tethering available and then buy a Nexus 7, or similarly low-priced Android tablet. Via [The Verge]  
The details are still in the unconfirmed category at this point, however we do want to warn anyone that is considering the purchase of a Sony Reader. Or more accurately, considering placing a pre-order for the Sony Reader PRS-T2 with J&R. If you remember back to last week, we saw the retailer list the reader as available for pre-order with a price of $130. And well, the folks at the eBook Reader have since made a discovery. One that shows the Reader PRS-T2 selling for $99.99. The Reader, which turned up in an MCX flyer (the retail outlet on the US Marine Corp base) was showing as being on-sale (at that $99.99 price point) from September 5th through September 18th. And on top of that, it was also pointed out that Sony has a habit of launching an ereader with a sale. Bottom line, if you were interested in this new Sony Reader, you will probably get a better deal by waiting until it is officially available. Via [the eBook Reader] and [The Digital Reader]  
There are numerous to-do apps available for your mobile devices. But that being said, one of the ones that we feel stands out is Todo.txt Touch, which is available for both Android and the iPhone. In this case though, we are referring to the Android version. The app has recently been updated and this update has brought quite a few new features and some improvements to the settings. Not to mention, those rocking the app on a Nexus 7 will want to get to updating. Before we get into the changes, lets cover the basics. The Todo.txt Touch app is currently sitting at version 1.0. Otherwise, the app is priced at $2.00 (the update is free to those who have already made the purchase) and it maintains the requirement of Android 1.6 or later for use. As for those changes, here is the changelog; - Archive complete tasks to done.txt
- Swipe tasks to mark them complete
- Fewer file conflicts thanks to smarter sync
- Sync with Dropbox automatically when device comes back online after being offline
- Extra high density icon for high-res devices like the Nexus 7
- New French translation
- Fewer, simpler settings
- Bugfix: Words with + in them (like URLs) don’t get parsed as projects
- Updated Twitter handle to @todotxt
Finally, while there are a bunch of good to-do apps that are available for free, there is one good reason to consider Todo.txt Touch — it comes backed by a developer that is active and committed. The developer is Gina Trapani, which many will recognize from This Week In Google, In Beta and of course, Lifehacker. Via [Google Play]  
Another make-a-point website has recently launched, and subsequently gone down over the weekend. For those who may have missed it, is called We Know Your House and was profiled by a few sites including Gizmodo. The WKYH website describes itself as being “another social networking privacy experiment.” Simply put, they take information from social networks and turn it into mapped locations of where people are living. Eric Limer over at Gizmodo offered a good run down of the site and closed with a bit of advice that well, sort of feels old and stale. No offense to Eric, I just wonder how bad this actually is? He stated that “if you don’t want anyone to be able to find out where you live on whim, your best bet is going to be to play it extremely safe with location data.” Of course, the playing it safe bit probably means that you should not check-in at certain places so you can avoid revealing bits that *may* be better kept secret. Limer goes on to make the point that “if these guys can do it as a “social experiment” anyone else can do it for much worse reasons.” I suspect that he is referring to someone tracking you in an effort to break-in and steal your stuff. Or worse yet, target you, as opposed to your belongings. We should also point out that the WKYH website similar advice, stating; “Our advice is don’t check in at your own home, whether using Twitter with locations, Foursquare, Google Latitude, or any other location-aware service, because you’re telling the world exactly where you live.”
But really, what are you giving up as a result of checking in at your specific address. Or checking in at other places. Is is really that dangerous? Sure, it probably does place you more at risk. Or at the very least, more at risk as compared to those who don’t. I am not going to argue that point. But my point here is that social network data is just one of many ways for people to get information about you. Simply put, there are plenty of publicly available ways people can get your specific location. Sure, social check-ins make it easier, but lets face it — if someone wants to get you — they are going to get you. Some other points worth noting here, I have heard arguments where you should not check-in that you are away from your home (because that means your home is empty and a potential target). Or that you should not share images of stuff from within your home because that is giving crooks a look at potential items that can be stolen. Or even scarier, pictures of your children (or other loved) ones because they could become targets. I am sure most of the GadgeTell readers have seen these stories, not only from other tech blogs, but from the mainstream media where they come off as horror stories warning you against the evil dangers that lurk. I wonder if people once worried about the yellow pages giving your home address? Not to mention the fact that parents used to send their kids out to play (in the open and in the public eye) with little concern of something bad happening. Just some thoughts, just because someone checks-in at a place outside of their home, that does not mean that house is empty. And on top of that, we live in a digital age so even if someone is outside of the home — that does not mean the home is not protected. We still have the age-old dogs and nosy neighbors. We also have alarm systems that have been around for quite a while. But in todays world we have plenty of items that may even be better. Items that almost anyone can buy and install such as the Dropcam. Not to mention, even simpler items such as the Belkin WeMo with ifttt (if this then that) support. And for those going back to the kids, many are carrying phones these days, phones that can be tracked. Bottom line here, if someone wants to target someone because they have something personal against them — they are going to get them, social-check-ins will just help to make it easier. But otherwise, social check-ins can have some benefit and I suspect that many will keep using them. The moral of the story here, maybe would start thinking about social check-ins and geo-locating and being tracked as part of life and something we should live with and accept as opposed to being something to constantly worry about. Thoughts? Fire away in the comments…   Matrix One wireless portable Bluetooth speaker Emerging audio company Matrix has released a trendy pair of battery-powered mini speakers. These colorful spheres offer a punchy sound in a cute and convenient design. Roughly the size and weight of a plum, the One and NRG models are very portable and certainly not lacking in volume or clarity. They will easily turn your smartphone or wireless device into a party starter, a relaxing day in your backyard or nearly anything in between. Offering a rich mid-frequency range, their sound also incorporates crystal highs and a quite impressive low-end. Equipped with Matrix’s patented Xcavated Bass Amplifier, a twist of their top half and an accordion-like body elevates, adding some real bass tones; something that some mini-speakers fail to deliver. All audio types sent from my smartphone– mp3s, YouTube videos, GPS directions and phone calls, all sounded very clear as every tone was accounted for. The wireless One model is flashy but delightfully simple. After an effortless Bluetooth sync to my phone, tunes were blasting in no time. With the volume at about 50 percent, the speaker sound is rich and amply loud. Its neat blood-red diaphragm sports a 45 mm driver that pushes serious air at 3.5 watts of power. We’re talking about a big sound from such a little gadget. The wireless function is seamless from across the room with no lag time and if you receive a call while rocking out, its integrated microphone makes conversing easy and fun. On the One’s casing is its power switch, a mini USB port used to recharge an internal battery and a nifty jog dial which will advance through your tracklist or pickup / hang up your phone calls. Devices without Bluetooth capabilities can also enjoy vivid sounds via a direct-in option by means of a 3.5 mm stereo connection through the USB port. Ultimately, this speaker is appealing to the eye and its function certainly holds up well, too.  Matrix NRG universal portable speaker With a bit less power and lacking the wireless feature, the NRG model is a universal portable speaker, employing its 3.5 mm stereo output that discretely wraps up underneath the device. It packs a 40 mm driver at 3 watts and the same bass boost technology. This speaker is appropriate for nearly every audio device available and even my single triple-A battery driven mp3 player pushes a robust sound. At moderate to high volume levels, the patented Matrix sound again offers distinct clarity. Maxed-out, though, this little guy tends to seem a bit overwhelmed. As it dances in place, sometimes adding rumbling bass crackles, you’ll find that there is a definite ‘sweet spot’ at roughly 75 percent volume to avoid the added noise distortion. Available in seven hot colors, the NRG is a good choice for all users and $29.99 is most definitely a nice price. Possibly its coolest feature is the ability to daisy-chain additional NRG devices through its 3.5 mm output jack. Link up with a few friends and together you can have an impromptu dance party just about anywhere. Ultimately, Matrix audio is on to something. These speakers have a creative style and will do the job proficiently, even compared toe-to-toe with bulkier models. Both the One and the NRG will play for about 14 hours on a full charge and they are easily transported in their nylon mesh wrist bag. Simple, stylish, compact and cost-friendly, I look forward to future Matrix sound products. Wherever you go, bring these gizmos along and expect oomph and originality.    
LG shared some sales numbers for the Optimus Vu smartphone, which according to the details they provided, recently passed 500,000 units in South Korea. Looking towards the US though, we had previously seen a leaked image of the Optimus Vu with Verizon branding, and well, it looks like that release may be coming fairly soon. In that same press release, LG noted that they planned to launch the Optimus Vu in the US during the third quarter. Needless to say, given the third quarter is getting closer to an end, we can only assume that a release is coming. In fact, we suspect that release will happen before the end of next month, September. Of course, an official announcement from Verizon will need to be made before we get super excited. Otherwise, the Optimus Vu will be a 4G LTE capable device and running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Other specs for the Vu include a 5-inch (1024 x 768) touchscreen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. Via [LG] and [unwiredview]  
We saw the soak test beginning last week, and well, as of today Verizon Wireless has officially detailed the Android 4.0 ICS update for the Motorola Droid 4 smartphone. While we have yet to hear of any reports from users, we suspect Verizon will begin rolling the update out shortly. But in the meantime, here is what Droid 4 users can expect. The update will be arriving as Android 4.0.4 with build number 6.16.217 and as a 364.1MB file. Verizon estimates that the update will take 30-60 minutes to download and then another 15-20 minutes to install. Of course, we suspect that process will be much quicker. Either way though, here is the changelog; Issues Corrected / Enhancements-OS Upgrades: - Device is enabled for Global Roaming. Now take advantage of voice and data service in over 205 countries worldwide. For additional information and support please visit www.verizonwireless.com/global.
Application Updates: - Integration of new version of Backup Assistant Plus.
- Mobile IM has been removed.
- Color for Facebook application is preloaded.
Enhanced Customer Support with Verizon Remote Diagnostics: - New customer care solution to improve service experience. When a customer calls into Verizon Wireless customer care, this solution, with the customer’s permission, allows support personnel to remotely view the user’s device for device training, application demonstrations and troubleshooting.
Email/Messaging: - Improved Stability and connectivity with Email.
- Successfully download and save ringtones.
Stability and Performance Improvements: - Mobile Hotspot — Improved connectivity.
- Reduced device resets and power cycling.
- Camera quality has been improved for better pictures.
- Improved My Gallery performance.
- Voice Mail Notification shows the correct of unread messages.
User Interface: - Updated Mobile Hotsport Icon.
- Visual Voice Mail shortcut on home screen changed to a standard voicemail shortcut.
- Clear Contact pictures are displayed for phonebook contacts.
Via [Verizon Wireless] and [Droid-Life]  
Samsung offered up a press release announcement for the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet earlier in the month. At that time they stated that the tablet would be available “globally in August.” And well, it looks like they are sticking to that word. Coming from the Samsung Mobile UK Twitter account, we have a confirmed availability date of August 16th. According to the tweet; “Be one of the first to buy the New Note 10.1, only at at the Westfield Brand Store in Stratford from Thursday 16 August. "Note the New way"”
Of course, the Westfield Brand Store is the flagship Samsung store which is located in London. That all being said, we have yet to learn how much you will have to shell out to make the purchase. That aside though, the specs for the Galaxy Note 10.1 break down as follows; - HSPA+ 21Mbps (HSDPA 21Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps)
- Quad Band 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
- 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) touchscreen display
- Quad-core 1.4GHz processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16/32/64GB of internal storage
- microSD card slot (support for cards up to 64GB in size)
- 7000 mAh battery
- A-GPS (3G version) and S-GPS (Wi-Fi version)
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5 mm headphone jack
- 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera
- 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with auto-focus and LED flash
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Via [Samsung Mobile UK]  
While the only available details are coming by way of leaked screen captures, it is beginning to look as if Radio Shack has something in the works with Cricket Wireless. More specifically, it looks like Radio Shack will be launching their own branded wireless service, appropriately named Radio Shack Mobile. According to the details that have leaked thus far, Radio Shack Mobile will be operating as an MVNO of Cricket Wireless and will be offering contract-free service. The pricing and the plans are unknown at this time, however we suspect they will be similar to what Cricket is already offering (plans from as low as $35 per month). Finally, as of now there is word of one handset coming available, the HTC One V which has a 4.3-inch display along with Android 4.0 ICS and the HTC Sense 4.0 user interface. Via [Engadget]  
Coming as a nice end to the recent rumors and speculation, Sprint has officially confirmed the release date for the Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE smartphone. In short, the handset will be available beginning on August 19th. And for those feeling like they cannot wait to part with their money, the handset is available for pre-order beginning today. The price will be $199.99 on a two-year agreement. We should also mention that it appears as if those who pre-order will get their hands-on the handset just a bit early. The pre-order page on the Sprint website states that; “Order online today, we’ll charge your card for your phone and we’ll do our best to get it to you before others get a glimpse on Sunday, August 19.”
Otherwise, a recap on the specs seems to be in order. The one big like (or potential dislike here) will be the keyboard. The PHOTON Q 4G LTE has a slide-out hardware QWERTY. Specifically, a 5-row landscape keyboard with a dedicated numeric row, “laser-cut keys” and LED lights. The handset will arrive running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich and has goodies such as Sprint ID support, SMARTACTIONS, ULE Platimum Certification and the Sprint Professional Grade certification. - Sprint ID, offering an innovative way to personalize an Android-powered smartphone with apps, widgets, ringtones and more all, in a single download.
- SMARTACTIONS™, the free Motorola app that helps extend battery life and intelligently automates routine, everyday tasks so that smartphones can do more for consumers.
- ULE Platinum Certification, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint.
- Sprint Professional Grade designation making it business ready with full corporate security, including remote wipe, pin lock and data encryption.
The hardware features include 4G LTE connectivity, a 4.3-inch ColorBoost display, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI with Mirror Mode, NFC, 1750 mAh battery, front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. Via [Sprint]  | |
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