Android Guru

Monday, June 4, 2012

Verizon’s Latest Double Data Promo Ends June 5, the Day Before You Can Pre-order the Galaxy SIII

double Verizon's Latest Double Data Promo Ends June 5, the Day Before You Can Pre order the Galaxy SIII

According to info we received from friends of ours at Verizon, their newest Double Data promotion will end tomorrow, June 5. If you are wondering about the timing, consider the fact that the Samsung Galaxy SIII goes up for pre-order the following day, June 6. The last date we were given pegged June 3 as the end of the promo, but apparently VZW was giving you an extra couple of days to get in on the deal.

From June 6 going forward, you will only get 2GB of data for $30 rather than the 4GB for $30 that new customers are currently enjoying.

One Galaxy S III to rule them all

To say the US launch of the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S II didn't exactly go off without a hitch would be an understatement. Thinking back on both devices brings back memories of unexplained delays, terrible names, and more design changes than you can shake a stick at. Fortunately, this time around, things seem different. In keeping with manufacturer's vows of less is more, and quality over quantity, US carriers seem to have left the Galaxy S III alone for once. In name and design.

I still can't believe my eyes. Looking over the dedicated web pages for the Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III has me rereading everything twice to make sure I'm not missing something. How can all the US variants of the Galaxy S III look the same, and share the same name? It's almost as if someone talked some sense into the big carriers around here.

There's no Fascinate III. No Vibrant II HD. No Epic HD Touch Plus IV. Just Galaxy S III. And look at the device. The same button configuration. The same colors. Same screen size. I know this may not seem like much at first glance, but for consumer usability and recognition, this is a huge leap forward.

When a rendered T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S III first leaked, we thought this may end up happening. Actually seeing it come true with not only the T-Mobile S III, but Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T's as well is still shocking.

Just like with the iPhone, anyone who wants a Galaxy S III, no matter what carrier they're using, can get a Galaxy S III. And it will have the same name as other Galaxy S IIIs, and it will look the same as other Galaxy S IIIs, and will be able to use the same accessories as other Galaxy S IIIs. If the chipsets are slightly different, it's no big deal. So long as no one can tell the difference between a Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint Galaxy S III, it's a win for consumers.

If memory serves me right, this is the first time this has ever happened in the US. With any line of Android devices. Let's not make it the last.

Turn Any Regular TV Into a Smart TV With This Kickstarter Project Called “Pocket TV”

Pocket TV 650x378 Turn Any Regular TV Into a Smart TV With This Kickstarter Project Called

Another handy looking Kickstarter project has caught our attention, this time taking the form of a thumb-drive equipped with an HDMI male piece called Pocket TV. Once you plug the drive into your TV, you'll be greeted by the stock Ice Cream Sandwich interface, allowing you to download Play Store apps, and have the Android OS right on your TV. Controlling is made easy with a custom remote and there will also be an app for Android and iPhone devices that will allow control of the TV that way too.

Pocket TV 21 650x399 Turn Any Regular TV Into a Smart TV With This Kickstarter Project Called

With its 512Mb of RAM, single core 1GHz processor, and 4GB of storage, this little machine packs quite the little punch. The project is at a healthy $70,000 already out of $100,000. And with only 34 days left to fulfill the needed

Samsung Galaxy S III coming to five major US carriers in June

Tonight Samsung announced the Galaxy S III will be coming to five major US carriers including

ASUS Transformer AiO is your Windows 8 desktop and Android tablet all in one

So I jumped the gun a bit last night in thinking that the BlueStacks Windows 8 integration was all that ASUS had meant with their cryptic teasers. Earlier today ASUS took the wraps off the ASUS Transformer AiO which is both a full Windows 8 all-in-one touchscreen desktop and a somewhat massive 18.4-inch Android tablet running Android 4.0.

What exactly does this look like in action? Well you can check out the video from The Verge below for a quick peek at the system both in its dock as a Windows 8 desktop and then undocked in all of its gigantic Android 4.0 glory.

The AiO isn't quite ready yet, and while it currently seems to immediately switch to Android when undocked, that is actually supposed to require the push of a button as it can function remotely around the house as a wireless display for the Windows 8 PC, but that is dependent on the base station being in range.

The docking base features multiple USB 3.0 ports, ethernet and an optical drive. The screen is LED backlit and supports up to 10-point multitouch.

If ASUS was offering this dual-boot functionality in some of the Windows 8 tablets that they showed off today, which look identical to the Transformer Prime hardware if you haven't seen them, I would probably be throwing my money at them already.

Now I'm not in the market for a desktop so that doesn't help the cause, but I'm not sure I see the appeal here. What's the use case for an 18.4-inch Android tablet in your mind? Mildly portable media center and gaming rig once you pair it with a controller? Lay it on the coffee table for some Android board game fun?

Let us know what you think of the ASUS Transformer AiO in the comments, and if you have any clever ideas for uses, we are all ears.

June 2012 Rumor Round-up: Galaxy S3 Launch Date, RAZR HD Sooner Than Thought, and Shared Data

galaxy s3 top June 2012 Rumor Round up: Galaxy S3 Launch Date, RAZR HD Sooner Than Thought, and Shared Data

After releasing our first ever monthly rumor round-up post in May and attempting to not commit to it being a monthly