This is one of those rumors that is tough to get a handle on because we’re right in the middle of what’s possible and what’s probable. The trouble is that for the most part the original Motorola Xoom was a bit of a disappointment. It shipped without LTE or a working SD card slot, and still doesn’t have either feature. The Xoom didn’t have a USB port, it was a bit heavy and hard to hold. And, to top it off, Honeycomb was rushed out and was a bit buggy until the 3.1 upgrade.

That’s where we stand as we find out that a mysterious Motorola tablet has hit the FCC. We kind of want the Xoom 2 to come and erase the disappointing launch of the original Xoom (and therefore the Android tablet ecosystem overall). We want it so much that we’re even trying to make an unidentified tablet in a promo to be the Xoom 2. Unfortunately, it seems far more likely that both are simply the Xoom LTE.

The FCC filing doesn’t contain much information, but what we do know is that it has an LTE radio built in. It is also roughly the same size as the original Xoom measuring 259mm by 166mm, where the original Xoom was 249.1mm by 167.8mm.
The change in size and the promo video make it seem as though it could be the Xoom 2. But, it could simply be a slight redesign of the Xoom (to make it more friendly to hold) and a new marketing push for the LTE Xoom. In a way, that might be better than a full release of the Xoom 2, because it would be far better to see the Xoom 2 launch in the fall with a slimmer frame, a quad-core CPU and Ice Cream Sandwich, than it would be to have it launch now and likely be not much more than a slightly redesigned Xoom anyway.

source: Wireless Goodness

Let’s be honest here, one of the major problems with the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi is its above average price point of $599 – one that’s higher than the normal $500 we tend to see nowadays with premium Wi-Fi tablets.

Indeed, it’s going to be a hard sell when you take into account the cheaper cost found with the Apple iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Luckily though, Motorola is doing justice for the very first Honeycomb flavored tablet to hit the market by dropping its price down by $100. Flaunting that golden tablet price of $499 now, it’s undoubtedly much more appreciative and might gain some visibility once again. However, Verizon’s cellular connected version doesn’t appear to get any love since it’s still priced firmly at $599 with a 2-year contract.

So if you’re in the market for a high premium tablet, then you’ll have to include the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi into the mix of things now that it sports an even better price than before.

source: Motorola via Android Central

Call it a rarity or something, but Foursquare is debuting a brand new feature first before anything else with its Android app – something that’s generally reserved for its iPhone counterpart. Indeed a small victory for Android users, the latest version of the popular location based social networking app now features a new notifications tray.

Specifically, there is a notification icon positioned in the top right corner of the app that displays all the activity of your friends. You’ll be notified for thing like friends commenting on your check-ins, when there are new comments or photos on a check-in you’ve commented on, when Facebook friends join Foursquare, you’re ousted as Mayor, and much more. Moreover, you’ll be alerted when specific locations start swarming so that you can join the frenzy.

Naturally, you’ll have command of what kind of notifications you want to receive so that you’re not inundated with trivial things – but more importantly, keep track of things that you care about the most. We’ve seen the Foursquare app for Windows Phone 7 being upgraded recently as well, but Android’s version can claim the new notifications system all to itself for now. Luckily, you can actually check out the new feature as well though Foursquare’s web site – though, it’s bound to arrive on other versions of the mobile app.

source: Foursquare via Mobileburn

Since it’s release back in May many users have been having issues with the Nexus S 4G on Sprint which caused problems connecting to Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network, slow speeds when connected, and even problems connecting to WiFi. A leaked document from Sprint is showing that those problems may be coming to an end with an OTA update scheduled to start July 11th.

The update will bring the Nexus S 4G to GRJ90, and bring a number of fixes. The most important fixes are for 4G and WiFi, which are listed as fixes to improve WiFi connectivity, 4G signal acquisition and throughput and tuned signal strength indicators. The fix will also bring improved speaker phone audio quality, a 4G settings widget, NI push support, TTY support, and it will enable the NFC secure element.
The update will roll out over 4 days, starting July 11th. So, if you have a Nexus S 4G, just go to your phone dialer on July 11th and dial *#*#checkin#*#* to force your phone to check for the update.

source: Android Police

Good news for a few hundred people out there! It turns out that the new Google+ Android app has a hidden NFC sharing feature. The Google+ app launched on June 28th, the feature was found on June 1st, and the news of its existence has just made the jump to major tech blogs. That is a pretty well hidden feature.

So, of course, to use the feature you’ll need a Nexus S, which remains the only NFC-capable Android phone, a Google+ account, and the Google+ app. Luckily for you Nexus S users, the word on the street is that Google+ registration has begun to open up to the public. Word from Vic Gundotra is that Google is rolling it out, so if definitely check to see if you’re one of the lucky ones who can get in.
Once you’ve collected the three magical items, you’ll be able to share information from NFC tags through the Google+ app. The uses seem fairly limited right now, but the app will automatically read text content from an NFC tag, so this feature could easily be used to share location data, check-in data, or even bring people into a Huddle conversation.

source: Ridz.sg via Engadget

Without a doubt, we’ve already witnessed some of the advantages that the HTC Scribe Pen has to offer with the HTC Flyer, but for other tablet users out there, they’re naturally limited to using their fingers to operate their tablets – and at the same time, accumulating some fingerprints and smudges.

Well, Samsung has something that might appeal to just about anyone using devices with capacitive touchscreens – the Galaxy Tab Conductive Pen. As its name implies, it’s tailored to be used with Samsung’s line of Galaxy Tab tablets, but it’ll actually work on just about any device sporting capacitive displays. In fact, the conductive tip of the stylus allows it mimic your finger and offers all of the conveniences you’d expect – like making selections, tapping, and swipe gestures. Better yet, the best thing about it is the fact that it’ll keep your device looking ever so clean.

If you simply tire of having to rely on your finger to interact with your touchscreen device, you can replace the experience with the Galaxy Tab Conductive Pen obviously. Priced at $19.99 for a single Conductive Pen, it sports an attractive design similar to what you find with any premium pen. So if that’s good enough for you, then you can pick one up through Samsung’s web site right now.

source: Samsung

Needless to say, there are some happy HTC Sensation owners in Europe that are exuberant about the handset’s loveliness, but for those affected by the stifling problem of lag with its performance, they’re going to be glad to see hear that some owners are seeing better results after installing a new software update.

Although it doesn’t necessarily bring along anything dramatic, this 27MB over-the-air update for non-carrier branded HTC Sensation units in Europe is being pushed out as we speak. Naturally, it brings the handset up to software version 1.35.401.1 and carries along some additional bug fixes with it. Moreover, we’re sure that handset owners are more interested about seeing an unlocked bootloader with the update – but sadly, it’s not available with it just yet.

Nevertheless, handset owners will surely need to wait for yet another software update to see that become a reality, but in the meantime, we’re sure that some will still be accepting of this latest software update. If you haven’t received the notification, you can obviously initiate the manual process yourself to get it started.

source: XDA via Android Central

As we reported, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer has been under heavy demand which means that the factories have been unable to catch up to sales even while continuing to churn out the tablet. And now, with other stores suffering with no inventory of the tablet, the device can be found in Office Depot stores and on the retailer’s web site. The 16GB model will cost $399.99 while the 32GB version is priced at $499.99. Randy Wick, Vice President of Technology Merchandising for Office Depot had some kind words for the tablet when he said that “The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer truly stands out from other tablets currently on the market with its great price point and unique features, including the expandable keyboard dock“.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is loaded up with Honeycomb 3.1 and under the hood you will find a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2  processor. The 10.1 inch screen made of Gorilla Glass offers resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels and gives the user great viewing angles. A 5MP camera is on the back of the unit while a 1.3MP shooter is on front, for self-portraits and video chats. The tablet is only 12.98 thick and weighs just 680 grams. The $149.99 optional docking station gives users a full sized QWERTY keyboard, 2 additional USB ports, a microSD slot and a multi-touch trackpad. Perhaps the best news is that the dock increases battery life by 6.5 additional hours to 16 hours.

If you have been looking to pick up the tablet and can’t find one anywhere, you can now check out all of the Office Depot locations near you. But once the word gets out, the retailer might suffer the same fate as the other places that have been selling the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. Namely, empty shelves.

source: OfficeDepot via AndroidGuys

This leaked ad allegedly shows off the long awaited Motorola DROID Bionic

A leaked photo of an ad for Best Buy apparently is showing off the re-designed Motorola DROID Bionic. As we reported, Verizon’s first dual-core LTE model is expected to launch on August 4th. Unfortunately, the ad doesn’t confirm the launch date or reveal a clue about pricing. The phrase “Coming Soon” is placed under the picture of the heavily anticipated phone.

Originally shown to the public at the CES, Motorola pulled the original DROID Bionic and replaced it with a whole new model and a delayed launch. The specs of the device have been rumored to be all over the place. We had told you about a tweet from Motorola that called for a summer launch of the phone and pictures, possibly of the Motorola DROID Bionic, were leaked near the end of last month.
Now that we have this leaked ad for the Motorola DROID Bionic, an early August launch of the handset seems to make sense. And if that timeframe is correct, it shouldn’t be too long until we get the official word from Motorola along with a list of the specs that everyone is dying to see. The ad mentions the dual-core processor under the hood, the HDMI mirroring capabilities, the ability to wirelessly pull files from your computer, and the front-facing camera’s ability to support video chat.

So will it be the Motorola DROID 3 or the Motorola DROID Bionic? The latter is 4G enabled and the former isn’t. The former has a physical QWERTY and a 4 inch screen while the latter has no physical QWERTY and a screen no smaller than 4.3 inches. Does the look of the device in the ad change your mind one way or the other?

source: Thisismynext via Gizmodo

Transit Directions without Navigation (L) and with it (R)

Google Maps 5.7 is now available in the Android Market and comes with some awesome new features to help you get where you want to go. One feature, still in beta, is Transit Navigation. This service gives you turn-by-turn directions using GPS while using public transit. This is available for more than 400 cities around the globe. While you are riding a city bus, for example, you can find out when to exit the vehicle or transfer to another bus. Even if you put your handset away or start using another app, your notification bar will alert you when you have reached your stop and you can also set up your phone to vibrate at the same time.

The updated Google Maps app for Android now supports one click access to Navigation. If you click on the driving or walking icon and you have selected a route that is supported by Google Navigation, the familiar blue icon will appear and when clicked, will take you to the turn-by-turn directions. Google has also added category icons for search suggestions such as a pin for a Google Places recommendation or a star for a ’starred’ place or location; a previously used search term will get a clock icon, a person icon appears for contacts while a magnifying glass appears for all others.

Finally Google has added a photo viewer for Places which allows Google Maps for Android users to look at pictures of possible destinations before deciding where to go. Google Maps 5.7 can be downloaded for free from the Android Market and requires a phone running Android 2.1 or higher.

source: Google