The Samsung Mobile Unpacked app is free for those wielding devices running Android 2.1 or higher. The app will also be available in the Samsung Apps Store.

source: AndroidMarket via SamsungHub

Samsung was the first to break the manufacturer/carrier mould by sending the CyanogenMod crew brand new spanking Galaxy S II handsets, encouraging them to show what they are capable of doing by creating custom ROMs for the handset. Now obviously it decided to straight out drink from the source, and hired Steve Kondik.

The software engineer has a proven track record of making awesome modifications to stock handsets, which iron out bugs, speed up performance, and add missing functionalities, so him joining the Samsung Android team could only mean the homebrew TouchWiz UI should be getting more love from customers. Moreover, Samsung will need something to further differentiate itself other than awesome hardware, now that Google acquired Motorola as its Android manufacturing playground.

via SlashGear

While the mobile industry can hardly be called uncompetitive in this very moment, Android went from zero to hero and almost fifty percent of the smartphone market worldwide in just three years, so the FTC is looking into how much power Google has to exert pressure on app developers and device manufacturers to get its way.

Compared to the other mobile operating systems Android is pretty open, free and popular, plus there are a number of handsets that use generic Android without Google Services on it – no Android Market, no Maps, no Gmail, and so on. Moreover, companies are often installing their own software, like Sprint with its ID packs, Verizon using Bing, and manufacturers have their own skins like Sense UI.

The FTC, however, is apparently not satisfied, and is issuing inquiries into third parties whether Google is flexing muscles when it comes to replacing its core services with something foreign to the ecosystem. A case in point has been the lawsuit filed by Skyhook, which accuses El Goog in applying pressure on manufacturers to drop its localization technology from their handsets, and keep Google’s service. “Baseless” has been the only comment by Mountain View regarding the accusation, but it definitely looks like Android is being pressured on many fronts right now – whether this is a concerted campaign, or just that success always attracts the spotlight, remains to be seen.

For all we know, the Justice Department has launched a probe whether the Nortel patent bid by Apple, Microsoft, RIM, Sony and others, has been purposefully won by these cutthroat competitors for the patents to be used against Android’s domination. Google is not sitting still too – it bought more than a thousand patents from IBM, spent record amount of $2.06 million on lobbying in Q2 2011, and is hiring 12 more K street firms to protect its interests with Uncle Sam.

source: WSJ

Are we dealing with the rumored Samsung Attain, however, is a question that we are still unable to answer with absolute certainty just yet. Or perhaps, this name is reserved for that other Galaxy S II sibiling, the SGH-I777, which the FCC gave a green light to not long ago? Whatever the case may be, chances are that we are going to know the truth pretty soon since having the FCC’s blessing means that both devices are a step closer to setting foot on American soil. Any takers?

source: FCC via Engadget

We were then just drooling, sad that we can’t outfit our own cribs like that. Well, in a few short years, the field of home automation (HA) received a significant boost, the technology is within the reach of many, and now smartphone owners have the perfect tool to carry the control unit with them at all times.

Home automation can be divided into a few broad categories, depending on what you are trying to control – lighting, HVAC, appliances, security, entertainment or others, like sprinklers or a cat feeder. We won’t be delving into the hundreds of brands and ways to adjust your home environment from afar, since there are currently more than 10 competing standards, but barely a thing you can get from Home Depot on the cheap and drive home to install yourself – we are just looking at how HA relays to your smartphone or tablet…

Read the full article at PhoneArena

The new Foodspotting versions for iOS (v2.5) and Android (v0.0.4) have each received the same new feature: following. That’s right, it’s time for Foodspotting to become a real social network rather than a discovery source. With the new versions, you’ll be able to find your friends from Facebook or Twitter and follow their recommendations. You’ll also be able to follow experts like the Travel Channel or Mario Batali or even follow your favorite restaurants. And, to top it off, the new versions support higher resolutions images throughout.

Foodspotting is free in the iOS App Store, Android Market and Windows Phone Marketplace, and should be coming soon to BlackBerry App World.

source: Foodspotting blog via ReadWriteWeb

The app is specifically for the Barclays Premier League, but includes live scores and stats, as well as fixtures and results. But, the best part about the app are the videos. ESPN Goals offers videos for all 380 games of the season including match previews and weekend roundups, but the key are the near-live videos of match highlights and goals. Video of goals are made available minutes after being scored except for matches on Saturdays at 3pm, which have video delayed until 5:15pm due to UEFA restrictions. You can even get notifications of new video as it comes in.

Overall, this is a solid app. And, though it used to cost £3.99 per month, now it’s all free and definitely worth testing out, especially with the season set to open this Saturday.

source: ESPN
Install ESPN Goals for iPhone (iTunes link)
Install ESPN Goals for Android (Market link)

Sprint customers will now have the opportunity of trialing, and then purchasing McAfee’s Mobile Security and Family Protection software for their Android powered smartphones.

The Mobile Security app is initially available as a 7-day free trial for anyone who wishes to check it out, but then after that, its annual subscription fee stands at $29.99. Some of its features include the ability to track and locate a smartphone, lock or wipe the device remotely, and get backup protection for things like your contacts, photos, and videos. Absolutely, it’ll protect your handset from viruses, malware, trojans, and just about any other nasty baddies out there.

As for the Family Protection software suite, it’s free to use for the first 30 days, but it’ll incur an annual subscription of $19.99. This one is geared around monitoring and filtering items on your smartphone – like blocking specific sites that are not intended for kids. Also, it offers built-in protections so that your kids, even if they’re phone smart, won’t be able to remove it from the phone.

You can download either of the two apps starting today directly from the Sprint tab in the Android Market or from the Sprint Zone app.

source: Sprint via Mobileburn

Jumping up to version 10.3.186.3, it’s mentioned to fix a host of security issues found with it, and at the same time, it brings forth quite a few different enhancements for specific website and phones. For the most part though, Android users will hopefully experience less issues in regards to Flash content. Here is the list of some items included with the release:

• Enabled NEON optimizations for OMAP4 (Cortex A-9) based devices.
• Corrected an issue on the Samsung Galaxy S where H.264 video at resolutions of 720p and below was not displayed.
• Fixed an issue where app packaging would fail for Android Apps using Flash Player in WebView that set android:hardwareAcceleration to True in their AndroidManifest.xml.
• Fixed a crash on the HTC EVO that some users encountered with specific video.
• Fixed an issue that caused video frames to stop rendering on long streaming videos on some Motorola devices.
• Fixed an issue where touch events were getting delayed with Kongregate.com games.
• Fixed an issue where games on Kongregate.com freeze when users exit from Full-Screen mode.

Of course, it would be an ideal thing to grab that download if you haven’t been notified already by your handset.

source: Android Market via IntoMobile

The issue was brought up about two weeks ago and it seems like Google is well aware of it. However, a solution to the problem is still nowhere in sight even though the company has promised to take care of it in a timely manner. What is causing all the troubles is not exactly clear just now, but it looks like Google Checkout is not processing all orders correctly resulting in a number of downloads being marked as shipped, yet the respective developer account does not get credited for that. Nevertheless, it has been confirmed that all developers who got underpaid will have their account balances fixed and will get reimbursed for the missing amount of money.

source: Android Market Forums via Electronista