SugarSync to ship with many Samsung mobile devices, make Galaxy S III a home away from home

Galaxy S III Sprint - top half

Samsung and SugarSync are already cozy with each other, having struck a deal to put SugarSync’s cloud file sharing on Samsung’s AllShare Play-equipped TVs. That relationship just got a lot closer: SugarSync will now be a mainstay for Samsung’s rather successful mobile devices. Starting with the Galaxy S III, any Samsung phone or tablet that supports AllShare Play will have SugarSync built-in, whether it’s for looking at files and media from back home or just to upload the phone’s own photos and videos for sharing later on. The service still offers a free 5GB of storage as a baseline and will scale up to 500GB if you’re willing to fork over up to $40 a month. Between this and a Dropbox deal for most carriers, Samsung has the cloud largely sewn up on its handhelds — if you can’t access it, it probably doesn’t exist.

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SugarSync to ship with many Samsung mobile devices, make Galaxy S III a home away from home originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rovio’s Amazing Alex arrives on Android and iOS July 12th, bosses everywhere weep for lost productivity (video)

Rovio's Amazing Alex arrives on Android and iOS July 12th, bosses everywhere weep for lost productivity video

It’s finally happening: after roughly two and a half years, Rovio Mobile is weaning itself off of its addiction to avians. The company’s first non-bird title in what feels like an eternity, Amazing Alex, will be reaching the official stores for both Android and iOS come July 12th. Strictly speaking, Rovio is taking something of a shortcut to bringing this Incredible Machine-style puzzler to market: it bought the rights to Casey’s Contraptions and enlisted the developers, Miguel Friginal and Noel Llopis, to bring the title into the Rovio family. While that means it’s not quite as fresh as it could be, the game has already piqued our interest and could be exposed to many (many, many) more players. While we wait, we’ll pour one out for the managers and supervisors bound to lose hours of work from staff trying to finish just one more level.

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Rovio’s Amazing Alex arrives on Android and iOS July 12th, bosses everywhere weep for lost productivity (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple launches new iPad in China on July 20th (update: here’s why)

iPad 2012

Apple is about to complete an important part of the puzzle for the new iPad’s world rollout: it just confirmed that its Retina display-packing tablet will reach mainland China on July 20th. The company isn’t specific about local pricing, but it’s promising both WiFi and cellular versions at its own stores and through resellers. The company is keen to avoid some of the mobs and scalping it’s seen in the past and will open reservations for pickup starting on July 19th — although the company is unusually limiting the reservation window to just three hours each day, between 9AM and noon. No matter how it shakes out, the official Chinese expansion is likely to keep the number of slingshot-delivered imports to a minimum.

Update: As some commenters have noted, the Chinese launch is helped mostly by the truce with Proview. The current iPad design has been certified since March; Apple isn’t about to mention Proview by name in the release, but it likely wasn’t keen on risking another store ban when it could just avoid the battle altogether.

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Apple launches new iPad in China on July 20th (update: here’s why) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kouziro crafts wired-only, 21.5-inch Android 4.0 mega tablet, makes us think it’s compensating for something

Kouziro crafts wiredonly, 215inch Android 40 mega tablet

We’re wondering if Kouziro saw the ASUS Transformer AIO and developed a little Freudian envy. That would certainly help explain the company’s FT103 tablet, which at 21.5 inches is one of the biggest devices running Android 4.0 without veering into full-size TV territory. If you’re having sudden flashbacks to the Toshiba Excite 13 and dreading the thought of lugging around all 11 pounds of this slab, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Kouziro doesn’t make any pretenses surrounding portability: there’s no battery, and a kickstand keeps it upright on a desk rather than crushing your lap. The lackluster 1GHz TI OMAP 4428 processor and 8GB of storage certainly won’t do much to draw attention, though. All the same, the HDMI input and 1080p screen resolution could make it a very clever secondary display for another device, and the extra-extra-extra-large size lets it stuff in two full USB ports and Ethernet along with the usual front camera and mobile expansion. The late July release in Japan and the ¥34,800 ($437) price aren’t outlandish for what’s in the box — just brace yourself for psychoanalysis from friends and family after taking the FT103 home.

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Kouziro crafts wired-only, 21.5-inch Android 4.0 mega tablet, makes us think it’s compensating for something originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 03:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mobility Update  |  sourceImpress Watch (translated)  | Email this | Comments

KeyPoint’s Adaptxt keyboard enters beta for Android tablets, adds handwriting for that extra touch

KeyPoint's Adaptxt keyboard enters beta for Android tablets, adds handwriting for that extra touch

Aftermarket keyboard layouts are still relatively rare among tablets, which makes KeyPoint Technologies’ new Adaptxt beta for Android tablets that much more valuable. Along with optionally splitting up the keyboard to make thumb typing that much gentler, it expands on the stock keyboard formula with aggressive word prediction and shortcuts for words or whole sentences. The wait for a tablet version has also rewarded the patient with a handwriting recognition extra, just in case they’d like to revive cursive writing as an art form. The beta is is free to use for anyone who’s running at least Android 2.3 on a big-screened slate, although only for a “limited period” — if you’re willing to accept a few rough edges, we’d recommend hitting the source links before there’s a price tag attached.

KeyPoint’s Adaptxt keyboard enters beta for Android tablets, adds handwriting for that extra touch originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAdaptxt, Google Play  | Email this | Comments

iPad mini rumors resurface like so many leftovers, have production start in September

iPad mini rumors resurface like so many leftovers, have production start in September

There have been rumors of a shrunken iPad since time immemorial, so you’ll have to forgive us if we look at most fresh claims with a jaded eye. Still, when both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal hear that Apple is close to producing a tablet with an 8-inch or smaller screen, there might be some fire to go with the smoke. What details that exist are unsurprisingly thin outside of the dimensions, although Bloomberg understands that there won’t be a Retina display like in the current 9.7-inch slab. That’s not a shock given the size and likely cost concerns — we’re more interested in the talk of nearing production plans with an uncanny level of synchronicity. The Wall Street Journal has caught murmurs that volume production ramps up in September, while its business paper rival Bloomberg thinks that an announcement could come “by October.” We still won’t be shocked if these are just wild misinterpretations of an upsized iPod touch or become nothing but vapor. Should they pan out, however, our good friend the Nexus 7 could feel some heat this fall.

iPad mini rumors resurface like so many leftovers, have production start in September originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple may get the Italian boot, has 30 days to push a 2-year warranty for locals

Apple may get the Italian boot, has 30 days to push a 2year warranty for locals

Italian regulator AGCM is clearly on a short fuse with Apple. After issuing a €900,000 fine ($1.1 million) to Apple for not properly offering the free 2-year warranty required by national law, the agency is now warning the iPhone maker that it could face a temporary exile — and we don’t mean to Elba. On top of an additional €300,000 ($377,490) potential fine, Apple now faces as much as a 30-day shutdown of all its Italian business for allegedly doing too little to tell customers they don’t always need AppleCare for extended coverage. Having lost its appeal on the original fine, Apple’s main buffer is a 30-day window to address the complaints before the hammer drops. We have yet to see if Apple will tweak its policies in time, but it’s hard to believe the American firm will risk even the momentary closure of an important European wing.

Apple may get the Italian boot, has 30 days to push a 2-year warranty for locals originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon reportedly acquires UpNext, 3D map wars begin in earnest

Amazon reportedly acquires UpNext, 3D map wars begin in earnest

We might as well call 2012 the year of the 3D map. We’ve seen both Apple and Google show their cards, but GigaOM now hears that Amazon has jumped in by acquiring newcomer UpNext. The details are scant, but the approximately $2.5 million deal would give Amazon the startup’s 3D, Android-native maps of 50 US cities, complete with navigation and extra information about notable buildings. The online reseller hasn’t confirmed whether or not the acquisition is happening, which leaves it very much in rumor territory for now. That said, it’s not hard to imagine Amazon taking that leap. The Kindle Fire is cut out of the official Android ecosystem and won’t get built-in 3D maps without effort on its creator’s part — a buyout would certainly put that mapping on the fast track.

Amazon reportedly acquires UpNext, 3D map wars begin in earnest originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia claims Nexus 7 treads on its WiFi patents, wants a little dough for that Jelly Bean

Nokia claims Nexus 7 treads on its WiFi patents, wants a little dough for that Jelly Bean

We’re fans of the Nexus 7. Nokia, however, isn’t quite so keen. It claims to The Inquirer that the ASUS and Google joint project is using Nokia WiFi patents without a license. The two companies never even asked, Nokia argues. As it’s a question of standards-based patents, it’s more likely that Nokia will simply cough politely and ask for a royalty rather than launch into yet another legal battle — still, it’s not exactly a minor accusation. We’ve reached out to both ASUS and Google for comment, but we can’t imagine that either will be happy with the potential hit to their respective bottom lines. Sending a slice of what’s left to Finland could be more than a bit painful when that $199 Jelly Bean tablet is already operating on virtually non-existent margins.

Nokia claims Nexus 7 treads on its WiFi patents, wants a little dough for that Jelly Bean originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop plans to sell Nexus 7, starts taking Android tablet trade-ins

Nexus 7 review home screen

Google’s Andy Rubin suggested the Nexus 7 would reach third-party US stores eventually — we just didn’t think it would be this quickly. GameStop says it’s taking pre-orders for the 16GB version of the Android 4.1 tablet starting today. At $249, it will cost exactly what it does in its currently exclusive Google Play home; in other words, one of the parties involved could be taking a voluntary hit on the already razor-thin profit margins. The 7-inch slate should be arriving roughly at the same mid-July timeframe as it is for those ordering straight from the Google source.

It wouldn’t be GameStop if there weren’t trade-ins involved, and sure enough, the game retailer is using the Nexus 7 as the lure. Confirming an earlier leak, the chain is now accepting Android tablet trade-ins worth up to $200 in cash (or $250 in store credit) depending on how pristine the hardware is coming into the store. Play your cards right, and you’re very nearly getting the Google-blessed tablet for free. As an extra incentive, any gear whose exchange goes directly towards buying the Nexus 7 will get a 30 percent boost in value. Knowing the buzz surrounding the price-to-performance ratio of the ASUS-made Nexus, we won’t be surprised if GameStop suddenly faces a glut of older Android tablets in its backrooms.

Continue reading GameStop plans to sell Nexus 7, starts taking Android tablet trade-ins

GameStop plans to sell Nexus 7, starts taking Android tablet trade-ins originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGameStop  | Email this | Comments