Are my cards secure?

With Google Wallet you’re able (starting this week) to add your whole collection of credit and debit cards. Once your cards are in your account, you’ll be working with NFC to wirelessly charge money essentially the same as a credit card does. To enter a card into your Google Wallet account, you need to enter the number on the card into your mobile app, your online wallet, or into your Google Play account (which uses your same Google login) when making a purchase. Though you do not need to make a purchase to enter a card, it does make the whole process seem like less of a chore.

Once you’ve got your card or cards entered in to your account, your locked-down mobile app version of Google Wallet will have that card – or all your cards – on record and ready to use whenever you need them. Each time you use a card, you’ll see a transaction record on your phone or tablet instantly with the merchant name and the dollar amount listed clearly. This information is also emailed to you instantly if you wish, and all of your account history can be found in your online wallet.

You can access your Online Wallet here: [Google Wallet Online]

All of your cards are stored on “highly secure” Google servers, as they make sure to make clear on all documents for the system. This is opposed to keeping all the cards on your phone locally where they can be hacked – because they’re in the cloud, they’re actually a bit more secure, in this case. The only way a person can gain access to your cards is with your wallet ID. Your wallet ID is a pin number you create yourself – this number is stored in the “secure storage” area of your phone or tablet.

Our original hands-on with Google Wallet can be seen here:

What if I lose my phone and someone had my pin number AND ID card?

If someone has your phone or tablet, your pin number, and looks similar enough to you that they’re able to pass off your driver’s license as you, you might be in trouble. If that extremely rare and near-impossible situation should arise, Google has another solution for you. Remote Disabling is a new feature of Google Wallet with the update that’s just been dropped this week. With it, you’re able to visit the Devices section of your online wallet, select the device you wish to disable, and poof! It will no longer be able to be used by the villain.

What this service actually does is to remotely reset your mobile wallet, this then making it impossible for the person whose stolen your device to use the wallet unless they go back and enter in all your account information manually once again. At that point it would be easier to kidnap you and steal your real wallet. But you don’t have a real wallet anymore – you’ve got Google Wallet!

So all is well and safe and secure – and you’re ready to go!

You can get Google Wallet on a select number of devices right this minute, including two of our favorites, the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Nexus. You can check out our hands-on with Google Wallet from back when it was first released and you can check our our full review of the Galaxy Nexus as well as our full review of the Nexus 7 too – grab em!

“We’ve just been advised that the roll-out the of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to Vodafone Australia customers has been delayed” the carrier wrote on its official blog. “At this stage, we don’t have any further information on when the roll-out will resume, but as soon as we do, we’ll let you know.”

Vodafone Australia does not specify what, exactly, the cause of the delay might be. However, according to The Next Web, the Jelly Bean update was discovered to not be up to scratch with Australia’s regulatory requirements for emergency calls.

Google has already begun rolling out OTA updates to Android 4.1 to Galaxy Nexus handsets, but Vodafone Australia’s Galaxy S was to be the first carrier-modified device to get Jelly Bean. More on Jelly Bean in our full review.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

This release would have Google controlling the apps that run on the operating system they’ll release next to a greater degree, so says the tipster speaking with the WSJ as well. This soft of strategy would take what Google has done so far in working with HTC for the HTC Nexus One back at the start, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus more recently, and manufacturers such as Motorola (with the XOOM tablet) along the way to bring each new version of their software to the public in a vanilla iteration.

This tip may well be playing off the fact that Google is still in the process of taking control of Motorola and might have them working with both Samsung (who has been tipped already for the release that will come more than likely during Google I/O) as well as Motorola for this next release. One option here is that Google will work with Samsung for a tablet version of their Jellybean software and Motorola for a smartphone, but we will just have to wait and see!

Stick with us here on SlashGear for the full 4/11 on the situation as we inch nearer and nearer to Google I/O next month – we’ll be there live!

The Nexus S was slated as the first device to get the update, last December. And that did happen. Google began rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich to the Nexus S late last year, seemingly right on schedule. But then something unexpected happened. Nexus S owners who downloaded the update found themselves embroiled in myriad problems, ranging from occasional phone freezes and crashes to complete phone meltdowns.

The update was quickly pulled. Then, even though the Nexus S’s successor, the Galaxy Nexus, received a timely upgrade to Android 4.0, it has not managed to keep up-to-date with the updates that have been applied to Ice Cream Sandwich since. Google engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru is now explaining what exactly happened. “I’m very glad that Google is back in the business of selling phones directly without any middlemen to interfere, and I’ll be even happier when I see that program expanded to more countries. Writing the software doesn’t mean that Google can deploy it immediately, there are operator approvals for devices that are sold and/or supported by operators,” he explained in a blog post.

[via Computerworld]

That means you may have to wait for a while before you actually see it pop up on your phone. We’ve just checked for the update on a UK Galaxy Nexus – currently running 4.0.2 – and there’s no sign of 4.0.4 being ready.

For the Galaxy Nexus, there are apparently stability improvements in this tweaked Ice Cream Sandwich version, along with improvements to the camera performance. Google also says users should see smoother screen rotation along with improved phone number recognition. However, the full list of tweaks apparently extends to around 100 items.

The Galaxy Nexus LTE, meanwhile, is apparently due to get Android 4.0.5 within the next few weeks. 4.0.4 has been merged with the AOSP code base, too, which means third-party ROM developers will also have access to the official improvements; we’d expect them to start showing up in popular releases soon.

Ice Cream Sandwich is Google’s most refined version of Android to-date, but it still has its rough spots. Let us know how you get on with the updated 4.0.4 software in the comments.

[via Android Community]

Engadget has confirmed with sources familiar with the matter that Google is expected to begin rolling out the Ice Cream Sandwich once again for the Nexus S and Nexus S 4G. Time wise you’re looking at “the next few weeks” – possibly pushing the much awaited update into April. That’s better than no update at all, though.

So what exactly was the problem with the original update that was pushed out back in December? Users on xda-developers noted that the Android OS was consuming a larger amount of battery life than normal when the Nexus S was running Ice Cream Sandwich. That led to poor battery life throughout the day, causing Google to pull the update while they could fix things.

When Ice Cream Sandwich does start rolling out to Nexus S’ again, users can look forward to a wide variety of changes, such as improved notifications, the new Roboto font, modified UI, as well as a refined Gmail experience. More details in our full Ice Cream Sandwich review.

When Apple decides to update its mobile operating system iOS for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, it does so with a precise set of measures that allows for the vast majority of its modern devices to get the update quickly. Google’s Android is not in a position to do such a thing, nor will it ever be. You the user purchase an Android handset with a version of the software on it that you pay for as a part of the whole package. When you purchase a laptop, you also get a single version of whatever software that laptop comes with.

Each time Google releases a new version of its software, its biggest aim is to get manufacturers to create new devices that feature that software for the masses. It is not profitable enough for Google to consider creating software that can be adopted instantly by devices that are already on the market.

Google has a line of devices it’s created to feature the newest version of the software they produce in its purest form – this line is called Nexus. Though Google’s original intent was to create one device, manufactured by them and pushed to all carriers in a country at once, this did not pan out. Instead we’ve got releases of one device on one carrier followed by the rest of the carriers one by one – the Galaxy Nexus for example was released to Verizon first and will soon be carried by at least one or more other carriers in the USA soon. This device features Google’s newest mobile OS Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

If you purchase an Android device with the latest operating system inside several months of it being released, you are at a bigger disadvantage than every other Android device owner. The reason being that developers must catch up with the software in that period of time, so you may not have access to every app you love until they update their builds for all versions of Android.

When you purchase an Android device, you are not guaranteed anything more than the software it comes with. You shouldn’t need anything other than the software the device comes with unless it is found to have bugs, in which case free updates are entitled to you. You get what you pay for.

It was less than an hour ago that Google clarified what was turning into a heart-attack of a story in Android forums about how CDMA was dead and Android was going down the tubes. What Google notes instead is that recent CDMA Android devices have implemented core telephony functionality in APK files provided by carriers in binary form. Each of these APK files must have a platform key to function, and if a custom build is made by a group from the AOSP source code, they wont have this code and bad things will happen.

What Google is doing now is saying that they’ll “make available as many as possible of the closed-source binaries for these devices” and that all Nexus devices will continue to have unlockable bootloaders. What’s not entirely clear still is if the CDMA Galaxy Nexus will have any support from Google in the future for those who wish to go above and beyond the development call in the future. This also may mean that your CDMA Nexus devices in the future won’t get updates at the same time as the rest of the Nexus devices.

We’ll continue to follow this story and report on what Google plans to do with the Nexus line as they move forth into the future.

[via Google Android Support]

The problem may possibly be related to a recent update to Android 4.0. Galaxy Nexus owners have mentioned throughout Google’s online forums that they’ve seen battery drain issues akin to that of the Nexus S. However, in their cases, it may be that the kernel behind the low-level software on the device is artificially keeping the device awake even when the screen itself is off, depleting battery far faster than it typically would.

Google hasn’t issued an official acknowledgment of the Galaxy Nexus battery issue, although it hasn’t pushed Ice Cream Sandwich versin 4.0.3 update to those devices yet. We’ll keep you updated what happens next, whether from Google, or others. Hopefully the issue gets resolved in the time being, though. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

[via Electronista]

The update will be issued over-the-air and proceed to roll out to devices in waves over the next month. This means that some users of the Nexus S GSM version could be getting the update as early as today, while others may have a month to wait. Nexus S 4G users on the WiMAX network will have to be more patient.

And if you’re waiting for the update, you might as well check out Google’s tips for Android 2.3 Nexus S users upgrading to Android 4.0. Some functions and features such as changing wallpaper, adding a widget to the Home screen, and scrolling through apps are slightly different on the new interface.

For those of you not understanding what all the fuss is about, Android 4.0 is the newest version of Google’s mobile operating system and one that takes the whole platform to a new level of integration. Where for a while Android users have had two different OS lines, one for smartphones and one for tablets, here in Ice Cream Sandwich there is only one. It’s basically like the highlander, and the Ice Cream Sandwich treat name has prevailed over all. What the tip sent in to Android Police today shows is that this operating system is being pushed out to more devices than just Google’s hero device the Galaxy Nexus, and this is exciting!

We’ve got full reviews of not only the Galaxy Nexus, aka the hero device running this newest version of Android, but Ice Cream Sandwich as well, plus a review of the original Nexus S if you like too! What you really should do at this point is to pick up a Nexus S in your neighborhood over Craigslist for cheap then hack it and stack it up with this newest build that Cory at Android Community has running or just wait a few more days (or weeks, perhaps), to get it yourself from Google. Tasty!

[via Android Community]

What you yourself will have to do to get this launcher going is one of several things. First, you could go to the Android Market and find one of several 3rd party apps that are popping up that allow you to activate the launcher at hand – search for RocketLauncher ICS if you dare. Otherwise you can follow Cory’s lead and download Launcher Pro from the Android Market and add an activity to your homescreen. When you do this, scroll down to your Launcher list, tap it open, and choose Rocket Launcher. When you hit this newly created icon, it will freeze and break the first time around, but the second will work like a charm. Check it out here:

Notice that Cory is actually working with a Nexus S with Ice Cream Sandwich enabled via CyanogenMod 9, an early build of it installed after he rooted the device earlier this week. For those of you out there with a Galaxy Nexus, you’ll have to do no such hack, you’ll just need something like, again, Launcher Pro. The feature is already built in to your operating system, you’ve just got to find a way to wake it up! Fun!

[via Android Community]

Hardware

The Galaxy Nexus’ Samsung lineage is clear. The bowed fascia – which Samsung calls a “Contour Display” and claims makes for easier one-handed use and more comfortable calls – is carried over from the Nexus S, while the rest of the design is strongly reminiscent of the Galaxy S II series of handsets. That does mean a plastic rather than metal body, here finished in matte silver, though the battery cover – while as flimsy as those on other recent Samsung phones – does have a semi-soft finish that’s easily gripped.

The curved profile emphasizes the taper, the top edge being pleasingly narrow and then swelling to a speaker bulge at the bottom complete with the microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack. On the left edge is a volume rocker, easily found with the finger and with enough button travel to leave you certain you’ve pressed it, while on the right edge is the power/lock button and, further down, three charging contacts for the various docks Samsung and Google plan to eventually release. For the moment, though, official accessories amount to the microUSB charger, wired handsfree-kit and microUSB cable found in the retail box.

Behind the fortified glass is arguably the Galaxy Nexus’ crowning glory, a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD touchscreen running at 1280 x 720 resolution. That’s almost the same number of pixels as Samsung fits into the 10.1-inch display of its Galaxy Tab 10.1, which gives you an idea of the sort of density we’re talking about in the Googlephone. Much has been made – and significant worry voiced – over Samsung’s use of a PenTile display, but in practice colors are bright and vividly saturated, viewing angles are broad, and blacks ink-rich in their darkness.

Galaxy Nexus boot-up screen

The only visual aberration we’ve spotted is a slightly apparent texturing of blocks of pale colors when the backlight is low, almost as if the screen was printed on fine-grained paper. It’s little noticeable, and disappears when the backlight is turned up. Samsung has opted for a draconian auto-backlight setting, keeping things as dim as possible, which can somewhat emphasize the issue. Make no mistake, though, this is a very minor caveat in what’s otherwise a fantastic screen.

Although the display measurements might lead you to expect an oversized handset, Google’s decision to make the persistent Android controls part of the on-screen UI meant Samsung could extend the panel deep into the Galaxy Nexus’ chin. It fits the hand neatly, the curved corners leading to a device that feels more like the 4.3-inch Galaxy S II than you’d believe.

Inside, there’s a 1.2GHz dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and, in this HSPA+ version, 16GB of storage (which can be freely used for either user-data or apps). The LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus has up to 32GB, and since neither has a microSD card slot that’s your lot. There’s also a 384MHz PowerVR SGX540 GPU. Connectivity includes pentaband HSPA+ (capable of up to 21Mbps downloads and 5.76Mbps uploads, network depending) meaning the phone can work on both AT&T and T-Mobile USA’s networks, along with quadband GSM/EDGE, WiFi a/b/g/n (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 3.0+HS, NFC and MHL HDMI support with the right adapter cable. The LTE model will support Verizon’s 4G network and be on sale before the end of the year.

GPS, an accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, proximity and light sensors, and a barometer round out the main sensors. A 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and a single LED flash – capable of 1080p 30fps video recording – is on the back, while 1.3-megapixel camera for up to 720p video calls is on the front, above the display. A multi-color notification light hides in the Nexus’ chin.

Overall, it’s a handsome and distinctive device, that manages to squeeze in a large display without sacrificing the ability to drop it comfortably into a front trouser pocket. More metal in the construction would be a treat for the fingers, perhaps, but the Galaxy Nexus is still flex-free and feels sturdy.

Software and Performance

Hardware is only part of the story with the Galaxy Nexus: software – specifically Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich – is a considerable part of the smartphone’s appeal. We’ve separately reviewed Google’s new software platform comprehensively here, but will pick through some of the highlights on the Galaxy Nexus.

ICS’ predominantly black interface blends seamlessly into the Nexus’ screen bezel, particularly effective when it comes to the virtual back/home/app-switch buttons at the bottom. Google’s new Roboto font looks brilliant, but the most significant improvement is the consistency throughout. Where Android once felt heaped together, a framework for Google’s various apps to gain traction, the platform as a whole feels far more connected and uniform. Introducing third-party apps will obviously take its toll on that, but we’re hoping developers use ICS’ style as a guideline when they bring their software up to speed.

Although the TI dual-core is capable of 1.2GHz in the Galaxy Nexus (the chip itself is offered at up to 1.5GHz in other devices) during our testing it spent less than 5-percent of its time at that speed. In fact, over 85-percent of the time the CPU was running at just 350MHz, with the remainder somewhere around the 700-850MHz point. That aggressive throttling – and the fact that the phone never felt slow – is testament to Ice Cream Sandwich’s frugality and refinement.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich first hands-on [Hong Kong]

The Galaxy Nexus doesn’t support USB Mass Storage mode, though that’s a limitation of the phone – because of the absence of a memory card slot – rather than Ice Cream Sandwich. Instead, you get MTP support, which means basically the same plug-and-play access on Windows systems and, with the free Android File Transfer app installed, on Mac computers. There’s also a PTP camera mode, allowing for access by camera software.

It’s worth reading our full Ice Cream Sandwich review for all the details on Google’s new mobile OS.

NFC

Near-Field Communications (NFC) hasn’t quite come of age in cellphones yet, but that’s not for Google’s lack of trying. The Galaxy Nexus is the second in the Googlephone series to support NFC, the Nexus S already being put to work supporting Google Wallet for wireless payments.

On the Galaxy Nexus, however, NFC is initially being positioned as a peer-to-peer networking technology. Android Beam, a new ICS feature, allows for straightforward swapping of contacts, webpages, YouTube video links, directions and apps, simply by holding two NFC-enabled handsets back-to-back. A sharing dialog pops up, you tap it and the on-screen content is blasted across to the other phone.

Obviously both devices need to have NFC and they need to be running Ice Cream Sandwich for it to work seamlessly; the Nexus S will apparently receive the data as a collected tag. That’s going to be a sizable limitation, certainly while the Galaxy Nexus is the only ICS device around, and even after the Nexus S gets its promised ICS update. So far, Android OEMs have proved generally reluctant to fit NFC because of the limited number of applications for it; indeed, we were unable to try Android Beam during our testing, as we only had a single Galaxy Nexus. From previous experience, however, we know it works, and it’s likely to encourage manufacturers to include NFC as a basic element of the Android experience moving forward.

Camera

5-megapixels doesn’t look like much on paper – after all, Samsung has been pushing out 8-megapixel handsets for some time now – but as many spec-chasing manufacturers have discovered, there’s far more to creating a good picture than just the sensor’s raw abilities. The Galaxy Nexus is still capable of 1080p Full HD at 30fps of course, and even its front-facing camera is good for 720p HD.

ICS’ camera UI introduces an extra tap before you can switch between still photos, panoramic photos or video recording, whereas flipping between the main and front cameras is a single tap away. We’d rather see those reversed. A side-scrolling settings menu offers five scene modes – auto, action, night, sunset and party – along with adjustable exposure, white balance settings, flash control – auto, on and off – and a digital zoom. Google is particularly proud of the zero-lag shutter, with tap-autofocus and actually grabbing still images considerably faster than on previous Android phones.

The final results can be great, but it’s not a home run. With sufficient light, images look natural and exposure is handled well, though colors are more muted than other recent Samsung Android phones we’ve used. Indoors, the Galaxy Nexus generally held up well in terms of avoiding too much noise, though occasionally the reduced shutter-lag technology actually proved something of a hindrance rather than a boon, with slight blurring showing up in the final shots.

Video, meanwhile, can be recording in 480p, 720p or 1080p resolution, with control over white balance and whether the LED flash is used as a video light. However, there are also some more complex features, like time-lapse, which allows you to create a movie clip consisting of snapshots at various intervals (ranging from 1s to 10s), and a range of digital effects. The latter can either use face-tracking to morph your subjects in real-time – squeezing their face, giving them oversized or undersized eyes, mouth or nose – as well as digitally change the background behind them. As in Apple’s PhotoBooth app, you choose your background (either a preset or an image from the Gallery) and then step out of frame, and when you return you’re digitally overlaid on top. It works, just about, though is more gimmick than anything useful.

Thankfully video quality itself is far from being a gimmick. Given plenty of light, 720p/1080p HD clips are crisp and very watchable. Less light and things begin to suffer, with noticeable noise in darker areas of the frame. Google is rightly proud of its continuous focus system, however, which generally had no issues grabbing and clinging to a subject when lighting was good, and only suffered the occasional moment of hunting when things got darker.

Panorama mode, finally, is options-free: hit the shutter release and pan the Galaxy Nexus to the left or right, with a guide frame showing your progress at the bottom and warning messages if you move too fast. At the end, ICS cobbles the whole thing into a wide photo, though the end-results proved a mixed bag in our testing. Sometimes the joins were neatly fashioned; other times there were duplicated elements and it looked more like the Nexus had simply blurred the edges together.

Phone and Battery

Samsung fits the Galaxy Nexus with twin microphones for active noise-cancellation during calls, and that – along with a tenacious grip on a mobile signal – added up to above-average call performance. Incoming audio was crisp and loud, while those we spoke to had no problems hearing us even with street noise in the background. The rear speaker could have ramped up louder than the current maximum for our liking, however.

As well as regular voice calls, Ice Cream Sandwich supports VoIP, both from third-party services like Skype and native SIP support. If you have one or more SIP accounts you can direct your calls over that VoIP network rather than through your carrier’s voice network, as well as optionally receive incoming calls too (ICS warns this could have a detrimental affect on battery life). It’s important to remember that we were testing the HSPA+ version of the Galaxy Nexus, not the LTE model which will arrive on Verizon by the end of the year.

That LTE model will have a slightly larger battery than the HSPA+ version: the Galaxy Nexus we tested has a removable 1,750 mAh Li-Ion pack, whereas the LTE model increases that slightly to 1,850 mAh (with an ensuing increase in bulk, albeit relatively minor). Samsung quotes up to 12hrs of talktime or 270hrs of standby time on a full charge , though obviously typical smartphone use consists of a far broader range of tasks than just voice calls.

It’s certainly easy to run down the Galaxy Nexus’ battery in relatively short order. The big screen, usability of Ice Cream Sandwich and general performance meant it was hard to keep our hands off the phone: with above-average use, push-email turned on, using both 3G and WiFi at various times, we had to top up before the day was through. However, with more typical use – some browsing, push email, Google+, Facebook and Twitter, a couple of voice calls and SMS, some photographs and Google Maps use – and with WiFi turned off all day, the Galaxy Nexus went from full to around 25-percent in just under 15hrs.

We’ll have to wait until we can test the LTE version to see if Samsung and ICS have been able to address the issue of 4G’s prodigious hunger for power.

Wrap-Up

Make no mistake, this is the best Android phone around today. It’s impossible to divorce Samsung’s hardware from the Ice Cream Sandwich experience, for the moment at least. That may change as more manufactures offer Android 4.0 phones, but for now it’s tough to think of going back to a Gingerbread or earlier device. ICS’ finessed software works beautifully with Samsung’s hardware and – with the exception of the camera, perhaps, which can be a minor blot on the Galaxy Nexus’ score sheet – the sum of the two parts is massively compelling.

Ice Cream Sandwich will spread, but even then the Galaxy Nexus’ hardware will likely prove a strong argument to go with the Googlephone rather than something else. The 720p HD display is incredible, the dual-core processor swift and the HSPA+ connection fast; that speed will only increase when the LTE version arrives. Those addicted to photography may want to look elsewhere, but everyone else can be reassured that the Galaxy Nexus is one of the finest devices on the market today.

Chris Davies contributed to this Galaxy Nexus review.

Take heed, Android lovers, because not only will this component be working with you for NFC (aka Near Field Communication) for your Google Wallet, but with the brand new Ice Cream Sandwich feature known as Android Beam. You can find out more about Google Wallet in our hands-on look of the application that came out for Nexus S a few weeks ago and Android Beam in two separate places. We first found out about Android Beam at the introduction to the Galaxy Nexus in Hong Kong last month, then just last week we published a Q and A session with several Android authorities that had them speaking a bit more in-depth about the possibilities with the service for developers in the field.

NXP notes that the PN65N has an embedded Secure Element which has the same proven track record as the NXP security solutions found in already deployed bank cards, electronic passports, and transportation and ticketing solutions. The PN65N is “pin-to-pin compatible” with the PN65N NFC radio controller that’ll give manufacturers the choice to design their future products with or without the secure element. Of course we know that the Galaxy Nexus WILL have that secure element in place, this allowing Google to securely offer Google Wallet to the masses.

[via NXP]

“The operating system is thought through with the needs of the next three years in mind; it’s a wholesale revamp of the way people interact with the phone” Barra said of ICS, something that will come as cold comfort to Nexus One owners whose device was only announced in January 2010. Many will still be within their original two-year contract, forced to watch later Nexus adopters – who picked up the Nexus S after it was launched at the end of December.

As for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmert’s recent comments that Android demanded a computer science degree in order to get to grips with, Barra was not impressed. “Android, especially this new version 4.0, is an incredibly intuitive platform – the best one we’ve ever built” he insisted. “There are power user features, but there is no need for an instruction manual or a computer science degree.”

We spent hands-on time with Ice Cream Sandwich back at the Galaxy Nexus launch earlier this week. The smartphone will hit shelves in November, with open-source code availability tipped for the same time. More details on Android 4.0 in our full hands-on.

Ice Cream Sandwich hands-on:

You can access the build (if you dare) by heading to the XDA Developers Forum thread where you’ll be given a few directions for use as well. There are both original Nexus S and Nexus S 4G builds out there, make sure you get the right one, and BE careful. This is a hack, and that means the possibility of busting your device all to kingdom come. You’ll need to ROOT and have an environment ready for flashing a ROM. If you have no idea what that means, probably you should just skip it and wait for the official update coming from your carrier.

While this update is not entirely complete, (there are a few icons, Face Unlock, and some other feature still missing,) this does once again show the tenacity of Android developers and their intrepid will to get the best and/or most updated system working on their devices each and every day of the year. To have a peek at how this ROM is looking, check out the screenshots provided by HAKA above and below. To have a peek at how the complete version of Ice Cream Sandwich is working, have a look at our own Ice Cream Sandwich hands-on video from Hong Kong, plus check out our Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich / Galaxy Nexus Launch Wrap-up for all the details!

Let us know how it goes!

[via XDA Developers, original ROM by Beezy]

The other new bit you can glean from this early outing is the fact that the back of the device looks QUITE similar to what we’ve seen recently on the Galaxy S II versions here in the USA and that the Ice Cream Sandwich build might well be coming with the Google+ app right out of the box. Will we start seeing the Google+ app in all future Google-certified Android builds? I think anyone asking foretellers of the future might well be getting the answer yes, mark my words.

This is the first time we’ve seen this stack of back, front, and side of the device in this manner — note also that this is the first time we get to see the left side of the device. You’ll notice a volume controller in the upper portion, right where it is for the Galaxy S II. There seems to be no physical Android buttons on this device, the back, home, and menu buttons sitting inside the display, and the camera on the back of the device seems to have just a single LED flash, the flash sitting below the lens.

See you at 10PM EST here on SlashGear in the Ice Cream Sandwitch portal – be there!

– Thanks for the tip, Michael!

[via Search Results on Samsung]

So, if you’re toting the Nexus S 4G with Google Wallet, you can now waltz into any one of those retail partner locations to pay for your purchase, redeem coupons, and/or earn rewards points all with a single tap of your phone. Google calls this the Google Wallet SingleTap experience.

The app has also been updated so that the Offers tab now shows a Featured Offers section of discounts that are exclusive to Google Wallet. The deals for today include 15% off at American Eagle Outfitters, 10% off at The Container Store, 15% off at Macy’s, and a $2 all-fruit smoothie from Jamba Juice.

New loyalty programs from Foot Locker, Guess, OfficeMax, and American Eagle Outfitters are also on their way to Google Wallet. Instead of having to carry separate loyalty cards, now it’s all tied into your Google Wallet account and you’ll earn rewards points automatically with each purchase.

Additionally, Google Wallet now offers more transaction details with real-time transaction information as well as merchant name, location, dollar value, and time of each purchase. Upcoming new retail partners will include Chevron, D’Agostino, Faber News Now, Gristedes Supermarkets, and Pinkberry.

[via Google]

First, our own inside source who only goes by the name “Sam” and says he knows “the real business” has told us that what’s called “Nexus Prime” will be “polished with an antimicrobial surface that obliterates germs” in addition to the supposed fact that “the entire phone will be made of different grades of yet-undiscovered metals, all of them new to science.” In the past, we’ve dismissed such things, but with the specs we’ve got coming out of our ears today, you never know!

In addition to what was listed this morning, there’s an alternate set of specs that have been sent in to GSM Arena. These specs come from “a tipster from inside Google”. GSM says that they are “we’re buying what this guy’s selling”, so we simply must report: this device, codenamed Nexus Prime, will have Samsung’s own 1.5GHz dual-core processor – perhaps an upclocked Exynos like the Galaxy S II has? Next, this device will have, inside that same chip, a powerful dual-core GPU from Imagination – the same GPU as in the iPad 2 (PowerVR SGX543MP2). On the back of the device there’s a “8-megapixel, full 1080p HD video-shooting camera”, and the battery is a 2050 mAh. Oh, and a dual-mode GSM/CDMA radio inside, and 4.65-inch, 1280×720 pixels screen.

Sounds like rainbow magic!

This next one does too, though appears at least a little more conservative. First, Kellex of Droid Life tells us that their source, a supposed tester of the soon-to-be-revealed device, told them essentially the same specs as we saw this morning in the first post mentioned in THIS post. After that, there are three new bits: Notification Light, Camera, and Ice Cream Sandwich Updates.

Apparently instead of there being the standard four Android menu buttons below the display on this device, there will be a single multi-color notification light. Right in the center and near the chin of the device, there will you be getting all your rainbow updates. For the camera, once again we’re seeing a 5-megapixel camera, but like what Apple described for their iPhone 4S, this 5-megapixel camera won’t be ordinary, this one will, for example, take almost instant photos instead of the standard wait, wait, wait, click you’re used to.

Finally, Ice Cream Sandwich updates, Android upgrades here with this device are being pushed daily. This doesn’t mean that the device, once you’ve got it in your hands, will be updated daily, just that the Google team is still working furiously to get the system on this hero device to tip-top condition while testers continue to work out every last bug. That’s what we like to hear!

SO we’ll see you next Tuesday, when we’ll be in California LIVE for the big Samsung Mobile Unpacked / Google event where all of this goodness is set to be unveiled. Can you barely even contain yourself?

Oh my GOD the excitement!

Bonus! Here’s a new rendering of what the device might look like, courtesy of Nexus Primer, an unnamed Tumblr account with a real good eye for Photoshopping:

If you’ll remember exactly what the Nexus S looks like (surely many of you still have one in your hands right this moment) you’ll find that this design isn’t all THAT FAR off from the last Google hero phone. That one was working with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, this new one, likely called something along the lines of Galaxy Nexus or Nexus Prime, is set, very possibly, to be running Android x.x Ice Cream Sandwich, a system that’s set to combine both the tablet-based Android (Honeycomb) and the handset-based Android (Gingerbread.)

Have a look at the video source for this image below:

Then have a look at a bigger version of the image here by clicking on the thumbnail – it’s so very lovely!

The person who created this image (or made it more clear, however you want to see it, goes by the name Greyhaven7 on Reddit and fancies himself a graphic artist. I think so! Here’s his take on it:

I believe that the screen’s curve is much LESS extreme than Samsung’s teaser video might lead us to believe. If you look closely, there is a light-gray bevel at the far ends (by the top and bottom of the phone) that the blue line heavily overlaps in the middle.

I’ve done my best with Photoshop to “undo” the overlay and clean up the background to reveal a better approximation of what the phone probably looks like under that glowing blue line.

Look like the hero for you? We’ll be at the Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2011 Google Episode next week LIVE, so stick with us here on SlashGear for all the details and the greatest set of photos and hands-on videos you’ve ever seen in your freaking LIFE!

[via Reddit]

Milk and cookies, newspaper and coffee, planner and pen, wine and candles. And all the systems together make one wonderful device. Android has come to a point in history where tablet architecture and smartphone sizes must at once form a perfect union, and Samsung may well be the manufacturer to make it all happen. They made it happen with the last really curvy device in the Nexus S running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, why not again here with the next dessert?

Click the gallery image here to get a bigger glimpse of the single moment where you can see the device at hand – bigtime!

Also check out our Google Nexus device details roundup for a few clues as to what this might be. Seems large to be a smartphone, wouldn’t you say? Maybe a Galaxy Note that’s sort of bent over someone’s knee? We’ll see! We’ll be there LIVE at the event where this device is revealed, believe it! You’ll be able to see this event live via our livecast portal as well as our main news feed here on SlashGear – a great combination for a great event!

Note before we go on that the processor inside the Nexus S is a Samsung Hummingbird while the XOOM features the NVIDIA Tegra 2. Inside most recently a report coming from a manufacturer in India, we can surmise that the next processor group Google will be teaming with will be Texas Instruments for their OMAP4 SoC. That same report places the release date for Ice Cream Sandwich to be late October. We’re aware of some chassis specs on this device due to a tipster leak as well as that Samsung will likely host the device known as Nexus Prime because of a pre-fab support page hosted at Samsung – this came in addition to a hidden code at Samsung using the same name: Nexus Prime.

The tipster just mentioned said that the device would have a 4.65-inch display with HD resolution, that the display glass would be curved like the Nexus S, and that the device at whole would be as thin as 8.8mm with a metal chassis. This tipster also mentioned that this device would be called the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. At this point we can also assume that this device will feature NFC capabilities the same as the Nexus S since Google Wallet launches this week in the USA.

There’s more word from late August that says Verizon has no Galaxy S II because they wanted a DROID PRIME exclusive instead. Based on information from an unnamed Droid Guy source, the PRIME, without the DROID bit on it quite yet, is completely separate from the Nexus, this telling us that the NEXUS PRIME is a name meant to misdirect our attention. This source was said to be testing the HTC Vigor as well as the Prime, saying that the Vigor was a better phone, especially since neither of them were running vanilla-flavored Android.

Another bit of possible misdirection was the legal paperwork sent out to some sites in late August noting the name Nexus Prime again, saying they had code for the device before they should have. Mid-August had us once again thinking the Samsung Nexus Prime would be packing Ice Cream Sandwich and coming out in October, while Andy Rubin assured us right after the Motorola deal with Google that the Nexus on Motorola was not a lock-in.

As far as Ice Cream Sandwich goes, we’ve seen what’s very possibly an early look at the face of the new mobile OS as it sat on a Nexus S, and as mentioned above, Texas Instruments is all but a lock in for a big collaboration with Google for Ice Cream Sandwich, regardless of what smartphone manufacturer steps up to provide the chassis.

What do you think? Is there a solid device or three in there? Something Ice Cream Sandwich this way comes?

Also remember to hit up our earlier guide for this device, the Nexus 4G as it was known then, from a few weeks ago.

This morning we get a glimpse of this device in all its textual glory, still no physical images to be had, right on over at Samsung official. The “daily” note written above comes from the fact that just yesterday we were treated to another Samsung leaked bit of code, this time in the innards of their mobile site showing a user page for the Samsung “Nexus Prime”. Then if that wasn’t good enough for you, Google’s own Eric Schmidt confirmed via a sit down conversation-style keynote that Ice Cream Sandwich would be released in October/November 2011.

Now we’ve got a tip from someone speaking with GSMarena that this could line up really rather nicely with the coming out party for the PRIME:

“For one, our tipster says that the final name of the next Google flagship is Samsung Galaxy Nexus rather than Nexus Prime. It will have a 4.65″ screen of HD resolution – not 4.5″ WVGA. … screen is curved just like the Nexus S screen … device itself will be very thin – 8.8mm – and have a metal chassis … the launch date – at the end of October (right on the Ice Cream Sandwich schedule)” – tipster

I’ve got to tell you here that normally, and I mean basically all the time, we wouldn’t take the word of a tipster, especially one speaking with a third party source, on their word unless they had some sort of confirmation of their legitimacy. When it comes to the Nexus PRIME, on the other hand, there’s a bit more leniency given in the face of the massive amount of excitement this device has thus far generated. It’s the next Google mobile OS hero device, for goodness sake!

Finally I’ve got to pass on this comment found by Android Community on the matter, one that should ring true for all you fans of the odd naming techniques used by manufacturers and carriers the world round:

“Galaxy Nexus is like naming your kid Ricky Bobby. Galaxy Prime would make more sense and sounds a lot better.” – Kenshiro

Are you pumped up about the Nexus PRIME? Will you bypass the DROID BIONIC and the Galaxy S II USA launch for this next-generation super phone? Let us know!

[via Android Community]

The file of which we speak appears on Samsung webpage nexusprime.xml and lets us know, through this user agent profile (UAProf), that the device, also code-named GT-I9250, will have a rather surprisingly small 480 x 800 pixel WVGA resolution display. One thing we can count on is the ability of manufacturers (especially one so sneaky and aware of publishers wandering eyes as Samsung) to falsify pre-release information such as this just to throw investigators off the trail. Another factoid to think about today is the fact that the Ice Cream Sandwich Android operating system this device is supposedly set to be carrying has been confirmed today to be coming out inside October/November of 2011, per Eric Schmidt speaking at the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco this week:

“We have a new operating system, internally known as Ice Cream Sandwich for some reason, which is being released in October/November, which everyone’s really excited about.” – Schmidt

You can see the rest of that keynote conversation here:

Another factoid to note is that the MMS Max Image Resolution, a number that is more often than not also the main camera’s stated resolution, is here written as 1200 x 1600. Will the Nexus Prime be limited in its camera size, or is Samsung just fooling wish us?

Also I’d like to take a moment to point out the source of the image below, so proliferated by publisher across the internet due to its awesomeness. This image is created by a mister ~nviii~Surberus, and you can find the rest of his artwork in his online portfolio.

[via TechRadar]

Isis has ties to the financial industry, partnerships with Visa, Mastercard, Discover Financial Services, and American Express, so they’re certainly legit. Isis formed just this past year and would, if they continue down the road they’re on right this moment, allow customers to receive and redeem coupons on their smartphones, check in, tap tags, and all manner of lovely things with NFC chips. Should three of the four main US carriers invest in Isis, certainly they’d see much quicker growth than the several city debut said to be happening next year.

At the moment, Jaymee Johnson, head of marketing for Isis, has the following to say about the company and its currently released future plans:

“Isis remains on track to launch in key markets, including Salt Lake City and Austin, in early- to mid-2012. … We have yet to announce our national rollout plans.” – Johnson

Welcome to the future, the NFC-intensive future. Juniper Research also notes that according do their research, by 2014 at least one in five smartphones globally will be utilizing NFC (Near Field Communication) for mobile payment functions. This includes Android (which is already in on the game with the Nexus S), Nokia (which already has NFC on the Nokia C7), BlackBerry, and maybe even Apple’s iPhone.

[via Juniper Research]

The images in these photos we would give an educated guess at saying are certainly the Samsung Nexus S Android handset but whether or not this is actually an Ice Cream Sandwich Beta build or not is up for debate. What we’re seeing here is a suspiciously cyan-looking layout where apps are crowned by a set of tabs that show Apps and Widgets separate with an Android Marketplace link in the upper right. Icons appear to be, on the whole, the same as we’ve seen in the basic vanilla build of Gingerbread on the Nexus S and the dock for app shortcuts at the bottom of the main homescreen set is semitransparent, having a circle depressed around the fourth app in the set, this possibly showing a drawer of apps working for multi-tasking much in the same way Honeycomb does now.

The following set of specs and features are written up by RootzWiki based on their sources:

Some features of ICS that we know (from our source and speculation):
• Blue Themed – Like our site (Change theme on bottom)
• Camera has built in panorama mode
• Will launch with Google Shopper and NFC Enabled devices will be able to utilize those features
• Gmail is all rethemed
• Will be available for the Nexus S
• Nexus Prime gets it first (expected) then other devices will follow after
• Not too many changes, just UI things, don’t think requirements are set too high for year old devices to run it
• The little icon in the bottom right, looks like a tray with multiple apps in it
• Google search bar embedded on very top like Honeycomb
• Apps/Widgets launcher a lot like Honeycomb
• This release is still very early, notice the theming of the power tray

This set of photos also shows some settings in an exitable (with a big x) window with T-Mobile at the top and options for Pulse and AudioManager Console below it – this is very likely the notifications drawer we’ve been pulling down from the top of the screen for some time now – whether or not it’ll be pulled down, up, or popped out from some place is yet unknown for certain. Then there’s an image of some information on the Android version (with reads IceCreamSandwich without spaces or version number), along with a Build number of soju-userdebug IceCreamSandwich IRK36B.

The next set of details comes from Android Police who had the other set of leaked photos:

Our source has revealed the following:
• Brand-new launcher and app drawer, with screenshots of both featured exclusively on RootzWiki
• Camera now has a panorama mode (not pictured)
• Gmail has been totally re-themed to go with the new OS (not pictured)
• Nexus S will be receiving ICS via update, but the “Nexus Prime” will be getting it first
• Mostly UI changes – many older devices (< 1 year old) should be able to run it

What do you think? Seem like a realistic set of specifications from all different directions? Have a look at our Sandwich archive or head to the last rumor: Samsung roadmap leak tips 720p I9250 Android ICS phone, more or head back to the original official announcement for the REAL release from Google at the spring developer event: Android Ice Cream Sandwich Officially Announced at Google I/O.

Coming quick we hope!

The Samsung produced Nexus S is the flagship Google-branded Android phone that runs the latest OS update and sports NFC-chips. Being NFC-enabled, it is also the first phone to work with the company’s recently launched mobile payment system called Google Wallet. The system lets you make payments such as buying groceries or picking up a cup of coffee at participating retailers by simply tapping your phone on an NFC terminal.

The Nexus S is currently available on three of the four major wireless carriers, except for Verizon. The free offer for the handset is only valid with the signing of a new two-year service agreement and the free phone and contract signup can be made through Best Buy, which is the only seller of Nexus S phones for T-Mobile and AT&T.

The offer ends today, so act fast. You can find the link here, or you can find it for yourself on Google Search front-page.

From the looks of it, this device appears to be very similar to our good friend the HTC Sensation. Of course the HTC Sensation, carried at the moment by T-Mobile in the USA, has a dual-core Snapdragon MSM8660 1.2GHz processor, this making us feel like a dual-core processor of at least that size being standard in this HTC Ignite device. The Ignite has a very similar look to the Sensation in that it appears that the entire back panel will be able to be removed to work with the battery, SIM card, and microSD card, though the two notches at the bottom of the device are no longer present, making us feel like this device’s back will be one solid piece instead of the stylized swoop present in the HTC Sensation.

You can see two reviews of the HTC Sensation, a device whose code-name is HTC Pyramid, in it’s European iteration and in its T-Mobile iteration in the USA. Also we’ve got an HTC Sensation giveaway in the UK mix as well.

Also present is a single light dot in the lower right of the device where the Android HOME button would normally be. This could mean several things. One, that the touchscreen buttons below the display could be set by the user. Two, that this device will take some cues from Honeycomb and run Ice Cream Sandwich with Android Menu buttons that look like dots until they’re activated, in which case they turn into the Home, Back, and etcetera buttons – if this is true, it’s still possible for this device to be Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich hero device – wouldn’t you agree? Three, the Home button is just too small to show up in a recognizable way in this photo/mockup.

So rejoice, and be glad, all you fans of the HTC Sensation, HTC’s next effort is going to be quite similar, the next device on the candy bar road to Android glory.

UPDATE: This device is, in fact, a Windows Phone 7 device, as revealed by XDA.cn in the image below. Shucks! Good news for WP7 fans on the other hand.

The transfer process requires both sides to open the PayPal widget from where each person must request to either send or receive payment. Once the requests are sent, then you simply hold both phones together until they buzz*, at which point you enter your PayPal password to confirm the transfer. The transaction uses an encrypted token between the two handsets without using the NFC secure element where secure data such as credit card information is stored.

*The buzz, as you’ll see in the video below, is haptic feedback that makes the phone literally shake. This was done in response to the fact that NFC functionality, by its nature, has no response other than the one(s) developers add. Hence: the buzz!

The PayPal NFC Android widget only works on the Google Nexus S for now, since it’s the only NFC-enabled Android device currently on the market. The app should also be compatible with future NFC phones as it is built on Google’s Android NFC SDK.

This is an interesting development considering PayPal sued Google immediately after it announced the NFC-based Google Wallet system back in May. PayPal had sued two ex employees as well for having stolen mobile payment trade secrets that may have been used in Google Wallet. It’s not certain how that case has panned out, but PayPal is finally now ramping up their own NFC-based solution, and we’re to understand that they’re more than excited to offer this payment solution to Android users exclusively as they feel the Android community to be the best for just such a launch. Watch the video below for a demo of the PayPal NFC money transfer process.

Before we even begin to take the actual status apart (as seen below) for its grammatical errors, horrible way of putting things, and general downright unprofessional nature, let’s take a sip of the punch: what if?

What if there were a device not unlike the recent additions to the HTC crew on the Facebook side, that being the HTC ChaCha, the HTC Salsa, and the USA AT&T version of the HTC ChaCha, that being the HTC Status? It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to just take that Facebook button and turn it into a G+ button, would it? Let’s take a look at a video of how Facebook is integrated into the ChaCha, courtesy of Chris Davies from his full review of the unit back on June the 13th:

A single tap allows you to add a status update, options for adding photos you take on the spot or taken from a gallery are right at your side, and tagging friends of yours is instantly apparent. Can you see how easily this would translate to Google+?

A long-hold loads up Facebook Places so you can check in. Google+ already has a similar feature with Google’s checkin feature on Maps and with Latitude – Google’s G+ app even has a feature where you can see all updates from people around your GPS location – cool! The same thing works if you’re using the phone’s built-in media player to play music you’d like to share.

See also: [A Google+ Guide from Top to Bottom]

Then again, Ice Cream Sandwich (aka Android 4.0) is supposed to do away with physical buttons altogether, so who knows. Also you’ll note that they’re saying the next Nexus device will be an HTC device, but that’s obvious if it’s going to bite on the Facebook phone, right? Of course!

Nexus, you mystery machine you!

The Nexus Contraptions game involves bouncing Google apps into a Nexus S handset. The Google apps are represented as balls that get released one at a time from the top of the screen. You are supplied with a variety of tools including rubber bands and propellers that you can place and angle in order to get the balls to bounce into a funnel to obtain a new Nexus S.

Obstacles include blocks of wood and shelving so you’ll have to get creative in how you setup your contraption to get your balls into the funnel. Plus, you’re timed so you have to think fast. The slick graphics and animation make it a game that we’d love to see as an app. Go check it out here.

The video chat feature was first introduced in May for Android 2.3.4 devices, which meant the Google Nexus S. Owners of the device on the WiMAX network had no problem using the feature on their cellular networks, but for unspecified reasons, the service would not work on T-Mobile. T-Mobile Nexus S owners still had to rely on a Wi-Fi network in order to video chat.

Today, T-Mobile seems to have finally enabled the PSP mode needed for Google Talk’s video chat service to work over the carrier’s cellular network. It’s not clear what the original problem was, but after a month’s delay, the service is finally now working over the carriers 3G and 4G HSPA+ networks.

Other video chat alternatives that we’ve talked about recently include the Fring 4-way video calling app that works across all platforms. It recently had an update optimized for the larger iPad interface. Skype also recently launched an update designed for the iPad. And just today, the launch of Google+ promises more group multi-person video chatting possibilities to come.

[via PhoneArena]

This device is set to be none other than the next step in the Google line of Android hero devices, this one running their newest, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This epic story goes all the way back to the Nexus One which, by all accounts, was the original Android “official device” announced in January of 2010 in Mountain View. The two devices in this family that precede this newest Nexus 4G are of course the Motorola XOOM, running Android’s tablet-based OS called Android 3.0 Honeycomb and the and the Nexus S, toting the newest handset-based Google mobile OS, Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

This newest Nexus device has been the target of many rumors and much speculation over the past few months, one of these larger rumors being the image you see below, dreams dashed by the image you see below (perhaps, and perhaps not.) What these images consist of are a possible photograph of the Nexus 3, as it was called at the time, supposedly, and the subsequent admittance of fabrication of said evidence.

Of course that doesn’t mean that the actual unit wont look something like the device you see above. That looks rather like some sort of modern HTC device given the size and the speaker grill, wouldn’t you say? Then again, there’s been a couple of rumors surrounding the idea that LG may be making this device, as you see below. Of course those that remember the original OPTIMUS advertisements and sneak-peeks know that this image isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Is LG out of the question then? No, we’ve got another report that notes that LG will indeed be making the next Nexus device and that it’ll be coming in with one gigantic screen indeed!

This information is backed up by the fact that BGR’s source has reported the display on the next Nexus device to be 720p also, that making it quite likely that 1280 x 720 pixels is the resolution we’ll be seeing here, with a screen right around the standard HTC size at 4.3-inches. What do you think of that? You think a 4.3-inch screen is the place to be after the Nexus S had a comparatively tiny WVGA screen with just 4-inches?

The name of this device is also up for debate. As BGR reported earlier today, this device’s name is set to be Nexus 4G. We’re going to go ahead and call bunk as it would clash heavily with the current name of the WiMax version of the Nexus S, that being the Nexus S 4G. Instead we’re guessing this has a lot more to do with codenaming the device on account of the next factoid BGR is reporting: 4G LTE connectedness. This could mean Verizon, and it could mean AT&T. This, as you certainly realize, would be the first Google hero device carried by AT&T and the last of the big four carriers to have collaborated so close with the big G.

On the processor front, this device, says BGR, will NOT be featuring the legendary NVIDIA Kal-El quad-core processor as previously rumored. Instead we’ll be seeing, it’s said, a TI OMAP 4460 or Qualcomm Krait-based Snapdragon core, this paired with 1GB or RAM for some sweet cruising on the inside. With all the ultra-amazing items revealed for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and the collaborations they’ve conjured up this year at Uplinq 2011, we’ve got to be crossing our fingers for the latter. What do you think?

This device will be featuring a 5-megapixel camera on the back with no word on what a front-facing camera might be rated. This might seem like a step down, but from what we’ve seen the Galaxy Tab 10.1 do with a 3.2-megapixel camera, for example, there might be something wacky going on in the way these cameras are progressing. The disappointment some may feel at the sight of the 5 would be coming from the fact that many high-end handsets these days are running at least an 8-megapixel camera. Will this new Nexus device downplay the need for nice photos and video? No way! Because guess what – this device is said, again by BGR’s source, to be able to not only play back 1080p video, but to capture it as well. That’s the winning combination we like to see, indeed.

Then there’s, again, the newest version of Android. This newest version is said to be designated 4.0, Android 4.0 that is, and it’ll be featuring a slew of new features that tie together all the best bits in both Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Android 3.0 Honeycomb, or 3.1 Honeycomb if you wish. This device will, almost certainly be carrying no physical Android menu buttons (in fact BGR’s source confirms it) as this is the trend with Honeycomb, and will act as a true melding of the two device types, able to work on basically any screen size and look and work rather nice.

So there you have it – all the details in their juiciest form. Sound like a device you’d be apt to buy? Are you a hardcore vanilla-only Android purchaser and worker? How about the manufacturer, do you think it’ll be LG, HTC, or some other worthy brand? And what’ll it be called? Nexus X perhaps, the unnamed, the next generation of excellence in Android!

In order for Google to become successful in changing the entire business ecosystem in the United States and abroad, they will certainly have to think about getting manufacturers to work with the other mobile platforms they produce phones with in order to attain a wide enough audience. This system of using cell-phones and other handsets for payment on a day-to-day basis has been a long time coming – the most basic difference between NFC and the system we use right now is the amount of metal and plastic we’re using to carry around out account numbers. Of course there’s a lot more going on with Google Wallet, but as soon as Google, Citi, Mastercard, and First Data get the population to agree to that idea, they’re sold.

But when will Apple and Microsoft get on board? Will they get on board? Are they late to the party, or is NFC payment via mobile device a bad idea?

How it will be done at the beginning

Google Wallet will be represented by an app that users can download on their Android phone at the outset. It will connect to Google Offers, a system where people can access coupons and discounts from their web browser, (be it on their desktop, laptop, mobile device, wherever,) that they can transfer to their Google Wallet account, that “Offer” then instantly showing up wherever the user has the Google Wallet app open. They can then use that offer at the corresponding store.

When a person gets to a store and wants to pay for the product or service they desire or require, they simply touch their mobile device to the payment panel that the store has installed. This panel, in whatever form it takes, reads instantly everything you’ve got that corresponds to the store or particular product or service. This could be a coupon, it could be a rewards card, it could be anything.

Inside your Google Wallet you’ll have at least one card, that being your Google Card – aka GCard, which will act as a sort of re-chargeable payment system that you can add money to and take money out of via the NFC system. In addition to this, you’ll be able to add one or more credit cards, each of them then sitting in your wallet available for you to use or de-activate at any time.

There will also be Google Wallet Objects which will include your credit cards but will also include coupons, customer rewards cards, “puzzle pieces,” and other special scannable items.

How it will be done in the future

Like all apps in the future, the concept of an “app” will have changed from platform-based to cloud-based, meaning that if you’re able to access the internet, you’re able to access the app. A good example of where this change has already happened is in Google Maps. Very recently Google Maps changed from where if you were using a mobile device and navigated to Google Maps in your web browser, you’d be re-directed to a download point where you were able to grab the app, which was separate from the web browser. Now they’ve re-worked their mobile functionality, allowing anyone with access to a web browser to utilize Google Maps from the web. Simple, and now universal, very simply.

Before this though, Google will rally to have the Google Wallet app available on other platforms such as Apple’s iOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 (soon to be Windows Phone 7.1 Mango.) They will not risk this ecosystem to fail simply because people are unwilling to use an Android phone. Once we figure out the technology to get this system working via web browser (or some sort of other method that allows every device to have Google Wallet, regardless of platform,) Google will move forward with it.

All this is assuming that Google can grab enough momentum here at the beginning to keep the ball rolling on into the future. If they can, we’ll be Japan in no time.

In the same vein, receipts will be passed electronically, loyalty cards will be included in your Google Wallet, and additional fun item will be included in the wallet in the future. This is all what Google is calling Single Tap. The next fantastical product of this event via NFC was a tap-to-grab item via a poster. All they had to do was project an image to the wall with the correct symbol, and poof! You’ve got your brand new coupon. This of course will fall more under the Google Offers category.

Very exciting things going on with Google and their new NFC system.

[VIDEO PROCESSING]

While it would be easy to slap some wheels onto a dock and call it a day, Hasbro has gone further than that. Each robot has feet rather than wheels, and they use object-recognition via the Nexus S’ front-facing camera, as well as other sensors in the phone, to react to their environment. Shots are sent to Google’s cloud servers where they’re processed in real-time; the robot then knows whether to get curious or to run (slowly) away.

Shake them and, thanks to the accelerometer, they get dizzy; rub the touchscreen and they’ll cheer up. Right now they’re just prototypes, but we’re guessing Hasbro is at least considering a commercial launch. More details in the video below.

[via Android Community]

The OTA update will supposedly be hitting the Nexus S “in the next few weeks” and then arriving on other Android 2.3+ devices “in the future”; it will also bring bug-fixes for the original Nexus One. There are more details on Gtalk video calls in the help center.

Meanwhile, Google is promising another surprise for Nexus users, though right now it’s not saying exactly what that might be. No word on if there’s a manual way to trigger the Android 2.3.4 update, but we’re guessing one will be winkled out very soon.

There’s also native support for Google Voice, which Sprint announced was incoming alongside the Nexus S 4G and for which early invites started being issued late last week. Otherwise it’s the same Nexus S we know and love, only with an extra turn of 4G speed.

That means a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash, a front-facing camera for video calls, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth and GPS. There’s also NFC and 16GB of internal storage.

Apple filed the lawsuit on April 15 in the Northern District of California stating that specific Samsung products—as listed above—violated Apple’s intellectual property infringing on a number of the company’s patents. The filing document claims that Samsung not only copied the hardware shape, but copied core technology to even the screen icons. A glance at Apple’s 2009 and 2010 patents juxtaposed with Samsung’s Galaxy devices does show an astounding resemblance.

“Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products,” the lawsuit said.

Apple is seeking injunctions, actual damages, punitive damages, and a finding of willful infringement.

“It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” said an Apple representative. “This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

This will surely complicate the relationship between the two companies, as Samsung currently supplies various components for Apple’s iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod—touch, nano, and shuffle— as well as the flash components in Apple’s latest MacBook Air. Not only this, but Samsung manufactures Apple’s A4 and A5 processors, RAM modules, and display technologies.

Samsung has yet to comment, but we’ll keep you posted on further developments.

[via All Things Digital]

According to the sources, Google would not get a cut of any transaction fees, but instead gain access to an increasing amount of purchaser data. That would allow for more focused advertising, along with Google-powered coupons and services, together with retailers having better insight into the shopping habits of their customers.

Walmart has apparently confirmed ongoing talks with Google, where the NFC payment system was discussed, but claims they were “very preliminary discussions” with no invitation to trial the service. Google has previously been tipped as readying NFC experiments in New York City and San Francisco.