Android Atlas Weekly 61: Google and Motorola, sitting in a tree... (Podcast)

The internet's abuzz with Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility. Plus, the Droid Bionic gets upstaged by its successor and Ice Cream Sandwich leaks on this week's episode of Android Atlas Weekly.

Watch this: Ep. 61: Google and Motorola, sitting in a tree...

46:22

Podcast

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News

Google to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5B
]http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20092362-94/google-to-buy-motorola-mobility-for-$12.5b/?tag=mncol;txt

Google: S&P Cuts Rating To Sell From Buy; Sees Risks In Deal
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2011/08/16/google-s-sees-risks-in-deal/

Will Google be satisfied with Motorola Mobility’s low ranking?
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/08/motorola-mobility-ranks-just-fourth-as-android-supplier/1

Nokia, HP, Samsung, HTC, Sony, and LG respond to Google acquiring Motorola Mobility
http://itsalltech.com/2011/08/15/nokia-hp-samsung-htc-sony-and-lg-respond-to-google-acquiring-motorola-mobility/

Google Steps Up to Defend Android Developers From Patent Lawsuit
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/08/google-android-lodsys-patent/

Samsung Mobile hires Steve "Cyanogen" Kondik
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/16/cyanogenmod-founder-joins-samsung-mobile-promises-to-make-andro/

Ice Cream Sandwich details, screenshots leaked
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20091624-93/ice-cream-sandwich-details-screenshots-leaked/?tag=centerColumnArea0.0

Android tablets grab 20 percent share
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20091655-93/android-tablets-grab-20-percent-share/?tag=cnetRiver

Will Motorola Droid HD upstage the Droid Bionic?
http://androidandme.com/2011/08/news/motorola-droid-hd-makes-its-debut-will-it-upstage-the-bionic/

Dog Wars app is Trojanized
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20093170-245/dog-wars-app-for-android-is-trojanized/

…and Android malware masquerading as Google+ app
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20092993-83/android-malware-masquerading-as-google-app/

APPS OF THE WEEK

8pen
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.threequbits.android.eightpen

Wunderlist
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.wunderkinder.wunderlistandroid&feature=search_result

Email

In the world where specs are so similar, specs don’t matter to the average consumer. But saying that, like you said, the crowd of geeks do care. But let’s be honest the all either 800mhz, 1ghz, or dual core 1ghz. Noth much of a choice either way.

And for the evo rom, I am currently using synergy with godmode. Pue awesomesause for sense.

Great show guys and keep up the good work.

Fred

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I recently purchased the Xoom, just over the last weekend actually. Since I live in Canada, it has yet to be updated to 3.2 or even 3.1. The update is suppose to come soon.

I went through all the other tablets on the market currently, was going to buy the Asus Transformer, but my local store only had the Windows 7 version… never even heard of this version until I saw it on display. Since the honeycomb version was all sold out online, I went with the Xoom, since it was in the market longer, most honeycomb apps will be compatibable with it. So far, I havent been disappointed at all. Its definately a great tablet with multiple uses.

Even with just 3.0 its very usable, I was thinking of rooting and using a US 3.2 update, but I already got a 2 yr warranty with it, and well… rooting it will void that. Flash is supported on 3.0, and works rather well. The Cnet apps for android also work well, although not tablet optimized. Wii Motes do connect and work wonderfully with 3.0 as well, despite some online sites saying otherwise. My PS3 bluetooth keypad connects to, which makes typing this long message on my xoom a breeze. My 4 yr old plantronics stereo bluetooth also works perfectly… better than on my Macbook, which seems to disconnect it constantly.

My question is about the recent lawsuit from apple. How will this effect Motorola and its support for the platform, like will my warranty mean anything? How will this effect the consumers who purchased the Xoom?

And finally can you cover your favorite honeycomb apps, preferably some neat Tegra 2 3D enabled apps. Finally, have you seen the videos of SBPs new 3D launcher for tablets currently being worked on?

Sent from my Motorola Xoom
- Kevin

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During this week's podcast, Justin was describing the carriers' efforts to "crack down" on "illegal" tethering. While I too have been reading that some carriers are more focused on stopping customers from tethering without paying for that option, I would have to disagree with Justin's description of it as being "illegal." Yes, it may be a violation of the carrier's customer agreement, and in theory they may have a civil claim against their customer(s) for doing this, but I am not aware of any laws that prohibit doing this and I would be extremely surprised to hear of some city, county, state, or even the federal government prosecuting someone for doing this. Further, I would be really surprised to hear of any carrier from actually taking a "customer" to court over this violation of their agreement, rather, I would assume they would either cancel their service or modify it to the point of dissatisfaction, thus driving that customer away intentionally – Phillip

I have had an HTC Wildfire S for a while now. I am getting annoyed that, as mine is in S-ON mode, I can’t root it. The reason being, of course, to get rid of HTC’s Sense bloatware that I quite frankly hate, and to run a pure Gingerbread phone. I am thinking of buying a Nexus, as it is one of my favourite Android phones and I could do with that 16GB of storage since my phone is getting a little full (although I’ve moved as many apps as possible to my SD card!), meaning I can’t download many more apps and it keeps telling me to clean up.
My question is, should I buy the Nexus S or hold out for the Prime? I’m in the UK, so may not get the phone as soon as you do, and I don’t have a lot of cash for a new phone. I’ve found a Nexus S on Amazon for £260 (about $300 I think) and am thinking of buying it. That’s about as expensive as I can go.
Thanks for your advice. Love the show!
~Chris

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