It seems Sprint just can’t catch a break lately. After the LightSquared LTE fiasco (it seems eminently likely Sprint will be forking over million and have to cancel the deal), this just seems a bit like kicking the company when it’s already down. Comcast has filed suit in Pennsylvania against the nation’s number-three carrier, and it’s for patent infringement.

Namely, Comcast alleges that Sprint is violating patents it owns covering technologies like SMS/MMS, mobile broadband cards and hotspots, as well as certain traffic routing technologies (IP/MPLS). Here are some excerpt…

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Comcast Sues Sprint For Patent Infringement On SMS/MMS, Mobile Broadband, And Network Technologies
David Ruddock – rss.feedsportal

Remember back in December when Verizon announced its plans to buy a truckload of spectrum licenses from several cable companies? T-Mobile does, and they’re not happy about it.  The fourth-largest US carrier told the FCC that the deal would allow Verizon to “accumulate even more spectrum on top of an already dominant position.”

Verizon fired back with the time-honored legal defense of “Well, why not? Nobody else is using it!” In a response to the filing, Verizon claimed that the deal would make use of spectrum that is currently going unutilized by the cable companies. The FCC curren…

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T-Mobile, Shockingly, Unhappy With Verizon’s Spectrum Hoarding, Asks FCC To Block Acquisition Of Cable Companies’ Holdings
Eric Ravenscraft – rss.feedsportal

Ah, yes, folks are noticing HTC's little teaser on Facebook, pointing to something new coming down the pike on Sunday, saying “You'll discover something fast.” Hey, guess what else is on Sunday? HTC's Mobile World Congress press event. And guess who's gonna be there? We are! And that means you'll be there along with us. Things get going around 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST, for those of you in the States.

So what will we get, and how fast will it be? Phones on the wheel of possibility include the One X (aka Endeavor), One S and One V. Or maybe all of them.
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HTC teasing its Sunday Mobile World Congress event
Phil Nickinson – androidcentral.com

We don’t usually talk about specific components of Android devices often here but once in awhile there is the exception and this is one of those times. Why? Because your next Android phone, whether it is from Samsung or elsewhere, could be a lot faster than originally thought.

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Your next Samsung Android phone could be a lot faster thanks to LPDDR3 RAM
droidgamers.com

It looks like Verizon Wireless will be launching at least two new devices in the coming months. Information obtained by the folks over at Droid Life show that Verizon will be launching the LG Cayman and the Droid Fighter, two devices we have yet to get information on.

At the moment, nothing is known about these devices. When it comes to the Droid Fighter, we’re not even sure which company will be releasing the phone; it could be Motorola, HTC, or Samsung.

Since the above screenshot is for Device Workshops that Verizon offers to its customers, it’s possible that we coul…

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Two mystery devices headed to Verizon Wireless, the Droid Fighter and LG Cayman
Jonathan Radande – droidmatters.com

Another Wednesday, another 4G outage for Big Red. While it’s been nearly two months since the last hiccup users this morning are reporting that their LTE service is down and that they are receiving no data connectivity whatsoever. Verizon has responded with the following tweet suggesting that they are investigating the cause of these issues.

As it suggests 3G data, voice and text services are working just fine but users are reporting that they are also having problems with 3G connectivity. Similar to the outages on both December 7th and the 21st it has affected …

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Another Early Morning Verizon 4G Outage Hits U.S.
Jack Holt – talkandroid.com

Not many people use RSS feeds anymore it seems, as Twitter and facebook page updates have added another mobile medium to getting the information you want by those you follow. I prefer RSS feeds myself, along with Twitter, facebook and Google+ updates. One of the best RSS apps I’ve used for Android is called gReader made by noinnion. It wasn’t much of an RSS reader back in the beginning of 2011, as there were many better RSS apps on the market such as Pulse, Google Reader (official), and NewsRob. Other apps gained users mainly because they had a much more beautified GUI alo…

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Review: gReader App for RSS Feeds
Jesse Bauer – talkandroid.com

Play it again, Sam: Verizon customers in locations across the United States are unable to connect to the LTE data network this morning. The outage may or may not be nationwide, but customers in Houston, Dallas, Memphis, various California locations and New York City are all reporting issues. Verizon customer service has confirmed connection problems, and assures applicants that it’s working on them. 3G data and voice seem to be unaffected so far.

This has become a recurring problem for Verizon, which had no less than three major outages in December of 2011 just a few weeks after the releases of major 4G phones like the HTC Rezound and Motorola DROID RAZR. It didn&#8…

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Verizon’s 4G LTE network has yet another outage
Michael Crider – androidcommunity.com

The latest round of pre-MWC rumors has Japanese manufacturer Fujitsu launching its own quad-core phone for Europe. According to UnwiredView, Fujitsu's mystery device will sport an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, and will be paired with a 4.6-inch screen and an impressive 13.1MP camera. Other notables supposedly include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a fingerprint sensor and water and dust resistance.

According to today's reports, samples of the device will be on show at Mobile World Congress next week. If it's there, we'll bring you full coverage.

Source: Un…

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Fujitsu reportedly unveiling quad-core, waterproof phone with 13.1MP camera at MWC
Alex Dobie – androidcentral.com

If you're a fan of the NBA and live wallpapers, you'll want to check out the NBA All-Star Live Wallpaper app, which enables you to customize your background with your favorite NBA team.

The app is what we call freemium, which means that it is free to download the initial app, but you'll have to pay up for each team you decide to download from then on. Each team's live wallpaper is 0:600.99 with an in-app purchase, or you could buy every team for a flat fee of .99. You can also purchase team ringtones, but they come with the .99 package.

Once the app is…

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Android App Review: NBA All-Star Live Wallpaper
Sean Brunett – androidcentral.com

Without a doubt, one of the most interesting pieces of hardware3 from a design and form factor standpoint has been the Padfone from Asus. We first saw the dockable smartphone/tablet way back in May of last year as a concept device, but over the last eight months it’s been steadily progressing to a retail release. We saw refreshed hardware at CES under glass, but rumors pegged it for a final, official unveiling at Mobile World Congress. Considering the invitation we just received to Asus’  press conference, we’d say those rumors can be put to rest.

To refresh your memory, the Padfone is a unique smartphone with a ~10-inch tablet add-on device. Slide the p…

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ASUS releases glimpse of final Padfone hardware before MWC event
Michael Crider – androidcommunity.com

A pair of new devices have surfaced for Verizon, though at this point we only have the names to go off of. Sources close to DroidLife have outed the LG Cayman and DROID Fighter, the latter without any manufacturer designation. Any information on the two devices is complete speculation, but both could end up being one of several new devices unveiled at Mobile World Congress next week.

Employee workshops are being held for the Cayman and Fighter on March 29th and April 12th respectively, though those dates won’t necessarily coincide with either device’s release date.

[via DroidLife]

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Mystery devices DROID Fighter and LG Cayman headed to Verizon
Kevin Krause – phandroid.com

Pinball fans have a new game that will be arriving onto Android soon to look forward to playing called Momonga Pinball Adventure. Developed by Paladin Studios, this new pinball game looks to bring a whole new style of pinball to Android and judging from the preview trailer, it looks like it will accomplish that goal.

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Momonga Pinball Adventure looks to bring a new style of pinball to Android soon
droidgamers.com

The future of cooking has arrived in South Korea. Samsung has released its new Zipel oven, model number MC368GAAW5A. So why is this new Samsung oven featured on an Android site? Because it can be controlled via an Android app when connected to a Wi-Fi network. From the app, you will be able to select over 160 different preset dishes that you can cook, and be able to receive weight and caloric content of the food you’re cooking.

Based on the information available, it looks like the app only works when your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the network. So for now,…

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New Samsung Zipel oven can be controlled from an Android app
Jonathan Radande – droidmatters.com

MWC & LG

LG is bringing a lot to the table this year at Mobile World Congress along with the 3 devices we announced earlier they are also bringing a sequel from last year in the LG Optimus 3D Cube. It should be one of the premier 3D capable devices featuring dual 5MP cameras and the ability to edit live 3D content on the go. 2012 might be the year of 3D as more content and devices with the capability continue to be released into the market. The feature hasn’t gain much traction in the mobile sector, but LG intends to be prepared if it does.

The specs for the LG Optimus Cube are pretty standard for a 2012 device featuring a 1.2Ghz dual core SoC, 1GB of RAM, and dual 5MP rear shooters for 3D. The Cube will retain the glasses free 3D display of the original model, ship with 16GB of on board storage. On the negative side it is being announced with Android 2.3 Gingerbread as LG hasn’t had time to update their 3D interface for ICS, and it will only come with a
1520mAh battery.

Overall the LG Optimus 3D Cube will be a refresh of last years model with upgraded internals and the added capability of NFC. It is yet to be seen what the 3D editing capabilities will be, and how LG has added to their 3D interface with an extra year of experience under their belt. We are however looking forward to see what advancements have been made. If 3D content viewing or creation is your thing this just might be your best option stay tuned for more details after the MWC 2012 announcement.

There is a new patent out on the market that suggests that Google is taking a serious look into bringing Android into the desktop/notebook computing scene. Like Apple and Microsoft who are in the process of blending their desktop and mobile OS experiences it appears Android will eventually be doing the same. Considering that Andy Rubin told us back in September that we would see Android support for Intel Technology the move makes sense. Today’s patent focuses on the trackpad and various actions that can be done with it.

According to the Search Giant the Android OS itself…

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New Google Patent Hints at Android Coming to Traditional Computing Market
Jack Holt – talkandroid.com

LG is going to be one busy company at next week’s Mobile World Congress. We’ve already heard about the Optimus Vu, the Optimus 3D MAX / Cube, and the L-Style phones. We’ve also been reporting about the X3, but it looks like it will have a different name, the Optimus 4X HD. Since it features NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3, this makes perfect sense.

As a reminder, this beast will also include a whopping 4.7-inch 720p display, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front facing camera, 16GB internal storage, 2000mAh battery, HSPA+ at 21Mbps, and Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sand…

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LG Optimus 4X HD to be the official name of the X3
Robert Nazarian – talkandroid.com

Youtube link for mobile viewing

With the LG Optimus Vu getting it's official unveiling ahead of Mobile World Congress, there is plenty of folks out there looking to get their hands on the device to get a better look at it. Luckily, the device has been making its rounds and most recently was caught on video.

In it, we get a good look at the 5-inch (1024×768) IPS display and a better feeling for the 4:3 aspect ratio plus, a look at the tools that will be used for hand written notes — just like the Galaxy Note, though there is no stylus present in the video. We'll …

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LG Optimus Vu gets demoed on video, still looks big
Chris Parsons – androidcentral.com

Today, LG announced another successor to the Optimus 3D with the Optimus 3D Max. Why another you might ask? Because yesterday they announced the Optimus 3D Cube, a 3D phone that will be heading to South Korea’s SK Telecom.

The Optimus 3D Max will feature a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch 3D WVGA display with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2, 8GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, dual 5-megapixel cameras for 3D/2D content, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1520mAh battery, HSPA+ 21 connectivity, HDMI, DNLA, NFC support, and much more.

The Optimus 3D Max will first be launching …

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LG announces the Optimus 3D Max, another successor to the Optimus 3D and LG Thrill 4G
Jonathan Radande – droidmatters.com

Big Red has been having a difficult time taming the “world’s largest 4G network” over the last several weeks, as we’ve seem more than enough outages occur. Today marks the next installation of Verizon’s ‘sorry, LTE is down’ saga, with users across the nation left without any mobile data connection whatsoever (myself included).

It’s worth noting that these types of outages don’t generally affect 3G-only devices, as they handle 3G network connections differently than LTE device do.

There’s no word from Verizon as to when we can expect the network to come alive again, but we…

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Verizon’s LTE Network Down Again, Leaving Many Users Across The Nation Without Data Connectivity
Cameron Summerson – rss.feedsportal

Purchasing a smartphone at top dollar then trying to save some coin by getting a generic case should be a crime. I understand paying + for a case is expensive but if you shop smart, you can get great protection for a reasonable price. To get great protection many of us seek an Otterbox case. It is [...]

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Galaxy Nexus: Otterbox Defender & Commuter Case [Video Review]
androidactivist.org

We’ve been hearing about the possible followup to the LG Optimus 3D (LG Thrill in the states) as the Optimus 3D Max. LG just made it official, but if you live in Korea, it will be called the Cube. Although the 3D Max name will be available in Europe, it’s unlikely to bare that name if it comes to the U.S. Maybe the LG Thrill Max?

What makes this an upgrade? Well it’s the first smartphone that can edit 3D videos and photos. It’s also a little thinner (now 9.6mm vs 11.9mm) and it has NFC, which support LG Tag+ stickers. LG’s Tag+ stickers are simila…

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LG officially announces the Optimus 3D Max and Optimus 3D Cube
Robert Nazarian – talkandroid.com

Just as LG’s first dual-core handset denoted its power with the Optimus 2X name, so will the manufacturer’s first quad-core phone, PocketNow reports. The phone rumored as the LG X3, which is said to feature a 4.7-inch 720p display, will honor the four magnitudes of power provided by its Tegra 3 processor when it launches as the LG Optimus 4X HD. The name seems like a no-brainer when taking LG’s previous releases into account.

References to a T-Mobile G4X have recently been spotted, suggesting that the sequel to the Optimus 2X will also make its way to that network. The T-Mobile G2X was the carrier’s branding for last year’s model…

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Quad-core LG X3 could launch as Optimus 4X HD
Kevin Krause – phandroid.com

Finally! ASUS has officially released the Transformer Prime bootloader unlock tool that they have been talking about for what seems an eternity. Just as they promised, ASUS has delivered the tool in the month of February so now the development side of things is about to get exciting. Before today, the Transformer Prime was blocked from doing any major tinkering, like flashing custom ROMs, kernels and those oh so fun MODs. Once a major deterrent to many perspective buyers, the availability of an unlock tool will now give users the option of customization, probably my most favorite thin…

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ASUS Officially Releases Transformer Prime Bootloader Unlock Tool
Stacy Bruce – talkandroid.com

 

Smartphone  developer NEC has announced 3 new intriguing handests and will showcase them at MWC next week. Each of the devices will be featured as NEC’s “best cloud devices” which essentially means the devices will integrate with cloud services better than the competition out there. Also judging by the screenshots, all three devices look as if they will not only run Ice Cream Sandwich, but the version of ICS looks to be a pure, untouched version.

Each device has its own unique characteristics and design. The first unnamed device features …

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NEC Announces Three Mysterious Smartphones, Details To Follow At MWC
Roy Alugbue – talkandroid.com

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Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 Gallery
Brent Zaniewski – androidcentral.com

T-Mobile 'G4X' also rumored ahead of Mobile World Congress

LG's next big thing, the “X3″, will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress next week as the LG Optimus 4X HD, according to reports from PocketNow. If true, the branding would give weight to what's already been rumored — that LG's next flagship phone will sport a quad-core Tegra 3 CPU and a 720p dispay. Based on recently leaked-benchmarks, LG's looks set to deliver a beast of a phone, with early scores dwarfing current high-end handsets (and we'd expect no less from Tegra 3).

The site al…

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LG’s quad-core X3 to debut as Optimus 4X HD, according to reports
Alex Dobie – androidcentral.com

3.27″ HVGA display (320 x 480) Dimension (NFC): 58.6 x 109.4 x 11.9mm (106.8g) Dimension (Non-NFC): 58.6 x 109.4 x 11.6mm (105.3g) Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS 800MHz single-core Processor 3MP (rear) camera 3.5mm headphone jack Accelerometer, digital compass, proximity, NFC (optional) 4GB memory 512MB RAM MicroSD (up to 32GB) 1300mAh Li-Ion battery Bluetooth 3.0 Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA

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Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 Specs
Brent Zaniewski – androidcentral.com

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Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 Gallery
Brent Zaniewski – androidcentral.com

I’ve got some wonderful news for the eight people that still own a Motorola Cliq 2 on T-Mobile! Your prayers have been answered, and you’ll soon be getting an official update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. All it took was 13 months after the Cliq 2′s January 2011 release, and a full 14 months after the availability of Gingerbread itself. So…. hooray. If you’d like to get in on the action a little early, you can head over to the official Motorola forum and sign up to beta test the update for the manufacturer. The new software still includes the MOTOBLUR UI layer.

The Motorola Cliq 2 was released on January 19th, 2011 as a mild refresh of theÂ…

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Motorola prepares Gingerbread update for the Cliq 2 – yes, really
Michael Crider – androidcommunity.com

It's retro week here aet Android Central, first with the Samsung Continuum getting an upgrade to Android 2.2 Froyo, and now the Motorola Cliq 2 on T-Mobile. You heard that right. T-Mobile apparently is seeking out 1,000 people who still use the Cliq 2 (and hang out in T-Mobile support forums) to test the upgrade before it goes live to the other four or five people who haven't ditched the device already.

If you're interested, the link below.

More: Cliq 2 Gingerbread update; via TMo News

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Motorola Cliq 2 to get Gingerbread
Phil Nickinson – androidcentral.com

Since a leak back in the summer, we haven’t heard a whole lot about the Gingerbread update for the Motorola CLIQ 2. Moto had had plenty of time to work out the kinks and a post to the manufacturer’s support forums indicates the new software is entering its final phases of testing. Testers are being sought to receive the OS upgrade for the T-Mobile handset early. This soak test, which will be limited to 1,000 users, is typically the last step before a wider rollout (provided no last minute bugs are detected).

It could be any where from a few days to a few weeks before Motorola and T-Mobile push the update to all users, but if you want to throw your h…

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T-Mobile’s Cliq 2 set to receive Gingerbread update, Motorola seeking testers
Kevin Krause – phandroid.com

The ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day for Feb. 22 is the Seidio SURFACE Case for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. This case fits the GSM and Verizon verisons of the Galaxy Nexus and is crafted from a hard yet flexible material that provides an amazingly thin layer of protection without adding the excessive bulk of other cases. It's available in amethyst, garnet red, royal blue or black today only for just .95. Get yours while supplies last!

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ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day: Seidio SURFACE Case for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus
ShopAndroid.com – androidcentral.com

ASUS kept its word and has made the bootloader unlock tool for the Transformer Prime available for all of us to enjoy. You can now flash custom ROMs and do whatever you’d like with you cherished quad-core tablet. It is great to see that a company like ASUS has listened to their fans who have been voicing their concerns about their tablet being locked.

Assuming that you know what are doing, you can grab the apk file for the unlock tool which can be found below in the source below. Once you unlock you Prime tablet, It will no longer be covered under warranty.

Great job A…

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ASUS outs bootloader unlock tool for the Transformer Prime
Zack Nebbaki – droidmatters.com

What’s more catchy than an extremely generic product name like “X3″? How about a longer generic name that’s already appeared on dozens of handsets? PocketNow reports that the LG X3, rumored to be the South Korean manufacturer’s new flagship when it appears at Mobile World Congress, will be rechristened the LG Optimus 4X HD. Why 4X? Who knows. Changes from a codename to a more generic name for actual release aren’t uncommon, and our American readers should remember that LG tends to bow to carriers when it comes to US branding see the Optimus LTE and its Nitro HD and Spectrum names on AT&T and Verizon, respectively.

Just to jog your memory:…

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LG X3 will come to market as the Optimus 4X HD
Michael Crider – androidcommunity.com