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• HTC Rezound Forum / Verizon Android Phones - HTC Rezound and other Verizon Android Phone Discussions

Ladies and gentlemen the contest for a FREE copy of Diablo 3 was nothing short of awesome. Not for the amount of entries, but for the sheer quality of the entries. Some of the best rigs we have ever laid our eyes on were pictured in this contest. If you didn't get a chance to see some of these rigs, go back and take a look at some of them. Gamers build computers like nobody's business and some of these set-ups were so ridiculously cool we just had to laugh. So to everyone that entered, thank you for sharing with us your machines. That was a lot of fun! Now, on to our winners!!

The winner of the Mac version of Diablo 3 is GamerJo. Congratulations!! We hope you enjoy Diablo 3 and please do report back your thoughts and feelings about the gameplay. Moving to our PC winner; that goes to pwrdbykyank. Great job and great set-up! We hope to hear from you both after you have had some time to play the game. This contest comes to a close and we will have some more on the way. Thank you to everyone who entered. You made this contest an enjoyable and entertaining one!

Congratulations winners!!!

Owners of the Hyundai Sonata and the Veloster have been able to enjoy the benefits of digitally connecting their car through Blue Link to their Android or iOS smartphone. They gained a few interesting benefits from this app, including remote start, door lock / unlock and control of the horn and lights. Now, Hyundai have taken things a step further and updated the Blue Link app to do much more, including running vehicle diagnostics, sending POIs from your phone for later in-dash navigation, and even locating and managing multiple Blue Link-equipped cars. These are just a few of the new outstanding features to go along with UI and performance improvements as well. Hit the source link for the full press release below.

Also, if this new economy-sportscar intrigues you, head over to our sister-site at VelosterTurbo.org for more discussions on this awesome and unique automobile!

Source: Hyundai YouTube Channel and VelosterTurbo.org

For Sega and/or Sonic the Hedgehog fans, you will be happy to hear this interesting news: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II launches officially today for NVIDIA Tegra 3 devices. Here's a full press release below:

Sonic and his sidekick Tails have officially come to Android OS.

Sonic 4: Episode II on NVIDIA Tegra 3 officially launches today – with multiplayer co-op action and graphics-boosting optimizations in tow.

To properly welcome the hedgehog back to the world of gaming, Sega worked with NVIDIA to create an Android game with the kind of graphics chops usually found only on consoles. Sonic 4: Episode II shows off Sonic and Tail’s gold ring-catching skills with higher quality lighting, more polygons and complex textures – all made possible by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, the world’s only 4-PLUS-1 mobile processor.

Let’s take a look at some side-by-side screenshots of Sonic 4: Episode II on a Tegra 3 device and on a non-Tegra device. You’ll notice the boosted graphics below on the right with a background that looks much more alive, as well as beautiful glow effects and additional background settings.

http://5601-blogs-nvidia-com.voxcdn....-1-500x150.jpg
http://5601-blogs-nvidia-com.voxcdn....-2-500x150.jpg


Play as Sonic or jump into multiplayer co-op action with your inimitable flying buddy Tails to deal some damage to Dr. Robotnik and save the world. Just connect to other Tegra devices via Bluetooth and you’ll be coop gaming in no time. And, when you’re ready to crank it up, you can hook up a wireless gaming controller and vanquish evil on a TV – for console-quality gaming wherever you are.

Grab Sonic 4: Episode II on your Tegra 3 device today on TegraZone.

In a move that is sure to anger a massive swath of its customers, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo, at the Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in Boston, announced that Verizon plans to eliminate grandfathered unlimited data plans permanently.

Customers that were grandfathered in with pre-existing unlimited 3G data plans will have to purchase Verizon’s data-share plan that it plans to unveil this summer, when they transition to 4G LTE service. “Everyone will be on data share,” he said.

No specifics were give on this new plan that will launch in the summer, but consumers who opt for the family plans will likely benefit the most.

Here is a quote from the source of this article with more info:

When asked how Verizon will drive customers to this new data share plan, Shammo said that LTE will be the anchor for the new plan and that as customers upgrade from 3G to LTE, they will have to be on a data share plan, allowing the company to sunset its unlimited 3G data plan. "A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited," Shammo said. "When they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share. That is beneficial to us."

It is not clear what they plan to do with folks who are on a 4G LTE grandfathered unlimited plan, but essentially those folks might be considered hold-overs from the unlimited 3G data era, and they might fall under this as well. We will dig deeper to see if it becomes more clear, but it is looking like the folks on 3G unlimited data plans are the only ones targeted right now.

Thanks to all our tipsters for this one!

Source: FierceWireless and VZW

Perfect Keyboard developer pkdev has gifted DroidForums with it's first ever DF's themed keyboard. The keyboard was developed using CorCor67's winning wallpaper design and the software currently in use by the app Perfect Keyboard in the Play Store. If you have never used Perfect Keyboard you are in for a real treat. It is nothing short of pure awesomeness and it is 100% FREE.

Key Features of Perfect Keyboard (Free Version):

There are numerous keyboard replacements in the Android Market that aim at giving you the perfect typing experience, but a lot of them forget that only you know your perfect experience—that’s what perfect keyboard strives to achieve. Perfect keyboard offers you countless customizable settings for the look, feel, touch response, word suggestions, and just about everything you might need changed for your Perfect keyboard. If you like to have your phone’s keyboard vibrate when you type something, we have a setting for that. If you’d rather have a picture of your beautiful family as your keyboard’s background rather than a boring plain background, we have a setting for that. Give Perfect Keyboard a try, and after a few tweaks we are certain you’ll have your very own Perfect Keyboard.

*Note: Perfect Keyboard works only on Android 2.2 and up*

Features in Free Version:

- Multitouch keyboard
- User dictionary, built-in dictionary, International dictionaries (separate downloads from the Market)
- Configurable auto correction
- Redesigned and optimized keyboard layout and style
- Speech to text (select languages only)
- Custom vibration intensity (haptic feedback)
- Long press "Enter" key to bring up smiley alternatives
- Long press on "/" key in URL mode to bring up domains (you can configure the domains in the settings to better fit)
- Cursor Keys - swipe up on the space key to display.
- T9/compact layout.
- Alt symbols on the keyboard.
- Split layout for tablets.
- configure the layout of the keyboard (key height,row gap etc).

Features in Full Version:

- Keyboard themes ( gingerbread, iPhone keyboard, honeycomb, ice cream sandwich and more).
- Configurable sound style and volume ( Samsung, iPhone, Android)
- Configurable colors for the keyboard buttons, background and text
- Configurable color for the word suggestion font
- Gestures.
- Next word prediction
- Shortcuts (auto-text like in blackberry)
- External skins (some of better keyboard skins)
- Option to edit user dictionary.

Download Now
Please let us know your thoughts, and give the dev (pkdev) a shout out!!

By now, most of you have probably heard the newest rumors reported from The Wall Street Journal that Google plans to expand their Nexus program to a whole new level. When you bring everything together, their grand plan starts to come become clear, and the future of Android could be incredible for the consumer. Supposedly, their new focus will be to create a plethora of Nexus-style pure Google Android devices that will sell in the Google Play Store. Furthermore, according to the report, rather than cherry picking a single manufacturer, they will be working with five different manufacturers on multiple Nexus devices. Here's a breakdown of how things seem to be evolving:

1. Rumors begin to surface of a Google Branded Nexus Tablet.
2. Google begins selling unlocked Galaxy Nexus on the Google Play Store for only $400, opening the door for the concept of a carrier free, no-contract experience.
3. This newest rumor suggests that Google plans to expand this program to include a host of Google branded Nexus devices, including tablets and phones, that come from five different OEMs.
4. If this turns out to be true, Google finally finds a way to focus the Android ecosystem and offer a truly Google Android experience for consumers.

Now, obviously, there is some speculation thrown in here, but let's see how far down this rabbit hole we can go. Here's a list of benefits that become obvious: (Feel free to suggest any more I might have missed.)

• This will improve the consistency and accountability of the Android OS and reduce fragmentation. (Which has always been one of the biggest complaints against Android.)
• You can get a purely Google Android phone free of carrier bloatware and add-on UIs.
• Regular updates to the OS will come quicker and more reliably.
• By partnering up with multiple manufacturers for Nexus devices, it gives consumers more choice, but allows Google to control the quality and functionality of the product.
• The consumer will not be locked into a specific carrier or contract. This would force carriers to become more competitive with their pricing.
• The total cost of ownership could potentially be reduced, thus giving you the option to upgrade your phone every year, instead of every two years.
• The phones would be unlocked so the world of custom ROMS and mods would be wide-open for those so inclined. (This would make things easier for devs too.)

It's important to note that Google tried this before back in 2010, but of course, the carriers balked at this. It's not surprising because the carriers love to keep their customers locked into two-year agreements, and they would probably try to fight this tooth and nail. However, this time, Google has built enough of a brand following with Android, that they could pretty easily exert enough pressure to force this into reality. This would represent a major paradigm shift in the way Google handles the Android business, and would show the world that Google is committed to Android in a big way.

It's interesting how this concept would allow Google to continue to be open with Android, yet would also allow them to exert more control and keep things focused. It seems almost paradoxical but this new Nexus convergence seems to merge some of the concepts of Apple's focused design aesthetic with Google's open source mindset. The future evolution of Android could get quite interesting very soon. Share your thoughts.

LG Electronics is introducing a new User Interface (UI) for its newest Android Ice Cream Sandwich devices. The UI, aptly named Optimus UI 3.0, brings with it a bunch of key features. Some of the more interesting features it brings is a new Voice Shutter that allows users to capture photos using only voice commands, a new Pattern Lock that allows users to preset the most frequently used function and a icon customizer. Quick Memo is another feature that will be of great value to many. Quick Memo enables users to jot notes on the screen using a finger and also allows users to share their thoughts through social networks, text messages and e-mails.

The great debate rages on about manufacturer skins, some like the extra features while others protest anything other than "stock" Android. President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, Dr. Jong-seok Park, says:

“With smartphone hardware becoming more and more similar, it’s important for manufacturers to differentiate their products from the competition through the user interface. Both carriers and customers tell us that they want LG phones to look and feel unique and the UI plays a big part in that. LG is really going to push the boundaries of what is possible in user interfaces starting with Optimus UI 3.0.”

Optimus UI 3.0 Key Features:

• The ability to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen
• A new Pattern Lock that allows users to preset the most frequently used function, such as the camera, which automatically opens once the phone is unlocked.
• A simpler version of Optimus UI 3.0 for new smartphone users which organizes the main applications so that they are the easiest to access
• A new Voice Shutter that allows users to capture photos using only voice commands
• A special camera feature that enables users to pick up the best shot among multiple images including the moment just before the shutter button is depressed
• An Icon Customizer that provides an additional level of personalization by allowing users to set their own photos as icons and shortcut images
• The addition of a Download category to the menu for easier organization.

The UI is designed to be simple and unobtrusive with a major design emphasis on convenience and speed. No doubt this UI will have it's detractors, but with Android handsets becoming so similar in the hardware department the UI's are becoming more and more of a selling point. What say you?

Source: LG

Just today, Samsung lost 6% of its total market stock valuation because a rumor over at DigiTimes suggests that Apple will cut its orders for chips and switch to using Japanese silicon maker Elpida. This amounted to a $10 Billion dollar dip in stock price, which is sure to make some investors unhappy. Here's a quote with some additional details,

The report stated that Apple orderd DRAM chips from Elpida's Hiroshima plant in Japan, occupying nearly half the total chip production capacity. And despite it not pointing out any specific sources, the rumor has hit Samsung stock hard.

The Korean company is currently the world’s biggest DRAM maker, but if the rumor proves true Apple might be moving to change that. Recently, US chip maker Micron was said to be looking into merging with Elpida, and a joint company could pose a real threat to Samsung.

"It looks like Apple doesn't want to see Samsung and hynix dominate the chip market. Apple wants to maintain its bargaining power by keeping Elpida running," an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities, Choi Do-yeon, said.

It's amazing how one small rumor can cause such a massive "butterfly effect." We will let you know if this rumor turns out to be true. It looks like there may be some big changes happening in the semi-conductor industry.

Source: PhoneArena

BriefMobile was supposedly able to get hold of some leaked specs for the HTC Ville C, a little known future device from HTC. It looks like a mid-range competitor, and is similar to the HTC One S. Here's a spec breakdown:

• 4.3-inch qHD AMOLED display
• 1.2GHz Qualcomm dual-core MSM8260 S3 processor (the source of the story indicated that the 1.7GHz is a typo)
• 16GB of internal memory
• 1GB RAM
• Sense 4.5
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 8MP camera with HTC One Series imaging chip
• VGA front facing camera
• 1,650 mAh battery (probably non-removable)

Some of the specs are pretty good, and some are fairly mediocre. Release dates and carrier availability are unknown at this time. Is this one worth a second look?

Source: BriefMobile

This isn't directly Verizon news, but it is definitely relevant if you are an Android or HTC fan. It looks like the Apple patent rulings against HTC from the ITC back in December have come back to bite them. According to reports, the HTC One X and Sprint's Evo 4G LTE have been held up in U.S. Customs because of the patent ruling, which banned the importation of any device from HTC that violates Apple's patent #5,946,647. This patent pertains to the "UI behavior that pulls up a menu in response to a user selecting a recognizable numeric sequence or string of text like a phone number or email address and so it could be corrected via a software update." The ruling was set to go in effect on April 19th and HTC had until then to adjust their software to get around the issue. Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that these new phones appear to behave in a way that still violates the patent. HTC issued a press statement regarding the issue,

The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order. We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible.

Here's a quote from The Verge article with some more details,

Although the ITC order was handed down before the One X was even announced at Mobile World Congress, it's open-ended enough to block importation of any HTC Android device — the ITC broadly prohibited the importation of HTC "personal data and mobile communications devices" running Android that infringe the '647 patent. Customs and Border Protection is in charge of executing the order, and it's allowed to handle things pretty much any way it wants; there are really no formal rules governing how exclusion orders are interpreted or enforced. What's more, the final enforcement instructions delivered by Customs to its officers are totally classified — they're even excluded from Freedom of Information Act requests. At this point HTC is basically in limbo while it waits for Customs to issue a decision.

It looks like HTC will be in limbo until this can get resolved. In the mean-time, the online stock for the HTC One X has dried up and a refresh of new stock now unlikely. It is also possible that this will delay the launch of the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint that was scheduled for May 18th. It's frustrating to see that Apple's patent war is finally doing some damage, although the flip-side argument is that HTC had ample time to make the adjustment to their software. Could it be that they thought they made the change, but it turned out to be unsatisfactory?

Share your thoughts, and rocks, and pitchforks...

Update: It looks like the Sprint version of the phone will be delayed, or at least Sprint is preparing for the possibility. They recently changed their website with updated info. Now, instead of the May 18th launch date prominently shown on the front page, they simply state, "Coming Soon."

Source: Android.net via The Verge