This week kicked off with a bonanza of Nexus news from Google

Hurricane warnings mat have put an end to Google's plans for an October 29 event, but Android fans won't have been disappointed with what Googled offered up on Monday instead: a bonanza of news about their highly anticipated upcoming Nexus devices.

In lieu of an event unveiling, Google has simply made an announcement online, confirming what most of us have been suspecting for some time – A Samsung-made Nexus 10 tablet, and an LG-made Nexus 4 smartphone.

The rumors of an LG Nexus 4 smartphone have been confirmed by Google

The fact that the new gadgets couldn't be revealed live didn't seem to lessen the impact of the announcement, as major news organizations and leading tech sites jumped onto the Nexus news en masse.

Now, we're breaking down all the latest talk to give you the major points of this dual announcement.

Release dates and pricing:

Both the Nexus 10 tablet and Nexus 4 phone will be available as of November 13 in the U.S and Canada, as well as in several European countries and Japan for the Nexus 10.

Google's pricing the unlocked LG Nexus 4 at 8GB for $299, and 16GB for $349 or $199 through T-Mobile with a 2-year contract.

Specs and reviews:

There's already been a lot of positive reactions to the Nexus 10.

With a slightly more curved body than most of us had anticipated, the entirely Samsung-made tablet has a 10" display that Gizmodo's calling better than retina at 300 pixels per inch.

Inside, it boasts a a dual-core 1.7GHz Samsung Exynos processor, 2 GB of RAm, and is available in either 16 GB or 32 GB models.

Powered by Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), it's also got front and back cameras and front-facing stereo speakers.

The new Samsung Nexus 10 tablet

As for the new LG smartphone, the Nexus 4 also runs on Android 4.2 and, like the Nexus 10 tablet, has gotten good reviews, with Gizmodo claiming "it might be the best Android phone yet."

A collaboration between Google and LG, it bears a lot of resemblance to the LG Optimus G, but has a more rounded body, better software, and new features like PhotoSphere and Gesture typing.

Behind its 4.7", 320 ppi screen, it's got a quad-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2 GB of RAM, and comes in either 8 GB or 16 GB models.

A couple of other strong points are its 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, and the fact that it supports wireless charging.

If you're looking for detailed specs, TechCrunch has a pretty complete list for both devices here.

Meanwhile, we'd like to know what you think about Google's new Nexus devices. Are you planning to get one? Both? How do you think they live up to all the hype? Leave your opinion in the comments section.

Carphone Warehouse leaked, well, everything about the next Nexus smartphone

As writer Ernest Hamlin Abbott once put it, "rumors are not news; but they sometimes foreshadow news."

And, boy, have the rumors ever been stacking up concerning Google's next Nexus device, even though Google's expected to be saving any official news about it until their October 29 event.

Still, between the speculation that the new Android phone will be LG-made, the pictures, and even a premature review, we've already learned quite a bit about the upcoming Nexus 4.

And today, a new leak from retailer Carphone Warehouse revealed pretty much everything else, right down to the LG phone's specs, price and expected release date.

Advertising pre-orders for the phone, Carphone Warehouse has listed a price of £389.95. And their description boasts that the new smartphone has a 4.7" LCD display, and "the fastest and smoothest version of Android yet," Android OS 4.2 Jelly Bean, as well as some new features:

"Search gets smarter with Google Now. You ask. Google answers, instantly, and with all the detail you want... Stay in touch with Gesture Typing, a faster way of typing that lets you spell words by dragging your finger across the screen from letter to letter."

Meanwhile, Carphone Warehouse sets October 30 as the start date for delivery, just one day after Google's event. Though, after this last and possibly most comprehensive leak, there isn't much Google could tell us about their latest smartphone that we don't already know.

Leaked pictures of what appears to be an LG-made future Nexus device surfaced this week

They usually stand for "life's good," but this week, LG's trademark letters stood for something else entirely – "leaks guaranteed."

If you're building a new smartphone, as LG appears to be, you can pretty much assume someone's going to get a picture of it, and that before too long, the whole of the internet is going to see it.

All that glitters is not yet to be sold: the sparkly backing of the new LG E960

The leak in question this time is what appears to be an LG-made Nexus device. Judging by the leaked photos, which appeared in the XDA-Developers forum, Engaget says the LG E960 "appears to be a variant of the Optimus G – until you realize that it's using software navigation keys, doesn't quite resemble the international or AT&T Optimus G models and is oddly badged as the 'Full JellyBean on Mako.'"

The "next Nexus," LG's E960, is shown running on Android 4.1.2

Both Engaget and Mobile Syrup are hailing the new Android-powered LG smartphone as the future Nexus device, with the latter noting the similarities between the E960 and the LG Optimus G.

It's apparently got the same "rather boxy design, a 1280×768 4.7-inch IPS screen, a 1.5Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage and that awesome-sounding 13MP camera," says Mobile Syrup.

The device also bears some resemblance to Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, though the E960's corners seem more rounded than those of of the LG Optimus G, and it's backing is flatter, with a sleeker design than that of the Galaxy Nexus.

A shot of the new LG device, minus the spyproof backing

Meanwhile, says Mobile Syrup, the fact that the E960 has recently passed through FCC  certification "showing off PCS and AWS bands for HSPA+ and AWS bands for LTE," hints that the new smartphone is likely to be available on a number of networks, potentially making it "one of the most multi-faceted unlocked phones on the market."

Based on the assumption that LG is in fact producing the next Nexus device – which it probably is – there's talk that the LG E960 may be ready by early November.

Battery life can make or break the popularity of a cell phone. Manufacturers make a lot of promises, but in real life testing their claims rarely hold true. CNET recently updated the results of their talk-time testing. Here are their results listed in talk-time hours.

We hope your device is near the top of (or at least on) this list:

1. Motorola Droid Razr Maxx – 19.78
2. LG Optimus Vu (unlocked) – 16.08
3. Apple iPhone 4 (with 3G off) – 14.55
4. RIM BlackBerry Curve 9360 (on T-Mobile) – 12
5. Kyocera DuraPlus (Sprint) - 11.47
6. Samsung Captivate Glide (AT&T) – 10.3
7. ZTE Fury (Sprint) – 10.02
8. Samsung Galaxy S II (U.S. Cellular) - 9.47
9. LG Optimus 3D Max (unlocked) – 9.35
10. Huawei Mercury (Cricket Wireless) – 9.32
11. Apple iPhone 4S (Sprint) – 9.2
12. Kyocera Milano (Sprint) – 9.2
13. Samsung Focus S (AT&T) – 9.01
14. Kyocera DuraCore (Sprint) – 8.95
15. Samsung Rugby Smart (AT&T) – 8.9
16. LG Lucid (Verizon) – 8.47
17. T-Mobile Prism – 8.32
18. RIM BlackBerry Torch 9810 (AT&T) – 8.1
19. Pantech Swift (AT&T) – 7.27
20. Huawei Ascend II (U.S. Cellular) – 7.25

Here are the bottom 20 and how miserably they performed:

1. Motorola i412 (Boost Mobile) – 3
2. ZTE Chorus (Cricket Wireless) – 3.35
3. LG Encore (AT&T) – 3.6
4. LG Saber (U.S. Cellular) – 3.9
5. Huawei M835 Ideos (MetroPCS) – 4
6. Nokia Lumia 800 (unlocked) – 4.12
7. RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 (Verizon) – 4.18
8. HTC 7 Pro (U.S. Cellular) – 4.5
9. HTC Arrive (Sprint) – 4.5
10. Huawei Ascend 1 (Cricket Wireless) – 4.72
11. Huawei Ideos X5 (unlocked) – 4.75
12. Samsung Zeal (Verizon) – 4.8
13. HTC Trophy (Verizon) – 5
14. HTC Thunderbolt (Verizon) – 5
15. HTC Desire (U.S. Cellular) – 5
16. Pantech Jest 2 (Verizon) – 5.3
17. HTC MyTouch 4G Slide (T-Mobile) – 5.4
18. HTC Inspire 4G (AT&T) – 5.5
19. Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G (T-Mobile) – 5.63
20. ZTE Score (Cricket) – 5.67

It’s interesting that there's such a wide range of results on the talk-time for the 20 best batteries, and less than three hours difference from top to bottom of the 20 worst. Note that Verizon doesn’t appear on the best list but does have five placements on the worst. It looks like the equipment itself isn't the only determining factor for battery performance.

By Aldo Panessidi

Smartphone users who find themselves in the vicinity of dangerous weather will get a text message from the National Weather Service. The NWS’s new Wireless Emergency Alerts system is designed to get weather warnings to those not plugged into television or radio. Warnings will be delivered for impending rough weather due to tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, flash floods, extreme winds, blizzards, and ice and dust storms.

The free text messages will be less than 90 characters and sent to later-model smartphones including  the Apple iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2, HTC One S, HTC One X, HTC One V, LG Optimus L7 as well as the Optimus L5 . The message will sound a special alert and then vibrate. Exactly which phone models will have system access is not yet known.

According to Amy Storey, spokeswoman for CTIA-The Wireless Association (the trade group that helped set up the system), “These alerts will make sure people are aware of any impending danger and provide them with the information needed so they can be safe until the threat is over.”

Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile will offer the service nationwide. To start, AT&T will only offer it in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon but plans to add additional markets soon. Apple will support the service this fall. It’s not yet certain if older iPhones will get the text warnings.

By Aldo Panessidi

While cell phones are evolving to become one of our most valuable devices in our mobile lifestyle ... more and more cell phones are being damaged by water than any other way.  To this end, user's have clamoring for a completely waterproof protective cell phone case.

Otterbox  has responded to market needs with news of the June 24th release of their new Armor series cell phone case for iPhone 4S.  This new Armor cell phone case is designed to be dust proof, drop proof, waterproof and crush proof, thus offering topmost protection.

Otterbox has built a solid reputation for providing the safest cell phone cases on the market, their Defender and Commuter series of cases have won wide acclaim for delivering superior protection against the elements of the daily hustle and bustle.  The Otterbox Armor series is the pinnacle of protection, as demonstrated in the following video:

A strong competitor, Lifeproof also offers cell phone cases designed on their trademark 'Four Proofs' - that is waterproof, dirtproof, snowproof and shockproof.  You can rest assured that the Lifeproof cases are designed to be a total solution for protecting your iPhone 4S from the elements as can be seen in the following video:

The race is now on... which of these two top brands will be first to market a waterproof/shockproof cell phone cases for the BlackBerry and Android smart phones such as:

Samsung Galaxy S 3,  Galaxy S 2, Galaxy S2 X, Galaxy S 2 LTE

HTC One S,  HTC One X, HTC One V and HTC EVO 3D

Nokia Lumia 900 and Nokia Lumia 800

Motorola Droid RAZR, Motorola Defy and Motoluxe

Sony Xperia U, Sony Xperia ION, Sony Xperia Play

LG Optimus L7, LG Optimus 4G LTE 

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables, HTC Media Link and XMI Speakers all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

By: Aldo Panessidi

Android 4.0 was first seen on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus six months ago. Still, millions of Android device owners are waiting for their Ice Cream Sandwich.  Thanks to the folks at Engaget, we have a list of the official downloads for the most popular legacy devices that have ICS, as well as those that the manufacturers have promised updates for in the future.

Discover the latest innovative protection solutions... stylish top brand bags, sleeves as well as  cases and skins specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

Samsung 

Samsung has done the best job so far at adding Ice Cream Sandwich to many of their unlocked devices -- the  Samsung Galaxy S 2 in particular. Samsung’s list shows a lot more on their way, but updates to branded devices seem to stall in carrier-specific testing. Galaxy Tab users outside of Canada are still waiting for ICS.

Available Now

Galaxy S 2 (unlocked, Canada)

Galaxy S 2 LTE (unlocked, Canada)

Galaxy S 2 X (Canada)

Galaxy S 2 HD LTE (Canada)

Galaxy Note (unlocked, Canada)

Nexus S (unlocked)

Nexus S 4G (Sprint)

Galaxy Tab 7.0 (Canada)

Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (Canada)

Galaxy Tab 8.9 (Canada)

Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Canada)

Coming Soon

Galaxy S 2 (AT&T, T-Mo, Sprint)

Galaxy Note (AT&T)

Galaxy S II Skyrocket (AT&T)

Galaxy S Blaze 4G (T-Mo)

Captivate Glide (AT&T)

Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (unlocked, T-Mo, WiFi)

Galaxy Tab 7.7 (unlocked, VZW)

Galaxy Tab 8.9 (unlocked, AT&T, WiFi)

Galaxy Tab 10.1 (unlocked,T-Mo, VZW, WiFi)

Galaxy R

Take your devices to new level, enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and XMI Speakers all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

HTC 

HTC offers two different versions of Sense on ICS: Sense 4 for phones natively supporting ICS, and another for legacy devices. If you own one of the devices listed below, you'll have Sense 3.6, the "lighter" iteration that stays true to the UI's older look.

Available Now

Sensation

Sensation XE

Sensation 4G (T-Mobile)

Vivid (AT&T)

Velocity 4G (Australia)

Coming Soon

Amaze 4G (T-Mobile)

EVO 3D (Sprint, Virgin Mobile)

Rezound (VZW)

Desire S

Desire HD

EVO Design 4G (Sprint, Boost)

Incredible S / Incredible 2 (unlocked, VZW)

Raider 4G

Rhyme

Thunderbolt (VZW)

Sensation XL

Sony 

Sony is finally rolling out ICS. They plan to push Android 4.0 to all 2011 Xperia smartphones. Sony has a forum post that goes into details on models that have already been upgraded.

Available Now

Xperia Ray

Xperia arc S

Xperia neo V

Tablet S

Coming Soon

Xperia S

Xperia arc

Xperia Play

Xperia neo

Xperia mini

Xperia mini pro

Xperia pro

Xperia active

Xperia U

Xperia P

Xperia sola

Xperia ion (AT&T)

Tablet P

Live with Walkman

Motorola 

Motorola has a forum page for progress on each device. A large number of phones and tablets not on this list are still in "evaluation and planning" stages. By that, Motorola means they are under consideration for receiving ICS, but not all of them will see it. The devices below will get an upgrade.

Available Now

Xoom WiFi (USA)

Coming Soon

Atrix 2 (AT&T)

Atrix 4G (AT&T)

Droid Bionic (VZW)

Droid RAZR (VZW)

Droid RAZR Maxx (VZW)

RAZR (unlocked)

Droid 4 (VZW)

Xoom (WiFi global, Family Edition USA)

Xoom 2 / Xoom 2 Media Edition (unlocked)

Xyboard 8.2 / Xyboard 10.1 (VZW)

Photon 4G

MT917 (China)

XT928 (China)

LG 

LG is taking its time getting ICS to its legacy devices. The company has plans for most of its latest handsets, but only a few phones will get ICS before the end of June. The rest will have to wait until the third quarter.

Available Now

None

Coming Soon

Optimus LTE

Optimus 2X

Optimus Sol

Prada by LG 3.0

myTouch Q

Eclipse

Spectrum (VZW)

Lucid (VZW)

Viper (Sprint)

Nitro HD (AT&T)

Optimus 3D

Optimus Black

Optimus Big

Optimus Q2

Optimus EX

By Aldo Panessidi

LG the manufacturer the LG Optimus 7 smartphones of is giving consumers another reason to reach out to the cloud with the beta release of the ”LG Cloud”. With the LG Cloud users can manage and use content for devices such as Android smartphones, smart TVs and PCs (LG calls this “three screens”).

LG’s Cloud service automatically synchronizes smartphone content with the cloud server and the user’s PC and TV. As an example of the usefulness of the service, photos and videos taken with the smartphone can be viewed and streamed to the PC or TV almost instantaneously. Unlike other cloud services, there’s very little waiting or lag time since the content is streamed directly to the device, not downloaded first. The service also works with 3D content.

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool! Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and XMI Speakers all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Most consumers think of the cloud as a storage device or a service to access one type of content (like YouTube or Flickr). The LG cloud provides seamless connectivity and streaming access to all digital content across electronic platforms.

As LG’s Home Entertainment President and CEO Havis Kwon put it, “Tomorrow’s consumers don’t want to go to one cloud for music, another cloud for video, another location for photos and yet another cloud for their office files.”

Discover the latest innovative protection solutions... stylish top brand bags, sleeves as well as cases and skins specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes. Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

To use the service, users need to download the LG Cloud app from Google Play or LG SmartWorld app store from their Android smartphones, LG SmartWorld store from their LG Smart TVs or the LG Cloud website (www.lgecloud.com) from their PCs or laptops.

LG Smart TV or smartphone owners may be eligible to receive 50GB of free LG Cloud storage for six months. The company’s cloud service will be offered in both free and paid versions, with each member allotted 5GB of free storage.

By Aldo Panessidi

Is Samsung to have its tiara and sash taken away? Will Google choose another manufacturer to make the next Nexus handset and dethrone the reigning queen? And, *gasp* could it be an underdog victory for LG, the manufacturer that has had its fits and starts with Android smartphones?

If chosen, the lagging manufacturer would get early access to the next gen version of Android which means great buzz, great press and great sales. Samsung has been a perfect example of this success model by being the vendor bringing us the two latest Nexus devices: the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus. With experience working with Google and new, major Android OS version upgrades, there are a fair number positives in the incumbent’s favor. So if they have ushered in a Nexus for Gingerbread and now Ice Cream Sandwich, will they also be cobranded with Jellybean?

And how will LG Mobile win the bid when Samsung sold an impressive 300 million cell phones last year and is continually vying for top-smartphone brand ranking in the US? Honestly, the more likely competition will come from Google internally and its latest acquisition-in-the-works: Motorola Mobility. The tech conglomerate has made reassurances that it would not play favorites with Motorola, but… really? How would that make business sense?

If Google does opt to dole out Nexus rights to an external manufacturer, the status will not be quite so dramatic as Motorola would still get the perk of early iteration to next gen Android OS. And, by all accounts the company’s engineering and software teams will likely work closely post-acquisition which put Motorola in a position to help shape the Android platform. There is the question of how will peripheral devices, accessory appeal and that brand association affect these contenders and what will they bring to the table in terms of docking stations and power options to garner more attention and press?

What LG does have in its favor (despite notorious custom Android skins that have not won over customers) is their marked improvements from past years to this year’s MWC showing which introduced the optimistically improved LG Optimus 4X.  This shows ambition and a willingness to put in the work. A little bit of gumption, elbow grease, and a good ole fashioned Hail Mary Pass maybe do the trick for LG.

By Megan Fleet

With LG’s Optimus Vu and Samsung’s Galaxy Note launching  this year two concerns come to mind:

1. With a device this size having these specs... is it a smartphone or is it a tablet or is it a little bit  of both - to coin a new phrase smartabletphone
2. Do they really expect customers to hold this handset (overall dimensions of the Vu are 139.6 x 90.4 x 8.5mm) to speak on the phone for any length of time? At least the latter bodes well for Bluetooth headsets.

In addition to being a “multimedia lover’s dream device” - the phone features a 5-inch 1024 x 768 IPS display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, an 8-megapixel camera, and will support LTE. What's new is the storage capacity — the phone will come with 32GB of storage — and the full dimensions. The phone measures in at 5.49 inches by 3.55 inches, making it wider than the already substantially-sized Galaxy Note, but thinner at just 0.33 inches thick (8.5mm). Taking another cue from the Note's playbook, the Vu introduces the 'rubberidium' stylus pen as well.

As an alternative to the Galaxy Note, we are looking forward to seeing the product launch. In its press release, LG stated the Optimus Vu “boasts unmatched productivity. Its unique built-in QuickClip hotkey allows users to conveniently capture screenshots and memos with a single push. Jotting notes is also possible with a finger or with the dedicated Rubberdium pen”.

Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions... stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

While this Android newcomer will initially come with OS 2.3 Gingerbread, an Ice Cream Sandwich update is en route. Also, before giving us a peek of this handset at the Mobile World Congress LG confirmed that the Vu will be available at Korea’s SK Telecom carrier in early March. As an LTE-enabled device, this could very well be seen in Canada later this year, but there have been no details around carrier availability or if the handset will be available unlocked.

Keep reading and we will keep you posted!