Google Android’s numerous handset manufacturers have made the mobile OS platform incredibly accessible to consumers across the world. The one downside is that each of these vendors goes through its own process to adopt the latest version upgrades. Some handsets are not capable of those major upgrades, like Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Luckily for Sprint Nexus S 4G owners, the wait should not be much longer. An internal testing ROM was seen on Google’s servers that will update the Nexus S 4G to Android v4.0.4 build IMM26. Of course that file was pulled once it was seen, but the more curious of you can get a mirrored copy at xda-developers. But, with the removal from Google servers, it is likely better to wait for the official release.

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.

The popularity of this device has customers of Verizon wishing it was available as an unlocked handset that could be used with their existing contracts. As LTE 4G becomes more mainstream across North America, the availability of smartphones capable of taking advantage of these speeds will increase. Carriers have been rushing to pair up with manufacturers to augment their product lines. The question of whether customers will be willing to pay the premium cost of these data plans.

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 glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

The good news is that there is no requirement to utilize the 4G LTE capabilities until the costs are more accessible. In the interim, these customers have the good fortune of not having to purchase a new handset to get the Ice Cream Sandwich update which leaves more funds to invest in the must-have and secretly-covet accessories to make the most of your pocket PC.

As this report indicates, the version had release keys which denote a fast-approaching launch date. So far, the next gen Android platform has had great reviews, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for your Nexus S 4G update!

For those of you loyal readers who have been following and reading my blogs…. you no doubt noticed my propensity to provide you with industry and market statistics and information.

Keeping with this tradition, I came across a study – IT in the Toilet conducted by 11 Mark “View Infographic“… according to this report, we shouldn’t be surprised if we hear a toilet flush in the background while on the phone with friends or colleagues; as a whopping 3 out 4 in America use their cell phones while in the bathroom.

Approximately the same number of men and women have used the phone in the bathroom, according to a survey of 1,000 Americans… although men seem more tethered to IT in the toilet: 30 percent of men versus 20 percent of women agreed with the statement, “I don’t go to the bathroom without my mobile phone.”

Since only 14% of respondents reportedly cleanse their phones after a toilet session…  I would highly recommend protecting both their devices and ultimately themselves with iSkin protective accessories‘ revolutionary  Microban technology.  Built-in to products during the manufacturing process, Microban antimicrobial product protection inhibits the growth of microbes such as bacteria, mold and mildew that can cause stains , embarrassing odors and deterioration of both cell phones and other mobile devices.

Check out the following video for in-depth information on Microban iSkin protective cases and skins.

More than half the surveyed users (63 percent) said they have answered a phone call in the bathroom, and almost half (41 percent) reported initiating a phone call. That’s not all, however: What goes on behind the walls of the stalls is anything a mobile phone is capable of. Sixty-seven percent said they have read a text, and 39 percent have surfed the Web. Men work more from the bathroom—20 percent said they have participated in work-related calls, versus 13 percent of their female colleagues.

As expected, Gen Y respondents are the pacesetters in the “mobile everywhere” movement, with 91 percent using their phone in the bathroom. Still, older generations are not far behind. Eighty percent of Gen X reported using the phone in the bathroom, as did 65 percent of Baby Boomers and 47 percent of the Silent Generation.

While online, they are doing more than just surfing; 16 percent of Gen Y report they have made an online purchase while in the bathroom.  The study indicates that 87% of Droid users (Motorola Droid RAZR, Samsung Galaxy S 2, HTC Amaze, LG Optimus 2X) and 84% of Blackberry users (Bold 9900 Touch, Bold 9790 , Curve 9370) followed by  77% of iPhone users are particularly likely to browse and buy in the bathroom – 22 percent have made a purchase, versus 10 percent of Americans with mobile phones overall.

“The writing is on the stall,” said 11mark principal Nicole Burdette. “This study confirms what we all know: that the last private place is no longer private.”

After the shock and awe of the Consumer Electronics Show last month, Samsung is bringing us a more mid-range mobile device that will satisfy those consumers  who want more functionality without shelling out the money for a brand-new, top of the line smartphone. So, without further ado we introduce to you the Galaxy S Advance a welcome addition to the Samsung Galaxy cell phone line.

The following is an insightful video review of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance by Mobile Gazette

Customers will experience a zippy interface that is quick to open apps and multi-task on. The specs are solid, if not stellar. 4 inch Super AMOLED display gives a great visual experience and the middle-of-the road RAM and internal storage are pretty standard.   There are no current plans to move the mobile OS from Android Gingerbread to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Consumers can further enhance the Samsung Galaxy S mobility by optimizing aaplications with select accessories including stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

As Samsung’s President of IT & Mobile Communications Division, JK Shin noted, “The GALAXY S Advance adds to the successful track record of the GALAXY  smartphone range with a phone that combines power and style with all the versatility of Samsung’s Hub services.” This particular group of services is what will give users over 11 million music tracks, 2.3 million e-books, 3,500 magazine and 200 newspaper titles which are both excellent reasons to invest in good headphones and speakers.

For gamers, the ever-popular Game Hub puts thousands of catalogued games at users’ fingertips. As these may take up more juice, check the specs and requirements to see if a purchase of additional resources is needed.

And, in a move that will bring a more competitive offering to the new Nokia Windows Phone line, ChatON acts as a kind of people hub to interactively share content, group chat via video and voice and in general make messaging intuitive and easy. The last (and perhaps favorite) feature is Find My Mobile which is a unique lost-phone management system. Securing and encrypting data, ability to wipe the device data via Web or trace the device via Web is uber awesome.

All in all, Samsung looks to bring a best-of-both-worlds kind of phone to market and we look forward to seeing the smartphone in action!

There is no question that Samsung has the Android smartphone mastered at this point. With world-wide popularity and the manufacturer of the de facto line of Galaxy S 2  smartphones that are synonymous with “Android.” This set the bar high for a Samsung tablet. So far these expectations have fallen flat.

Hopefully this trajectory changes following the rumored cancellation of the Samsung Galaxy S III that was scheduled to launch at Mobile World Congress. According to Android And Me, the upcoming Galaxy Tab would be a great replacement with an Exynos 5250 processor with a 10 inch display and the Android 4.0 OS, Ice Cream Sandwich.

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

What gives this latest gossip credence is the prototype seen at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. And what will set this slate apart is the fact that it not only will have the Android 4.0 but will also be Samsung’s first mobile processor with ARM’s latest Cortex-A15 CPU core. This translates into double the computing power, augmented memory bandwidth, all-day battery life and a whopping five times the graphics horsepower of existing CPUs.

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.

These kinds of next-gen specs could be the turning point in Samsung’s quest to make a significant play in the tablet market. If they add in some innovative, top of the line accessories to the next release they can compete and incentivize customers to add another Samsung device into their homes. Whether those are docking stations, wireless attachments, or just artistic and great protective covers, these kinds of add-ons have the ability to solidify the popularity in this market for Samsung.

There are no details on when this would be made available to the general public, but we will be sure to keep you informed of what Samsung’s offering will be.

During the Nixon administration the United States did the unthinkable and moved its currency off the gold standard.  In the following decades, how we use money has continued to shift and change most notably with technology. The internet has made the world marketplace truly global and has made money again more abstract than tangible with wire transfers, online shopping, and faster payment authorizations with credit and debit cards.

This evolution of money exchange has continued with smartphones and apps. Which brings us to the pertinent launch at CES: moneto, the world’s first multi-platform mobile platform mobile wallet. Brought to us by Device Fidelity and Spring Card Systems, this service will bring NFC capabilities to any Android device such as the Samsung Galaxy S 2, the Motorola Droid RAZR and the Sony Xperia in tandem with microSD card.

The specialized encrypted microSD card has both an NFC radio and antenna that bring MasterCard PayPass technology to the gambit of Android devices out on the market. This means the capability to pay on the go and add funds to prepaid accounts with direct deposit, ACH transfer, or third party money transfer services like Western Union or PayPal.

iPhone customers also have great moneto options available to them. There is a unique iPhone protective case that will bring this same capability to iOS users sans microSD card. It is now available to iPhone 3, 3GS, 4, 4S users and retails for $80. This does include $10 in pre-loaded funds for customers to begin their fast pay adventures.

For Google Android users, the microSD card will be available in two or three weeks and be a bit easier on the wallet at $30. To take advantage of this technology, pop in the encrypted card, slap on a small NFC sticker to the inside of your battery case (this boosts the NFC signal) and transfer funds to free yourself from credit cards and make mobile payments. For Android users this also means freedom to enhance mobility and turn their device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

If variation is the spice of life, Samsung is adding vanilla to its tablet spice rack for its Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 .   Scheduled to hit the North American market sometime in the coming months, the major question is what new features and major upgrades are to be expected besides the color change?

Well… nothing. The specs for both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus are to remain the same. Whether this translates into a difference in price for the tablets is yet to be seen, but customers with the current black version should have no worries about their existing Galaxy Tablet’s innovative protection solutions… stylish bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Moreover the tablets are also designed for compatibility with other such docking stations and micro SD memory cards.

Some people may balk at this announcement saying that there is already a white version of the Galaxy Tab device, but it is only the rear of the tablet that is white. The front is still black bezel for those currently available in the US and Canada.

With the popularity of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phones, there will undoubtedly be continued demand for its tablets as well. This eventual variation is bound to please customers who enjoy the Android device but simply want the cleaner look of the all-white offering. Another, more cost effective option is to personalize the look of the device with award-wining design protective cases and skins that deliver modern style, stunning design and smart protection Make your mobile devices stand out.  Customize your look – how cool can you be?

However, if you are in the market for a new tablet and have an eye out for the all-white Galaxy Tabs, keep posted for their North American debut.  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 glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Aptly named, Samsung’s event at the Consumer Electronics Show is “Pushing Boundaries.” Based on the successes of Samsung the past few years across the electronics industry, their breakout performance on the Android platform in the smartphone market is really no surprise as they really do continue to push the envelope of development.  Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool! Discover select accessories, such as stylus & pens, SD Micro memory cards, batteries, speakers and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Taking a comprehensive approach, Samsung is looking to truly transform the user’s world with technology that ranges from their SmartTVs to a Smart washing machine. Seriously. The Samsung Galaxy tablets and Samsung Galaxy S II X cell phone will be ever more integrated into home life and interactive with home appliances and televisions.

But as this is the Consumer Electronics Show, what devices are we to be treated with in 2012 that we can hold in our hot little hands? First on the table is the Galaxy Note which is to be initially launched with AT&T and which will likely go toe-to-toe with the Nokia Lumia 900 as the LTE choice.  What kind of wait does this means for customers to get unlocked cell phones is unknown, but this Android darling is not one to disappoint.

What will set this smartphone apart is the Super AMOLED HD display and Samsung’s latest stylus technology, the “S Pen”.  What is neat about this stylus is that it actually reads pressure. The harder you press on it, the thicker the line will appear. This particular technology has this writer very curious to see what other applications and accessories will dovetail customer needs in the coming months. No doubt this stylus and screen technology will be brought to the Samsung tablet and the Smart TV.

And last on our recap is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE. With the popularity of the Galaxy family of smartphones, the company’s tablet offerings have been closely watched by Android fans, and this beauty should not disappoint. It will initially be a Verizon Wireless exclusive with 4G LTE support. When considering the plays made with device manufacturers and carriers in the US market, this is a smart move to reach AT&T customers with the LTE Galaxy Note and then Verizon fans with the 4G LTE Galaxy Tab 7.7.

Discover an extensive array of Android wireless devices innovative protective cases and skin accessories designed to deliver modern style, stunning design and smart protection.  Make your mobile devices stand out.  Customize your look – how cool can you be?

2012 is shaping up to be another stellar year!

The world’s greatest tech show – CES 2012 – kicked off on Monday,  January 9th… and will run until Friday January 13th.

With more than four decades of success, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) reaches across global markets, connects the industry and enables CE innovations to grow and thrive.   The show is produced by Consumer electronic Association, the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of consumer electronics products. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

This year’s show is held at the Hilton Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas and will cover more than 1.8 million square feet which is equivalent to 35 American football fields with over 2700 exhibitors and close to 200,000 attendees from across the globe.

Most of the leading smartphone and wireless mobile device (such as tablets) manufacturers and vendors will be unveiling their latest product and technology.  In the same breath, these manufacturers will be showcasing their latest in 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.

The following capture the most important CES smartphone and wireless mobile device news and product video overview:

	LTE-packing Nokia Lumia 900 is finally official, exclusive to AT&T HTC Titan II vs. Nokia Lumia 900 vs. Samsung Focus S – the ultimate WP showdown [TABLE]  Nokia Lumia 900 – specs • hands-on
	New Samsung Series 9 ultrabook comes in 13.3″ and 15″ versions, the small one weighs just 1.16kg Samsung and AT&T unveil Note, Skyrocket HD and Exhilarate Android-powered webcam-like device, the Samsung inTouch, adds Smart TV magic to your boring HDTV Sprint unveils Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE Verizon debuts Galaxy Tab LTE   Verizon Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE- specs • hands-on • second hands-on AT&T Galaxy Note LTE – specs • hands-on • second hands-on Samsung Skyrocket HD – specs Samsung Exhilarate – specs Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE – specs
	Sony Ericsson LiveView successor spotted at CES, announcement seems imminent The Sony Xperia ion coming to AT&T in Q2 2012 Sony announces Xperia S with a 12MP camera and HD screen  Sony Xperia ion – specs • hands-on Sony Xperia S – specs • hands-on
	LG brings a ton of new HDTV stuff to CES, 3D is everywhere, and there’s a motion-controlled remote with voice input LG Spectrum goes official, joins the Verizon LTE gang on Jan 19 Sprint unveils LG Viper  LG Viper- specs LG Spectrum – specs • hands-on
	HTC Titan II vs. Nokia Lumia 900 vs. Samsung Focus S – the ultimate WP showdown [TABLE] LTE HTC Titan II with 16 MP camera revealed, heads for AT&T HTC Titan II - specs • hands-on • camera samples
	Acer announces Aspire S5 and Aspire Timeline Ultra Ultrabooks, claims the former to be the world’s thinnest Acer showcases the new Iconia Tab A700, comes with a quad-core processor and a full HD display
	Verizon announces several Droid RAZRs  Motorola RAZR MAXX – specs • hands-on Motorola Droid 4 - specs • hands-on
	Lenovo continues CES invasion with IdeaCentre B-series all-in-ones and refreshed desktops Lenovo announces IdeaPad S200 and IdeaPad S206 netbooks, will launch in June Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and U410 new Ultrabook laptops get under the spotlight Lenovo unveils Ideapad S2, the S2 smartphone and K91 TV
	Huawei Ascend P1 and Ascend P1 S droid beasts announced  Huawei Ascend P1 – specs • hands-on Huawei Ascend P1 S – specs • hands-on
Misc	Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update starts rolling out for the ASUS Transformer Prime ASUS and NVidia CEOs show a 7-inch Tegra 3-powered tablet with ICS for $249 Gigabyte keeps Atom dream alive with Cedar Trail powered T1006M convertibe netbook and tablet, Windows 7 on board In case of emergency: The new SpareOne mobile phone promises to hold its charge for up to 15 years Fujitsu showcases quad-core Tegra 3 smartphone at CES Parrot shows AR.Drone 2.0 at CES – now with 720p video recording, easy sharing and sturdier hardware OCZ Lightfoot SSD boasts Thunderbolt connectivity, speeds beyond belief Canon PowerShot G1 X is a 14MP compact with a DSLR-sized 4:3 image sensor • Canon G1 X hands-on Fujifilm announced rangefinder-style, mirrorless X-Pro1 camera, to cost $1,700 at launch SanDisk unveils the world’s fastest SDXC card, promises write speeds of up to 45MB/sToshiba showcase three mysterious tablets at CES and tell us nothing about them Razer reveals Project Fiona, a tablet with controllers attached to it running on a Core i7 and Windows 8

Many thanks to GSM Arena for the above references and links.

A new report from industry luminary ABI Research indicates that more than 50% of all unlocked cell phones will be capable of running on 4G or 3G data networks.  Jake Saunders, VP of Forecasting for ABI Research suggests that . “As the festive cheer of the holiday season dies away, the mood among handset vendors remains quietly confident regarding 2012.   The outlook will yield growth in the order of 8%, netting 1.67 billion handsets shipped worldwide by the end of 2012. Particularly notable is for the first time, 3G and 4G handset shipments will capture more than 50% of total handsets shipped.”  The consumer’s appetite for  high end mobile devices will also drive the after sales cell phone and tablet accessories market.

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.

In an earlier report ABI Research identified the worldwide after-market wireless devices accessories sales increasing to more than $50 Billion by 2015.  Key accessory market indicators were identified as:

Protective Solutions – Bags, Sleeves, Cases and Screen Protectors – $1.2 billion

Hands Free Solution – BlueTooth Headsets and BlueTotth Car Kits – $920 million

Power Solutions – Desktop Chargers, Car Chargers, Wall Chargers, Batteries – $766 million

Memory Solutions – Micro SD Cards and Data Cables – $529 million

Personalization Solutions – Cases & Skins – $520 million

Audio Solutions – Speakers, Earpieces & Headsets – $308 million

In the second half of 2011, top tier mobile device vendors unleashed marketing promotions targeting the upward mobile market audience in emerging smartphone and table markets.   Samsung, used clever ads downgrading Apple users while extolling the benefits of the Galaxy S II X phones and Galaxy Tablet lines of business to make substantial inroads  into these market spaces. Apple is expanding sales channels in emerging markets, with greater success in China than it’s having in India, but is also targeting South American markets such as Brazil. HTC is gaining traction in China, but developed markets such as North America and Europe continue to be the mainstay of its “ship into” markets. RIM, despite its weakness in apps-capable smartphone markets, continues to do well in messaging-centric emerging markets such as Indonesia. Nokia hopes to benefit from Windows Phone 7 Lumia series launches in India (Dec-2011) and China (in 1Q-2012).

The changing of the guard from one year to the next brings inevitable changes. This is especially true with mobile technology which is arguably one of the most competitive and innovative segments of the tech industry as traditional feature phones and carriers are challenged with smartphone technologies and apps and unlocked phones.

So even if you keep half an ear to the latest happenings in this niche of the world market, there is a plethora of information, rumors, and announcements to keep track of. To help make the focus more manageable, here are a few noteworthy notices to kick off your 2012 mobile tech watch.

First, the continuing saga of the king of feature phones as it endeavors to make its mark in a smartphone world: Nokia. The mobile OS this manufacturer chose for its foray into smartphones is Symbian. Clearly this pairing didn’t fare well in the global marketplace. As a farewell gesture that is bound to drive the final nail in the coffin of Symbian, Nokia has opted to rebrand its latest smartphone as Nokia Belle. No Symbian to be mentioned in association again it seems. Perhaps the best rebranding for Nokia would be launching a new tablet featuring its next mobile OS choice.

Not to be left out, Google Android is bound to make this list. And, it is no surprise that it is causing waves with its much-buzzed-about OS upgrade: Ice Cream Sandwich. Global rollouts of this Android 4.0 update were supposed to have begun for Nexus S customers a few days ago, but according to the Google Community Manager, Paul Wilcox, announced that they are pausing updates to better monitor feedback for a while (this sounds oddly familiar to CarrierIQ scandal which highlighted the benefits of customers choosing unlocked devices).

On a more positive note for Google, they are now globally activating approximately 700,000 Android devices daily. The company’s willingness to work with many manufacturers (creating more opportunities for customers to choose carrier neutral unlocked phones), is significantly contributing to their continued growth around the world.

To follow on the heels of Google’s customer driven philosophy, carriers are having to fight the loss of their exclusivity on smartphones, tablets and accessories by dropping their prices. Recent reports show that 4G LTE pricing may drop by as 60% by 2016 as the additional speeds aren’t worth the cost for heavy users and the carrier specific devices that enable 4G are markedly more expensive than their 3G counterparts as well.