Motorola's Guy Kawasaki sparked rumors with a post about custom cars

In the world of mobile gadgets and accessories, it doesn't take much these days to start the rumor mill turning. So when Motorola advisor Guy Kawasaki made a Google+ post last week about a customizable car, the internet naturally started speculating about what that could mean regarding the rumored upcoming Google-Motorola X Phone.

The one line post, which reads, "Wouldn't it be great if you could personalize your phone like this," has prompted many to wonder whether the X Phone will itself be customizable. (The X Phone hasn't yet been officially announced, by the way.)

Some are really running with the rumor. AndroidAndMe posited that "customers will be able to customize their devices," choosing their color, as well as "some of the hardware specs like RAM and internal storage."

Going even further, AndroidAndMe proposes the possibility that the X Phone won't just be one smartphone, but an entire line, designed to compete with Samsung's Galaxy brand.

So, is this taking Kawasaki's Tweet way too far? Maybe so and maybe not. As CNET points out:

"Surely, the timing of Kawasaki's comments is not coincidental. Or is it? In the age of Reddit and Internet trolling, I begrudgingly must reserve some skepticism for the rumor. Is Guy having a bit of fun with his fan base or is he legitimately gauging public interest?"

If there's truth to the speculation, this could be a major follow-up to Google's previous smartphone offering, the more or less standard Nexus 4. But we'll probably find out for sure soon enough. As CNET notes, "should there be fire behind the smoke, this is the sort of rumor that won't be contained for long."

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Google's CEO has been fuelling rumors of a Motorola-made shatter-proof Google X phone

According to some recent rumors, Google and Motorola may just be working on a phone that that can go without the usual protective cases and accessories.

Mashable reported recently on a rumored Motorola-made Google phone termed the Google X, which has been stirring up speculation since at the Wall Street Journal broached the topic this past fall. Still, there's been little information as to what the new phone's specs might be.

But in a recent interview with WIRED magazine, Google CEO Larry Page gave us a pretty fresh hint – the Google X may be unbreakable:

"There’s a lot of room for innovation in hardware [...] The phones we use now have glass that everyone worries will break if they drop the device. Five or 10 years from now, that will be different."

Needless to say, Page is a reliable source when it comes to what we can expect from a Google-backed phone. And some are positing theories that the Google X may sport a flexible display or may, at the very least, be shatter-proof.

"The benefits of a 'bendy' phone are questionable, but using a flexible display would result in a phone that's much more immune to shattering, unlike the relatively fragile touch screens of today," says Mashable.

If these theories hold any water, Google may have a product on its hands that doesn't even need the shock-absorption of a case. And while that's bound to make users happy, third-party accessories makers probably wouldn't be thrilled.

But all this is moot anyway, since Google hasn't officially confirmed the existence of the Google X, much less its design specs. Until they do, the talk of a case-less, shatter-proof, bendy Google  phone will have to remain squarely in the realm of speculation.

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Amid the slew of smartphones being released right in time for the holiday shopping season, Google's new LG-made Nexus 4 is winning the popularity contest.

Within hours of going on sale on the U.K.'s Google Play store on Monday, the latest nexus smartphone sold out. Same story in Australia, except that the successor to Google's Nexus 7 Tablet, the Samsung-made nexus 10, was also listed as "out of stock" before the day's end.

Meanwhile,  BGR reported that in the U.S., it took only minutes before all available units of both the 8GB and 16GB models of the Nexus 4 sold out on Google Play. And before long, 32GB models of the Nexus 10 were out of stock, with only 10 units of the 16GB model remaining.

To use the old adage, tehy're selling like hotcakes. But it's not hard to see why.

Starting at $299 for the unlocked Nexus 4, the pricing is pretty competitive compared to other smartphones, especially considering its specs: Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor, 4.7-inch True HD IPS screen with a resolution of 1280×768 resolution, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to boot.

However, it doesn't have LTE – if it did, people would probably be killing each other for it at that price – but TechCrunch is right in saying that it's essentially "a high-end 3G device for a mid-range price."

Likewise, there's no reason that demand for the Nexus 10 Tablet should cool down anytime soon. Starting at $399.99, it's greatest draw is its super-sized 10.1" 330PPI display, one of the biggest tablet screens out there.

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.

A couple of weeks ago a jury agreed with Apple in their latest lawsuit against Samsung, awarding Apple over $1 billion supporting its claim that Samsung infringed on their patents in the design of eight Samsung mobile phones and one tablet. But, there is method to Apple’s madness, and it isn’t putting Samsung out of business.

What this verdict does give Apple is the upper hand in “negotiations” that are being conducted through the courts all over the world. Apple’s opponents include five of their largest competitors in the global war for smartphone and tablet dominance. It’s not just Apple claiming patent violations. Most of the mobile behemoths are fighting amongst themselves over license agreements.

Apple big beef with its device-making rivals like Samsung, it that they use the Android operating system that Google gives away for free. According to Bloomberg Industries, Android accounts for about 60 percent of the mobile market, three times as large as Apple’s iOS. The big prize Apple has its sights on is having the dominant operating system in the device market. The problem many consumers, app designers and device manufacturers should have with Apple’s OS is that it’s a closed-garden operating system while Google’s (and Microsoft’s) is an open system. This means that Apple controls everything. (This was a point that Steve Jobs was always fanatical about.)

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh will probably deny a request by Samsung to throw out the verdict. Samsung’s lawyers will file an appeal in a higher court.

Koh will still have to decide whether to issue an injunction blocking the sale in the U.S. of the nine Samsung devices in the latest lawsuit. If she decides in favor of Apple, Samsung will have to make some design changes, eliminating the offending features or pull them from the market. Samsung probably won’t expend too much effort on this since the nine devices are older ones, and they can still sell them outside the U.S. The hit to their bottom line should be minimal.

Once the competitors get some legal satisfaction, they’ll make their financial deals over supplying products and components to one another. Even Apple will play nice. (Apple is Samsung’s biggest customer for mobile-device components).In the meantime, the companies are still doing business as usual with one another while they keep their lawyers busy in court.

Telecom companies and consumers aren’t going to put up with a clearing out of the competition by Apple. Many of us like Android devices like Samsung’s, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS is a welcome addition to the competition. Bottom line: what ultimately happens from all this bickering is up to us.

Smartphones have finally taken over the United States with more than one third of American adults -- 35% -- own smartphones. According to The Pew Internet Project's survey found that 83% of U.S. adults have a cell phone of some kind, and that 42% of them own a smartphone, translating to more then 35% of Americans who own a Smartphone. Individuals who own a Smartphone fall into one of two categories include:

• One-third of cell owners (33%) say that their phone is a smartphone.
• Two-in-five cell owners (39%) say that their phone operates on a smartphone platform (these include iPhones and Blackberry, as well as phones running the Android, Windows or Palm operating systems).

American's now officially count for more than 100 million users Smartphone users in the United States. Android and Apple iOS continued to grow between November 2011 and January 2012, gaining 2.3% and 1.4% respectively. Google’s mobile platform topped the charts with a total market share of 48.6%, while Apple managed to capture a 29.5% share.

Smartphones are the main source of main source of Internet access for one-quarter of the smartphone population including 87% of smartphone owners access the Internet or email on their hand-held, including two-thirds (68%) who do so on a typical day. Most smartphone users such as Samsung Galaxy S3, BlackBerry Bold, etc typically use their smartphone rather than a traditional computer to access the Internet. Smartphone owners under the age of 30, non-white smartphone users and smartphone owners with relatively low income and education levels are particularly likely to say that they mostly go online using their phones. The Android OS Platform is the most common smartphone platform, followed by iPhone and Blackberry devices. Most Smartphones are operating on an Android Platform are especially common among young adults and African-Americans, while iPhone 4S and Blackberry devices are most prevalent among college graduates and the financially well-off.

Overall, in the Smartphone Market Samsung continues to tighten its grip on the featured phone and smartphone market. Nokia was still the global leader followed by Samsung and then Apple, which showed the highest percentage growth.

Google has released the latest version of its Google Earth app with 3D imaging. You can download the app to the new iPad, iPad 2, iPod touch and iPhone 4S. The app is available in the iTunes store.

As Peter Birch, Google Earth product manager, blogged, “With today’s release of Google Earth for iOS you can literally fly through breathtaking 3D city landscapes and images and follow virtual tours of places you’ve never been — all with a simple swipe of your fingertip.”

Birch’s blog post highlighted the app’s Tour Guide feature that lets users browse through thumbnails to explore any city or landmark. Some of the photos are user generated.

Birch writes that Google is adding new locations “as fast as we can.” The cities that are 3D-viewable right now are Boulder, Boston, Charlotte, Lawrence (KS), Long Beach (CA.), Los Angeles, Portland (OR), San Diego, Santa Cruz, Tampa, Tucson, and the San Francisco Bay Area. On the international scene, the Google Earth app will show you Rome in 3D.

By the end of 2012, Google plans to have the 3D imaging available in metropolitan areas with a combined population of 300 million people or more.

By Aldo Panessidi

In addition to Android 4.1 (Jellybean), last week’s Google I/O introduced us to a Chrome Browser update, Google Play news and the Project Glass carnival ride. Here’s the lowdown:

Chrome Browser:

The official version of Chrome Browser is now in the Google Play Store. You can download it for free. For those already using mobile Chrome, the new version provides much-needed stability and a few performance enhancements. Tablets got some UI adjustments - a good idea considering this will be the Chrome running with Nexus 7 tablet . There was no word on availability of this update for devices running older OS versions than Android 4.0.

Google Play got quite a bit of Google attention. Here its new angles:

Google Play Books:

Play Books was updated to support embedded streaming video and audio in books. This will have lots of useful applications, particularly in the educational environment.  There’s a new UI feature where you can tap the upper-right corner of a page to bookmark it. New settings options allow for auto text-to-speech and the ability to lock downloads to WiFi only. The rest of the updates were improving support for various formats and other stability fixes.

Google Play Movies:

Now you can purchase Google Play Movies in addition to renting them. TV shows are also available in the Google Play Store as well. The more Google can offer in the Store, the better they will be able to compete with Apple. Next we’d like to see Google step up to the subscription plate and give the likes of Hulu, Netflix and Amazon some nice competition.

Google Play Remote Features:

Uninstalling and updating apps you bought from Google Play can now be managed from a web connection. Just like it’s easier to edit your address book online rather than from your phone, apps need the same kind of management tool. So, maybe it’s time to clean out your app junk pile.

Project Glass:

Project Glass is Google’s R&D effort to create an augmented reality head-mounted display (HMD) they call Google Glass. Sergey Brin’s Google Glass presentation was fun. Some guys jumped out of an airplane and another ran down the side of a building. The audience got to see the little adventure play out on the big screen. The perspective was cool, but as a passive observer can’t we can get something very similar from video games and 3D movies? The final HMD won’t be ready for consumers until 2014, but attendees of the Google I/O were given the chance to pre-order a prototype pair of the glasses (to be delivered next year) for $1,500 a headset. Maybe we just don’t see the bigger picture for Google Glass yet…

By Aldo Panessidi

The best price out there for an unlocked GSM Samsung Galaxy Nexus just got even more attractive. Google dropped the price of the unlocked HSPA+ version of the Galaxy Nexus by $50 to $349 – comparable to what you’d pay for many devices on contract. According to the Google Play ad, the unlocked smartphone can be used on AT&T, T-Mobile, or “more than 200 GSM providers worldwide.”

Before those of you who already purchased your Galaxy Nexus from Google Play start complaining that your timing sucked, if you made your purchase within the 15 days prior to this price reduction announcement, Google will refund you the extra $50.

The Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch 720p HD display and dual-core processor. It runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and will be one of the first phones to get the new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS next month. Orders for the Galaxy Nexus can be placed directly through the Google Play Store now.

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