AT&T Motorola ATRIX 2 gets updated to v55.13.25

An update for the Motorola ATRIX 2 just started rolling out. This will bring your software version to 55.13.25.MB865.ATT.en.US. The enhancements include:

Camera – Enhancements to deliver better overall picture taking experience so you never miss a momentGoogle Music – Addition of Google Music application so you have greater access to the world of music. Shop millions of songs and hundreds of free tracks. Store your purchases on Google Music for free, and listen instantly on your mobile device.My Gallery, My Music, My Files – Re-naming of Motorola Gallery, Music, and Files applications for easy access in the Applications TrayDevice Security – Enhancements to deliver greater device security, including addition of Android security patches from Google and Cisco Any Connect VPN enablers.Emergency Alerts – Enhancement to allow you to receive emergency alerts from authorities such as Hurricane warning notifications.Amazon Kindle – Enhancement to include link to app for quick and easy method to access your library of Amazon digital books as well as access to the entire Amazon library.AT&T Messages – Enhancement to include link to app for quick and easy method to give you access to all of your texts, calls and messages which have been stored in the cloud.Keyboard – Improvements to keyboard functionality for better email experienceMobile Hotspot – Improved stability for better overall performanceWebtop – Enhancements to improve stability and better overall performance

Some of our readers already received the automatic update. If you haven’t, you can try to manually pull it by hitting Menu from your home screen, then Settings, About Phone, and System Updates. Make sure you’re connected to a WiFi network and keep trying since it may not work on the first attempt.

Thanks Kevin, Bill, and Tyler!!

source: Motorola

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Categorized as Android Manufacturers, Android News, Android Phones

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US Soldiers will get Android devices updated much, much faster than yours

It is no secret that the government has been looking into secure modern mobile technology. From soldiers to the president, the government needs devices that will be able to keep all of their information private. Well, it seems like Android is the chosen one, and the government will start using smartphones like yours and mine.

The US government is planning to modify the Android OS (oh, the beauty of open source!) to make it secure enough for government use. The first to get dibs on said devices will be soldiers, but the plan is for all government officials to use smartphones at some point. And it is even mentioned that a similar software could be sold to private corporations who want to move out of BlackBerry.

So, why Android? US Officials say that they were considering other mobile operating systems. None of them were secure enough for military and government standards, though. After reaching out to Apple, the Cupertino giant gave them a big “no no” when the government asked if they could modify iOS (as expected). Since Android is open sourced, and is by nature available for everyone to tinker with, the most viable option could not be more obvious.

What is even more surprising are the statements that the sources are making public. The government is telling us that after Google releases a new version of Android, the update will be reaching these devices within 2 weeks. Now that is what we call a good update system, and we wonder if they would actually be able to pull it off.

This could mean two things; either the team working on this is stunningly amazing, or they are incredibly bad and do not know what they speak of. Android manufacturers take many months to update their devices, but with the government funding and pushing this, who knows.

The ultimate goal is to give war fighters, analysts and other intelligence professionals access to classified information on the go - boosting innovation in the field, efficiency and productivity.SpokeswomanNSA

This project is being funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects, and sources say that getting these smartphones in use is one of the main priorities. This will give soldiers and officials access to private documents and it will allow them to find their friendly units via GPS. These are only a couple of examples, as the government is also working on using VoIP to keep their conversations safe and private.

There is also mention of SE (Security Enhanced) Android. This is a software that is much less flexible for supporting new devices and updates. It might be the most secure option, but NSA Official Stephen Malley believes it will not be deployed widely, due to its nature.

So there you go, guys. Soon, our soldiers overseas will be carrying great devices, like they do at home. Not only that, but if the government is right, they will probably also have newer software than us. This project would not only be good for the military, every user that needs privacy would benefit from something like this. This should open a whole new market, helping Android spread even more. Think about it – Android could be the new BlackBerry.

What do you say? Do you think the government can update devices within 2 weeks of the software release?

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Waze Social Navigation App Updated To 3.0, Brings Twitter And Facebook To Your Morning Commutes

 

The popular social navigation and GPS app Waze has been updated to version 3.0. In case you’re not familiar, Waze gives you not only a free traffic & navigation app, but the app also encourages users to become part of the local driving community in your area, joining forces with other drivers nearby to outsmart traffic, save time, and improve everyone’s daily commute. In addition to having the ability to create or join local driving groups or link up with other drivers for carpooling, users will now find even more social integration with built-in Foursquare, Twitter and of course, Facebook support. Hit the break for the full presser and Android Market link.

Waze, the World’s Fastest-Growing Driving Community Launches v3.0 for Android; Crowd Goes Wild

Foursquare & Yelp Integration Brings Social Layer to Android Navigation

(Palo Alto, Ca.) January 31, 2012 — Waze, the now 12 million-strong community of traffic resistors is happy to announce the newest tool in the battle against traffic: version 3.0 for Android. The latest iteration of the app features a complete overhaul from the ground up, including a new minimalist graphic interface as well as Foursquare and Yelp POI integration to make it the most powerful local search navigation system on the market.

New Minimalist UI

The new graphic redesign takes full advantage of Android phones’ screen size by minimizing the Waze interface to display only 2 large buttons on a full screen map. In addition, a new display of traffic and events en route helps drivers makes the smartest travel choices before they leave. The guidance system has also been amplified with large fonts and complete text-to-speech capabilities for optimized hands-free navigation — plus the new aesthetic gives the app a little more swagger and style.

The New Social Location Stack

Traditional GPS systems are built on static, old world maps and points of interest, which never reflect real-time information about new businesses, pop-up shops, or live local events. The new social eco-system provides a combination of consumer-generated data from people driving, checking in, and reviewing locations in real-time. This layer of social location information is now available to drivers in a navigation setting. With community-curated data from Waze, Foursquare, and Yelp, drivers can now search for real-time events as easily as they would find their local Walmart.

#1 Transportation App With 87,000 Reviews & 4 ½ Stars

The Waze Android community sure is passionate about outsmarting traffic together. Waze is consistently number one in the free transportation apps in the Android Marketplace, maintaining a steady 4 ½ star rating from nearly 87,000 reviews; nearly 5 times the count of the next most popular app.

Waze is available for free in the Android Marketplace or at http://m.waze.com.

About Waze

Waze is a social traffic & navigation app based on the world’s largest community of drivers sharing real time road info and contributing to the “common good” out there on the road. By simply driving around with Waze open users passively contribute traffic and other road data. Users can take a more active role by sharing road reports on accidents, police traps, or any other hazards along the way, helping to give other users in the area a ‘heads-up’ about what’s to come– and because it’s 100% user-generated, the more people who use Waze, the better (and more fun) it gets!

Android Market

 

» See more articles by Roy Alugbue

Categorized as Android Applications, Android News, Android Software

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Grand Theft Auto III Gets Updated To 1.3, Brings Support To Transformer Prime & Ability To Install Game On SD Card

Grand Theft Auto III for Android has been updated to version 1.3 and it looks to enhance the overall experience for those playing the game. In addition to the game tailoring your visual experience with new video display settings, you can expect the following:

Added support for Medion Lifetab and the Asus Transformer PrimeIntegrated with Immersion Haptic Vibration FeedbackImproved controls for supported gamepadsImproved controls for Xperia PlayGame can now be installed to an SD cardGamestop Wireless Game Controller fully supportedAdditional technical fixes

We’re sure you all will especially appreciate the idea of installing the game to an SD card and improved support for gamepads. If you own the game already, be sure to get the update ASAP— especially if you want to take advantage of the new features.

Android Market

[via Rockstar Games by Droid Gamers] 

» See more articles by Roy Alugbue

Categorized as Android Applications, Android Gaming, Android News, Android Software

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