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Unreleased Samsung Galaxy Tab rooted

The recently announced, unreleased Samsung Galaxy Tab has officially been given the root treatment. Blog sera-apps.de is reporting that they have seen, used, and possess a rooted Gally Tab (now that didn’t take long). The site does caution, “I don’t know if the final Galaxy Tab can be rooted the same way like the one I have here. This is a work in progress prototype – thinks [sic] can differ a lot.” Either way, it is an encouraging sign for Android enthusiasts who are looking forward to getting, tinkering, and h4×0ring their Galaxy Tab.

Reuters: Google to have music service up and running by December 25th

Reuters is reporting that Google’s VP of Engineering, Andy Rubin, has been conducting talks with record labels in an attempt to launch an online music service “before Christmas.” The publication cites two sources familiar with the matter, and states that although record industry insiders are excited about the possibility of Apple and Google clashing on the digital music front, Google has yet to ink deals with any record labels. “Finally here’s an entity with the reach, resources and wherewithal to take on iTunes as a formidable competitor by tying it into search and Android mobile platform. What you’ll have is a very powerful player in the market that’s good for the music business,” said an anonymous record label executive. One thing is for certain, if Google wishes to play the role of David by Christmas time, it is going to need some labels in its arsenal… and soon.

Samsung ups 2010 smartphone sales target by 7 million units

For those of you wondering whether or not the Galaxy S family of phones has been a hit, we present you this story. Today, at IFA in Berlin, Samsung Mobile President J.K. Shin told reporters that his company is upping its smartphone sales estimates for 2010 from 18 million to 25 million. The original estimate of 18 million units was three times higher than the total number of cell phones shipped by Samsung in 2009. Shin went on to say that he is confident his company will grab a double-digit share of the smartphone market by year’s end. Go get em’ Sammy!

Bell Mobility to launch BlackBerry Torch too

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 might be exclusive to one carrier in the U.S., but that hasn’t stopped the floozy of a handset from making the rounds in Canada. Bell Mobility recently announced that they too will be carrying the BlackBerry Torch slider — which we knew – beginning on September 24th. The device will retail for $199 on a 3-year contract and $599 off-contract. This brings the total number of Canadian networks launching the 9800 on September 24 to four: Bell, Rogers, Telus, and Virgin Mobile. Bell hasn’t put out an official press release yet, but we have a statement for you after the break.

Plex and LG to challenge Apple TV, Boxee, and others

Plex, for those not familiar, is a software company whose former creed was to: “bridge the gap between your Mac and your home theater, doing so with a visually appealing user interface that provides instant access to your media.” Today, the company has announced that it will be partnering with electronics maker LG to “integrate the Plex platform into their 2011 lineup of Netcast connected TVs and Blu-ray devices.” In the company’s announcement, they quip that when it comes to connecting devices to your television, a Mac Mini is “too large,” a Boxee box is “too pointy,” and the new Apple TV is “too tiny.” The company is betting on this free, integrated software model to be the future of connected televisions. The announcement continues: “Early next year, when you buy an LG Netcast TV or Blu-ray player, you will have Plex functionality built-in. Specifically, it will connect to a cloud version of the Plex platform for online content, and, if you happen to have a Plex Media Server running anywhere in your house (after all, who doesn’t have a computer in their house?), you can access your local and online content, in a rich interface, with full metadata.” The concept of integrating mature, intuitive media software into a TV really does sound like a great idea; especially for LG, as TV manufacturers are always trying to differentiate themselves from the competition.

“There will be more content providers investing in writing Plex plug-ins, so your online content choices will grow. And next year, if you’re upgrading your TV, or or buying an LG Blu-ray player, you’ll have the ability to get Plex, built in, at no additional cost. Fully integrated into killer consumer electronics gear, exactly as it should be.”

Yes, that is the way it should be. Hit the read link for more info on Plex and their recently inked LG deal.

Samsung Galaxy Tab coming to Sprint in November…

We have heard that Sprint is currently targeting a November release for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablet. Pricing for the CDMA device has not yet been disclosed to us. UPDATE: We’re also hearing it is a 3G/4G device!

Net Applications: iOS has over 1% of global browsing share, Android at 0.2%

Net Applications has released their report on global browsing usage numbers for iOS, Android, and Linux. The numbers show that from October of 2009 to August of 2010, both Android and iOS steadily increased their browser usage share, while Linux was mostly stagnant or declining. As of August 2010, iOS held 1.13% of global browser usage, Android held 0.20%, and Linux held 0.85%. To be frank, the fact that iOS holds a larger global browser share than Linux is a bit surprising. Hit the read link to see the detailed numbers with month by month breakdown.

[Via 9to5Mac]

Huawei launches affordable, Android 2.2 Ideos handset

Today in Berlin, Huawei announced the official launch of its affordable, accessible Android 2.2 handset, the Ideos. The Ideos handset comes complete with a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display (320 x 240), 528 MHz processor, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera (no flash), HSDPA 3G, Wi-Fi, 3G hotspot capabilities, and a micro-SD card slot. The device carries the “with Google” moniker (which means no Android skinning of any kind) and Huawei touted that Google was heavily involved in the designing of the Ideos. The company elaborated that Google’s direct involvement with the Ideos would ensure its owners OS updates with minimal delay, Nexus One style. The device will be available in mid-October for right around $175 off-contract; no word yet on whether or not this little guy will be coming Stateside. The phone is obviously meant to make an Android 2.2, touchscreen handset available to the masses… time will tell if the masses choose to oblige Huawei’s efforts. 

Apple posts iPad 4.2 update page, reminds you what’s coming

Today, Apple posted its iPad 4.2 software update page to remind you of the improvements that the next iteration of iOS will have for your tablet device. For those who don’t know, iOS 4.2 will bring: multitasking, home screen folders, wireless document printing, AirPlay (streaming audio/video), Apple’s Game Center, a unified inbox, text search in the Safari web browser, as well as a handful of other modifications. The update is scheduled to roll out sometime in November. If you would like more details hit the read link to view the official Apple page.

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy Tab to retail for €699 and €799 in Europe

Warning: the information we are about to provide you is unconfirmed; please consume with a hefty dose of NaCl. European news and retail outlets are reporting that Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablet will retail for €699 ($897) and €799 ($1,025) for the 16 GB and 32 GB models respectively.  Those prices are high enough to cause nose bleeds! For comparisons sake: in Germany, Apple’s 9-inch iPad 3G retails for €599 and €699 for the 16 GB and 32 GB models respectively. Hopefully these prices are just speculative and the tablet is closer to the $500 price range when it makes its appearance stateside. What do you think the appropriate price tag is for the the Gally Tab?

[Via Engadget]

Latest Apple iPod touch hits FCC, gets taken apart

Any Apple fans out there waiting to grab the brand new iPod touch hotness? If so, you’re going to be pleased to learn that Apple’s newest iToy has hit the FCC for certification and has been mercilessly torn down. You’ll find that Apple A4 CPU, an internal antenna, 802.11 b/g/n, and a 3.44 watt-hour battery. Not to mention the Retina Display, front-facing camera for FaceTime, and rear-facing HD-capable shooter. Delicious.

[Via iClarified]

Google refutes Apple’s activation innuendo

During yesterday’s music-event keynote, Apple CEO Steve Jobs informed the crowd that his company was activating around 230,000 iOS devices every day. The figure 230,000 is of particular significance because just last month, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that the search giant was activating around 200,000 Android devices per diem. Jobs continued, and quipped, “we think some of our friends are counting upgrades in their numbers.” The implication being made here — albeit not a very subtle one — is that Google was including users upgrading from one Android device to another in their activation figures. In light of the semi-explicit innuendo, Google released a statement that reads: “The Android activation numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market since we only include devices that have Google services.” Just another twig added to the Google versus Apple fire. Speaking of fire, try to keep the flaming comments to a minimum if you would.

Throwback Thursday: Motorola ROKR E1

Way back in September of 2005 — over one year before the launch of the iPhone — Apple and Motorola were jointly pimping a handset called the ROKR E1 (pronounced “rocker”). The ROKR was a candy-bar-style device that had the dubious honor of being the first cell phone with the ability to natively integrate with Apple’s iTunes music software. What did the ROKR’s stat sheet look like? Glad you asked… the phone had a 176 x 220 pixel display, VGA camera with flash, Bluetooth, stereo headset jack, 22 KHz stereo speakers, micro-SD card slot (support for up to 512 MB), iTunes compatibility, and a fancy feature called “rhythm lights.” Unfortunately, the phone’s music player was throttled (with software) and only 100 songs were allowed to be stored on the device. Just five years ago this sweet little package would have set you back $249.99 when signing a 2-year contract with mobile provider Cingular. It’s amazing what half of a decade does to prices and expectations, no? We can’t say we ever bought into the ROKR; although we did own the very sexy SLVR L7 (image after the jump) which also sported iTunes integration. How about you? Take a stroll down cell phone memory lane… what was the last device you owned before you bought a smartphone and what ridiculous monetary sum did it cost you?