4.1

Google won't be able to compete with the attention lavished on Apple for the launch of the sixth-generation iPhone, but it did announce the notable milestone late tonight of half a billion device activations.

"Today is a big day for Android... 500 million devices activated globally, and over 1.3 million added every single day," said Hugo Bara, Android's director of product management, in a Google+ post. It's not clear how many devices are replacing older ones, though.

Barra said in June at the Google I/O show that 400 million Android devices had been activated … Read more

Sprint today confirmed that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean rollouts have begun for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Samsung Nexus S 4G.

The updates will be made available to consumers over the air and will not require Samsung Kies. According to Sprint, Android 4.1 will download in the background and notify users when it's ready to install.

As we first learned in June, Jelly Bean brings a number of new features to Android devices, including enhanced notifications, Google Now, and smarter widget management.

Sprint also reiterates the added accessibility features that come with Android 4.1. Once these … Read more

A smattering of hardware specs for the rumored HTC One X+ arrived online courtesy of an anonymous XDA developer known as Football4PDA.

According to his unconfirmed tweet, the faster and more powerful One X will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4.5 and offer a 1.6GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Like the original model, the One X+ should also boast 1GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a 1,800mAh battery.

HTC, as many of you know, has an event slated for September 19 where it could unveil a host of new products, including a pair of tablets. … Read more

Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S 4G owners on Sprint's network are now getting a bite of Jelly Bean.

As of yesterday, Android 4.1.1, aka Jelly Bean, has been available for Nexus users through an over-the-air update. Owners of the Samsung phone can follow the steps on Sprint's Galaxy Nexus update page to download and install the latest version if they don't already have it.

The Nexus S 4G is also getting the Jelly Bean treatment over Sprint's network. Like the update for the Galaxy Nexus, this one is available over the air. Users will … Read more

After more than a month in beta state, Synology's final latest version, version 4.1, of the DiskStation Manager operating system for its NAS server, was released today.

Synology is one of a few NAS vendors that regularly releases new versions of the operating system, which improves and adds features to its existing NAS servers. DSM has been by far the most advanced operating system for network-attached storage servers, which offers not just a vast amount of features and ease of use, but also the most robust user interface that resembles a native operating system. Like all NAS operating systems, DSM is accessed via a Web interface using a connected computer.

DSM is one of the main reasons Synology NAS servers, such as the DS1511+, or the DS412+, have been the best on the market, for both home and small business environments.… Read more

Google Now is a bit creepy at times, there's no doubt about it. But, it's a fun service to use and it definitely provides some value to your Android experience.

Yesterday, Google released an update to the Search app, which powers Google Now. One of the features in the update allows Google Now users to add their favorite sports teams to the service, without having to rely on search history for your teams to show up in the app.

To add your favorite sports team, launch Google Now and scroll to the bottom of your list of cards. … Read more

Samsung is due to unveil its Galaxy Note 2 at this week's IFA show in Berlin, but purported details about the tablet have already surfaced online.

The follow-up to the current 5.3-inch Note will reportedly offer a 5.5-inch, 1,280x720-pixel, super AMOLED display, according to a Seoul newspaper (English translation).

Running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Galaxy Note 2 will be powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor and offer 4G LTE connectivity, the newspaper added. An 8-megapixel camera will grace the rear. Consumers can also choose between 16GB or 32GB of storage.

Rumored … Read more

Archos has officially announced their latest venture into the Android tablet market with the Gen10 XS series. The line consists of three tablets starting with the Archos 101XS. The 10.1-inch tablet is set to be released in North America in November with a $399.99 price tag.

The lineup also includes the Archos 97 XS and Archos 80 XS tablets which will be released in late 2012, although no pricing information has been announced. The Gen10 XS tablet line will sport 1.5 GHz smart multicore processors and 1GB of RAM.

The tablets come with Android 4.0 and … Read more

I've had a Google Nexus 7 tablet for a little while now, and I'm a bit worried that my hands may soon just merge with the slick touch screen, transforming me into a 21st century Inspector Gadget.

Unlike previous Android tablets and my much-scorned Nook Tablet, I've had trouble putting down my Nexus 7 in recent weeks. I've also found that -- unlike the iPad -- it's just small enough to slip into the pocket of a pair of baggy pants and always have at arm's length.… Read more