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Ladies and gentlemen it is time to get ready for the launch of Verizon Wireless's much anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4 on May 23 and do we have a treat for you. In anticipation of the launch, the fine folks over at Clarivue and Seidio are sponsoring a giveaway for DroidForums members! If cases and screen protectors are a 'must have' then you are in for a treat.

Clarivue has been producing high-quality, scratch-resistant films since 2005, and their quality is unsurpassed. Their lifetime warranty is a testament to the quality of their product and we here at DroidForums find them to be one of the best in the biz in customer service and satisfaction. If you have ever owned a Seidio case they need no introduction. Their cases offer top notch protection and beautiful looks. The fit and finish of Seidio's line-up is something to behold and their cases are always a perfect fit.

What exactly are we giving away you ask? We are giving away five (5) combo-sets of the Seidio Active Case w/ Clarivue (Ultra Clear or Anti-Glare) Screen Protector to five (5) randomly drawn winners!

RULES FOR ENTRY: In the comments below please let us know what device you are upgrading from, what color case you want (Black or White) and what type of Screen protector you prefer (Ultra Clear or Anti-Glare.) Only ONE entry per member is permitted. The giveaway will close May 23, 2013 at 12:00pm Central and the five (5) randomly drawn winners will be announced later that day.

Before signing off, Clarivue informed us that they are offering anyone who enters, but doesn't win, a discount of 20% off any of their screen protectors. Stay tuned for that info on May 23, 2013!

Good luck everyone!!

The newest hot Android tablet from Samsung might be coming pretty soon. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 just got its press pic leaked. We also have some intel on specs for the device. Here's the industry speculation at the moment,

• Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE versions
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 8-inch 1280 x 800 pixels display (could be better at time of launch)
• 1.3MP front-facing camera
• 5MP rear camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Dual-core 1.5GHz processor
• 1.5GB of RAM
• 16GB of internal memory
• MicroSD card support (up to 64GB)
• 4,450 mAh battery

As you can see, the specs aren't spectacular, but perhaps the price will be competitive because of that. If they can price it below certain point it could put the squeeze on the Apple iPad Mini. We will keep you apprised if something more concrete comes out.

Source: UnWiredView

For a few weeks, numerous rumors (including leaked pics) have suggested we will soon see several new variants of the Samsung Galaxy S4, including the SGS4 Mini and SGS4 Active. A new slip-up directly from Samsung’s WatchON TV control service has unofficially confirmed these rumors, and confirmed the existence of a previously unknown device, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mega. The Samsung WatchOn TV service/app recently got an update, and lo-and-behold, all three of these previously unconfirmed devices were mentioned as being supported by the service.

We have already heard about the S4 Mini and the S4 Active, but the the S4 Mega is new. The Mega device name isn't new for Sammy, since they already released the Mega 5.8 and Mega 6.3 in select markets; however, a Galaxy specific Mega has not been previously mentioned. Considering this leak comes from a flub directly out of Samsung, we suspect these device will be announced very shortly.

Source: PhoneArena

According to HTC's North Asian president, Jack Tong, the new HTC One will need to have its production run doubled due to "strong demand." This must come as a huge relief to the company which has seen its profits decline rapidly over the past year and a half. It's also a good sign that they have finally worked out all of their supply part problems. Here's a quote with a few more details,

Taipei, May 16 (CNA) Taiwan’s HTC Corp. said Thursday that its production capacity for its new HTC One flagship phone is rising sharply month by month as its component supply issues continue to improve.

Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said the company’s production capacity for its newest smartphone, a 4.7-inch model that was unveiled Feb. 19, will double in May from the previous month and will rise further in June in order to meet strong demand.

“Our capacity is expected to rise significantly starting from mid-May,” he said at a news conference at which the company announced its sponsorship of Cirque du Soleil’s new show. “We are optimistic about our high-end sales during April and June.”

Perhaps this is the start of an upward trend for HTC, but at the very least it is great to see them pull out of their death spiral.

Source: FocusTaiwan

Several new variants of the Samsung Galaxy S4 series have been rumored for sometime now. One of these is the Galaxy S4 Active. It will supposedly be designed for the "active" lifestyle and will include dust, impact and water resistant features. Today we have some leaked pics of the "rumored" device. Here's a tentative spec-list below to go with the pics,

• Quad-core 1.9GHz processor with Adreno 320 GPU - likely the Snapdragon 600 chipset
• Same display as the Galaxy S4 - 5.0-inch 1080p and possibly Super AMOLED (although its pixel density is supposedly 480ppi which would be odd)
• 8MP rear camera (instead of the 13MP sensor of the vanilla Galaxy S4)

Although Samsung hasn't officially announced this device, there has been quite a bit of intel lately, and with these leaked pics, we suspect an announcement will come soon.

Source: GSMArena

If this new leaked build of Android 4.2.2/Jelly Bean for the Samsung Galaxy S III is any indication, owners of the former flagship device will be quite pleased. Several of some of the hot new software features that are in the new Galaxy S4 will show up in the SGS3 after this update. This includes handy features like lockscreen widgets, actionable notifications, tabbed settings, a brand new S Voice and more. The official version of this is expected in June, but in the mean-time for those who like to experiment, here is more info and a download link below,

New enhancements in Android 4.2.2 update
- Android 4.2.2 – Build ID: JDQ39
- New S4 Lockscreen: Multiple Widgets, two Unlock effects (Ripple and Light), improved ripple effect than Android 4.1.2, ability to change clock size and set a personal message
- New Screen modes (From S4): Adapt Display and Professional Photo
- Daydream
- Driving mode
- Actionable notifications
- New Additions in Notification Center
- Completely revamped Settings UI (Tabbed interface – Exactly like the S4)
- Addition of Voice controls (Let’s you control various parts of the phone using voice commands – Galaxy S4 feature)
- Gallery modes have white background (When changing gallery modes to 3D the background changes to white)
- Full screen Samsung apps
- New S-Voice (from S4)
- New smart switch widget
- Found more? Tell us about them in the comments below!

WARNINGS
- This firmware will increase your binary counter but the current binary and system status will remain official.
- We have re-packaged this firmware from dump files.
- There is no modem in this firmware, so the Modem you will be using before flashing this firmware will remain the same.
- This is a pre-release firmware and not official from Samsung.
- We have fully tested this firmware and this firmware works perfectly as any other official firmware.

Firmware Details
Android Version: 4.2.2 – JDQ39 (Jelly Bean)
PDA: I9300XXUFME3
CSC: I9300OJKFME1
MODEM: N/A
Region: Middle East
Carrier: Branded
Changelist: 611730
Build Date: 8 May 2013
Download: I9300XXUFME3_I9300OJKFME1_ILO.zip

Flashing Instructions
- Unzip the file
- Open Odin 3.04 (already included in the firmware package)
- Restart phone in download mode (Press and hold Home + Power + Volume down buttons)
- Connect phone and wait until you get a blue sign in Odin
- Add I9300XXUFME3_I9300OJKFME1_HOME.tar.md5 to PDA
- Make sure re-partition is NOT ticked
- Start flash, sit back and wait a few minutes.
- If you encounter any issues with the firmware (Any FC, Bootloop etc)
- Boot into recovery mode (Home+power+vol up)
- Choose to wipe/factory reset. (THIS WILL ERASE ALL OF YOUR DATA INCLUDING YOUR INTERNAL SD CARD!)
- Then choose reboot and you should be good to go!

Source: SamMobile

The LG flexible OLED display reveal is going to happen a great deal sooner than expected. In fact, according to a press release directly from LG, they will be debuting the technology later this week at the The Society for Information Display annual show in Vancouver, Canada. LG plans to debut a 5-inch unbreakable flexible OLED display at the event.

Samsung has been developing their own version of this remarkable new tech as well, but they have run into some development snags. It will be a remarkable achievement if LG's version of the tech actually beats Samsung to market so quickly. Here's LG's official press release,

Seoul, Korea (May 20, 2013) – LG Display [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220], a leading innovator of display technologies, will showcase the latest TV, mobile, and other products representing the future of display technology at the Society for Information Display’s (SID) Display Week 2013. Underscoring its leadership in OLED technology, the company will introduce both a curved 55-inch OLED TV and a 5-inch plastic OLED panel. Also exhibited will be mobile panels applied with Oxide Thin Film Transistor (TFT) which is viewed as the next generation TFT technology.
“Recent trends indicate that the small- and medium-sized display market is moving towards high resolution and low power consumption, and the large panel market to OLED and Ultra HD,” said Dr. Sang-Deok Yeo, CTO and Executive Vice President of LG Display. “With the resulting rapid need for new display advancements, LG Display, at the forefront of these trends, is well positioned to lead the market with its differentiated and cutting-edge technologies.”

Industry Leadership in OLED

LG Display will demonstrate its industry leadership in OLED technology by showcasing a curved 55-inch OLED TV, as well as its award-winning standard 55-inch OLED TV at SID 2013. Based on the same WRGB OLED technology as the standard set, now widely adopted as the most effective OLED application for large-sized panels, the new curved 55-inch OLED TV offers a glimpse into the future of TV design.

In addition, for the first time to the public, the company will unveil an unbreakable and flexible 5- inch plastic OLED panel for mobile devices. The development comes at a crucial time when smart devices are being used more than ever and at increased risk for damage from drops, hits, and other accidents.

Next Generation TFT LCD Method

LG Display will also introduce 5-inch and 7-inch HD LCD panels based on Oxide TFT, seen as the next generation TFT technology as it offers high investment efficiency in producing thin, high transparency, and low power consumption displays. LG Display, which utilized this technology in its large-sized OLED displays for the first time in the world, will expand its expertise to LCD panel development thereby leading the market.
The 5-inch HD panel will feature 1.0mm bezel allowing production of borderless smartphones that are lightweight and emit significantly less heat. The 7-inch HD LCD panel is equipped with touch function-embedded technology enabling superior touch functionality in thin and lightweight mobile products.

Superior High Resolution for Monitors and Tablets

LG Display, which was first to introduce an 84-inch Ultra HD TV, now advances the high-definition trend further with the world’s first Ultra HD panel for 23.8-inch monitors. In addition, the company will showcase a 14-inch Quadruple HD (2,560X1,440) panel for laptops, and the world’s first 7-inch Full HD panel for tablets that exceeds 300 pixels per inch (PPI).

Other Innovative Advancements on Exhibit

LG Display will also present a new type of LCD which can depict the highest level of color reproduction ratio for implementation across various industries. Products, on exhibit, applying this technology include a transparent 47-inch LCD panel for refrigerators featuring a 15% increase in transparency while maintaining NTSC 72% or the same as generic HDTVs, a 12.3-inch Full HD LCD panel for

... [Read More]

At least some of the Samsung Galaxy S4 preorders on Verizon have begun shipping already. This is great news for a few folks who were hoping to get their new VZW SGS4 a day or two earlier than the 23rd. It's still possible they won't hit your doorstep until the 23rd, but depending upon the shipping schedules in your particular city, it's possible you could see it early. To see if yours has shipped, you may want to check out your MyVerizon account.

Sound off in the thread when you get yours!

A nandroid backup is a backup of your entire phone. Every piece of data is recorded. If you mess something out you can easily revert to the Rom you were running before in its exact state before you flashed your new Rom. Not only are Nandroid backups a safety net, they are also a great way of going from Rom to rom. If you have several favorite roms you can set them all up just how you want them and create a new nandroid backup for each rom then simply flash back and forth. With all of those nandroid backups you will need a way to manage them. Nandroid Manager allows you to view, explore, and edit your nandroid backups.

The features list is long and includes support for both CWM and TWRP recoveries, delete and rename backups, verify md5 of backups, compress backups to zip, extract files from backup files, restore sms data from nandroid backup, restore wifi data from nandroid backup, restore bluetooth data from nandroid backup, restore call logs, restore apps+data, restore user word dictionary, flash recovery, and more. This is a must have for the avid Rom flasher. Grab this app from the source link below.

Via XDA

Liquid Smooth is an AOSP that brings the Stock Android 4.2.2 experience to your device while also bringing plenty of customization options to your handset! Liquid Smooth has been pored over to the Droid RAZR HD and MAXX Hd by developer "Jsnweitzel" who says that he loves the rom and after purchasing the RAZR HD he just really wanted to get it running on his new device. Aren't you glad he decided to share with the class.


In order to run this rom you will need to have your bootloader unlocked. You will need to flash the Rom and also Gapps. So far the Rom seems to be pretty functional. The only issues so far the Camcorder doesn't work (the camera does). The developer also said that he had to reboot a few times after the phone froze. He is still working out the kinks, but this rom should be stable enough to use. However I would highly recommend backing up your current rom in case you run into any major problems.

Grab This Rom and Flash Here

TeamBlackOut has officially launched their new site! They have been working hard on getting the website together, but that doesn't mean they relaxed on development. They just dropped their updated suite of Blacked Out Apps! They are also working on a whole lineup of Transparent apps which should be released soon! If you aren't familiar with their work essentially they take all of the white elements of an app and replace them with black elements which really gives your phone a unique look, especially when you use these apps with an inverted theme!

Facebook 3.2 along with Facebook Messenger 2.4.3 have each been blaced out and they look awesome! I noticed some awesome theming in the framework of the app. Silver wrapping around text boxes and silver break lines make it all look pretty sick!

Flipboard looks amazing! If you sit and read flipboard for a while your eyes will get tired very easily looking at all of the bright white that is normally in the app. This fixes that. The background is black while the text is white making Flipboard much easier on the eyes!


So many apps are included in the suite. You can get Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, Pandora, Yahoo Mail, Instagram, WordPress, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Apollo Music, Mighty Text, Genie Weather Widget, Spotify, Amazon, Ebay, Craigslist, Play Store, Hangouts, Gmail, Voice, Drive, Keep, Maps, Settings, Translate, YouTube, Google Now, Play Music, Chrome, Email, DropBox, Copy, Box, ESFile Explorer, can all be had in Black! Grab these apps from the source link below.

Via DesignRifts.com

Ever since the Galaxy Nexus was first announced mentioning NFC capabilities, I was intrigued. I was curious to see it in action and to see the things that could be done with this great new technology on a smart phone. After having my GNex for about 4 months now, I’m truly able to experience some NFC technology that simply amazes me. All thanks to our friends over at TagsForDroid.com who have sent us a little care package of some NFC tags, stickers and even a key chain that is an NFC tag itself.
As many of you know, NFC is a relatively new technology, especially on smart phones, that is up and coming and doing so quickly. There’s just so much you can do with it already and what makes it better is, it’s so damn simple to use. You can share files such as apps, downloaded content or anything else just by placing two NFC capable devices together and tapping a button. With NFC tags, you can actually program, or write data to them in this case, to do various tasks for you without having to press any buttons or anything on your device.

(Continue Reading @ Android Dissected)