The above was an artist's render of a potential future Galaxy S device.

When you see these numbers it no longer becomes hard to believe that Samsung has become the number one cell phone manufacturer in the world. Samsung decided to release their latest sales figures ahead of the launch of their newest Galaxy S III device, and the numbers are phenomenal. According to their report, Samsung sold 24 Million Galaxy S phones and 28 Million Galaxy S II phones for a whopping total of 52 Million devices. Furthermore, their other hot seller was laughably large and mostly written off by the press, yet the Galaxy Note still managed to sell over 7 Million units.

In a related note, as we previously reported, pre-orders for the follow-up Galaxy S III had already reached 9 Million before it even launched. This points to another record breaking number for the Korean technology company.

Source: S3Forums via DroidMatters

This one isn't a rumor folks. Unless they change their mind, Verizon has confirmed that their 4G version of the Motorola Xoom will begin receiving an OTA update of Ice Cream Sandwich. The WiFi version of the tablet has had the update for some time now, so Verizon really took it's time. You certainly can't accuse them of not baking their cake long enough. At any rate, besides the obvious advantages that Android 4.0 brings to the new tablet, there are also a couple of new features along for the ride, including improved speech-to-text software, swiping to dismiss notifications, and a built-in photo editor.

Our fellow Verizon Xoom owners can commence their happy dance now!

Source: XoomForums.com via Verizon

The brand spankin' new Toshiba Excite 10 gets benchmarked in a video from PhoneArena. They put the tablet through its paces, and for the most part it shows some impressive numbers. In some benchmarks it slightly edges out the previous reigning king of tablet performers, the Asus Transformer Prime. It is a bit surprising that it beats out the Transformer Prime considering both tabs have the same NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core chip in them. Perhaps it's because of software optimization on the part of the Toshiba. Give the video above a watch to see the details.

Source: ThriveForums.org via PhoneArena

With all the rumor of Apple supposedly throwing Google Maps overboard in favor of it's own mapping acquisitions, Google Inc is poised to launch something exciting and new in Google Maps June 6 at 9:30AM. Some are speculating that it could be "3D views" and that sounds like a pretty sound theory seeing that Maps is currently operating in the 2D realm. Google is taking a pretty aggressive stance on this one seeing that Apple's WWDC will be happening just under a week later. This will be a good one to watch thats for sure.

Via: Slashgear

The first prototype of a device with a double-sided and transparent display was demo'd recently in Japan. The project is a joint effort between NTT DoCoMo and Fujitsu. While the prototype shown packs a 2.4-inch display with a resolution of 240x320 pixels the creators realize the resolution is to low to end up in retail devices and they acknowledge this in the video. The project continues to evolve, but the future looks very promising for some mind blowing apps and smartphones sporting this tech. Check out the video and share your thoughts.

Source: CNN

It seems that someone working for Vodafone in Australia let the cat out of the bag for the United States launch date of the Samsung Galaxy S III. According to a livestream media event from the Australian carrier, the SGS3 will begin its ‘nationwide US tour’ in New York on June 20. This is the same day as the Canadian launch, so this rumor is not too far-fetched.

Still, it is possible that this date is simply a moving target and might get rescheduled. There's no way to tell for sure, except to wait for the date, or for an official announcement from Samsung. We will keep you posted.

Source: S3Forums via UnWiredView

The source kernel for the international (GSM) version of the Samsung Galaxy S III. It's only a matter of time now before we start seeing a slew of MODs, custom ROMS and more for Samsung's newest flagship. Below is a link to Samsung's download page.

And... to our amazing developers... thank you in advance for any cool ROM or custom tweak that you create.

Source: S3Forums via Samsung Open Source

It looks like Google is finally fed up with the hypocrisy of Microsoft in the world of patent wars. They have launched a counter-offensive by filing an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft and Nokia in Europe. Google's argument is that both Microsoft and Nokia are using proxy companies like Canada-based Mosaid Technologies to enforce their patents and share the revenues derived from them. Google is basically accusing Nokia of collusion with Microsoft and Mosaid, and that they have deviated from their previous position to support open-source software. The conspiracy comes about because shortly after Microsoft and Nokia created a cross-licensing deal for their patents, Mosaid (a patent proxy company partnered with Microsoft) bought an entity called Core Wireless. This company owned 2,000 patents and patent applications originally filed by Nokia.

Here is Google's statement on the issue,

Nokia and Microsoft are colluding to raise the costs of mobile devices for consumers, creating patent trolls that sidestep promises both companies have made,” a Google spokesman said in a statement. “They should be held accountable, and we hope our complaint spurs others to look into these practices.”

Of course, Nokia and Microsoft responded. Nokia commented,

“Though we have not yet seen the complaint, Google’s suggestion that Nokia and Microsoft are colluding on intellectual property rights is wrong. Both companies have their own IPR portfolios and strategies and operate independently.”

Microsoft fired back with the following statement,

“Google is complaining about patents when it won’t respond to growing concerns by regulators, elected officials and judges about its abuse of standard-essential patents, and it is complaining about antitrust in the smartphone industry when it controls more than 95% of mobile search and advertising. This seems like a desperate tactic on their part.”

It looks like this "legal battle" is degenerating into a toddler's "he said - she said" slugfest, although there is some merit to Google's claims. In fact, this isn't the first time that Mosaid has been called out for this very same patent trolling behavior. Barnes & Noble stated in a letter to the U.S. Justice Department in October: “Microsoft’s partnership with Mosaid is evidence of Microsoft’s broader plan to shield itself from patent lawsuits while also eliminating competition from Android.”

Furthermore, the following statement from Mosaid CEO John Lindgren seems to suggest that it was their plan all along when they purchased the patent portfolio from Core Wireless, "This is one of the strongest standards-essential wireless portfolios available on the market, and we are thrilled that we... have the opportunity to monetize it."

Source: ... [Read More]

A few weeks ago there was a teaser trailer for Gameloft's newest sequel N.O.V.A. 3. The game is very Halo-esque, and features some thrilling FPS multiplayer action. It is now officially released and can be purchased in the Google Play Store for $6.99. Here's a quote with a description of the game taken from the Play Store:

The most immersive and impressive sci-fi FPS franchise on smartphones is back!
Fight for mankind's survival in the greatest space shooter on mobile devices!
** Note that N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance needs 2GB of free memory to install **
Four months have passed since Kal ruined the Volterites' plans by sabotaging their war factories, and stopping the extraction of the Judger Artifacts. However, following the assassination of President Folsom, the government surrendered the colonies to the Volterite Protectorate in order to prevent civil war.
Kal Wardin has been laying low since Folsom’s death, but now he has received a desperate plea from Yelena to come to Earth. Once again, the hero must rise to save mankind!
• An epic storyline: Humanity finally returns to Earth after years of exile! Fight in 10 immersive levels across the galaxy, from a war-torn Earth to a frozen Volterite city.
• Multiple weapons and powers: Run, shoot, drive vehicles, and pilot a mech to defeat hordes of enemies.
• Join 12-player battles in 6 multiplayer modes (Capture the Point, Free-for-All, Capture the Flag, etc.) on 6 different maps.
• For the first time, multiple allies can jump inside the same vehicle and spread destruction on the battlefield.
• Discover the new FPS benchmark for graphics and gameplay (real-time shadow & lights, particle system, ragdoll physics, etc.)
For fans of the N.O.V.A. series, first-person shooters, and free android games.
----
Visit our official site at Mobile Games - Top iPhone Games, Android Games, Java Games for Cell Phones | Gameloft
Follow us on Twitter at Gameloft (@gameloft) on Twitter or like us on Facebook at Gameloft | Facebook to get more info about all our upcoming titles.
Check out our videos and game trailers on gameloft - YouTube.
Discover our blog at Gameloft Blog for the inside scoop on everything Gameloft.

Source: Google Play Store - N.O.V.A. 3

Germany will have a pretty impressive new Android tablet available in their Aldi retail chain soon. The company Bauhn will be bringing their new Android 4.0 Tablet to market (model number AMID-971R) and selling them in Aldi stores. What is most impressive about this tab is the price compared to its size and feature list. It's internal specs are not amazing, but it is a 9.7-inch tablet, with a lot of extras, for only $249. The tablet is scheduled to go on sale Wednesday June 6th. Here are the rest of the specs:

• 9.7in display
• 16GB of internal memory
• 2-megapixel rear-facing camera
• 1GHz single-core Amlogic Cortex A9 processor
• 1GB of RAM
• A microSD card
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
• VGA front-facing camera for video calls
• A mini-USB, mini-HDMI, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack
• Bundled with a a mini-HDMI cable for connecting the device to a high-definition television and will also come with a carry bag

Although the main processor is not very powerful, the rest of the features give this tablet some serious bang-for-your-buck. Sound off if you are in Germany and can take advantage of this sweet offer.

Source: PCWorld

It's finally finished. The titanic battle between Google and Oracle has been decided, and Google stands tall over the broken body of it's enemy. Okay, so that was a flagrant over-dramatization, but sometimes the creative writer in me grabs me and tosses me around like a rag-doll, just like what happened to Oracle. At any rate, the Judge in the Oracle vs. Google case has handed down his final ruling. Judge William Alsup ruled that Oracle's Java API elements are not copyrightable. Furthermore, all related claims against Google have been dismissed. Oracle did win on a couple of points, but their minuscule victory will end up costing them far more than it gained them. Here's a quote with some final details,

With the ruling, the jury's finding on the SSO infringement is now rendered moot, and after months of legal maneuvering Oracle now only has two things to show for its efforts: statutory damages for the use of nine lines of rangeCheck code and eight Java test files. At most, the pair will amount to a payout of just $300,000. Appeals are a certainty, however the specificity of Alsup's ruling here will make it that much more difficult for his decision to be overturned (Alsup's caution throughout the trial has indicated a real concern for making decisions that will be considered airtight when revisited later). Additionally, Alsup's not claiming that APIs are not copyrightable under all circumstances — only that these particular elements, when matched with the specifics of the copyrights Oracle applied for, aren't covered.

Nevertheless, it's a vindicating end to the proceedings for Google. The company has providing us with the following statement in response to the ruling:

The court's decision upholds the principle that open and interoperable computer languages form an essential basis for software development. It's a good day for collaboration and innovation.

It's a great day for Justice, and I am not saying that because I am a fan of Android or Google. It's good to see that some sort of balance is beginning to take shape in the world of Intellectual Property rights. The Patent and Copyright wars have gone on for too long because the system is far too loose. Perhaps now that a specific ruling has been made, it will set a precedent that creates a ripple effect throughout the whole system.

Source: TheVerge

For fans of FPS rail shooters, and steampunk style medieval settings, who have a Tegra 3 device, you might be pleased to check out this new Tegra 3 optimized game from NCsoft Corporation. It's called Renaissance Blood THD, and the graphics are pretty amazing for a smartphone or tablet. The game is set in a steampunk style medieval fantasy world where you get to shoot stuff. Here's a quote from the developer with a summation of the game:

Da Vinci is dead. Find the final blueprint that he left behind...at all costs.
Da Vinci is dead.
Now it’s up to you and the heroes of the Renaissance to find the final blue print that he left behind.
Renaissance Blood THD is a first-person shooter that takes place in the Renaissance era. Developed specifically for the NVIDIA® Tegra 3® chip and the Unreal Engine, this visually stunning action-packed thriller dares to raise the bar for shooting games on all platforms.
Immerse yourself in a world where science and alchemy set the rules, and battle your way through a slew of mobs with spectacular weapons inspired by Da Vinci’s inventions.
[Key Features]
– Designed specifically to take full advantage of devices using NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core mobile processor with its 4-PLUS-1 quad-core CPU architecture that delivers outstanding performance and amazing battery life, plus a 12-core GPU, to deliver up to 5x the performance of the world's first dual-core processor, Tegra 2.
– Intuitive controls for players of all levels
– Dynamic character lighting and gamma correction for realistic light calculations
– Interactive scene objects using advanced physics simulations

If this sounds like your kind of good time, click on the link below to nab your copy for only $3.99. Make sure to share in the thread what you think of the game.

Source: Google Play Store - Renaissance Blood THD