Android 4.1.2 Announced, MobileCon 2012 and more

By RyanKamauff

Everyone’s favorite Android is getting a (tiny) update!

Here are 9 October’s top mobile news and stories.

• Android 4.1.2 is being released to both AOSP and the Nexus 7 tablet in the next 24 hours – this update is said to be just a small update to the Android platform, and with the next Nexus device released (soon) we should not expect too much more from Google re: Android 4.1.x. However, it is nice to see they are releasing directly to their Nexus tablet (and who knows maybe even the Galaxy Nexus GSM variant). Via Droid-Life, more here.
• Verizon claims that 35% of network traffic is now over LTE – well this makes a lot of sense. While only 12% of their customers are on LTE devices, the early adopter crowd is using more data. Some of the LTE users may still have unlimited (on devices that were released before this June) or bought devices at full price. They are looking at hitting their 400th market soon (with a huge amount of the major markets already covered). Via GigaOM, more here.
• The ill-fated BlackBerry PlayBook is on its way out, disappearing from online retailers all over the US – the PlayBook was a study in contrasts. At 7″ it was considered “too small,” yet now everyone is creating a 7″ tablet. The hardware was solid, as was the build quality, yet the software was half-baked…at best. The PlayBook did receive a sizable update to QNX version 2, but that was not enough to get it into enough homes (or offices). Via Engadget, more here.
• Much like CyanogenMod released an updater, AOKP is announcing the Kangerator App – this application will plug you directly in to the AOKP site and let you know when your ROM is ready for an update. I already use GooManager myself (which is very similar), but it is excellent to see one of the best ROMs out there increasing their support. Via Droid-Life, more here.
• Google is asking developers to make better tablet applications – one of the benefits of Android is that applications that work on smartphones, work on tablets. They are just “zoomed-in” to make them work. However, this often leads to users whining about lost space/unused space, etc. As 720p becomes the de facto standard for the Android phone, does the tablet need higher resolution? Well Google is asking their developers to step up the tablet game (it will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of it). Via Ars Technica, more here.
• It appears the Apple Lightning authentication chip may have been reverse engineered – in a weird way, the Apple Lightning cable has become far more controversial than the iPhone 5. The new cable, which has a chip inside of it to stop others from producing (and is backwards compatible only with a $30 dollar adapter). Apple insisted they would not license until at least the new year, sopping up millions of dollars in cables and adapters alone. This discovery could lead to appropriately priced cables and adapters before that time. Via Apple Insider, more here.

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