Google Maps has been updated to allow users to access new “photo tours” within the service. The feature uses contributed photos from around the world that are stitched together to give a 3D photo scene of a popular location. Photo tours are available for more than 15,000 popular sites around the world and can be initiated through Google Maps in two ways. “First, when you search for a place, such as Trevi Fountain, the results in the left panel will indicate if there is a photo tour available: click either the thumbnail image or the link to start the tour,” Google wrote on its blog. “Alternatively, if you’re browsing the map and click on the label for a particular landmark, the info window that appears will indicate if a photo tour is available.” The tours require Google Maps with WebGL and are available now. A photo tour demonstration follows below.

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Apple on Friday issued a second software update to address a security flaw on its OS X operating system that has allowed a massive botnet to form. The update, “Java for OS X 2012-002,” is only available for desktop and laptop PCs running OS X Lion 10.7; Apple issued a similar update last week for both Lion and Snow Leopard, and the exploit was seemingly addressed properly the first time on the Snow Leopard OS. Russian anti-virus experts revealed earlier this week that the “Flashback” trojan virus had utilized a Java vulnerability to infect more than 600,000 Mac computers worldwide. The trojan is capable of intercepting sensitive data such as passwords and other personal information, and transmitting the data back to a host. A separate firm later published instructions detailing how to detect and remove the virus, and Apple’s new update should be the last step in protecting its systems from further attacks. Apple had not yet published details surrounding the new update on its website at the time of this writing.

Samsung on Tuesday confirmed that its 7-inch and 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 2 tablets have been delayed and will now start shipping to the U.K at the end of the month, ComputerWorld reports. When the Android 4.0 slates were announced at this year’s Mobile World Congress, the company said both devices would arrive in U.K. stores in March ahead of a global rollout. According to a Samsung spokesman, complications with Ice Cream Sandwich caused the delay is due to Ice Cream Sandwich, which both Samsung and Google need more time to work on. This isn’t the first time Samsung has run into problems with Android 4.0. Last month the manufacturer delayed its original upgrade plan for the Galaxy Note from the first three months of 2012 to some time in the second quarter. Samsung is currently rolling out an update to its Galaxy S II smartphone throughout Europe.

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Microsoft has begun to roll out an update for its Xbox Live service that includes new on-demand content from Comcast, along with apps from HBO and MLB, GigaOM reported on Monday. The launch these services will give users the ability to search through a wide range of content directly from their game console. In October, Microsoft announced a number of new content partners that would deliver movies, television shows and other content to its popular Xbox 360 game console. The system had already received updates that included apps from Verizon, Epix, Vevo, Vudu and YouTube. The launch of HBO Go comes as little surprise. In February, the company’s co-president Eric Kessler told reporters that the Xbox HBO Go app would go live on April 1st, in time for the season premiere of “Game of Thrones.” Microsoft fans noted that the company always releases updates on Tuesdays, however, and it was unlikely for HBO to roll out an update the day of the premiere to avoid download complications.

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Sony Japan on Thursday confirmed that an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update is soon headed to the Tablet S and Tablet P. Sony Tablet owners will receive an Android 4.0.3 update next month, however it is unclear if this is only for the Japanese market. Along with Google’s latest operating system, the update will also expand the tablet’s photo capabilities, allowing the photo app to be launched from the lock screen and enabling users to take panoramic pictures. A new “Recopla” app will also be included in the update for viewing TV programs that have been recorded on Sony Blu-ray players, along with a “Small Apps” feature that lets users multitask more efficiently. Lastly, Sony also announced a Wi-Fi-only version of its Tablet P that will launch on April 21st.

[Via Engadget]

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AT&T announced on Thursday that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has begun to roll out to the HTC Vivid. The Android 4.0 update also includes Sense 3.6, and it brings the company’s Beats Audio technology to the 4G LTE handset as well. The Ice Cream Sandwich update will deliver advanced voice and text input to the device, along with Face Unlock, UI improvements and improved email. The HTC Vivid is equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSDHC support to add an additional 32GB of storage and a 1,620 mAh battery. AT&T’s press release follows below.

ANDROID 4.0 NOW AVAILABLE TO HTC VIVID™ CUSTOMERS

AT&T the First U.S. Carrier to Issue Latest Android Version via Upgrade
Update Includes Beats By Dr. Dre Audio™ and Updated HTC Sense™ Experience
Android Upgrades for Several AT&T Devices to Follow

DALLAS, March 22, 2012 – AT&T* today announced the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) for HTC Vivid™ customers.  After installing the software update, customers can now enjoy the optimized audio experience of Beats by Dr. Dre Audio™ and new and improved HTC Sense™ experience.  Information about these features and more can be found at http://www.att.com/vividupdate.  HTC Vivid™ will be the first U.S. smartphone to receive Ice Cream Sandwich as an update and the first to be issued by a wireless carrier.  It will be followed by several other AT&T devices in the coming months:

• LG Nitro
• Motorola ATRIX 2
• Motorola ATRIX 4G
• Pantech Burst
• Pantech Element
• Samsung Captivate Glide
• Samsung Galaxy Note
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

Focused on bringing the power of Android to the surface, Android 4.0 makes common actions more visible and lets you navigate with simple, intuitive gestures. Refined animations and feedback throughout the system make interactions engaging and interesting. An entirely new typeface optimized for high-resolution screens improves readability and brings a polished, modern feel to the user interface.

New User Features for HTC Vivid

Beats By Dr. Dre Audio™ – Enhance your music and video experience with Beats By Dr. Dre Audio. Whenever a media file is played using the media players or most third party applications, customers will experience richer, more authenic sound. AT&T recently debuted the Beats™ by Dr. Dre™ Beatbox Portable high performance wireless audio system.  The superior portable system and Beats accessories are available at AT&T company-owned stores or online.

Face Unlock – Android 4.0 introduces a completely new approach to securing a device, making each person’s device even more personal — Face Unlock is a new screen-lock option that lets you unlock your device using facial recognition. It takes advantage of the device’s front-facing camera and state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to register a face during setup and then to recognize it again when unlocking the device. Just hold your device in front of your face to unlock, or use a backup PIN or pattern.

How to Upgrade

Beginning today, customers can download the update via Wi-Fi by visiting http://www.att.com/vividupdate. If Wi-Fi is not available, you can download the software upgrade to a PC and install it via sideload. On March 23, HTC Vivid customers who have not downloaded the upgrade will begin receiving an SMS notification of upgrade availability.

On Thursday, Samsung announced that its supersized Galaxy Note smartphone will be receiving a “Premium Suite” upgrade in the second quarter this year. The update will deliver a number of new S Pen-optimized applications along with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. “GALAXY Note continues to delight customers all over the world with its incredible versatility and unique user experience. With the Premium Suite upgrade, we wanted to add features that enrich users’ Note experience even more, including the great advantages of Android 4.0 and innovative applications for S Pen,” said JK Shin, Samsung’s president of IT & Mobile Communications. “We are committed to providing extraordinary experiences for consumers, and we will continue to provide new features and upgrades to enrich our offering.” As with any update, Samsung warns that “the availability and scheduling of the software upgrade will vary by market and wireless carriers’ requirements.” Samsung’s press release and Premium Suite video can be found after the break.

Samsung offers Premium Suite software upgrade for GALAXY Note users

March 22, 2012

Software package offers exclusive S Pen applications, enhanced multimedia features, and an Android 4.0 upgrade

SEOUL, Korea – March 22, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, today announced it will be offering a Premium Suite upgrade for GALAXY Note users worldwide from Q2. It includes extra multimedia features and a range of new S Pen optimized applications in addition to an OS upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Premium Suite offers new features and applications exclusive to GALAXY Note and its innovative S Pen, which includes S Note, a unique tool that lets you combine your notes or sketches with other digital content, giving you a new way to create your own stories. S Note comes in various ready-to-use templates for a range of tasks including meeting minutes, diary and others.

S Note also includes the innovative Shape Match and Formula Match applications that help correct and digitize geometric shapes and even solve numeric formulas hand-drawn with S Pen, increasing your on-the-go efficiency and productivity. You can draw tables and grids which are instantly digitized, saving time and effort. Moreover, by using the S Note’s integrated knowledge search engines, users can quickly search, and obtain information.

For a touch of self-expression, the Premium Suite also includes My Story, another S Pen optimized application that allows you to create personalized digital cards for friends or family using any type of content including notes, video content, photos, text or voice.

In celebration of the Premium Suite upgrade announcement, Samsung will provide special offers to all GALAXY users as an official launch partner of Angry Birds Space, the newest Angry Birds game from Rovio Entertainment. For all Samsung GALAXY users, an exclusive GALAXY Note level will be provided for extra fun. Moreover, a special package of 30 challenging levels – ‘Danger Zone’ – will be available for free if unpacked within the three-month period. Visit http://samsung.angrybirds.com/galaxynote for more information.

“GALAXY Note continues to delight customers all over the world with its incredible versatility and unique user experience. With the Premium Suite upgrade, we wanted to add features that enrich users’ Note experience even more, including the great advantages of Android 4.0 and innovative applications for S Pen,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to providing extraordinary experiences for consumers, and we will continue to provide new features and upgrades to enrich our offering.”

The Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade brings an entirely new look and feel to Android on GALAXY Note, with a more intuitive user interface that includes a redesigned App menu for easier multi-tasking. The upgrade also introduces innovations such as Face Unlock, Snapshot, Android Beam and others.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade will vary by market and wireless carriers’ requirements.

It seemed as if Google had all but forgotten about its once beloved Nexus S. The company’s previous flagship handset was slated to receive an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update in December, but due to unforeseen problems that still remain a mystery, Google pulled the update shortly after its release. Since then, there has been radio silence from Mountain View as owners anxiously awaited details regarding the company’s plan for the device. According to a source speaking to Engadget, Google will not be abandoning Nexus S users, and an official Android 4.0 update is expected to be made available “in the next few weeks.”

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Research In Motion on Wednesday confirmed that the PlayBook tablet will eventually receive an update to unify its operating system with next-generation BlackBerry smartphones.The PlayBook’s first major update was delayed by several months and the device still does not support BlackBerry Messenger, but RIM vice president of product management Rob Orr stated that the tablet will be upgraded from the PlayBook OS to BlackBerry 10 some time after the company launches its first BlackBerry 10 smartphone in the third or fourth quarter. “We’ve said publicly a number of times that our first BB10 handset will be available towards the end of 2012, and that’s still firmly the case,” Orr told TechRadar. “At some point after the launch we’ll bring BB10 to our PlayBooks, yes.” RIM took a $485 million charge related to the PlayBook in its fiscal third quarter, but it did manage to increase sales by slashing the price of the 7-inch slate. Now that all those tablets are in the hands of consumers, the hope is that RIM will manage to release a timely BlackBerry 10 update to ensure all the new features RIM is planning to introduce with BlackBerry 10 become available on tablets as quickly as possible.

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HTC on Wednesday confirmed that 16 of its devices will receive a “tasty treat of Ice Cream Sandwich.” An Android 4.0 update will hit the DROID Incredible 2, Amaze 4G, Desire S, Desire HD, EVO 3D, EVO Design 4G, Incredible S, Sensation, Sensation XL, Sensation 4G, Sensation XE, Raider, Rezound, Rhyme, Thunderbolt and Vivid. The Taiwanese company is currently in the early stages of rolling out Android 4.0 for the Sensation and Sensation XE, with the Sensation 4G and Sensation XL scheduled to follow. Additional updates will be “more widely available in the next few weeks.” The manufacturer is continuing to work with carriers in each country to “nail down update schedules for our other smartphones and will have more to share very soon.”

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Samsung on Tuesday announced an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is now available in Europe and South Korea for the Galaxy S II. An update for the Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy R,Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Tab 7.7, Tab 8.9 and Tab 10.1 will follow in the near future. Samsung is also planning firmware updates for the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab 7 that will remain on Android 2.3 Gingerbread but will include Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and other features. “We expect that our customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade. Samsung is committed to satisfying our customer needs”, said JK Shin, Samsung’s mobile boss. The availability of the updates will vary by market and are subject to wireless carrier approval. Read on for Samsung’s press release.

Samsung Offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade for GALAXY S II

SEOUL, Korea – March 13, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the global leader in Android™ smartphones, today announced the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for GALAXY S II. The upgrade will begin in the European countries including Poland, Hungary, and Sweden, as well as Korea today and gradually roll out to other markets. Android 4.0 ICS software upgrade for GALAXY Note, GALAXY SII LTE, GALAXY R, GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9 and 10.1 will follow soon.

Samsung Electronics has completed upgrading the GALAXY devices to Gingerbread last year by providing software upgrades to both Froyo and Gingerbread. With the ICS upgrade, Samsung Electronics has solidified its position as the leader of Android devices.

Samsung Electronics will also offer Android 2.3 Gingerbread firmware upgrades for GALAXY S, GALAXY Tab 7″, GALAXY S Plus, GALAXY S SCL(Super Clear LCD), and GALAXY W from end of March. The firmware upgrades for GALAXY S, for example, include Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and others.

“We expect that our customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade. Samsung is committed to satisfying our customer needs”, said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and wireless carriers’ requirements.

On Wednesday, a Russian hacker discovered a vulnerability in Google’s Chrome web browser during CanSecWest’s Pwnium hacker contest. It was the first time in four years at the competition that Chrome was hacked, and for his efforts, Sergey Glazunov was rewarded with $60,000. Less than 24 hours after the exploit was brought to Google’s attention, the search giant released an update fixing the vulnerability. “The Chrome Stable channel has been updated to 17.0.963.78 on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome Frame,” Google wrote on its Chrome update blog. “This release fixes issues with Flash games and videos, along with the security fix listed below.” Glazunov’s vulnerability is described as an “UXSS and bad history navigation” issue, however no other details were given.

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Samsung Galaxy S II owners can expect an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich this month according to Samsung Mobile’s Israeli Facebook page. The Facebook post, which has since been removed, said Ice Cream Sandwich will roll out to unlocked and carrier-branded handsets in Israel on March 15th. “We promised we were working on it. You waited patiently. And on 15 March it’ll arrive: Android version 4, ICS, to tens of thousands of GALAXY S II devices purchased from cellular companies in the country or directly from us. We are very excited for the launch, hope you are too,” the page read. Samsung previously announced that an Android 4.0 upgrade would be coming to the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Note, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Galaxy S II handset owners in the United States will have to wait until individual carriers finish testing the update and deem it to be ready for primetime.

[Via Engadget]

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Apple reportedly plans to launch a new Apple TV next month that will feature a faster processor along with other enhancements. Apple watcher 9to5Mac on Tuesday reported that the Cupertino, California-based technology giant plans to refresh its Apple TV offering in March alongside the iPad 3. To be clear, this is not the HDTV Apple is rumored to be working on, but rather the somewhat popular iOS-powered set-top box. 9to5Mac’s source says the new Apple TV will be powered by a faster dual-core processor, perhaps the “Apple A5x” that has been rumored recently, and it will feature better video playback performance as well. Earlier rumors suggested that Apple’s new Apple TV might also feature Siri voice command integration, a Bluetooth 4.0 remote and support for Apple’s rumored upcoming 1080p iTunes content, but none of these rumors have been confirmed.

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Last week, ASUS announced that the original Eee Pad Transformer would receive an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the coming weeks, a slight delay from the company’s original claim. The wait is over, however, and the update is currently rolling out over-the-air for Wi-Fi-only Transformers, according to forum members at XDA-Developers. Numerous reports have also indicated that the update is available in the U.K. and Canada as well.

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