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After ASUS’s Singapore Facebook stated an Android 4.0 OTA would be hitting the OG Transformer as late as March, it now seems that ASUS UK’s Facebook page is indicating that said update will be landing in the next week:

A quick refresher on the TF101 ICS Update that you are all so patiently waiting for. Our engineers are working hard on getting this ready for you as soon as possible and are still aiming for a February release. As always as soon as we hear any further news or a definitive date we will let you know.

ASUS UK Facebook

While different regions do have differing release time frames for various reasons (eg, language support), you’d think ASUS would go about announcing this sort of information in a way that might be slightly, uh, organized. Still, good news for Transformer owners holding out for some Android 4.0 action, given that they’ve been waiting since CES.

We’ll see if ASUS makes good on this promise in the coming week.

ASUS UK Facebook via AndroidCommunity

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndroidPolice/~3/jOx6bfgjF0Q/story01.htm

Privacy is a good thing in the digital world – you’ll get no argument from me. I don’t like my data floating around in cyberspace without my consent, but I also realize that much of what makes the internet (and computing generally) so great is that I can use my own judgment to decide who I will and will not trust with my information.

Things like app permissions, which have been a part of the Android package installation process for quite some time, are nice, but let’s face it: 95% of us don’t read them. And if we do, we may not even be sure what those permissions really entail, or how the app will use those permissions to gather information, or even what kind of information will actually be collected.

California’s Attorney General decided he didn’t like this, particularly after the whole Path debacle on iOS. So, he got Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and other mobile app providers together for a round-table discussion on the privacy of personal information gathered by apps. The end result of that meeting-of-the-minds was this agreement. The parts of importance to pull out are the following:

This agreement was drawn up based on (and will be enforced through) a piece of legislation that went into effect in the state of California back in 2004, called the Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003.

Basically, the act requires any online business collecting personal information to disclose the collection, the type of information collected, and any third parties it might be shared with. Here’s what qualifies as “personal information:”

Essentially, if your app is collecting and storing any kind of unique identifier for individual

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndroidPolice/~3/PSLQp-yC1P0/story01.htm

A fine bit of news for those of you out there who happen to have a Toshiba Thrive 10-Inch. When questioned on Twitter when a release of Ice Cream Sandwich would be available, Toshiba USA surprisingly replied stating they were targeting a Spring release for ICS. No mention was made of the Toshiba Thrive 7-Inch but alas, maybe Toshiba will clairfy further now that this information is out there. Anyone been waiting on this news?

Source: @ToshibaUSA

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/ib4yin31QLY/story01.htm

Check out our Ubuntu for Android forums!

Many a sleepless night has been spent by Android hackers getting Ubuntu to run natively on our Android devices. It’s hard work, but fun and the end result is something super-functional as well as super-cool. The folks at Canonical, the minds behind Ubuntu, think so, too. That’s why they did it the right way, and have announced Ubuntu for Android.  This isn’t some janky, twisted hybrid designed by the people who make your phone. We’ve seen that, and went away still wanting. This is software, from the people who write the software, specially tailored for our devices.

Imagine one device that goes with you all day, safely in your pocket, and when you stop for a while you can plug it in to an external display and have a full-blown desktop operating system, ready and able to be used as you would a normal desktop computer. All the things most folks do — surf the Internet, answer and send e-mail, view, edit and share pictures — it all can be done with a keyboard and mouse on the big screen. Nerds and geeks will take things to the extreme (we always do), but the average home PC user will have everything they need, without buying another expensive piece of electronics. 

Since it’s Linux and open-source, it’s also a building base for any number of great projects. Use Ubuntu’s vast software library to install all the programs you would need to have a home entertainment center running from your phone. Or use programs like Open Office to edit and share spreadsheets and all the other document you would need for work. As the hardware

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/P6WkYiDuM4U/story01.htm

While we’ve been getting in shape during Mobile Nations Fitness Month and sharing our tips and tricks with you all, we came across a pretty awesome use for the MOTOACTV recently. Highlighted on the Motorola blog is Christine Rolf, who has taken her MOTOACTV to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and back for a good cause:

After hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu I wanted a bigger challenge. Kilimanjaro was it: the summit is 5895 meters/19,340 feet high. I hiked 62 kilometers in 7 days – first a 4,405 meter ascent followed by a 3,915 meter descent, through a total of 5 climate zones. I also wanted to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation where I’ve volunteered for over 10 years. The donations totaled over $2,500!

Amazing to say the least. Christine noted the MOTOACTV was a great tool to have in her arsenal for the climb and while we won’t be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro any time soon – we’re not going to disagree.

Source: Motorola

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/-VBay2-r4lY/story01.htm