Google Calendar update brings new Jelly Bean notifications, location suggestions and more

want to snap up. For starters, updated notifications are in tow with the ability to expand them and take action on an alert. You can map the location of a meeting/appointment so you can do what you need to do to make it on time, or snooze the alert in case you don’t need it right away.
Another great new feature is the ability to get location suggestions. While we’re sure inputting the location of an event isn’t a tough task for anyone, it can be a life saver to get the full address of a location into your event entry without having to do anything, especially when you’re on the go and need to get things entered quickly.
Finally, Google has added a new, quick way to add events from within the month view so you save yourself a click or two compared to the old process. Those with carrier-skinned phones might also have a modified version of the calendar app, and you’ll need to wait for an upgrade from your OEM and carrier if you want these new changes. You can certainly download the Google-made calendar if you want via the Google Play Store, but if you enjoy your OEM’s alternative then the waiting game is on.

Viddy now available for Android – It’s like Instagram and Twitter for video

With Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Instagram, you’d think the world of social networking was all but exhausted. Not so. Seems the folks at Viddy have found a new way of sharing your life with friends, this time with video. I know what you’re thinking — there’s already YouTube for that. Yes, and no. With YouTube, there’s a lot of headache involved when creating a channel and keeping up with video comments, channel comments, messages, etc., etc.. While the YouTube mobile app makes it easier to upload “vlogs” or street fights, there’s still a lot of commitment involved.

Enter Viddy. If YouTube is more like Facebook (full fledged networking), Viddy is more akin to the Twitters and Instagrams of the web. Users can only shoot videos, but only up to 15 seconds in length. Genius, right? This makes for easier to digest, quick and painless content you’ll actually want to watch. One of the beauties of Twitter has always been the unique way status updates max out at 140 characters. Sometimes, short and sweet is easier than listening to someone blab on, and on, about the dude with rubber testicles hanging from his truck who cut them off in traffic.
If you guys are smelling what Viddy is cooking, you can download the free app right now from the Google Play Store. While it’s generally a ghost town (aside from a few paid off celebrities), you may run into a few of your iOS buddies who have had access to the service for eons now. Have at it and maybe I’ll see you on there. Maybe.

AT&T and unlocked devices have access to T-Mobile 4G in 5 new markets (CA being a big one)

Excuse me while I do my happy dance for a second (queue Flashdance dance sequence). Great news for those who love T-Mobile’s low monthly rates, but wish unlocked phones from AT&T or other parts of the world worked on their network. Tonight, T-Mobile has officially flipped the 4G switch on for their 1900MHz network in 5 new markets around the US — my home area of southern California being one of them. Here’s the other 4 markets lit up as well:

• Chicago, including the surrounding areas of: Aurora, Berwyn, Chicago Heights, Cicero, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Naperville, Oak Park, Schaumburg, Wilmette and Winnetka.

• Reno, Nev.

• Sacramento, Calif., including the surrounding areas of: Antelope, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Loomis, North Highlands, Rancho Cordova, Rio Linda, Rocklin, Roseville, Vacaville and West Sacramento.

• Fresno, Calif.

• Southern Calif., including: Alhambra, Anaheim, Claremont, Culver City, El Monte, Encino, Garden Grove, Granada Hills, Inglewood, Irvine, La Crescenta, Laguna Niguel, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Newport Beach, North Hills, North Hollywood, Paramount, Pasadena, Redlands, Reseda, Rosemead, Santa Ana, San Fernando, San Gabriel, Santa Monica, South El Monte, Temple City, Torrance, Upland, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Westminster and Wilmington.

What does this mean to you? Well, where normally AT&T and unlocked devices from other parts of the world would only get 2G speeds on T-Mobile, suddenly find themselves capable of 4G speeds. Found a good deal on an unlocked quad-core Samsung Galaxy S3? Activate it on T-Mobile. Have an HTC One X+ but hate paying up the wazoo for AT&T service? Activate it on T-Mobile.
And for those keeping count, T-Mobile now covers 100 million people in the US with their enhanced 4G HSPA+ network, making the #4 largest carrier in the US a viable option for those feeling like they’re paying too much on AT&T. As for me, I’ll be picking up Verizon’s HTC Droid DNA and loading it up with my T-Mobile SIM for super quick HSPA+ data speeds at half the monthly rate. Woot!

Android Overload: Dell quits Android phones to focus on Windows tabs, Sprint offers to buy Clearwire for $2.1 billion, and more

• Android 4.2 keyboard goes head-t0-head against Windows Phone keyboard. Which comes out on top? [WinSource]
• Apple and LG win patent case against Alcatel-Lucent. [Bloomberg]
• Samsung suing LG over display tech patents. Looks to ban, several LG products and invalidate 7 of their patents. [KoreaTimes]
• Samsung chief strategy officer admits he’s an Apple user. [Electronista]
• Google Play Magazines are now available in the UK. [OfficialAndroidBlog]
• Pocket Legends adds 2 new character classes, content, and more. [SpacetimeStudios]
• BBC iPlayer and BBC Media Player updated in the Play Store with all new UI and more.
• Verizon Wireless lights up a handful of new markets with 4G LTE on December 20th. [Verizon]
• Dell dips out of the Android smartphone business. Says they couldn’t build a business on Android. [Forbes]
• Panasonic preparing a 108op full HD smartphone of their own. To debut at CES 2013? [TechKiddy]
• Sprint offers to buy Clearwire for $2.1 billion. [Bloomberg]
• Android malware could result in higher cellphone bills thanks to toll fraud. [TheNewYorkTimes]

11 Bit Studios’ Anomaly Korea launching in time for Christmas, watch a new gameplay trailer now

Anomaly Korea, the followup to the award-winning tower offense title Anomaly Warzone Earth, will hit the Google Play Store in time for Christmas. The game builds on the original with 12 new missions, new powerups and special units, and the new Art of War mode.
To coincide with the announcement, 11 bit studios has released a fresh gameplay trailer showing off their latest creation. We had a chance to preview Anomaly Korea and can say what you see is what you get. Sharp graphics, intense man-vs-machine battles, and explosions aplenty.
It’s not necessarily the way I would have chosen to ring in the holidays, but it’s an appreciated gift nonetheless. Fans of the original will definitely want to check out Anomaly Korea. Newcomers to the series still have some time to brush up on the first installment before the latest touches down. An exact date for release wasn’t given, but expect Anomaly Korea to drop sometime in the next week or so.

ASTRO v3 made available at Metago website for legacy lovers

Metago promised a much-improved user experience when it introduced ASTRO v4 some time ago. A redesigned user interface, great new features and a new icon all came together to form what should ultimately translate into a better experience for most people, but Metago understands people may not be particularly fond of the new direction ASTRO has taken.
People aren’t being resistant just for the sake of change, though. Some seem to have issues with bugs and stability, and others might be unhappy with a few features ASTRO decided to omit in version 4.

The company has taken a bold step that many others probably wouldn’t and decided to accommodate those who preferred the classic ASTRO experience — it’s made version 3 available for download on its website at no charge. The company acknowledged the aforementioned sentiment regarding issues some users are having difficulty coping with and have assured us that Metago would continue to hammer out the kinks and introduce the features that would make people want to accept version 4 with open arms.
Metago says version 4 is already starting to stabilize after many bug fixes have been pushed to the Play Store so be sure to give it another shot if you haven’t. What’s more is that a convenient list of new functions or new ways to perform certain actions in ASTRO v4 is provided for those who are having trouble adapting to the new user interface. That list can be had on the very same download page that ASTRO v3 is being provided on.
Folks should be warned that ASTRO v3 will get no further development so if you decide to download it you do so knowing that any bugs you experience are going to be there forever (though there aren’t many big ones that we can think of). All development resources are being poured into ASTRO v4 so get that version if you want the latest and greatest. Metago has great things planned for ASTRO starting this January, and we’re expecting to see what’s on tap for the longest reigning file manager on Android.
PS: Metago warns that if you want ASTRO v3 to install properly you may need to uninstall ASTRO v4 before installation. Be sure to take care of that through your favorite method if you happen to run into any problems.
[via Metago]

HTC One SV journeys through the FCC

The HTC One SV has popped up in an FCC filing, begging the question as to whether or not we could see the phone in North America. HTC announced the One SV for the UK and other European locales earlier this week, but there have been no indications that the phone will launch in the US.
A similar handset, the HTC One VX, is already available from AT&T, though the two devices are not clones of each other. One possible destination for the One SV is a regional carrier or pay-as-you-go service provider.
The handset was approved for use on WCDMA bands II and V as well as GSM bands 850 and 1900. Despite carrying the necessary hardware in its UK version, the report shows no mention of LTE.
[via WirelessGoodness]