Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Smartphone Review

Verizon announced that it will launch the Galaxy Nexus today, December 15th and the device will sold for an unexpectedly-steep $299 alongside a new two-year contract. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first device running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, making its launch a fairly significant one for the short-term future of the OS and the Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65-inch 720p HD display, 1.2GHz processor, 32 GB of storage and a 1,850 mAh battery.

Verizon Wireless, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) and Google announced Galaxy Nexus is available starting today in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers can browse the Web, stream music and more at blazing speeds using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Galaxy Nexus customers can enjoy access to the 4G LTE network in 190 markets covering over 200 million people across the United States, and fly through the Web with fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps within the 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area. Galaxy Nexus runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. Galaxy Nexus offers customers a redesigned user experience with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Near Field Communications (NFC) sharing with Android Beam and a full Web-browsing experience. The lock screen, home screen, phone app and everything in between have been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and useful. Galaxy Nexus also features an ultra-thin 9.47mm design with a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED Contour Display to watch movies, view pictures and play games that come to life in 720p (1280 x 720) resolution.

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) features:

• Redesigned user interface: software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones, and a dedicated recent apps button to make multi-tasking easy
• Face Unlock: use state-of-the-art facial recognition to unlock Galaxy Nexus
• Android Beam: quickly share Web pages, apps, contacts and YouTube videos with friends by simply tapping two compatible phones together
• Redesigned Camera: introduces panorama mode, 1080p video capture, zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, and effects such as silly faces and background replacement
• People Application: browse friends, family and coworkers, see their photos in high-resolution and check their latest status updates from Google+ and other social networks
• Cloud Services: keep email, contacts, photos, music, browser bookmarks and other data synced to the cloud, available across multiple devices so customers never lose important data
• Google Music: upload up to 20,000 songs to the cloud, discover and buy new music from Android Market, and stream it instantly on Galaxy Nexus and from the Web for free
• Google+: Create a Google+ account right from the phone and check status updates, manage circles, quickly share updates and photos, video chat with up to ten friends with Mobile Hangouts, and chat with groups of friends with Google+ Messenger
• Support for Google Mobile Services: Gmail, Google Maps with 3D maps and free turn-by-turn navigation, Google Earth, Movie Studio, YouTube, syncing with Google Calendar, a redesigned Google+ app and access to more than 300,000 apps, millions of eBooks, thousands of movies to rent, and millions of songs available to download from Android Market

Additional features:

• Dual-core 1.2 GHz application processor and HTML5 Web browser: optimized dual-core processing with Android 4.0 combined with lightning fast 4G LTE connectivity for fast downloading of graphics, applications processing and Web browsing
• Mobile Hotspot capability: share 4G LTE or 3G connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing, autofocus and LED flash with full 1080p recording
• Front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat
• • Textured soft-touch back cover: enhances the ergonomic feel and makes the phone slip-resistant
• Bluetooth 3.0 technology: support for headset, hands-free, stereo, phonebook access, human interface device (HID) and object push for vCard and vCalendar
• 1 GB RAM and 32 GB on-board memory (actual formatted capacity will be less)

Pricing and data packages:

• Galaxy Nexus is available now in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a Galaxy Nexus by Samsung will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

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Live Verizon FiOS TV For Xbox 360 With Kinect Control Review

Verizon details live FiOS TV service for Xbox 360 and kicking off Xbox 360 streaming TV with 26 channels for subscribers. Kinect voice and gesture commands functionality will come with the service. With your FiOS TV Prime HD, you’ll get over 30,000 VOD titles per month, over 7,000 of these in HD nd 195 all-digital channels with 50+ of them in HD, and if you’re in NY, you get 315+ channels with FiOS TV Extreme HD, and 75+ channels in HD. You can get its FiOS Triple Play package including FiOS internet, TV and phone, a year of Xbox Live Gold for $89.99 a month if you sign up before January 21st nd Verizon will also throw in the new anniversary edition of Halo.

Verizon continues to expand the borderless lifestyle for consumers with the announcement of a new offer that makes a selection of live, FiOS TV channels available over the Xbox 360 Entertainment System. Through a collaboration between Verizon and Microsoft, customers who are Xbox LIVE Gold members and who subscribe to both FiOS TV and Internet service will be able to view select live channels through their Xbox consoles. No extra hardware is required. And for the first time, these customers will be able to integrate their TV experience with voice and gesture commands through Kinect for Xbox 360. New customers who sign up online for FiOS TV service can take advantage of a special offer that includes triple-play service with FiOS TV, FiOS 35/35 Mbps Internet service and Verizon voice service, starting at $89.99 a month. In addition, the offer includes a 12-month Xbox LIVE Gold Membership and the Xbox Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary game. The discounted offer is available through Jan. 21. "Joining forces with Microsoft and Xbox, we are breaking the boundaries between TV and gaming, and furthering the borderless lifestyle Verizon customers enjoy with our new offers and services," said Eric Bruno, vice president of consumer and mass business product management for Verizon. "We are putting the controls in our customers' hands, and giving them the ability to watch TV on another dynamic device that they can control with voice and gesture commands." "Whether it's your Xbox, your mobile device, your PC or your traditional television, Verizon will continue to deliver the programming consumers want, where, where and how they want it," Bruno said. FiOS TV customers will have access to an app on their Xbox consoles, which will become available for download next month. Once customers download the Verizon FiOS TV app on their console, they can begin watching live streaming FiOS TV channels – without the need to pay for another set-top box.

Customers must subscribe to both FiOS TV and Internet services. Initially, 26 FiOS TV channels will be available, depending on the customer's TV package. Customers who order FiOS TV and Internet service will receive the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary game and Xbox LIVE Gold Membership token within 30 days. As part of the offer, Verizon has partnered with leading gaming network Machinima to sponsor the Gamers' Choice Award. The award is given out during Machinima's Inside Gaming Awards, an annual event honoring the top game titles, which will be streamed live through Machinima's YouTube channel on Dec. 9. Consumers can vote for their favorite game of the year through Facebook or on Twitter by using the FiOSGamers hashtag, which also qualifies as entry into a sweepstakes that includes a grand prize of two years of Verizon FiOS triple-play service, a multi-room DVR, a Microsoft Kinect and 40,000 Microsoft points. Daily prizes of 4,000 Microsoft gaming points will be awarded to five winners per day, from Nov. 29 - Dec. 8. Verizon continues to break boundaries with a variety of pioneering innovations. The company provides next-generation interactive services, including Flex View and FiOS TV Online, which extend FiOS TV beyond the home to the Internet and a range of mobile devices; an advanced interactive media guide; free interactive applications like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others; Media Manager, which allows customers to access on their TVs personal photos, music and videos from their computers; and In-Home Agent, which assists customers in diagnosing and resolving a range of service issues. In addition, the company recently introduced the MY FiOS app, an easy-to-use mobile application that gives customers access to everything from movies, TV shows and personal content; to remote DVR access and control; to home and energy monitoring; to billing, account management and customer service tools.

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Halo: Anniversary Campaign Trailer