Looking to get some extra battery life out of your HTC One S and get some protection at the same time? Well then look no further than the new PowerSkin case, now available for the One S. The soft rubberized case wraps your phone in comfortable protection, while at the same time adding a 1500mAh battery for those times when you need a little extra juice. It also comes with a built-in On/Off switch, so you can keep the extra power in reserve till you really need it as well as LED lights showing battery level remaining and charge status.

PowerSkin already has a few of their signature cases available for various HTC’s, Samsung’s and other devices, and they’re excited to now have it for the One S. Here’s what Christian Haze, Product Manager for PowerSkin, had to say: “With the One S being one of HTC’s fastest phones launched to date, it requires an incredible pull from the battery. The speed is impressive for any user, so we wanted to make sure we provided a solution to keep people charged and connected while on the go. PowerSkin’s slim-fitting silicone case is soft to the touch, yet ruggedly durable, also packing a powerful punch – extending talk time nearly 4 hours.”

The asking price for this wonder of technology? A mere $69.99. While it’s slightly more expensive than you’re average 3rd party extended battery, it’s hard to find a better looking extended power and case solution out there.

[Product Page]

Amazon has recently pushed out an update to their AppStore client that brings an exciting new feature. Now in version 2.6.53, the Amazon AppStore on you Android device now has the Test Drive feature built into the app. Test Drive allows you to try out apps before purchasing and installing them, a handy feature if you’re on the edge about getting a new app. This feature has been available on the desktop version of the Amazon AppStore for a while and is rolling out as a beta on the Android client, initially only available for a handful of devices and applications.

Additionally, there’s also some fixes for 3G/4G downloads and stability enhancements. If you already have the Amazon AppStore installed on your device, you may receive an update notification, or you can update from the Settings menu. If you don’t have it, head on over to the Amazon AppStore to download and install it.

• DROID Incredible 2 by HTC: To be determined (by the end of August)
• HTC Amaze 4G: May-June
• HTC Desire S: June-July
• HTC Desire HD: July-August
• HTC EVO 3D: June-July
• HTC EVO 4G+: May-June
• HTC EVO Design 4G: June-July
• HTC Incredible S: June-July
• HTC Sensation: March-June
• HTC Sensation 4G: March-June
• HTC Sensation XE: March-June
• HTC Sensation XL: April-Jun
• HTC Rezound: June-July
• HTC Rhyme: June-July
• HTC Thunderbolt: July-August
• HTC Velocity 4G: March-June
• HTC Vivid: March-June

It’s great to see HTC being as transparent as possible when it comes to update time frames. It’s understandable that they don’t have much control over it once they hand over builds to the carriers, but at least you know if a device is in the pipeline. A few older or less powerful devices are missing from the list, but you can’t win ‘em all.

[HTC via Android Police]

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is already running Ice Cream Sandwich, but Asus is still hard at work, cranking out updates to fix issues and bring new features. The latest of these updates is version 9.2.1.24, which brings system stability updates, although some users are reportedly still having issues after the update. Also improved is the Mail application, with stability fixes, threaded messaging, out-of-office responses, scheduled syncing. Bluetooth firmware has been updated to version 8.30, although it’s not mentioned in the changelog. And finally in the way of new features, Face Unlock is now working on the Transformer.

[Asus Support] [Asus Facebook]

The Flipboard app was the first of the exclusive goodies to be pulled from the Galaxy S III for use on other devices, and now the full Android 4.0.4 ROM has been leaked. Developers and other folks anxious to get their hands on Samsung’s latest TouchWiz with all the tweaks and other apps are going to want to download the full thing and start taking it apart. Hopefully some of the new features will start trickling into other custom ROMs.

Download: I9300XXALE8 (4.0.4) – Turkey (OJV) [19-05-12]

If you’re just an ordinary user, the S-Voice app has already been pulled from the ROM and is ready for a standalone download on XDA here.

How to install: You can either install it through the Android package installer like any other 3rd party app but reports suggest it is better to install it as a system app. To install as a system app do the following:

• Make a nandroid backup! (just to be safe)
• Download the apk on your SD card
• Using a file manager, copy/paste into system/app
• Longpress the apk file from Within system/app, select “permissions” and change to r-w, r, r

If you are experiencing force closes or other issues after installing as a system app, try this route: After the app is installed, use a file explorer and navigate to system/app and press on the voicetalk.apk to reinstall again over top of the original install. Readers have reported that this helps with ongoing issues.

[XDA Developers]

Incoming HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE shipments are being held at the border thanks to an injunction filed by Apple in relation to a patent lawsuit. And now it appears that the HTC Amaze 4G has become a victim as well. According to an email obtained by TmoNews, customers ordering the HTC Amaze 4G from T-Mobile.com are being told their order “has been delayed due to an unforeseen issue with receiving the product from the manufacturer.“ And that they don’t have any information on when it might become available.

Sounds like the same sort of language that Sprint used when speaking about the delay of the HTC EVO 4G LTE. Meanwhile T-Mobile is suggesting the Samsung Galaxy Blaze 4G instead, which isn’t nearly as nice of a device. The Amaze 4G is most likely still available in your local T-Mobile store or from other phone retailers. But this can’t be good news for HTC which has already been losing market share to Samsung, and now they’re missing out on countless sales due to delayed shipments.

[TmoNews]

Two weeks ago, it was announced that more carriers would be getting a carrier billing option for Books, Music and Videos in the Google Play Store. Sprint was one of three US carriers on the list, and now it’s been enabled for the Now Network. Sprint customers, go wild buying whatever you want from the Play Store and don’t worry about paying for it till your bill comes due.

Carrier billing is a great option for those that don’t want to use a credit card or don’t have one. But it can also be a bit dangerous to have the ability to spend money on books and music all willy nilly then getting bill-shock at the end of the month.

[Fierce Mobile]

T-Mobile has just introduced new mobile broadband plans for tablets, hotspots or laptop data sticks. The new plans, which are available on May 20th, have no contract to sign and come in 4 different sizes to fit any need starting at just $15:

• 300MB 1-week pass for $15
• 1.5GB 1-month pass for $25
• 3.5GB 1-month pass for $35
• 5GB 1-month pass for $50

T-Mobile Introduces New No Annual Contract Mobile Broadband Service Passes

New Passes, Available May 20, Offer Flexible, More Affordable Access to High-Speed Internet on the Go on an Advanced Lineup of 4G Tablets, Mobile Hotspots and Laptop Sticks

Bellevue, Wash. — May 17, 2012 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced that its new, flexible and worry-free No Annual Contract mobile broadband service passes will debut May 20, making it easier for customers to enjoy access to high-speed Internet on the gowhenever they want. With T-Mobile’s new, more affordable No Annual Contract data passes, customers can experience T-Mobile’s blazing-fast 4G network speeds across a variety of mobile broadband devices including tablets, mobile hotspots and laptop sticks – with no strings attached.

Starting at just $15, T-Mobile’s lineup of No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes delivers a pay-in-advance, overage-free solution that offers an allotment of mobile data, making it possible for customers to choose a pass that best fits their data needs without committing to a two-year contract:

• 300MB 1-week pass for $15
• 1.5GB 1-month pass for $25
• 3.5GB 1-month pass for $35
• 5GB 1-month pass for $50

“Although most of our mobile broadband customers choose postpaid rate plans for the best device prices and data rates, we know that many of our customers want the flexibility to be able to experience mobile broadband without committing to an annual contract up front,” said Jeremy Korst, vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “With better pricing and new features like an auto-refill option and a simpler purchase experience, T-Mobile’s No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes make it easier and more affordable than ever to experience high-speed Internet on the go on a range of devices.”

T-Mobile^® offers a variety of 4G mobile broadband devices that, when connected to T-Mobile’s high-speed 4G network, offer customers fast access to the Web, e-mail, gaming, movies and more, while on-the-go.

• T-Mobile’s lineup of mobile, connected tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab^™ 10.1, the Samsung Galaxy Tab^™ 7.0 Plus and the T-Mobile^®SpringBoard^™ with Google^™,  deliver a premium on-the-go entertainment and Web experience, making it possible to stream movies on a road trip or shop online while the kids play at the park.
• The T-Mobile^® Sonic^™ 4G Mobile Hotspot and the T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot are ideal for staying connected on-the-go with colleagues and clients or providing Internet on the go for the family on vacation. Providing simultaneous access to T-Mobile’s 4G network for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, customers can use their mobile hotspots to connect their iPad^®devices, laptops, music players, portable gaming devices and e-readers, among other devices, to T-Mobile’s high-speed 4G network.
• T-Mobile’s laptop sticks, including the HSPA+ 42-enabled Rocket^™ 3.0 USB Laptop Stick, are perfect for customers looking for a blazing-fast mobile Internet connection on their laptop.

Availability

T-Mobile’s new No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes are expected to be available beginning May 20 at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers, national retailers and online at http://www.t-mobile.com. More information on T-Mobile’s mobile broadband offerings is available at http://mobile-broadband.t-mobile.com.

The Galaxy S III isn’t due to hit the first retail shelves for another two weeks or so, but Nicollo Rolli from HD Network got his hands on a unit early and took to YouTube to show it off for us. In the video the S III gets compared to the latest top of the line devices from Samsung and HTC. Although the entire video is in Italian (which we don’t understand), the visual comparisons are enough to get more of a feel of the Galaxy S III. If anyone out there does speak Italian, feel free to chime in with anything important shared on the video.

Sprint seems to think that the more press releases they put out, the more phones they will sell. So today they put out a whopping 10 press releases to tell you that the following Sprint stores will be opening at 8am on Friday, May 18th for the HTC EVO 4G LTE launch. Yep, a press release for each city.

• California: 320 Gellert Boulevard, Daly City, CA and 364 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
• New York: 175 Fifth Avenue, NY
• Washington DC: 1101 South Joyce Street, Suite B15, Arlington, VA
• Colorado: 9992 Commons Street, STE 100, Lone Tree
• Washington: 148th Ave NE Redmond
• Massachusetts: 422 Boylston Street, Boston
• Florida: 12540 SW 120th Street, Miami
• Georgia: 3400 Around Lenox Road, Atlanta
• Texas: 1913 Preston Road, Suite 100, Plano

Seriously, Sprint? Is somebody over there getting paid by the press release?

[Sprint Newsroom]