Wednesday 14 July 2010

Android Community

Android Community

SmartDevices SmartQ T7 and T7-3G Android 2.1 tablets debut

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 09:48 AM PDT

SmartDevices are no strangers to Android tablets, and the company has just outed its latest two models.  The SmartDevices SmartQ T7 and SmartQ T7-3G each run Android 2.1 on a 7-inch touchscreen, with the latter model also throwing in 3G connectivity (in various flavors).

According to SmartDevices, both support up to 1080p HD video thanks to a 720MHz ARM11 processor and 3D hardware graphics acceleration.  There’a also a 4,700mAh battery and WiFi, though while the Android Market is shown on the screenshots we’re not 100-percent certain whether either tablet will actually get access to the marketplace.

The SmartQ T7 is unpriced at present, but SmartDevices has confirmed that the CDMA EVDO version of the SmartQ T7-3G will be 1,880 Yuan ($278) while the WCDMA SmartQ T7-3G will be 1,980 Yuan ($292).  No word on release dates at this stage.

[via iTechNewsNet]

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Motorola locking DROID X and DROID 2 bootloaders

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 07:12 AM PDT

Motorola has disappointed ROM-tinkerers with the news that, unlike the Motorola DROID, future Android smartphones from the company won’t be supplied with open bootloaders.  Instead, Motorola will be “securing” the software on handsets like the DROID X and DROID 2, making loading custom ROMs significantly more difficult.

The company says their justification is “driven by a number of different business factors” and that is common practice; the DROID having an open bootloader, in fact, is described as being done for “a specific business reason” though that is not detailed.  ”The use of open source software, such as the Linux kernel or the Android platform, in a consumer device does notrequire the handset running such software to be open for re-flashing” the company points out, highlighting that Motorola does “comply with the licenses, including GPLv2, for each of the open source packages in our handsets.”

[Thanks Toby!]

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Two Acer Android 2.2 tablets due Q4 2010?

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 06:56 AM PDT

Acer’s 7-inch Android tablet will get a larger sibling device, a 10-inch version, according to notebook sources speaking to DigiTimes.  Both units will run Android 2.2 – complete with Adobe Flash support – on ARM chipsets, and be focused on multimedia use; that will allow Acer to continue to push their own dedicated ereader products (shown below) with minimal overlap.

The two Android tablets will each have integrated 3G connectivity, and Acer is tipped to be in discussion with carriers with regards not just the data backbone but marketing the products.  That could indicate subsidized pricing when they each arrive in Q4 2010.

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Opera Mini 5.1 for Android released [Video]

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 06:29 AM PDT

Opera has pushed out a new version of their eponymous browser for Android.  Available free in the Android Market, Opera Mini 5.1 uses the company’s server-side compression system to shrink down requested webpages by up to 90-percent; that means smaller download sizes, preserving your data allowance, and faster loading.

There’s also tabbed browsing, a password manager, bookmarks and Speed Dial, and you can now set the Opera Mini browser to be the default (unlike the previous beta).  The company has tweaked page layouts to suit the new breed of big-screen Android devices, too.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Press Release:

Lightning fast browsing on Android phones
 Opera Mini 5.1 for Android released

Oslo, Norway – July 14, 2010 – Opera spreads the love to Android mobile phone users. Opera Mini 5.1 is now available for phones built on the Android platform, offering better browsing performance and improved user experience.

With over 61 million users worldwide, Opera Mini is the world’s most popular browser for mobile phones, allowing much faster browsing speeds, while keeping the costs to a minimum. Browse at lightning speed today by downloading the free Opera Mini browser from the Android Market or at m.opera.com.

Opera Mini is a favorite not just on feature phones, but also on smartphones, scoring an impressive 1 million downloads on the iPhone during the first 24 hours of availability. Opera Mini is highly optimized for almost any handset, delivering the best Internet experience on more than 3000 mobile phone models.

Opera Mini raises the game on Android phones. Since its Opera Mini 5 beta release, Opera Mini can now be set as the default browser for more convenient Internet access. Opera Mini 5.1 also offers improved page layout on high-end Android handsets with large screens.

What we say

“Opera Mini 5.1 for the Android platform is the next step in bringing the world’s most popular mobile web browser to all major platforms, offering improved performance and great web experience to almost any handset,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. “Opera Mini is used by over 61 million people on more than 3000 handset models and with today’s release Opera continues its mission to provide the best web experience on any device and on any platform.”

About Opera Mini

Opera Mini brings the Web to almost any handset by compressing data by up to 90 percent before sending content to the phone. This results in significantly improved page loading speed and reduced data costs for the user. For example, with webpages such as BBC.com, a normal mobile web browser will display a BBC News page roughly 1 time, as compared to 9 times with Opera Mini for the same cost.

In addition to providing speed and cost savings, Opera Mini 5.1 comes with useful features, such as tabbed browsing, password manager, bookmarks and Speed Dial, built into the browser to deliver easy web access while on-the-go. With Opera Mini optimized for Android phones, more people are able to get a PC-like browsing experience on their handsets.

Download

Download Opera Mini directly to your Android phone for free from the Android Market, or at m.opera.com. For more information, visit http://www.opera.com/mobile/.

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HTC HD2 gets Android 2.2 Froyo and Desire’s 2.1 Sense ROMs [Video]

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 06:21 AM PDT

The HD2 is another piece of endearing solid, discretely handsome HTC hardware, but its native Windows Mobile OS would normally make it unwelcome here at Android Community.  Thanks to the handiwork of xda-developers, however, HD2 owners can now get a shot of frozen yoghurt instead of their Microsoft dose; they’ve managed to port Android 2.2 Froyo onto the HD2.

If Froyo isn’t to your taste, there’s also an Android 2.1 build with the same HTC Sense UI as on the Desire available.  There are still issues with each, including audio issues during calls and – on the Froyo build – some 3G problems, so these may not be everyday ROMs for you, but the good news is that the 1GHz Snapdragon processor in the HD2 keeps them running as slickly as you’d find on a Nexus One or Desire.

Android 2.2 Froyo on HTC HD2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Android 2.1 with Sense on HTC HD2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via HDBlog.it]

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Leaked Verizon Catalog Showcases Droid 2 and Droid X

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 02:03 PM PDT

Well, how long has it been since our last leaked document? Not long, right? Then that means it’s just about perfect timing to get our hands on yet another one. Thanks to a tipster sending in some leaked documents of a Summer device catalog, we get the first look at a Droid 2 standing front and center (well, behind a Droid X), showcasing its shiny frame, and, oddly enough, Bejeweled.

Some specs are actually confirmed in the catalog, too. Mostly things we already know, though. For example, we know we’re getting a 5MP camera, 8GB of internal memory thanks to an included microSD card, 3G mobile hotspot, and a 1GHz processor under the hood. Now we just have to wait for Verizon to actually officially announce the device, and we’ll be good to go. Anyone want to start guessing on a release date?

[via Boy Genius Report]

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100,000 apps in Android Market by End of July

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 01:28 PM PDT

Android’s climb in the market place doesn’t just translate into the number of devices sold, or the number of handsets being manufactured or released. One big indicator of how well Android is doing, is the number of applications tucked away inside that glorious Android Market. It’s been only a couple of weeks since Andy Rubin stood on a stage, or sat to be more accurate, and told everyone who cared that Android had over 65,000 applications available to download. Now, nearing the end of July, that number looks to be changing drastically.

According to a new report from AndroLib, who gathers market numbers from the Market itself on a regular basis, it looks like the number of both paid and free apps is about to climb over the 100,000 marker. Due to trends, over the past few months there’s been about 14,000 applications submitted to the Market every month, and considering that the Market is sitting comfortably at 92,000 apps (based on their results), then passing that huge milestone won’t be hard at all by the end of July. Good news for all of us who love downloading them, so let’s just keep ‘em coming, shall we?

[via MobileSyrup]

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