Thursday, 29 July 2010

Android Community

Android Community

Viper SmartStart App Will Turn Your Car On

Posted: 29 Jul 2010 11:19 AM PDT

Remote car starters used to be all the rage. They might still be in some places, but they’ve evolved over the years. People want them on their phones now, thanks to a nice little application they can download from their application market of choice. And while one major competitor has had the Viper SmartStart application available for a little while now, it’s time for the Android to get some love. That’s right — you can now remotely start your car, thanks to an app.

The Viper SmartStart app is available right now in the Android Market, and the best part? It’s a free app. Of course, just downloading the application won’t give you everything you need to remotely start your car. You’ll need to get your hands on some hardware that you’ll have to install into your car, too. But, that’s not all!

Yes, you’ll be able to start your car with the push of a button, but you’ll also be able to pop your trunk, hit the panic alarm, and lock and unlock your vehicle, too. But, these extra features will include on your set-up, and if you’ve included the necessary hardware to make it happen. And, for the record, if you want the Viper SmartStart system, which includes the necessary hardware to make all of these cool features work, you’ll have to drop $500. So, consider yourself informed — who’s going to download it?

[via TG Daily]

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HTC myTouch 3G HD Pictured Again, Back Panel on Display

Posted: 29 Jul 2010 10:25 AM PDT

It was just yesterday that we got to see the luxurious front side of the supposedly named myTouch 3G HD, and now we get to see what the back might look like. Whether you consider it in the fortunate, or unfortunate category, it’s still just a render, which could easily be created by anyone with the necessary skills. But, we’ll continue to hope beyond hope that HTC is indeed giving us a new myTouch family member, and especially one that looks as good as this.

Of course, if this device does exist, and it is indeed the first HSPA+ device for T-Mobile, it’s probably going to rake in quite a bit of money for the Magenta carrier. But, as it stands right now, there’s still no word from anyone at T-Mobile or HTC that can confirm whether or not the myTouch 3G HD is real, or coming soon to the carrier any time soon. So for now, we’ll just have to stare at the pictures and drool, with our fingers firmly crossed.

[via Tmo News]

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Motorola Droid 2 User Manual Gets Leaked

Posted: 29 Jul 2010 10:20 AM PDT

The Droid 2 from Motorola isn’t supposed to hit retail shelves until some time in August, but that’s not stopping some clever person from sending out the user manual to the next member of the Droid lineage. And thankfully, it actually shows us things that we were curious about before, and confirms a few rumors we had heard in the past. With that in mind, let’s dig in.

We can now confirm that the Droid 2 will indeed feature the same User Interface semi-skin that the Droid X has. Yes, it is MOTOBLUR, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was on the first generation of devices out there. But, alas, it’s not stock Android, either, which will probably rub some folks out there the wrong way. As for the software keyboard? It’s the same multitouch beast that’s on the Droid X, and there’s also Swype preloaded as well.

And finally, the most interesting part. Thanks to the Google search bar you see below, we can safely assume that the Droid 2 is going to launch with Android 2.2, some time in August. Unfortunately, there’s no definitive details about that within the user manual, but we’ve all guessed that that was going to be the case, so there’s no reason to think that showing us this search bar doesn’t entail just that. In any event, considering we’re only about two weeks from a potential launch, we don’t have too much longer to wait.

[via Droid-Life]

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Motorola Droid X Commercial Features Hot Spot Functionality

Posted: 29 Jul 2010 09:15 AM PDT

The marketing campaign from Verizon, where the new Motorola Droid X is the focal point, is far from over. In fact, the commercials themselves seem to be getting better and better. This time around, Verizon is focusing on the mobile hot spot feature, showing everyone who will watch just how easy it is to connect your device (and multiple other devices) to the Internet, courtesy of your new Droid phone.

What the video doesn’t say, though, is the cost and capacity of that mobile hot spot. Not that they would, but it’s still a valid point to make. For $20 per month, you get 2GB. And that’s $20 on top of what you’re already paying for unlimited data ($30), and whatever plan you’re using. But, if you block all of that out, then this commercial is probably the best one to date. If anything, we want a blue bubble to encapsulate us while we’re using our mobile hot spot. That would just be cool.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via Verizon's YouTube; thanks, Nick!]

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LG Optimus Z Launches in South Korea

Posted: 29 Jul 2010 08:22 AM PDT

LG’s premiere Android handset, the Optimus Z, is finally available. But only if you’re in South Korea. If you’re not, then you’re out of luck, and you’ll just have to be happy staring at the image below. But hey, take some solace in the fact that they released it early, which means anything is possible. Like an international release date, which hasn’t been promised, but more or less hinted at. And we wouldn’t mind that at all, LG. Really.

Not that the Optimus Z stands out, necessarily, amongst the smartphone/superphone competition here in the States, especially by Android terms, but it’s definitely a nice addition to the ranks nevertheless. Featuring a 3.5-inch, 800 x 480 resolution capacitive touchscreen display, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood, and a 5MP camera on the back of the device, it’s one device we’d like to get our hands on.

Unfortunately, since LG did launch the device early, it won’t come out of the box with Android 2.2. Instead, as you’ve probably already assumed, it will come with Android 2.1, and LG is promising an update to the prodigal Froyo by the end of the year. So, in other words, just as Android 3.0 is getting released. And as we mentioned above, an international release date has been mentioned, but that wouldn’t happen until this Fall, when the handset was originally supposed to see the light of retail.

[via Electronista]

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Android users hit with data theft by malicious app

Posted: 29 Jul 2010 06:01 AM PDT

The wait to get apps on the Apple App Store thanks to the long vetting process Apple uses on all apps allowed to run on the iPhone has been the source of much developer and user ire. That vetting process is looking good today after reports that millions of Android users may have had data stolen by a nefarious app.

AppleInsider reports that an app that was on the Android Market that offered custom background pictures was downloaded in the range of 1.1 million to 4.6 million times. The exact number of downloads is unknown because the data isn't offered.

The app was actually a malicious program that collected the users browsing history, text messages, SIM card number, and voice mail password among other things. All of that data was then forwarded to servers in China. It’s not clear what the app was called, but if you downloaded anything like that, it’s time to change passwords.

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Eric Schmidt: Android Could Bring in $10b with News Subscription Service

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 02:01 PM PDT

When you’re selling somewhere in the ballpark of 160,000 smartphones a day, then a subscription service for just about anything starts looking like a good idea. And apparently Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, is beginning to think the same way (not that he hasn’t been, mind you). Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Schmidt outlined very briefly what a news subscription service for Android might look like.

His focus was the money part. When asked if Android would actually be a good money maker in this regard, he suggested that Android could potentially see $10 billion a year generated from an idea like this. All he would need to do is allow for paid access to newspapers and other periodicals. And it wouldn’t even take a large subscription payment, as there are plenty of Android-based devices out there that could take advantage of something like this.

And, let’s face it: with Apple offering up their own reader-based competition, the fact that it’s missing its own news subscription service at the moment would be a great momentum-builder for Google. Unfortunately, not many figureheads in the print publishing industry really like Google. For example, Rupert Murdoch? Not a fan of Google, or the fact that the search engine allows for folks to read parts of stories that would normally be hidden behind a paywall. So, for Schmidt and company to get something like this off the ground, there would have to be a pretty big piece of fruit hanging off the end of that line.

What do you think? Considering how often you use your smartphone/superphone on a normal, day-to-day basis, would you be willing to pay for a news subscription service? Especially if it were integrated into Android in one way or another?

[via The Wall Street Journal]

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Nexus One Won’t be Sold in T-Mobile Stores

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 12:09 PM PDT

Pretty much, the title says it all. When Google’s Phone Store went down, there was confirmation from the house that built Android that the Nexus One, in effect, wouldn’t be going down with it. In fact, the handset would still be sold courtesy of wireless carriers around the globe, like Vodafone. But, thanks to a new document, it looks like T-Mobile (you know, the wireless carrier in the States that supports the Nexus One) won’t be included in that list.

The document is of the leaked internal sorts. And, it clearly states that the Nexus One will still be supported by T-Mobile, like in the ways of billing and customer support, but that’s where the line gets drawn. Google marketed and sold the Nexus One — not T-Mobile, and they don’t have any plans to start now. That’s, for all intents and purposes, some of the worst pieces of news we’ve heard in a long time. Hopefully you already got yours.

[via Tmo News]

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Motorola Uses Droid X to Attack iPhone, No Jacket Required

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 11:51 AM PDT

We all know that, right now, Apple is doing everything they possibly can to make sure that everyone and their cousin knows that it’s not just the iPhone 4 that has antenna problems. Unfortunately, their testing and “results” don’t seem to be working out for anyone other than Apple, and that’s giving companies like Motorola plenty of ammunition to use in their own marketing campaigns. This time around, you won’t even need a jacket to brave the winter chills.

Right at the top of the ad you’ll see “No Jacket Required.” Yeah, we get it. The Droid X doesn’t need a bumper, or silly case to make phone calls. Truth be told, this is a great ad, and eventually Motorola is going to start seeing some results from it. As long as they can keep it up, and Apple can keep trying and failing in their antics. But, while the ads are great, we’ll go ahead and admit that the whole dramatic play that’s rolling out before us makes it all the more better. Will there be a victor? Probably not. But at least it’s fun along the way.

[via Motorola's Facebook]

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HTC myTouch 3G HD Breaks Cover

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 11:45 AM PDT

There’s a lot of speculation going on right now, about whether or not T-Mobile’s first HSPA+ device is going to be. And, while their teaser site has Vanguard written all over it (a phone manufactured by HTC, mind you), it looks like a new tipster speaking with Android Central says otherwise. In fact, it looks like it will still be an HTC-based device, but definitely not the Vanguard.

The device in question, which is pictured above, is the HTC myTouch 3G HD. As far as details go, there aren’t any. Even the tipster doesn’t have anything to go on, except the image. And, while it’s definitely a render of an idea, we can’t say for sure whether or not it’s professionally done, or made by some fan out there with some impressive skills. What we can see, though, is that it definitely has the front-row keys of the mytouch 3G Slide, and it has a considerable screen real estate. And there’s a camera button, or at least we’ll assume that’s a camera button.

We have to wait and see what T-Mobile announces, which will hopefully be soon. Whether or not it’s the Vanguard, or even the myTouch 3G HD, it’s looking like HTC is getting the privilege of launching HSPA+ for T-Mobile. Not a bad deal at all, for either company.

[via Android Central]

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Samsung Galaxy S Gets Early Build of Android 2.2, Shown Off in Video

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 11:28 AM PDT

We already know that Samsung plans on launching some of their Galaxy-based devices with Android 2.2. No, not here in the States, but more like across the world. What that means, though, is that Froyo is alive and well, and Samsung is obviously testing it on their devices. Sure enough, here you get to see a Galaxy S with a new (brand new), and incomplete build of 2.2.

As you can see from the video, it doesn’t have all the features that we would come to expect. However, it still exists. And, if you’re running an international version of the Galaxy S (not the Captivate or Vibrant, which are available here in the States), then you can actually go download it and check it out for yourself. Again, it’s an early test build, but at least it’s better than nothing. Check out the video below for the gruesome details.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via HDBlog YouTube; thanks, iNicc0lo!]

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