Thursday, 5 August 2010

Android Community

Android Community

Motorola Droid’s Update to Android 2.2 Officially FRG22 Based on Leak

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:32 AM PDT

Some interesting bit of news today, thanks to a fresh leak from a Verizon internal computer somewhere out there. As we’ve seen with a countless number of other Verizon devices out there, there’s always the standard paper outlining the details of a particular update. Especially when it comes to Android. In this case, after hearing yesterday that the official Droid update to Android 2.2 would actually be FRG22 and not FRG01B, it looks like
Verizon is all set to make the FRG22 update official.

There’s still no word on whether or not why Motorola/Verizon decided to hold off until this update. (We’re actually still hearing from folks that they’ve received the OTA update, still FRG01B.) But, if they are making it official, and you already did get the previous OTA update, you should get notified of a “security patch” soon enough, and be upgraded to the final, official Froyo build.

But, we do have a bit of bad news. Apparently after you update to Android 2.2 (FRG01B), you won’t have immediate access to Flash Player. Yes, we know — that’s shocking, especially considering Android 2.2 is supposed to natively support it. But, as the screenshot above shows, the Droid doesn’t support it, and Adobe hasn’t made it available to download from the Market. So, that’s definitely an interesting turn, if you ask us.

[via Droid-Life]

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Dell Streak Gets Android 2.1 Early Preview [Video]

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:22 AM PDT

When the Dell Streak was announced, there was plenty of speculation about what Android version it would come with, once it finally made its way to the market. All of that got figured out, and there was talk about upgrades right off the bat. Engadget managed to get their hands on some exclusive time with the latest update to the Dell Streak, Android 2.1, which is set to be released for O2 branded Streaks next month, and thankfully it’s bringing more to the table than just some Live Wallpapers and a new unlock screen.

While there is obviously support for Live Wallpapers and that new unlock screen, there is also some much needed changes to the overall device. For example, and probably one of the biggest changes for the better in the update, is the new keyboard. You won’t find the number pad and caps lock key anymore, which provides just enough space to the keyboard to make it, apparently, a lot easier to type on. Other changes outside of the keyboard include the Android 2.1 Gallery application (like the one that the Nexus One showed off), and you’ll now be able to link to Picasa. And, perhaps the best news for some, the camera can now capture 720p HD video.

Let’s cover the bad things real quick, before we wrap this up. We know everything can’t be rosy, after all. Dell apparently decided to change the way that icons lay on the homescreens, as you were previously able to have 32 at a time, but now thanks to them arranging them in a more horizontal fashion, you can only put 24. Also, they increased the size of their proprietary News and Music widgets, making it so you can’t have two of those on the same homescreen. And worst of all, the homescreen switcher to a “Recent Applications” list, which means you don’t have a quick way to move from one homescreen to another anymore. Not a deal breaker, perhaps, but still annoying enough. Check out the video below for a bit more in depth look, and let us know if the Dell Streak is still on your radar.

[via Engadget]

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Samsung Epic 4G Set to Launch August 11th?

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:07 AM PDT

Thanks to a trusted tipster to Boy Genius Report, it looks like we may finally have a release date for the Samsung Epic 4G. That may sound familiar: it’s the Samsung Galaxy S variant that’s heading to Sprint. Though, the Epic is definitely the more diverse of the Galaxy S devices out there, and probably most noteworthy is the fact that it’s going to have that 4G connectivity that Sprint talks so highly about.

The source, who has to remain anonymous obviously, says that the release date is mentioned in a Sprint playbook, and that there are going to be some stores out there that actually open early for the obvious demand of the device. Those stores, if the rumor turns out to be true, will be opening their doors at 8:00am. Now, this does make sense — especially considering we know AT&T’s BlackBerry Torch 9800 is launching August 12th, and rumors have the Droid 2 for Verizon launching on the 12th as well. Beating the competition by a day isn’t a bad deal at all. We’ll have to see if this turns out — we’re sure Sprint will announce something soon.

[via BGR]

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Apps for the Army Wraps Up, Android Comes Out on Top

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 10:03 AM PDT

The Army has hosted a huge developer challenge, called Apps for the Army (A4A), which was meant to see developers create applications specifically tailored for the United States Army. The developers were allowed to choose either Android or iOS as their platform, and the Army would then choose a winner in five categories: Training, Location Awareness, Information Access, Miscellaneous, and Mission Specific. And, as the title suggests, it was Android that managed to climb its way to the top, thanks to some amazing developers and the platform in which they worked on.

You can see the winners here, if you’re interested to see what took the prize. Android developers managed to grab four of the five categories. The Training category was the only one “we” missed. To get the whole thing kicked off, it was up to 150 soldiers and Army civilians to start their developing talents. They managed to create more than 50 applications, right off the bat.

As for the winners, each of them won $3,000. There was a total of 25 applications that were chosen for further development by the Army. The only trouble at the moment, is Android is still an open platform on relatively unsecured devices. Once the devices can get locked down to the military’s standards, then the applications will start to see field duty. It’s good to see Android helping with military efforts, but it’s even better to see the armed forces working tirelessly on new ways to train, and utilize our soldiers while out there in the field.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via Wired]

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Motorola Droid 2 Dummy Phones Show Up at Best Buy Mobile

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 09:52 AM PDT

Hey, guess what? The Droid 2 is coming. Crazy, right? You didn’t even see that one coming, did you? Insane times we live in, folks. As you can see from the images below, that’s the Droid 2. From Motorola. The one that’s the true successor to the original Droid, and the device that’s supposed to be launching on August 12th. Or some time around that, anyway. We don’t know when it’s launching because Verizon still hasn’t officially announced the device.

But, there it is. Plain as day. With its updated slide-out full QWERTY keyboard, its Motoblur User Interface skin, and the same look and feel as the original Droid (with some obvious tweaks). And yet, despite the fact it’s showing up in Best Buy Mobile stores, in all of its dummy phone fashion, Verizon still hasn’t let a peep out. Let’s go, Verizon. Start peeping — give us something we can actually call “official.” And not “officially leaked.” Thanks.

[via Engadget]

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Samsung Captivate and Vibrant Launching on Rogers and Bell Respectively

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 09:46 AM PDT

No surprises here, folks. Though, it is a bit strange to see that the Captivate and Vibrant are the options being sent up to the Great North, and not the international version of the Galaxy S. It must have something to do with the 3G bands, and how they don’t have to work too hard to make them work on the Northern wireless carriers. In any event, both the Vibrant and Captivate are making their way up to Canada — this month.

The Samsung Captivate, which we’ve seen on AT&T’s network here locally for a little while now, is all set to launch on Rogers here soon. The wireless carrier says that it will have more details about its launch in the coming weeks, which suggests it will launch some time this month. It could get pushed back to September, but considering all that has to happen is rebrand the device and not install AT&T bloatware, it probably won’t take Samsung long to get enough units up there.

As for the Vibrant, that’s going to Bell Mobility. Unlike Rogers’ Galaxy S variant, the Vibrant is set to launch on August 6th. Yes, that’s tomorrow. So, if you’re in the market for a new device and you’ve been waiting one that could easily run for King of the Hill, tomorrow’s your day. It’s not even that badly priced, at $149.99 on a new, three-year contract (that’s just how they roll up there in Canada). Or, you could just drop $499 to get it without a contract. Your call. So, Canadians — Bell with their Vibrant, or Rogers with their Captivate? Which will it be?

[via Unwired View]

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Samsung Galaxy S Heads to Brazil, Brings Digital TV Along for the Ride

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 09:35 AM PDT

Another day, another announcement regarding a Galaxy S device. We’re not saying that we’re getting tired of seeing it — that’d be impossible with that screen — but it’s definitely getting kind of ridiculous. Samsung’s making sure to go to extreme lengths to make sure that everyone has the option of purchasing this device. That certainly won’t hurt Android’s numbers, that’s for sure. There’s a big difference with this device, though, which is a good thing.

The Samsung Galaxy S model (the i9000) that’s heading to Brazil is bringing along with it an ISDB-Tb Digital TV Tuner. Yep, embedded inside, and giving owners the ability to watch TV while they’re on the move. But, as for differences compared to the original Galaxy S, there aren’t any outside of the tuner. You still get the 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, the 1GHz Hummingbird processor, Android 2.1, and Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz 3.0 User Interface. You also get the ability to record video in 720p HD, it has a 3.5mm audio jack, GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi.

One thing to mention? The price. Apparently, carriers down there don’t mind that you’re going to have to pay a small fortune to get this handset. Pricing is going to be about BRL2,399. Hopefully that changes before it launches some time this month. We’ve got our fingers crossed for our Brazilian readers out there.

[via Samsung Hub]

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Google’s Nexus One Lives on as Developer Device

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 09:25 AM PDT

When Google announced that their online phone store was going to the wayside, everyone’s immediate thought wasn’t about the store itself, but more about the device it was selling: the Nexus One. We had always heard Google say that they would be selling the device outside of their store, and when the store closed its doors they again said that carriers around the world would be selling the stock Android device. While that panned out, it didn’t show up in as many places as people would like (like at T-Mobile USA). But, if you’re still interested in buying it, you can, right from Google.

That is, if you’re a developer. You’ll have to pony up the $25 fee to register as a developer, and then you’ll have to drop $529 to get the device sent to you. But, for that 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 1GHz processor, and completely “vanilla” Android experience, that’s a small price to pay, isn’t it? Plus, it’s not like you have any real options, right? We’re just excited to see that it still lives on. Comment from Google below.

“We've always offered unlocked phones for direct sale to registered Android Developers. As of today, the Developer Phone is the Nexus One, at a price of $529. To see the details or order a phone, you need to sign in to your Android developer account and click on the "Development Phones" link.

“The Nexus One combines an up-to-the-minute platform (Android 2.2), modern hardware, and the pure Google Experience software suite. It's a good choice both for people who want to build Android applications using either the SDK or the NDK, and those who want to experiment with modified versions of the Android platform. Note that the Nexus One still ships with Android 2.1 but will download 2.2 soon after you turn it on; make sure you're near a fast network.

As well as being an outstanding developer platform, it's a really nice everyday phone; we're really happy to have connected the right dots to make this happen.”

[via Android Developer Blog]

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200K Android phones sold every day

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 04:44 AM PDT

We have all heard the news that Android is growing faster than most of the other smartphone OS’ on the market. As other OS’ like Windows Mobile slip, Android is growing by leaps and bounds.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has proudly boasted that about 200,000 smartphones running Android are sold each day now. To get an idea of the growth Intomobile reports that during Q2 the number was 165,000 sold each day and back in Q1 the number sold daily was 65,000.

That means that Android devices are selling to the tune of about 18 million per quarter. Apple sells about 8.4 million iPhone per quarter making Android devices much more common than the iPhone.

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HTC Paradise and Fiesta prototypes crop up in wild

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 02:08 AM PDT

Two unannounced HTC Android prototypes have shown up in the wild, after reportedly being sold on Craigslist.  Believed by Cellpassion to be the HTC Paradise – a sliding QWERTY version of the HTC Aria – and the HTC Fiesta, the Paradise at least had been spotted in an HTC user profile back in January.

Full specs for the two handsets are unknown, but the Paradise is believed to fall in line with the Aria – a 3.2-inch display, UMTS/HSPA, WiFi and a 5-megapixel camera – only with the addition of the sliding ‘board.  The Fiesta, meanwhile, has a confirmed 3.2-megapixel camera but otherwise we’re entirely in the dark.  Previous rumors had suggested that the handset – believed to be headed to AT&T – had been axed, so it’s not clear whether this is a sign those rumors were premature or that this is an abandoned prototype.

[Thanks Baz!]

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Motorola Droid OTA Update to Android 2.2 Delayed Already, Waiting for FRG22?

Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:49 PM PDT

Rumors, you have to love them. Over the last couple of minutes here, we’ve received a couple of anonymous tips that tell us the Motorola Droid update to Android 2.2, which is supposed to be of the Over the Air variety, has already been delayed. The reason? Unnamed bugs. Yep, that same old story that we’ve heard in the past just seems to keep on kicking.

But, what makes it more interesting, is the fact that another build for the Froyo update to the original Droid, build number FRG22, might actually be the “last” one, and the OTA update is still supposed to be FRG01B, which was the original direct download. Which means Verizon and Motorola should be releasing FRG22 as the OTA update some time this week, and not the previous build. If you were someone who downloaded either version, which are both readily available out there in the Interwebs, then you should still be fine. If Verizon/Motorola are indeed holding off for FRG22 to become the “official” last build of Froyo for the Droid, then you’ve already got it. You’re good to go. And if you have the previous build, you should still get an update notification. Obviously, that last bit hasn’t been confirmed.

The reason this is all confusing, is because a tipster has helped to make the update situation all the more difficult to keep up with. The tipster, who sent in a picture to Droid-Life, says that he received the OTA update to FRG01B, but was then immediately prompted to download a security patch, which was about 1.6MB in size. It then pushed him to the newer build, FRG22. We’ve seen version numbers change at the last minute before, especially with the Nexus One in the past, so this isn’t completely unheard of. Let’s just hope it doesn’t slow down the upgraded process as a whole. Has anyone out there received the OTA notification from Verizon, and got their Froyo that way? Let us know in the comments.

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Archos 32 Media Player Now Available to Pre-Order

Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:13 PM PDT

Archos is putting a lot of faith into Android, as we’ve seen from plenty of their “tablets” (better known as Mobile Internet Devices, perhaps). So, when we finally see the Archos 32 make its way to pre-order status (after just being unveiled, in the Gen8 category of devices, mind you), with its 3.2-inch touchscreen and Android goodness, we find ourselves at a strange middlepoint. To get excited, or to not get excited, that is the question.

It makes it worse when we can’t actually see what it looks like, either. That’s the truth. But, from what we can gather about its other details, it’s not as bad as it could be. It has a 3.2-inch touchscreen, and probably the most noteworthy part of it is the Android 2.1 version of Android. It does have 802.11n WiFi integrated, and Bluetooth connectivity, so that’s pretty interesting. It does have a microphone and camera, and tucked away inside is the 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor.

So, considering that Android 2.1 OS can be upgraded to Android 2.2 (no dates, of course), and with the processor tucked away in there, is the Archos 32 something you might be interested in? It has 8GB of onboard storage, mind you. And for only $147.00, it may not be that bad of a deal, after all. Who’s pre-ordering?

[via Engadget]

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Android 2.1 Now on Almost 60% of Devices

Posted: 04 Aug 2010 01:35 PM PDT

Already? Didn’t we just showcase a pie chart from Google, showing where the state of Android is, and all of its versions released out into the world? Surely we did. But, apparently the numbers have changed enough that Google feels it’s that time again, and we can’t argue with Google. So, here we are with another chart.

As it stands right now, Android 1.5 is still on 15.3% of devices; while Android 1.6 is on 20.3%. Android 2.1 gets a new record set, as it’s now on 59.7% of devices. (That’s pretty big, if you ask us.) Now, Android 2.2 has certainly climbed a bit, as it is now present on 4.5% of Android-based devices. Of course, we should already expect a new pie chart here soon, as the Android 2.2 update has just recently been released for the EVO 4G, will be released for the original Motorola Droid, and will be updated on the Motorola Droid X here probably by the end of August. And let’s not forget all those Samsung Galaxy S devices, either. Ah, the anticipation!

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TCBY Thinks Android 2.2 is Sweet

Posted: 04 Aug 2010 12:22 PM PDT

We all know that Google loves their deserts, especially when it comes to delicious ones. Apparently, one of their favorites is Frozen Yogurt, because that’s the codename that Android 2.2 has taken upon itself. Froyo, as we’ve all come to know it as, is already released onto many devices in the market (even ones that many didn’t think would get it for months), and by now the name of Froyo is pretty common knowledge as it relates to Android. Even TCBY caught on.

In a grass field right next to the Google campus, TCBY managed to get their point across quite well. “TCBY frozen yogurt: We think the new Android 2.2 Fro-yo upgrade is sweet!” You should be able to spot this from Google Earth, which would be fitting. Have to love that frozen yogurt goodness, right?

[via Phandroid]

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Sprint Unleashing Samsung Epic 4G News Soon?

Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:49 AM PDT

The Samsung Fascinate for Verizon just broke cover, and now we are hearing that Sprint is getting ready to announce something involving their own Samsung Galaxy S variant, the Epic 4G. Of all the Galaxy S models that made it State-side, the Epic 4G is definitely the most unique, from both the physical aesthetics, to the fact that it will be rocking on Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network.

Thanks to Samsung’s Galaxy S official Facebook account, we can safely say that Sprint is getting ready to announce something. What could it be? We imagine that it’s going to be something along the lines of a release date, and probably the pricing. But, then again, it could be anything — like reminding folks that the device exists at all. But, with that 1GHz Hummingbird processor, its 4-inch Super AMOLED display and the physical landscape-slider QWERTY keyboard, we don’t imagine that it’s fallen off the radar quite yet.

[via Samsung Galaxy S Facebook]

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Samsung Fascinate and Samsung Gem Pose for Photoshoot

Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:42 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy S is a pretty impressive device. We all know this. Even if its marred by its intricacies, it still manages to stand out amongst the bolstering Android crowd with its feature set. And, while we’ve had plenty of time to spend with the AT&T branded Captivate, and the T-Mobile variant, the Vibrant, the Fascinate for Verizon Wireless has been a hidden body, shadowed by an unknown release date. While that hasn’t changed with this latest batch of images, at least we get to see it. Oh, and the Samsung Gem, too.

The Samsung Fascinate is the Samsung Galaxy S. We know this. It’s had its body changed around a bit, but for the most part, it’s the same device. It still features a 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display, the 1GHz Hummingbird processor under the hood, and the TouchWiz 3.0 User Interface skinned over Android 2.1. It can also record video at 720p HD. According to IntoMobile, the Fascinate is actually slated to be released at the end of September. While that’s pretty disheartening, it makes perfect sense. With the Droid X still fresh in the consumer mind, and the Droid 2 just right around the corner, waiting to launch another high profile Android device just makes sense. What that means for you, Samsung: get Android 2.2 on it before release, or it just won’t matter.

As for the Samsung Gem, we’re looking at an entry-level Samsung manufactured Android-based device. It obviously still features TouchWiz 3.0, and it has a slightly smaller display. Other than that, there’s not many more details on the device. It’s apparently coming out at the beginning of September, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it flew in under the radar.

[via IntoMobile]

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