Friday 5 November 2010

Android Community

Android Community

Android Community


Android-based iDect iHome Phone… for your Landline?

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 11:14 AM PDT

Well if this isn’t a strange device for the mobile world, I don’t know what is. Behold this Android-based home phone, the iDect iHome Phone. It has a modern Contacts Manager, old school 14 minute answering machine (yet it’s digital,) caller ID, alarm, clock, callendar, and a battery that can reach 80 hours of stand-by or 8 hours of talk per charge. Will it take off into outer space for just around 100 Euros? Take a look a the rest of the details and decide for yourself.

Binatone presents this device for landlines with many features normally reserved for Android-powered mobiles. Features such as Wifi connectivity (802.11 b/g), a 2.8-inch 320 x 240 resolution color touchscreen display and a microSD memory card slot. It’s also got some apps, apps such as an email client, web browser, internet radio, YouTube video player, and an MP3 player. And of course it runs some unknown version of Android. Take a look at the full specs here or at BinatoneTelecom:

DECT digital cordless phone
DECT CAT-iq 2.0
Android Operating System
Wi-Fi connection (802.11 b/g)
2.8″/ 7.1cm diagonal touchscreen (320 x 240 pixels)
Auto-rotate landscape / portrait orientation
Memory Card: Micro SD
Internet Browser (HTML, WAP)
Email client
Widgets and RSS feeds (Weather, News, Sport, Finance)
Internet Radio
YouTube video player
Music Player (MP3)
Built-in stereo speakers in docking station
Headphone connection on handset
Picture Viewer (Jpeg)
Contacts Manager (300 entries for phonebook and email)
14 minute digital answer machine
Handsfree speakerphone
Call waiting caller ID
Logs your last 50 calls
Last 30 number redial
20 Polyphonic ringtones
Alarm/ Clock/ Calendar
Up to 80 hours standby time
Up to 8 hours talk time
Answer machine
Caller display
Color display

[Via UberGizmo]

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Rogers 4th Quarter Roadmap Reveals Galaxy Tab and Dell Streak

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Boy Genius Report just got in a massive series of tips of devices coming to Rogers Canada. Among the many tips the ones that caught our interest were the ones revolving around the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Dell Streak apparently set to hit the carrier this year.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab, which was expected to hit the carrier, will be launching with rumored pricing of $299 on a two-year, and $199.99 on a three-year contract.

More interestingly, the Dell Streak, which was rumored to also be coming, has gotten a confirmed price range. Starting a $149.99 with a 3-year contract and $549.99 contract free we should be seeing the device hit the carrier this year, as well.

[Via BGR]

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Strange Combo Carried by Phones4U: Samsung Galaxy Tab and Commtiva N700

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 10:48 AM PDT

You’ve got your choice of the probably-soon-to-be-wildly-popular Samsung Galaxy Tab or the tablet I’m going to guess most people don’t know about, the Commtiva N700, both of them advertised side-by-side. Feel free to drive on over to the website and compare and contrast or feel free to get them BOTH if you love to get everything all at once, get them cheaper if you take up an additional mobile phone contract.

I just love it when advertisements have big blasts in them, don’t you? I added an additional explosion in the background so you can get the full effect of the tablet revolution, which has, if you hadn’t noticed, completely arrived. You probably already know a lot about the Tab, so incase you’re interested in the Commtiva, here’s some details: It’s a 7″ model running Android 2.2 Froyo, has a capacitive 800×480 display and costs around £349. You can also purchase this device from Play.com for about £329.99. See the Phones4U tab section at Phones4u.co.uk The rest of the Commtiva specs:

Chipset: Qualcomm MSM7227 600MHz / 256KB L2 Cache
WAN: GSM Quad-band, UMTS Band I, II, VIII
Memory: 512MB RAM + 4GB MicroSD (Up to 32GB Micro SD)
O.S.: Android 2.2 With 2D UI
Display: 7 inch 800 x 480 WVGA Capacitive Multi-Touch
Camera: 3MP AF, EDOF Optics (Back) / VGA (front)
WiFi: 802.11b/g
Bluetooth: 2.1 +EDR
GPS: GPS With AGPS Quickfix
Video/Graphics: 30fps WVGA encode/decode, Quallcomm Adreno, 32M triangles/sec, OpenGL ES v2.0 / Open VG1.1 / SVG Tiny v1.2
Battery: 3240mAh
Misc: Mini USB2.0 / 3.5mm Audio Jack / G-Sensor + E-Compass
Accessories: 2A Charger / USB Cable / Headset / Leather Booklet / Cradle
Multimedia Playback: AAC LC/LTP, AAC+, enhanced AAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MP3, Midi, OggVorbis, PCM/Wave, JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG, H.264, H.264 AVC, MPEG4-SP, WMA, WMV
Dimension (mm): 179.4 x 110 x 11.5
Weight: 370g

[Via EuroDroid]

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Droid 2 Global spotted in Verizon Holiday Lineup

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 10:44 AM PDT

We have heard a lot about the DROID 2 Global over the last few weeks. We have even seen a lot of it. Now it looks as if it’s making another surprise appearance on Verizon’s holiday gifts page.

Labeled there as the “DROID 2″ we notice there is something strange about the picture. The phone pictured has a metallic rim. We have seen this before, and it definitely looks like the white Droid 2 Global we have seen hit the net as well as would match the SKUs that were released confirming a white device.

Another interesting point to note is that it’s the only device in that lineup without it’s own separate solo photoshoot! We’re fully expecting this to replace the DROID 2, officially, November 11th. Announcement, please?

[Via Verizon]

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Motorola Droid Pro for Verizon Training and Promotional Documents Landing in Stores

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 10:36 AM PDT

By now, there’s no shadow of doubt that the Motorola Droid Pro is coming. And, it’s heading to Verizon. We know all of that, but there’s no reason to stop taking in the leaked documents, information, and promotional materials about the device, now is there? Because, there’s more, and we’re sure there’s going to be even more soon enough, before Verizon finally decides to make the device official.

This time around, we’ve got a batch of promotional materials, along with paperwork that could work as training documentation for customers, as well as Verizon employees. The materials are meant to help Verizon employees get ready for the customers, and their inevitable questions, but it’s also a good thing to hand out to customers, too, so they have something to take home that will help them learn how to use their phone.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing on the documentation that tells us when we should expect to the see the Droid Pro land in stores. We’re still thinking it’s going to be November 18th, but we can certainly hope it’s before that.

[via Android Mixer]

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Invitations go out to DRIOID owners for “Android Smartphone Workshop”

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 10:35 AM PDT

Verizon is now texting owners of it’s DROID handsets an invitation to attend the first “Android Smartphone workshop” that will take place on November 8th.


The event is open to registration now and will be free of charge. At 11am, when the event starts, expect to learn tips and tricks, about popular apps, saving battery life and more from Verizon’s team of experts.

Anyone planning on going?

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/workshops to register!

[Via DroidLife]

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Opera Mobile 10.1 beta Coming November 9th

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 10:30 AM PDT

For all you folks out there who love going to the Opera to see your internets, especially through your phone, you’re in luck, because Opera Mobile 10.1 beta is coming soon to a download near you. Opera Mobile is Opera’s full internet browser for mobile devices. What you might not know is that Opera also has a web browser by the name “Opera Mini.” What Opera Mini is is a browser that instead of using your phone’s hardware to download and display webpages, uses Opera’s server compression tech to make the content compressed before it even reaches you, the rendering engine being on Opera’s server. Which is right for you? Navigate your phone over to m.opera.com and Opera will tell YOU. Otherwise feel free to take a guess and manually download for yourself.

The newest version of Opera Mobile comes out soon, but not soon enough! While you wait the agonizing 4 days until the release date, you can enter a fun little Android wallpaper contest where you’ve got to use this Opera Android guy in an image that can be use as, yes, a wallpaper, and you can win a Samsung Galaxy S! Super exciting, find the contest on the Choose Opera blog.

[Via Opera]

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Unbranded HTC Legend Android 2.2 Froyo Update Soon

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 10:14 AM PDT

Mobile phone company HTC confirms through Facebook message that those fans with unbranded HTC Legend handsets wont have long to wait for their update to Android 2.2 Froyo. Within the next couple of weeks, owners of the unbranded version of the HTC Legent will have the update, with those people carrying branded versions of the phone (like the Vodafone version, for example,) should be receiving the update after it’s been approved by their chosen carrier.

A message was sent including the following text to fans of HTC on Facebook, info which includes news of the impending update:

We know that a number of you have been very vocal about wanting an update for your Legend. First and foremost, we would like to apologize for not responding to your ongoing pleas about the update. But we have been listening. We have been working hard to find the most accurate information about how the update is progressing, and when it will be ready for all of you – thankfully, you won't have to wait much longer!

The update has been progressing quite well, and in the coming weeks those with unbranded Legends should be receiving the update.

For those of you with carrier-branded versions of Legend there will be a slightly longer wait," warns HTC. "Once we finalize the update within HTC, the software must then go through the appropriate approval process at each carrier that supports Legend on their network. This is the same process for all of our handsets, and Legend is no different.

Once our update has been approved by your specific carrier, you should then receive your software update. How long this process takes can vary, but our team is close to finishing the update and will then work with individual carriers for approval."

[Via Pocket Lint]

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LG Vortex Breaks Cover in Comparison Chart

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 06:34 AM PDT

Here we are again with another comparison chart, showcasing plenty of Android devices. This time around, while the chart is from Verizon, it’s not all in-house devices, as the Motorola Citrus is being compared to the Samsung Vibrant (T-Mobile), the Motorola Backflip (AT&T), and HTC Hero with Google (Sprint). But, there’s one device that the Citrus is being compared to one Verizon, and it’s called the LG Vortex.

The Vortex apparently features Android 2.2 right out of the box, and will let you interact with it on a 3.2-inch touchscreen. On the back, you’ll find a 3.2MP camera, and the display’s resolution is 320 x 240. As is happening on several new Android-based devices, especially those launched on Verizon, the LG Vortex will also feature the SWYPE keyboard preloaded.

The device will also launch with Verizon’s VCAST App Store, as well as have a 2GB microSD card included in the box. And yes, there will be Bing preloaded on the Vortex as well. Word has it that the device is going to launch on Verizon’s network on November 18th, so that’s looking to be a very busy day for Verizon employees.

[via Android Central]

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Motorola Droid X Receiving Update to Android 2.2.1 in the Near Future?

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 06:28 AM PDT

For quite a few people out there, the update to Android 2.2 wasn’t as silky smooth as Motorola probably had hoped it would be, so it’s no surprise that Motorola would be pushing hard to get another update to the handsets out there in the wild, hoping to fix plenty of bugs that people report every day. If this new image is any indicator, then it looks like the update is coming soon.

Of course, take this with a grain of salt, as nothing has been confirmed by Motorola or Verizon, and the above image can be faked easily enough. With that being said, if the image is true, then the Droid X should be expecting an update to Android 2.2.1, which should primarily focus on fixing bugs. An update like this could also mean that Verizon’s VCAST App Store could be making its appearance on the device, too.

There’s no word on when the update, if it’s real, is going to land on the majority of devices out there, but if you’ve got yourself a Droid X, it looks like you could be in line for another OTA update. Excited?

[via
My Droid World]

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Android steals ground from RIM according to comScore

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 05:10 AM PDT

ComScore offers up a plethora of metrics that will tell you what is going on in just about any market in the tech world. The latest figures from the company for the mobile phone market have been offered and Android has continued its stellar growth.

Most of that growth has come to the detriment of RIM’s Blackberry smartphones. For the quarter ending in September RIM was the leading smartphone in the US at 37.3% of the market. However, that market share dropped 2.8% from the previous quarter. At the same time, Android grew 6.5% in the same period to grab 21.4% of the overall smartphone market in the US.

The iPhone staid the same for the recent quarter compared to the previous with 24.3% of the market. Samsung was the top phone maker in the country followed by LG and Motorola. Many of those companies are helped by robust Android catalogs.

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StumbleUpon for Android gets an update

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 05:02 AM PDT

You might be familiar with the StumbleUpon app for Android that has been around for a while now. The app has always let you find new photos, video, and websites to peruse based on recommendations grabbed from your preferences. The recommendations are also based on other users with similar preferences.

The app has been updated and in addition to recommending the stuff it has always offered, the app will now recommend apps too. That is a very nice update considering finding good and useful apps can be a serious challenge.

StumbleUpon recommends apps by looking at what you have already installed and what apps users with similar preferences have installed. The App Discovery feature is a beta offering right now.

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Rumor pegs Android 2.3 Gingerbread SDK ready on November 11

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 04:55 AM PDT

There are hoards of Android geeks out there that count the days and wait with baited breath for news of new updates to the OS coming in the pipe. A new rumor has surfaced that fingers November 11 as the day the Android 2.3 SDK is going to be ready.

Gingerbread was previously thought to be landing as version 3.0 and be a major update to the OS. However, the recent details and rumors are pointing to more of an incremental update for Gingerbread with Honeycomb that is more tablet friendly being the big overhaul and getting 3.0 status.

However, 2.3 is expected to have more tablet friendly features in the OS than the existing versions. This is a big deal since many makers are pushing out Android tablets even though Google says existing Android versions are not tablet friendly.

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SlashGear Reviews myTouch 4G

Posted: 05 Nov 2010 12:05 AM PDT

Looks like our man in the field Vincent has his hands on the fabulous new T-Mobile myTouch 4G – a full touchscreen 1GHz CPU machine with twin cameras for video calls and photography and 5oz of nicely curved 3.8-inch TFT-LCD monitor-having goodness. A very crisp and hand-friendly device complete with T-Mobile’s “Genius” key, optical trackpad, quality plastics and metal all around, 1GHz Snapdragon MSM8255 processor (the same that HTC used in the Desire HD,) and a chunky 768MB of RAM.

When Vincent Nguyen says the T-Mobile myTouch 4G is one of the best Android devices on the market today, I’m inclined to agree with him. He says it’s heavy (and that you might like that,) HSPA+ is, if you’re in the correct area, satisfyingly fast, and that the only thing comparable in T-Mobile’s 4G range is the keyboard-havin T-Mobile G2 (I can assure you it’s got some teeth.) Take a look at the full post: [myTouch 4G Review], or just watch the hands-on video here while you’re running out the door to stand in line to get one of these, wherever you might go to do that.

[Via SlashGear]

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Droid X spotted on How I met Your mother

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 07:36 PM PDT

Another Android Celebrity sighting! Back in early october we saw the Evo 4G guest star on the Fox show Fringe. This time it’s not Fox who has the Android phone, but CBS on the popular show How I met Your Mother. You were most likely watching it like myself since its a pretty funny show and hey it’s got Neil Patrick Harris in it.

One of the main characters,ted or commonly known as Josh Radnor outside of the show, was holding a Droid X when spotted in the picture above. This just helps show that Android’s overall popularity has gone up and is now appearing more and more each day on national television tv series. Let us know if you have spotted any Android devices on any recent shows in the comments section below. In the meantime we will keep you updated on celebrity sightings with Android phones.

Via [AndroidCentral]

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Grab the Droid Incredible for $100 this weekend from bestbuy.

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 07:20 PM PDT

And it is Bestbuy yet again coming up with some big deals. After the Free Phone Fridays had ended, BestBuy puts the Droid Incredible on sale for $100 for this weekend. This is a sure grab for those of you who are looking for a high-end Android device and happen to be on Verizon as well. The normal price is $199.

I highly recommend looking into this deal if you plan on getting a new phone since it is great with its recent upgrade to Android OS 2.2(Froyo). Remember this phone will only be $100 on a new 2 year contract or to someone who is available for an upgrade. This deal might end after this weekend so if your going to get the phone, hop on it. Even though Verizon has a few new phones coming up this holiday season, the Incredible is still a big competitor and a high-end device.

Via [BestBuy]

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SoundHound Music App to be integrated into HTC Android Devices

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 06:51 PM PDT

For those of you that aren’t yet familiar with SoundHound, it is a popular music detection app. It competes with its biggest rival Shazam to be the best music detection app for the Android platform. The app looks to become even more popular with its recent partnership with HTC. Their partnership will bring the app’s service to every HTC phone that runs Android OS.

They weren’t clear on whether or no this partnership would include previous devices or just new devices. As we wait for a lil more info for the HTC users, go ahead and check out SoundHound below and scan the barcode to jump to the market and let us know what you think of this app and how it will affect HTC. The full press release is available below if your interested as well.

Via [PressRelease]

SoundHound Announces Global Partnership with HTC
SoundHound's music search & discovery to be embedded in HTC Android devices
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SoundHound Inc., the revolutionary sound search company, and HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today announced a partnership to embed SoundHound's music search and discovery application in HTC's handsets. Initially beginning in Europe, the partnership will expand to other regions in the future.
"Partnering with HTC to make SoundHound available on HTC's Android handsets is a great win for both companies," said Amir Arbabi, vice president, business development, SoundHound Inc. "SoundHound makes music search and discovery on mobile devices fast, accurate and delightful. Working with a global innovator like HTC extends our leadership as we continue to expand the adoption of our technologies and services around the world."
"HTC is focused on improving the mobile experience for our customers and a key part of that is with music," said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. "We are excited to be working with SoundHound, a leader in music search and discovery to raise the bar for the search and discovery of music on HTC phones."
The first series of HTC handset models enabled with SoundHound are HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z. Additional handsets will be supported in the near future.
About SoundHound Inc.
SoundHound delivers innovative technologies and compelling user experiences in sound recognition, revolutionizing the way people interact with connected devices.
SoundHound's breakthrough Sound2Sound technology searches sound against sound, bypassing traditional sound to text conversion techniques even when searching text databases. Sound2Sound has resulted in numerous breakthroughs including the world's fastest music recognition, the world's only viable singing and humming search, and instant-response large scale speech recognition systems.
SoundHound has produced multiple award-winning applications in music and voice search on platforms including iOS, Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices. SoundHound also has numerous partnerships with global companies, including leading device manufacturers and operators.
Headquartered in San Jose, California, SoundHound is backed by leading Silicon Valley investors, including Global Catalyst Partners, TransLink Capital and Walden Venture Capital. For more information, visit www.soundhound.com.

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Firefox 4 Beta for Android receives an update

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 03:40 PM PDT

Usually 3rd party browsers are looked over by the masses because the browser their device shipped with simply gets the job done. Firefox 4 for Android is looking to take some of the Android mobile browser market share away from the default browser making it’s browser the best on the Android platform.

The app just received an update bringing in many welcome changes. On top of some general speed boosts (40% quicker load times on some pages) we learn that it’s about 25-percent quicker than the stock Android Browser!


Full list of updates:

  • Reduced install size by 60% on Android
  • JavaScript performance is improved. Now 25% faster than stock browser on SunSpider.
  • Page loads are now around 40% faster than in beta 1
  • Battery usage has been reduced
  • Fixed problems that would cause you to get a black screen when launching the app
  • Reduced memory footprint
  • Improved text spacing
  • Now localized in 10 languages
  • New theme
  • You can now undo closing a tab
  • The native Android sharing system is now used when you share a link
  • Desktop notifications are now supported
  • Finger friendly video controls
  • Content crashes will no longer take down the whole browser
  • Users will now be prompted to submit crash reports when the browser crashes
  • Beta tester tools for Android
  • Faster and more accurate multitouch zoom
  • Geolocation now works on Android

You can download the Firefox 4 for Android Beta, for free, here.

[Via Mozilla Blog]

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Motorola Defy Takes a Swim [Video]

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:35 PM PDT

The Motorola Defy is known for it’s “ultra rugged” design making it “virtually lifeproof.” Now most phones are usually a little bit more generous in their advertising campaigns claiming things that are only borderline true. But with it’s unique rugged outer shell and Gorilla Glass Display, it is truly proving to be a very durable device.

We got our Motorola Defy and we wanted to test to what extent it’s resistance to water. What better to test this than throwing it in a pool and examining the results. That’s exactly what we did, and the best part- we caught it on video for your viewing pleasure.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Even the dropping in the pool didn’t harm the device, because it’s ultra rugged! This was the Motorola DEFY alone, no cases or anything. Looking pretty impressive, this is one of the first phones that brings durability and doesn’t look like it belongs on a construction site.

Our official review of the device should be coming here shortly, too- so keep an eye out for that in the coming days!

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Droid 2 Global coming November 11th?

Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:07 PM PDT

The DROID 2 Global has sure been the focus of the internet lately. First with rumors that it was going to replace the DROID 2 (it will) then with rumors that it will be coming in 2 colors (blue and white) other than the rumors of it’s specs and color we have heard little of a release date, besides “soon.”

According to leaked shot, now it seems that it will be launching on Verizon November 11th. Only the blue version of the phone is mentioned so we can at least hope to see the Droid 2 Global hitting the network this month with possibly the white model coming later.

[Via Engadget]

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