Tuesday 16 November 2010

Android Community

Android Community

ACCESS Launches NetFront Life Mobile Browser for Android Devices – Free for Download

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 10:56 AM PST

This is the first ACCESS web browser ever offered from the group, and it’s free to download directly from the Android market. ACCESS promises that this browser will meet or exceeds the capabilities of all mobile browsers announced any time recently. That’s a hefty claim! Let’s see if they can do it! Inside you’ll find Unified Navigation, Single-Handed Zoom, Visual Page Loading, Tilt Mode, Scrapbook, and Checkmarks, amongst other features I’m sure.

Let’s go through each of these: Unified Navigation: this means that everything is available on a single screen: tabs, browse history, favorites, and scrapbook. Usually this is too much for a single screen – do they fix it up nice? Next is Single Handed Zoom: this essentially means there are buttons available to zoom in and out using one finger rather than than two – incase, they say, “you are riding the subway or train.” You need ALL fingers for that, to be sure. After that, Visual Page Loading: instead of having little or no gauge of how long it’ll take to load a page or if the page is even loading, this system creates a thumbnail of the page as soon as 3 seconds of web page loading is exceeded.

After that, the very interesting Tilt Mode, which ACCESS says is the best way to view a large web site, better than portrait, better than landscape, providing the optimal readability-lines ratio. Next is Scrapbook, which seems to efficiently collect different parts of the internet for you by you simply circling what you want to keep. Finally, Checkmarks: marking pages for later reading and/or reference.

Does it all add up? Take a look for yourself, it’s free! Just find it in the Android market, download, and you’re on your way!

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Angry Birds Update Gets Mod to Optimize Gameplay and Hide Ads

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 10:32 AM PST

Hooray! All of you playing Angry Birds on your Android Device more than likely know about the update that came earlier this month giving you 45 extra levels and a big fat extra bird to work with. If you do, you know that this addition not only ads more advertisements to your game (in a really inappropriate place in the top right corner,) but the app is, for many players, choppier and more lagged than the pre-update version. Yuck! But you need your birds, you can’t live without your birds, and you need to smash you some pigs! So what did XDA forum member theimpaler747 do? He made a mod!

This mod not only erases the advertisements getting in the way of your gameplay, it speeds up your play as well, getting rid of all that laggy crappiness and make it all smooth for you again. Get really smooth. Take a look over in this XDA thread for more info on installing, and as always, be careful and remember this is a hack, not an official update.

[Via XDA Developers Forum]

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Advent Vega Tegra 2 tablet listed at PC World

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 09:37 AM PST

PC World’s Advent Vega tablet has been listed at the UK retailer’s site, though the 10-inch Android slate isn’t yet available to purchase. Priced at £249 ($396), the Vega promises up to 6.5hrs of HD video playback or 16hrs of audio-only music, and is based on NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 chipset.

There’s also a 4GB memory card in the box, and the Vega itself has WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, HDMI, USB and a webcam. More details in our hands-on report.

[Thanks Brett!]

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Eric Schmidt Nexus S video now online

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 07:28 AM PST

Eric Schmidt bringing along the Samsung Nexus S to Web 2.0 was only a semi-surprise, but it’s still the first official outing for the Android handset. If you want to relive the moment, O’Reilly Media has thrown the footage up on their YouTube event page.

It’s actually the full 45 minute sit-down with Schmidt, and is worth a watch if you’re curious about the Google CEO’s attitudes to mobile and open-source. Alternatively, the Nexus S shows up in the first few minutes of the clip.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Thanks Paul!]

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NOOK Color Android ereader shipping now

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 07:14 AM PST

Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Color Android-based ereader is shipping early, with pre-order customers getting their hands on the 7-inch device over the next few days. Meanwhile it’s also expected to show up – in limited numbers – in retail stores, including Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Walmart and Books-A-Million.

Order online today, meanwhile, and B&N reckon you’ll see your NOOK Color sometime in the week of November 26. Your $249 gets you a color touchscreen and a platform modders are already eager to get their hands on.

[via SlashGear]

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LG’s Tegra 2 Android phone leaks with Full HD support

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 07:03 AM PST

LG’s promised Tegra 2 Android smartphone has leaked, and according to the specs it looks like it will be quite the beast. Engadget‘s tipster slipped them the shots, along with word that the smartphone will have an 8-megapixel rear camera, front-facing webcam and HDMI port capable of 1080p full HD, and is internally referred to as the LG “Star”.

There’s also a 1,500 mAh battery, microUSB, microSD and an unspecified version of Android which is “nearly” unchanged from stock. No word on pricing or availability, but we’re excited already.

[via SlashGear]

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Cobra iRadar heading to Android in 2011

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 05:04 AM PST

Cobra has been making radar detectors for just about as long as the devices have been out. The company announced a new detector called the iRadar for the iPhone a while back. Cobra has now announced that in early 2011 it will be launching iRadar for Android devices as well.

The iRadar app allows a radar detector module to interface with an Android smartphone via Bluetooth. Cobra will officially unveil the iRadar app in January at CES. The app uses Bluetooth to interface with the radar detector and shows alerts and settings right on the smartphone.

The app also allows interface with the Cobra AURA Camera and Driver Hazard database. That allows the thing to get alerts for speed cameras and more. Cobra’s iRadar for Android will have a MSRP of $169.95 and will ship in Q1 2011.

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Giftmeister for Android helps you find the perfect gift at the right price for the holidays

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 04:28 AM PST

Holiday shopping can be a big pain in the rear when you aren't sure what to get someone and you are on a limited budget. A new app for the Android user has been unveiled called Giftmeister. The app is designed to help the Android user find the perfect gift to give someone while staying within their budget.

The app is a social shopping network that makes it easy to find and buy all sorts of gifts and more. The app is location aware, can direct you to local stores for shopping, and has a product finder. The product finder uses the gender, age, price range, and lifestyle interests to help you choose the perfect gift.

Other features of the app include a price alert system that will notify you when a price changes. The app also allows for wish lists so you can create a personal wish list for buying later. Product reviews and ratings are also included to help you make informed buying decisions. The app can be downloaded right now.

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Swedish firm outs world’s first Android TV

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 03:35 AM PST

We heard about the People of Lava Android TV back in April. The set is making waves again with a larger 55-inch model that is like hanging a big Android phone on the wall according to the oddly named firm behind the TV. As of right now, the set is only offered in Scandinavia, but the firm hopes to roll the sets out to the US later.

The 55-inch set runs Android 1.5 and has its own app store where the user can download things for the TV. The catch is that there is only about 20 apps available right now, but over 1,000 are expected before the end of 2010. The keyboard for the TV has an integrated keyboard and there is plans for an app that will let users control the set with their Android phone.

The TV has an industrial design ad is offered in white, black, or grey colors. The 55-inch set is €4,257 so it’s not cheap. When these sets first broke cover, Google TV wasn’t around. People of Lava reckon that the better name recognition for Android in TV will make it easier to sell their gear. The company only talks about its own app store for the TVs, but if it runs Android, I would think it could access the Android Market, unless the maker has blocked that access somehow.

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Aigo aigopad N700 Tegra 2 tablet launches

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 02:14 AM PST

Aigo’s aigopad N700 has finally gone on sale, albeit in Asia for the moment, with the 7-inch multitouch MID getting a welcome makoever from when we last saw renders. The 380g unit runs Android 2.1 on an NVIDIA  Tegra 2 processor, with 512MB of RAM, up to 32GB of storage and an HDMI output.

Connectivity includes WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and 3G for voice and data, along with USB, audio in/out and docking connectors. There’s also a 1.3-megapixel webcam, accelerometer and digital compass, together with a custom Freedom River UI of Aigo’s own making.

No official word on battery life, though Aigo is apparently saying the N700 will last for up to sixty days in standby. It’s priced at 2999 yuan ($452); no talk of when a North American or European launch may take place.

aigo_n700_android_tablet_1 aigo_n700_android_tablet_2 aigo_n700_android_tablet_3 aigo_n700_android_tablet_4 aigo_n700_android_tablet_5

[via Pocketables]

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Google Maps 4.7 released with Hotpot shared recommendations

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 12:50 AM PST

Google has pushed out Google Maps 4.7, complete with integration with the company’s new Hotpot rating and recommendation engine. Available through the Android Market, Google Maps 4.7 adds a new homescreen widget that allows for instant rating of places; those ratings are then used to further customize your search results.

However, as you build up friends in Hotpot, the scores also help them find places; meanwhile their ratings and feedback shape your search results. Google Maps 4.7 is a free download now.

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LG Vortex due Nov 18; 1m Optimus One smartphones sold in a month

Posted: 16 Nov 2010 12:40 AM PST

LG has confirmed that the Verizon version of their Optimus One Android smartphone – the Verizon Vortex – will land on November 18; meanwhile, in just over a month, the company has shifted one million of the devices. That includes Optimus One sales, together with Sprint and T-Mobile USA’s own versions, the Optimus S and Optimus T.

In fact, LG reckons that by the time it has finished rolling the Optimus One out across the 120 carriers and partners it has planned, it will be the company’s first 10m-sales smartphone. More details on the LG Optimus One here.

LG Optimus One demo:

Press Release:

LG OPTIMUS ONE HITS 1 MILLION SALES WORLDWIDE
 Popular Android 2.2 Smartphone Sets Company Sales Record in Just Over One Month

SEOUL, Nov. 16, 2010 – LG Electronics (LG) today announced that worldwide sales of its Optimus One smartphone have hit one million units just 40 days after the phone's initial launch. Now available in most of Europe, Asia-Pacific countries and the USA* , the Optimus One is the fastest selling mobile handset in the company's history.

Powered by the Android 2.2 "Froyo" OS and optimized for Google Mobile Services, the LG Optimus One has been a big hit with first-time smartphone buyers looking for high performance and useful applications in a handset priced very competitively to feature phones.

"The versatile, powerful LG Optimus One was designed to provide an easy transition into the world of smartphones and as these numbers demonstrate, there is obviously a strong demand for this type of device," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Optimus One seems to be what many customers were waiting for, proving that smartphones aren't just for early adopters anymore."

One of the first smartphones to launch with Google's latest operating system, the Optimus One allows for up to three times faster internet browsing, web-page loading, and multi-tasking. The Optimus One also incorporates a unique LG-designed user-interface (UI) along with a camera that features face tracking and smile shot, a 3.2" wide HVGA screen and a long-lasting 1500mAh capacity battery.
With a nod to style-conscious users, LG's new smartphone comes in a wide range of color schemes including black, wine, titan, blue, silver and purple. Exact color availability will vary from market to market.

With the global roll-out still under way, the Optimus One will soon be available via 120 carriers and partners. LG expects Optimus One to be its first 10 million-seller smartphone.

* In the United States also known as Optimus S (Sprint) and Optimus T (T-mobile) with Vortex™ (Verizon) to be launched on November 18.

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Motorola Droid Pro gets benchmarks

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 06:28 PM PST

The recently released Motorola Droid Pro has just gotten through with its benchmark tests, and the results are in. I must say, the results are pretty impressive. The Droid pro runs on a 1GHz processor on a 3.1-inch touchscreen with 320×480 resolution.

The Motorola Droid Pro scored a 1539, which is higher than the Droid X and the Nexus One on Froyo. Keep in mind that these benchmarks don’t mean everything when it comes to a phone’s performance, there are alot of other things to take into account as well. As you can see in the video below, the guys at Android Central run some games on it pretty easily. One of the games, Need for Speed: Shift, is included in the game and is said to work well, and don’t worry Angry Birds works perfectly fine as well(sigh of relief). Check out our hands-on video over at Slashgear and keep an eye out for a review of the device coming soon. Full video of benchmarks is available below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via [Android Central]

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Bootlace creators to bring Froyo to iPhone 4 and iPad

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 06:12 PM PST

After hearing recently that the iPhone 3G can run Android 2.2(Froyo), we have some more great news for apple users who want to mix things up on their device. The guys who have brought OpeniBoot Bootlace to the iPhone 3G have been working very hard to bring Froyo to the iPad and iPhone 4

OpeniBoot is an application that allows users of the device to upload an unsigned code, such as Android OS, onto their device that is running iOS. This application can be downloaded via the Cydia appstore on jailbroken devices. Keep in mind that this application will only work on the iPhone 2G, 3G, and first gen iPod touch as well. Hopefully these hard working hackers will bring Froyo to our iPads and iPhone 4s. Check out the video below and only attempt to upload Android on your iOS device if you absolutely know what you are doing.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via [Redmond Pie]

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Gingerbread Confirmed Today, working on Nexus S, as Presented by Google CEO Eric Schmidt at Web 2.0

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 06:11 PM PST

So if you were watching a live stream of (or were AT) the Web 2.0 Conference 2010 listening to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, you saw him whip out not only the new legendary super secret phone, but Android 2.3 Gingerbread as well. Amongst the new features included in the Gingerbread update are support for NFC enhanced device interaction and RFID tags. Buying things with your phone, attempting (without saying it,) to get to that point before Apple fully arrives. Schmidt noted that this technology (using NFC and RFID to pay for everything) will eventually replace the credit card. Gingerbread, Schmidt says, will be rolling out in the next few weeks.

The Nexus S he held aloft Schmidt called an “unannounced phone” from an “announced manufacturer.” The manufacturer of course, is T-Mobile, and he says it’s ready to go with NFC technology. The logo seemed to be taped over, but up in the right hand corner of the screen you were able to see the T-Mobile logo clearly. After speaking a bit more about the importance of the future, Schmidt was asked about improvements he’d like to see done better with Android, he said : "There's a set of things that the iPhone did a brilliant job of doing on a closed system… but that the next real focus is on the application layer. You have to establish volume first, which is what we've done…We think Android will be a leading platform, if not the leading platform." – Thank you The Next Web for the exact wording. Also thanks to IntoMobile for the screengrab.

[Via Web 2.0 Summit 2010]

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Sprint Galaxy Tab gets OTA update, doesn’t work

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 05:37 PM PST

The newest OTA news happens to be coming not from a smartphone, but from Sprint’s recently released Galaxy Tab. According to the guys over at Android Central, users of the device were prompted with system update MR0 DJ30. The update was said to address “the Microsoft Exchange IT Admin policy compliance and SMS short code messaging."

I am not sure exactly what this update actually does, but it failed to make a difference after the update was downloaded and installed. Some people claimed to have never found the update, which leads us to believe that Sprint shortly after realizing the update didn’t do anything, pulled it from their system. It makes plenty sense for them to pull an update that didn’t do anything. Sprint will most likely have another update available soon if this was the case, so we will keep you updated on when the update will be available/ if it stops failing.

Via [Android Central]

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Eric Schmidt Demos Nexus S Running Gingerbread

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 04:18 PM PST

Google CEO Eric Schmidt was on stage at the Web 2.0 Summit and then all of the sudden he pulled out one of the most talked about phones of the last few weeks: The Nexus S. He didn’t go into much detail, he even left out which manufacturer is making the Nexus S, even though it’s very obvious.

While he was on stage he also mentioned that Android 2.3 should be out in the “next few weeks” and Google TV integration with major networks is going well.

Some obvious changes in the operating system are the dark notification bar and green highlights. Expect a lot more news regarding Android 2.3 coming here soon!

[Via AndroidLife]

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$100 Giftcard with Smartphone purchase at Walmart

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 03:55 PM PST

It’s the holiday season. That means discounts on almost everything as especially phones. While most discounts generally come during Black Friday, Walmart is offering up quite a sweet deal that you can take advantage of from 11/17 to 11/25.

With any HTC, Motorola, LG, or Samsung purchase, customers will get a $100 gift card! This will not only make the best phones insanely cheap but can also help make your holiday shopping a bit less of a crunch on the pocket book!

[Via DroidLife]

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Sony Ericsson LiveView On Sale NOW in Several European Markets

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 01:37 PM PST

This super strange itty bitty little device is called the Sony Ericsson LiveView. It’s got a touchscreen frame, two buttons on the top, and a clip for your belt (or whatever else you’d like to clip it on) on the back. LiveView is a remote 1.3 inch display that mirrors the activity going on in your Android Phone. This little baby was announced to be on sale on November 19th (4 days from now) back on the 3rd of November (12 days ago) at UK retailer Play, but apparently some other stores have their hands on it already.

You can buy this little guy from SuperTrader and have it delivered to you (if you live in the UK) for £48.97. If you live in France, try PhoneHouse and get it for €59. In Germany, go for getgoods.de and have it for €42. All of these sources are courtesy of Xperia X10 Blog.

This thingy is a strange little duck, but when you compare it’s size and shape and functionality and the fact that it definitely can be attached to your arm as a watch, and you’ll see that it’s very similar in many ways to the current generation iPod Nano. Not quite as weird. Watch this presentation video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Via Xperia X10 Blog]

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ViewSonic ViewPad 7 tablet Now on Amazon for Pre-Order Price of $600

Posted: 15 Nov 2010 12:41 PM PST

ViewSonic’s been birdfeeding the computer industry with lovely monitors for so long now, it was just a matter of time before the pulled out all the plugs and wires and whatnot from behind the screens and offered a fabulous little tablet. It’s seven inches of front and rear facing camera having, 600MHz ARM CPU toting goodness, and it’s only $120 more than they promised to give it to the world for two weeks ago. Amazon is where you can pre-order it, $599 is what you’re gonna be paying. And it can make calls!

This price point puts it right up there with the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a competitor I’m sure most groups would feel it right to attempt to avoid. Of course, we know that a close competitor of this tablet is more than likely going to be the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and we know that it can also make calls, (as seen here,) but hey, that’s a hack, and this one’s good to go right out of the box. This ViewPad 7 has 512MB of onboard storage, a microSDHC memory card slot, GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth, and 800×480 resolution.

[Via Electronista]

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