Android Community

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• Notion Ink Adam Full Details
• Mafia Wars Coming to Android This Month says Zynga
• Notion Ink Adam Tablets Shipping January 6 2011 for Pre Orders
• Advent Vega Dock In Production, Shipping Soon
• Drift Mania Championship Available in the Android Market
• Mega Jump For Android Ready for December Release
• Madden 2011 Demo Upgrade is $9.99, Coming to the Android Market Q1 2011
• HTC Legend Update to Android 2.2 Now Live Across Europe
• New “Mute A Twitter User” Feature On Twidroyd Excellent
• Notion Ink confirm pre-orders: from $375.33 at 1.30pm EST today
• Galaxy S will get Android 2.3 Gingerbread confirms Samsung India
• Amazon offers cloud services integration for Android with new SDK
• Gingerbread launcher hits Android Market for Froyo devices
• Twidroyd Factory Equals Twitter Goodness for Android
• LinguaSys TGPhoto Translation App for Android translates foreign signs for you
• Nexus S updates to be OTA not via Samsung Kies
• AT&T Dell Streak Froyo update not due until January 12?
• Samsung coy on Galaxy S Gingerbread update despite apparent hardware compatibility
• Over 300,000 Android devices activated per day confirms Rubin
• Android Community Daily Wrap Up: December 8th 2010

Notion Ink Adam Full Details Posted: 09 Dec 2010 11:11 AM PST Oh hooray forever on top of a mountain, Notion Ink Adam’s day for pre-order has arrived. Low price for basic models, Honeycomb yumminess, details on the launch, global pricing, colors, UI, Apps, NFC, Digitizer, Mystery Feature, and more! Behold the mighty object, a place where Google’s Android system can run wild and free and smell all the daffodils. Full rundown go! Pricing First a formost, what does this thing cost? Originally we were told the device would cost $399. Not true anymore. Not only will the price be smaller, it wont be adjusted by country – therefor, if you live in a place like England where your pound is worth two USD, you’re in LUCK. There are 6 variants with four different prices: LCD (wi-fi only) $375.33 LCD + 3G -900 series $425.33 (possible limited time offer price) LCD + 3G -850 series $425.33 (possible limited time offer price) Transflective (Pixel Qi) (Wi-Fi only) $499.45 Transflective (Pixel Qi) + 3G -900 series $549.99 Transflective (Pixel Qi) + 3G -850 series $549.99 System Details Notion Ink notes that with Android 2.3 and 3.0 (Honeycomb,) you’d be getting Better OpenGL ES, OpenSL ES support, SIP/VOIP, Multi-touch Keyboard, Better Copy, paste features, Kernel Upgraded to 2.6.35, Better View Support (Honeycomb) and Clean User Interface; Better Memory Management. Inside Adam, you’ll be getting OpenGL Which Notion Ink notes works the best with NVidia’s Tegra. Especially since they’ve got high expertise on graphics, this paiting with the built-in GPU of the Tegra 250 SoC is both exhaustive and highly accelerated. (They also note that OpenSL support will come as an update soon.) SIP/VOIP Newly announced official support is in place on already implemented SIP and VOIP, allowing programmers to port with ease. Multi-touch Keyboard Can you say “Ctrl+Z”? With a multi-touch keyboard you’ll be able to do all the things you normally would on an analog keyboard, quite simply. This functionality will be coming with Android 2.3 and 3.0 Honeycomb. Adam is delivered with 2 keyboard designs, both with multi-touch, both with the lines and space deleted from between the keys. What’s that? Does that seem strange? Notion Ink notes that during their exhaustive studies of typing on screens, the reduction of space between keys ended up increasing the correct-typing done by the user. Better word counts and lowered error rates all around. One keyboard appears to be close to what you’d expect, the other is a split keyboard that you can access while holding the device in both hands. Quick access keys are added, and all keys are able to have 2 functions (multi-touch activation!) Android 2.3 with Kernel Version 2.6.35 Notion Ink notes that the latest version which NVidia Tegra works with is 2.6.36 Honeycomb Inside the world Notion Ink has titled Eden, you’ll find “Support of Views within views”, a panel system allowing 100s of panel instances, or windows on screen. The new user interface should be instantly apparent upon the install of any native app, and memory management should be newly top notch. Notion Ink says they’ve done everything in their power to make Android 2.3 feel like what 3.0 will end up being so that when the update comes across, it wont be such a shock. Launch In a very strange move, Notion Ink’s sending of pre-order links are to go to everyone who had commented in their official blog before a certain point, these links remaining active for 6 hours from the receipt of the email. These emails were to be sent out 10 December 00:00 AM IST, after six hours (06:00 AM IST) the door to pre-order would be open to everyone. Colors There are SIX color variants for the Notion Ink Adam at launch, an addition of 2 colors making it a total of 12 variants – get it? The default color of the Adam is matte black (that’s what I’d choose) with a white strip, but the strip is replaceable. In mid-January of 2011, partners of Notion Ink will start shipping all sorts of wacky color strips so your Adam can be completely unique! I’ll take bumble-bee yellow pleeeease. Shipping You’ll be receiving your Notion Ink Adam in a big yellow van – that’s right, DHL, global shippers. Tracking included. NFC Adam does not come with NFC sensor out of the box. Whenever “Eve” comes out, it more than likely will. By that time NFC should be implemented in enough facets of everyday life that it’ll make sense to have it come standard. Digitizer Adam comes with Open Source implementation that converts it into a digitizer. Hooray! Wireless! Use your Adam “as a BIG touch screen for all your PCs, so you can draw, paint, sketch, click, select and do all you want!” Super neato. Mystery Feature Still a mystery! Notion Ink says the following: “One of my wish was to design a product where every fortnight you can receive a new update which isn't just a security bug fix, but a discovery of something which already existed, sort of un-locking a part. This is my first attempt on the same lines!” What Adam Means for Notion Ink Adam is certainly the beginning. Fortunately, the excitement of what future might hold has made us rather more focused, because we need to lay the grounds for what is yet to come. The test for Adam is harder than we think. It's the survival of the fittest out there. We have designed it to be the latest in technology for next 12 months but the competition might catch us even faster. Adam has to succeed as a product, as a vision and as a consumer device. He is going to be a companion for students, an access to the world of featured emails for businessmen, platform for experimentation for scientists, and the true internet device which defines half of our time today! As someone commented, it is an Inception, and its going to make us look at it in awe! The Adam has arrived! With Warm Regards Rohan Shravan Check out this gallery of screenshots as well. Jump for joy! )

Mafia Wars Coming to Android This Month says Zynga Posted: 09 Dec 2010 10:03 AM PST Over at LeWeb today, a mister David Ko, current SVP of Mobile at gaming superstar Zynga, is talking about the future of mobile social gaming. He’s calling it “the next great frontier,” and speaks not only of Zyngas new purchase of Newtoy, We Rule, Words with Friends, and Chess with Friends developers, he speaks of the oncoming massively successful (I suppose he hopes) advent of Mafia Wars on Android. Ko notes that when he started the job he’s posted at now only a month ago, he knew immediately that the company needed to make a big push for Android asap. That move is coming in the form of Mafia Wars. Big bump! They’ve already got Farmville out on several platforms, expanding to Japan already, straight to smartphones (where Farmville is called “Farm Village”), and planning on migrating to lower-spec phones should the market call for such a thing. Time to bring out the tommy guns and start racking the place up! No more sluffing while you’re sitting on the bus – updates 100% of your day! Kill em all! [Via The Next Web] )

Notion Ink Adam Tablets Shipping January 6 2011 for Pre Orders Posted: 09 Dec 2010 09:39 AM PST It’s looking pretty real at this point, ladies and gentlemen, pre-orders are soon to be live for the Notion Ink Adam tablet and we’ve got a date for shipment: January 6 2011. That’s next month! This date places the shipment date extremely and conspicuously close to CES 2011, and you can bet we’ll be there clickin away. CES 2011 takes place January 6th until the 9th of 2011. More details on the Adam are sure to unfold throughout the day. This fabulous looking tablet is priced at $375.33 for the basic LCD Wifi version, the 3G version costing instead $425.33. There’s another version, the Pixel Qi model that’ll run you $499.95 for the Wifi, with the 3G version costing $549.99. Two versions of the 3G models will be available, one for the USA, one for Europe and Asia. Take a click on over to [here] for the full details. [Via SlashGear] )

Advent Vega Dock In Production, Shipping Soon Posted: 09 Dec 2010 09:17 AM PST The 10.1-inch Advent Vega Android 2.2 tablet is proving to be both an impressive and popular device. Its £249 ($395) price tag is making it a very decent option for anyone who loves Android and is looking for a tablet for media consumption. What better accessory for a tablet than a dock? Well, worry no more, as the dock for the Advent Vega is currently being produced. According to Advent Vega’s official Twitter: The dock is being produced this week, as soon as we have a shipping schedule we will update you all… A dock would be the perfect companion to the already popular tablet. If you are unfamiliar with the impressive device, be sure to check out our full review over at SlashGear. [Via Twitter] )

Drift Mania Championship Available in the Android Market Posted: 09 Dec 2010 08:36 AM PST Android sure is the focus of games this week. First with news that smartphones are ultimately replacing dedicated devices, then with the release of Madden 11 for the DROID X and Mega Jump confirmed to be on track for December release, we are starting to see a huge increase in games available for the Android Platform. Continuing this trend, a popular iOS racing game, Drift Mania Championship, is now available for download via the Android Market. Drift Mania Championship is compatible with Android phones supporting a resolution of 800×480 or 854×480. This includes devices such as the Nexus One, Samsung Galaxy S, the Motorola Droid family and dozens more. The iOS counterpart has seen of 2 million downloads, and although that doesn’t mean much in terms of expected quality, it definitely makes it worthy of a try. You can download Drift Mania Championship now in the Android Market for $.99. [Via EuroDroid] )

Mega Jump For Android Ready for December Release Posted: 09 Dec 2010 08:24 AM PST A few months back we heard Get Set Games confirm that they were expecting to release their popular iOS Mega Jump game on Android before year’s end. Holding to the promise, they have now officially announced that it’s nearing completion and should be ready within the next few weeks. The game is very popular on iOS with over 7.5 million downloads. For those who are not familiar with the game, the goal is to get your character as high as possible, collecting coins that keep you moving upwards throughout the level. You are faced with enemies which will have to be dodged and power-ups that will help you in different ways. Plus the game will be OpenFeint enabled, so you will have the opportunity to earn achievements and awards. This marks yet another popular iOS title coming to the Android Platform, and we can definitely expect more in the future. No word on pricing, but it’s expected to be free in the Android Market and available for handsets running 2.0 or higher in the coming weeks. [Via DroidGamers] )

Madden 2011 Demo Upgrade is $9.99, Coming to the Android Market Q1 2011 Posted: 09 Dec 2010 08:10 AM PST We first heard about Madden 2011 when it was included, in demo form, in the DROID X 2.2.1 update earlier this week. The game loaded will give you a basic feel for the way it’s played but as far as full gameplay it will not be offering what you’d expect. However, we are now sure that the full version is here, and carries a $9.99 price tag. The game will first debut on the DROID X and then be released in the Android Market sometime next year. From the demo version of the game you can confirm the full upgrade and will have the $9.99 charged to your Verizon bill. Also it’s worth noting that because it’s set to debut on the DROID X, we will not be seeing it until the first quarter of 2011 for additional Android devices. The Droid Guy got the scoop from an EA employee confirming that the game will not be a DROID X exclusive forever. [Via DroidLife, TheDroidGuy] )

HTC Legend Update to Android 2.2 Now Live Across Europe Posted: 09 Dec 2010 07:50 AM PST Yesterday, we told you that the HTC Legend, the successor to the original HTC manufactured Hero, would officially be getting updated to Android 2.2 today. And now HTC has officially confirmed the update on their Twitter page. And, better yet, the update isn’t said to be for one specific carrier. This time around, the update is live all across Europe. The update brings the latest edition of the Android 2.2 software to the handset. However, considering Android 2.3 is just around the corner, there’s probably a few Legend owners out there biting at the bit to find out when, or even if, their handset will be getting the update to the newest version. However, Android 2.2 should be a pleasant update for the majority of owners. So, you Legend owners out there, have you updated your handset yet? If you have, let us know what you think of it. Was it worth the wait? [via @HTC] )

New “Mute A Twitter User” Feature On Twidroyd Excellent Posted: 09 Dec 2010 07:38 AM PST Twitter, I owe you a collective apology before I begin this post. I’m sorry. I love the new “mute a Twitter user” feature on Twidroyd. Please, I want to follow each other, but just not during your Twitter-tantrums. Jokes aside, it’s a great feature for those Twitter users who follow a considerable number of people. I had a chance to finally use it while building and installing themes with Twidroyd Factory last night. There are some people that I follow on Twitter that although they have a great message and I don’t want to unfollow or block them, their message is just not always of interest for a myriad of reasons. This feature addresses this nicely. “Mute a Twitter user” is very intuitive and easy to use. You manage who is muted and duration from users profile pages. Just hit “Mute User” from the menu button and you are prompted with your options. There is even an option to notify the user that you are muting their Tweets, although that could prove, shall we say, interesting on the virtual playground. (Why do I feel like we are in store for “muted” or “unmuted” battles?) Twidroyd does warn that you are only hiding users Tweets on Twidroyd and that Tweets will still be visible on Twitter.com. That simple to use! I am afraid to ask you to sound off below. Twitter, we can still be friends, right? [via Twidroyd] )

Notion Ink confirm pre-orders: from $375.33 at 1.30pm EST today Posted: 09 Dec 2010 07:19 AM PST Notion Ink has announced details for its Adam pre-order today, with the Android Tegra 2 slate going on sale at 1.30pm EST. Registered users of the official blog will get first shot at ordering – they should have an email explaining how in a few hours time – followed by general sales six hours later. Pricing has been tweaked along the way, with the entry-level Adam now down to $375.33 (rather than $399) while adding 3G takes it to $425.33. The transflective Pixel Qi model will be $499.95 for the WiFi version and $549.99 for the 3G version. US and Europe/Asia modems will be on offer, different bands (and hence taking the total to six SKUs). We’re chasing up shipping estimate details and live photos; more information over at SlashGear. [via SlashGear] )

Galaxy S will get Android 2.3 Gingerbread confirms Samsung India Posted: 09 Dec 2010 06:42 AM PST Samsung UK weren’t confident on Android 2.3 Gingerbread updates for the Galaxy S, but Samsung India aren’t so reticent. The country division’s Twitter team has been assuring Galaxy S users that their smartphones will indeed get Gingerbread firmware (well, “Gingerbeard” but we’re guessing that’s a typo). There’s no timeline for the firmware’s release – it’s not even out for the Nexus One yet, and the new Nexus S isn’t due until December 16 – but hopefully it’ll be faster than Froyo took to arrive. [via Unwired View] )

Amazon offers cloud services integration for Android with new SDK Posted: 09 Dec 2010 06:19 AM PST Amazon has announced recently that you can now access its cloud services with Android smartphones. The access is enabled for devs to build apps that use cloud-based services using a pair of new beta SDKs. The new SDKs make adding cloud access to Android easier for devs. Before the new beta SDKs surfaced apps on Android devices could access Amazon cloud offerings, but the devs had to do some tedious programming themselves like write their own libraries and take care of their own HTTP connection and error handling. The new SDKs will make that process automated and much easier. Devs will be able to integrate Amazon Web Services like simple Storage Service, SimpleDB database, Simple Notification Service, and Simple Queue Service. The beta SDKs are available now for download. )

Gingerbread launcher hits Android Market for Froyo devices Posted: 09 Dec 2010 06:11 AM PST If you are running Froyo but want a taste of Gingerbread on your device ahead of any update to the full Gingerbread OS you can grab the Gingerbread launcher on the app store right now. The new launcher app is part of Android 2.3, but can be downloaded and installed on Froyo devices. AppScout reports that it looks visually just like the launcher that is on your device right now so it will look mostly the same. It’s what is under the hood that counts with this update. The new launcher is faster and a possible side benefit is that all of the apps and other stuff on your current launcher will be removed. The downside to that is if you have your launcher just like you want it, you will have to put apps and widgets in again. You can search for “launcher” on the Android Market to find the app. )

Twidroyd Factory Equals Twitter Goodness for Android Posted: 09 Dec 2010 05:17 AM PST Twidroyd has long been considered one of the leading Twitter apps for Android. They continue to push innovation of the Twitter experience on mobile platforms. Yesterday they announced via Twitter, Twidroyd Factory, a website users can utilize to develop their own themes for Twydroyd. While I can't currently find any new features that cannot be adjusted from your mobile phone, in what Twydroyd calls a "preview version", one of the key features is that users can now share themes. On the main site, you can browse themes that others have created and even better, they can be emailed and downloaded. This equals a total win for the end-user and Android. The hope is that Twidroyd continues to add features to expand the customization of the interface. I have to say, the functionality of  Twidroyd Factory is solid for merely being a “preview release”. Exciting things should develop from this customization tool, which gives the end-user total involvement in the appearance of their 3rd party application and ability to share with others.  The laundry list of recent features, including the equally brilliant “mute a Twitter user”, makes it appear as though Twidroyd will keep bringing goodness to the Android table. The vain side of me has to admit, there’s something cool about typing in the words “John’s Theme”. [Via Twidroyd on Twitter] )

LinguaSys TGPhoto Translation App for Android translates foreign signs for you Posted: 09 Dec 2010 04:46 AM PST If you are the sort that likes to travel all around the world on business or just for fun, you have probably stood looking at signs before wondering what they said. The only way you could find out what a sign in a foreign language said in days past was find someone who spoke your language to translate, break out a dictionary and translate yourself, or just not read the sign. That last one could be an issue if the sign was an important warning like zombies ahead or anyone past this point will be forced to watch Glee. A new app for your Android phone will save you from zombies and horrible TV by translating signs in foreign languages for you by simply taking a picture of the sign with the Android phone’s camera. The app is called TGPhoto and will cost you $12.99 on the Android Market. To translate the signs all the user needs to do is fill as much of the screen as possible with the text on the sign and press the shutter button. The app works with 50 languages and Android device need to be running Android 2.1 or higher to use the app. This app sounds pretty cool. Click here to view the embedded video. )

Nexus S updates to be OTA not via Samsung Kies Posted: 09 Dec 2010 03:23 AM PST Google has confirmed that the Nexus S, unlike Samsung’s other Android smartphones, won’t require the Korean company’s Kies desktop management app for installing software updates. Instead, Android Developer Advocate Reto Meier confirmed, updates will be released over-the-air as with the Nexus One. The news will come as a relief to those non-Windows users eyeing the Nexus S, as currently Samsung only offers a version of Kies for PCs and not Mac or Linux. More on the Nexus S in our hands-on coverage of the new Gingerbread smartphone. [via Twitter] )

AT&T Dell Streak Froyo update not due until January 12? Posted: 09 Dec 2010 02:37 AM PST Dell’s firmware update for the AT&T Dell Streak, bringing the 5-inch tablet to Android 2.2 Froyo, has reportedly been delayed until January 12 2010. That’s according to some leaked emails handed to Streak Smart, supposedly from inside either Dell or AT&T, claiming the update for carrier-locked Streaks “should happen the week of January 12th.” Meanwhile, unlocked Dell Streak units ordered from Dell.com and delivered with Froyo pre-installed aren’t expected to ship now until December 26. In fact, according to some buyers who grabbed one when they were first put on sale, despite the Dell product page suggesting the Streak now comes with Android 2.2, their units have been delivered with 1.6 instead. )

Samsung coy on Galaxy S Gingerbread update despite apparent hardware compatibility Posted: 09 Dec 2010 02:17 AM PST Samsung is proving cagey on whether the Galaxy S family of smartphones will see an official upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, blaming system requirements and “the overall effect of such [an] Update to Samsung products” – among other things – for the uncertainty. That’s according to a Samsung spokesperson pestered by Pocket-lint, who basically surmised that the possibility of an update was still being decided. “In case a new version of Android operating system is publicly announced and released, Samsung will review the possibility of implementation of such new version to the existing Samsung products with Android operating system (“Update”). Such a review will be based on various factors including, without limitation, the overall effect of such Update to Samsung products, the system requirements, the structural limitations, and the level of cooperation from the component suppliers and the software licensors” Samsung UK Meanwhile Google’s lead Android developer, Dan Morrill, has confirmed that the hardware requirements of Gingerbread “are similar” to those of Froyo, and that the platform “has never had hard processor” minimum specifications. If Samsung decides not to release Gingerbread for the Galaxy S, it seems like it would be more for reasons of keeping the new Nexus S differentiated rather than for anything technical. [via Engadget] )

Over 300,000 Android devices activated per day confirms Rubin Posted: 09 Dec 2010 12:33 AM PST Google’s Andy Rubin has announced that the company is seeing over 300,000 Android phones activated per day. The Android exec took to Twitter to confirm the figure, a 100,000 increase over numbers Google confirmed back in August. It’s certainly enough to race past Apple’s most recent activation figures for iPhone, and a solid rebuttal to those who suggested Android sales had plateaued. )

Android Community Daily Wrap Up: December 8th 2010 Posted: 08 Dec 2010 07:11 PM PST Another day, another busy day in Android news. Gingerbread news is starting to die down and the internet is shifting its focus onto Honeycomb and the PlayStation phone with both making appearances today. Also, it’s worth mentioning that one of the most hyped Android-based tablets, Notion Ink's Adam, will be open for pre-orders starting tomorrow. Check out below for further recap of all the day’s stories regarding our favorite mobile operating system. R3 Media Network AndroidCommunity Featured Pre-ordering for Notion Ink's Adam from tomorrow, December 9 Other News: HTC Knight (aka EVO Shift 4G) pictured in accessory update Motorola's Honeycomb slate poses [Video] Angry Birds Android ads make Rovio $1m per month Parkmobile Android app lets you pay for parking Motorola Droid for Verizon Updated to Latest Version of Android 2.2 Advent Vega Team Focusing on Stock, Then Updates Google Maps 5.0 Gets Shown Off on Nexus S at LeWeb 2010 [Video] Dell Streak Recovery Now Available Android Phones Near Top of Network Usage Worldwide Android 2.2 Update for HTC Legend Coming December 9th Tron Legacy Theme Outlines Your Galaxy S [VIDEO] Texas Instruments Announces 1.5 GHz Dual-Core Processor, Launching in 2011 Gingerbread ROM Near Completion for DROID Incredible Barnes & Noble Manufacturing 18,000 Nook Colors a day PlayStation Phone coming in March? High Resolution Pictures of the Motorola Everest Handheld Gaming Moving From Dedicated Devices to Smartphones Swype sending out invitations to some already registered users for latest Beta Google Voice, Voice Search, and YouTube receive minor updates Samsung UK Offering £200 Of Content to Galaxy Tab Purchasers )

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