Android Community |
- Motorola DROID3 benchmarks tip qHD plus dual-core TI CPU
- Sony Ericsson ST18i and CK15i leak
- Google I/O Keynote and Session videos now online
- Amazon cooking “family of devices” not just one Android tablet?
- HTC ThunderBolt OTA Update This Weekend [Rooted Users Included]
- Angry Birds RIO Beach Volley [Full Spoiler]
- Samsung Galaxy Tab for $199 at AT&T – Refurbished
- Samsung Galaxy S II Official Extensive Live Demo [VIDEO]
- Leaked Netflix apk Comes to All Devices (with a little root magic)
- OGT Mobile Teases Eros Tablet [Video]
- HTC Sensation 4G – A Closer Look [VIDEO]
- Google News Regional App on Android Market
- Google I/O 2011 T-Shirt Puzzle Deciphered
- HTC Flyer Unboxing And First Impressions [Video]
- ‘Android Eats Apple’ Wallpaper Download
| Motorola DROID3 benchmarks tip qHD plus dual-core TI CPU Posted: 14 May 2011 08:14 AM PDT Benchmarks for the yet-to-be-announced Motorola DROID3 have emerged, giving us hints as to the specifications of the upcoming Android smartphone. According to the stats at Nenamark, the DROID3 uses a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU powering a qHD resolution, 960 x 540 display.
The phone is also running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, or at least was at time of testing. The PowerVR GPU closes off suggestions that Motorola would use the Tegra 2 chipset for the DROID3, instead indicating that it’s Texas Instrument’s dual-core 1GHz OMAP4430. Meanwhile we already known that the qHD display measures in at 4-inches, and that the DROID3 has a front-facing camera. No word on launch date, but if Motorola is benchmarking the phone then that might suggest it’s imminent. [via Droidlife] )
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| Sony Ericsson ST18i and CK15i leak Posted: 14 May 2011 03:05 AM PDT What could be Sony Ericsson’s replacement to the XPERIA X8 has apparently leaked, under the codename the Sony Ericsson ST18i “Asuza”, along with another new touchscreen/QWERTY handset, the CK15i. Similar in appearance to the new XPERIA mini, the ST18i is tipped to have a 3.3-inch display and run Android 2.3 Gingerbread; the CK15i is believed to be launching as the Sony Ericsson txt pro, and have a slide-out keyboard like the new XPERIA mini pro.
The ST18i has twin cameras – front and back – with the rear one having an LED flash. Inside is believed to be an unspecified ARM Cortex A8 processor; this probably won’t be a high-end device, but instead positioned in the mid-range for those who want a bigger display than the compact XPERIA mini but not something quite as big as the Arc. As for the CK15i, that looks to have the same 3.3-inch display size – said to be running at 240 x 400. An official launch for the ST18i could be as early as later in May 2011, though that’s obviously not confirmed at this stage. We’re guessing Sony Ericsson will also include its new Facebook Inside XPERIA system.    )
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| Google I/O Keynote and Session videos now online Posted: 14 May 2011 02:06 AM PDT With tickets for Google I/O 2011 selling out in short order, Google made a lot of developers – and Android enthusiasts – feel better by promising to stream the bulk of the event online. Now, the search giant has put all those keynote and I/O session videos online.
The opening keynotes for both days are probably going to be of most interest, with Google revealing Android Ice Cream Sandwich, its plans for Google TV and the new Music Beta. If you prefer to read not watch, you can check out all our I/O coverage using the I/O 2011 tag. Sessions, meanwhile, can be found here and include Android Market information, 3D rendering and API best-practices. Full details at http://www.google.com/io. Google I/O 2011 Day One Keynote: Google I/O 2011 Day Two Keynote:
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| Amazon cooking “family of devices” not just one Android tablet? Posted: 14 May 2011 01:36 AM PDT Amazon is tipped to have a “family of devices” using the Android OS in the pipeline for a holiday 2011 release, according to the latest leaks, potentially spanning not only various sizes of tablets but smartphones and/or set-top boxes (STB). According to Android and Me‘s sources, Amazon has been working closely with Google on the new range, potentially using Android Ice Cream Sandwich with a heavily customized interface developed by a specialist in embedded systems.
Exact hardware specifications are unclear at this stage, including form-factors, processors and screen sizes/types. Amazon has been tipped to be looking at Pixel Qi and color E Ink panels, though CEO Jeff Bezos has recently said that he believes color E Ink to be “not ready for prime time.” Instead, he thinks “it makes a lot of sense for there to be a low-power, reflective color display. I think that's something you could build a fantastic product around.” That could suggest Qualcomm’s mirasol; the company recently showed a prototype ereader/tablet with a front-illuminated mirasol display, promising it would show up in hardware from fall 2011. WiFi and 3G options as with Kindle seem likely, along with competitive prices as Amazon pushes its “family” against other tablets and STBs it ranges. Bezos recently told press to “stay tuned” for more information on the infamous tablet plans. [via SlashGear] )
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| HTC ThunderBolt OTA Update This Weekend [Rooted Users Included] Posted: 13 May 2011 07:52 PM PDT Take a peek in your ThunderBolt guts right this very moment because an update is coming your way. You might end up getting a notification starting yesterday, but if you’re in to the whole “I’d like my phone to be as awesome as it can be” thing, head to settings – software update – check new and you may well have a surprise waiting for you. This is the update we noted at the beginning of this month and includes items in web browsing, data access, email, messaging, and a bunch of tiny items you might never notice but might as well update because updating is awesome.
An important note to make here for you rooted ladies and gentlemen is that you might want to consider updating your device in a non-traditional way. Apologies if the title led you to believe that Verizon was suddenly supporting your ability to super-use your phone, but thou shalt not wait in darkness, jcase is on the case. Head over to the thread entitled [ruu][rooted][MR1 aka OTA] CONFIRM Build Number: 1.13.605.7 Baseband: 1.16.00.0402w_1 for your full instructions on how to get the update without un-rooting in any way. Please be aware of the requirements and if you don’t understand any part of the instructions – don’t do it! That said, here’s what you’ll be getting whether you do the update the normal way through settings on your non-rooted device or with magic on your rooted device:
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| Angry Birds RIO Beach Volley [Full Spoiler] Posted: 13 May 2011 04:03 PM PDT Today’s the day! It’s the day that the May update for the Angry Birds RIO expansion, one called Beach Volley, and it’s a whole bunch of fun in the sun for hours on end! Actually more like an hour or so if you’re cruising through it with no regard for golden watermelons or three-star perfect scores. What we’ve done, in classic Android Community fashion, is run through the game using our amazing Angry Birds professional gamer Millie the Cat! She’s made it easy for those of you so hungry for the storyline that playing the game just wont do! Have a look at all the levels on the beach below.
There’s a few things you should know about this particular expansion, especially if you’ve never played a level of RIO before. How you’ve gotten this far without playing the earlier levels I do not know, but here it is: there’s a bunch of Common Marmosets in this newest expansion (there were some in the 2nd set of levels as well,) that we’ll from here forward call monkeys because it’s easier. Millie calls them monkeys, so we’ll call them monkeys too. These monkeys effectively replace the pig enemies in Angry Birds and Angry Birds Seasons, while in the first set of levels on RIO your goal is to break cages of rare birds, freeing them from their captors. These monkeys, as the storyline goes, are minions of the captor of the birds, sent to hunt you down. This captor is a big white bird by the name of Nigel, and he wants to capture you and all your bird friends after you temporarily beat him down at the end of the 2nd set of levels. We won’t let that happen though, will we? Heck no. All the original birds are here, plus there’s a new tosser by the name of Blu and Jewel that you’ll be using to knock out monkeys. This newest member of your team may look like two separate birds when they’re standing in line to get slingshot, but they’re handcuffed together by the leg – they act sort of like a combination between the green bird, which reverses itself and acts like a boomerang, and a yellow bird who shoots in a bee-line in whichever direction it happens to be aiming. This blue bird combo floats through the air until you tap the screen, at which time they fly straight forward and slightly up. More often than not you’ll be hitting an object before they start flying too far so you may not notice their slight upwards motion at first, but I assure you, it’s there. Blu and Jewel are extremely powerful, so make sure you’re using them against the biggest and the baddest portions of the towers the monkeys sit upon. Then there’s a couple odd levels I’d like to take you through, but we’ll get to them when we get to them below. One has a ton of umbrellas and the other is the final level with another new character ally of yours. Fun!
In level 6-12 you’ll be challenged to bounce your birds across a sea of umbrellas in order to bowl over an otherwise-simple tower. As it turns out, you’re about to do this with a single bird. Good luck!
The 15th an final level of the second half of the third act of Angry Birds RIO is one with a massive set of towers in every sort of configuration, seemingly impossible to destroy without extra birds or some sort of trick or aid. As it turns out, the aid you seek is inside the big bush right in front of the slingshot on the beach. Notice how there’s no monkeys on the ground? There’s a reason for that.
Hooray it is the bulldog character from the RIO movie, Luiz! He’ll help you out by knocking down and out anything that hits the ground, including those wiley monkeys who might otherwise survive a short fall from the low peaks. To call Luiz all the way across the level and therefor through several items you’re much better with having knocked down, just hit that big set of beach balls on the far end. After Luiz sees the balls hitting the ground, runs over and chows down on everything in his path, you should only have a monkey or two left to deal with, of any at all. Win!
In the gallery below you can see the final scene showing Luiz helping your crew separate the two blue birds from one another and a few other tidbits we found interesting as we went through this iteration of the game. For more walkthroughs and spoilers like this one for Angry Birds, just hit the [Angry Birds] or [Rovio] portal. NOTE: Also keep an eye out for “tagged” boxes, wood, sand, or anything else. These white luggage tag-like markers show you exactly where you’ll be finding the golden Watermelons in this act. Gotta catch em all!                                        )
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab for $199 at AT&T – Refurbished Posted: 13 May 2011 03:32 PM PDT AT&T’s crazy deal of the weekend is the refurbished Samsung Galaxy Tab for $199.99, and free shipping. So if you are looking for a cheap Android tablet that is easy to root and sweeten up with some Gingerbread, this might be the deal for you. You have to get a data plan, too, but you can cancel it later if you want to. These are selling for $349.99 new, so 200 bucks is a pretty nice deal.
You can find rooting instructions here at the XDA forums, if you should need them. It comes with a 90-day warranty as well. So the Samsung Galaxy Tab features: Android 2.2 The deal ends May 15th (Sunday), at 9pm PST. So what do you think? Tempting? Or is it less tempting now that you have seen the 10.1 inch Galaxy Tab at Google I/O? The Galaxy tab is a solid piece of equipment, though, so it might be worth picking up. Think of it as your “beach tablet”. [via Droid Matters] )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II Official Extensive Live Demo [VIDEO] Posted: 13 May 2011 03:24 PM PDT The almighty Samsung Galaxy S II has already hit Korea and the UK, but has yet to reveal a date for its U.S. release. Either way, with a recent announcement of a NFC-enabled version heading to the UK in June, the device is certainly ready to set foot on our shores any day now. And what better way to whet our appetites than with an extensive 12-minute long demo to show off its power, speed, and cool new UI features.
The Samsung Galaxy S II is the successor to the wildly popular Galaxy S. So far, it’s been setting its own records with a over 3 million pre-orders to date. It sports a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen covered with Gorilla Glass, an 8-megapixel full HD camera, and the new TouchWiz 4.0 UI running on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The official video from Samsung below brings over 12-minutes of cheery music and detailed demonstrations of almost every facet of its new TouchWiz user interface. You can expect to see its new 3D graphic effects and motion control, as well as a new customizable home screen with Live Panel. Widget size and layout can be freely customized, unlimited access to web browsing with Flash, and much much more are awaiting you to discover. So go ahead, take a look and let us know what you think.
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| Leaked Netflix apk Comes to All Devices (with a little root magic) Posted: 13 May 2011 02:47 PM PDT It was a bit disappointing when an Android Netflix app was finally released, and many found out their phone wasn’t supported, but now the proud owners of rooted phones can get the app with a little bit of searching and some sneakiness.
1) Make sure you have enabled “side loading” apps. Check Menu > Settings > Applications, there you should have “Unknown sources” 2) The first thing you have to do is download the apk to your phone. All you have to do is follow this link in your phone’s browser and download it. 3) Once the apk finishes downloading, click the “download complete” notification, and you’ll be prompted to install it. You now have Netflix! HOWEVER, there have been several reports of receiving an error “Sorry we could not reach the Netflix service. Please try again later. If the problems persists please visit netflix.com. (1005)” when trying to stream anything. The fix found so far is a bit of root magic, we’ll help you out with that below: First, you have to be rooted, a quick search can find plenty of guides (a good place to start is XDA-developers) , and it’s usually pretty straightforward. Once you’re rooted follow on. 1) First you’ll need some sort of root file system editor such as ASTRO File Manager. 2) Using your new app, make a copy of build.prop from the /system folder, we’re going to be making a change to it, and if it breaks anything else, we want to be able to go back. 3) Go back to the build.prop file in /system and change these two lines: ro.product.model=’your phone’s name’ to ro.product.model=Nexus S 4) Reboot the phone and it should be working Give it a try and let us know what phone you have and how it works!
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| OGT Mobile Teases Eros Tablet [Video] Posted: 13 May 2011 02:16 PM PDT There will be tablets aplenty coming out this summer, in fact, we may even decide to call it “the summer of the tablet”. And we had heard that OGT Mobile had a tablet coming out called the Eros Tablet, and that it is called “the world’s thinnest tablet”. But we don’t know much more than that. Today, OGT has come out with a teaser video to get us all excited. Then, the shot goes to a shadowy outline of a tablet. And OGT promises to surprise us all with this tagline: “Every so often a product comes along that shakes up the industry. It gives you unexpected features and makes you wonder why they weren’t always standard. Prepare to be unleashed.” We look forward to seeing what OGT has in store, and if it actually is as surprising as they promise. We’ll keep you up to date, and let you know when we get more information. Here is the video:
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| HTC Sensation 4G – A Closer Look [VIDEO] Posted: 13 May 2011 02:13 PM PDT The HTC Sensation 4G will be HTC’s first dual-core smartphone and one of its first to feature their slick Sense 3.0 interface. We caught a quick intro to the interface with their “First Look” video and we’ve also got a hands-on video. But if that isn’t enough, then behold the latest almost 6-minute long video from HTC that gives a much closer look and intimate tour of the device.
The HTC Sensation features an aluminum unibody chassis powered by a 1.2Ghz Qualcomm dual-core processor. It sports a 4.3-inch contoured glass touchscreen qHD display, which gives you 35 percent more pixels than a typical display and provides true 16:9 widescreen dimensions. It has an 8-megapixel back camera capable of 1080p HD video recording. All those hardware specs are impressive, but this new HTC “Closer Look” video smartly focuses more on what those specs can do for you. Emphasis is really placed on the enhanced user interface, Hi-Fi audio, and the overall multimedia experience that comes from the new HTC Sense 3.0 UI layered on top of Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread.
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| Google News Regional App on Android Market Posted: 13 May 2011 01:45 PM PDT A new app has popped up on Android Market, Google News Regional. This app is somewhat limited, as you are still using the browser to see the news, but it can auto detect your location, and lets you easily jump between categories. You can also change the location manually if you’d like to see news from other regions. So is it any good? Some minuses for this app are that you can’t refresh from the menu, and it doesn’t seem to automatically refresh. Also, there are ads at the bottom of the page. One of the commenters asked the developer to “please remove the Zombie ad now”, so it seems some of the ads might be a bit questionable. The app is free, but honestly, it isn’t that different from just accessing Google News from your browser, I guess it saves you a few seconds because you just click on the app to open to news, but that doesn’t seem very valuable. This doesn’t look like a keeper to me. Let us know what you think. You can check out the app on the Android Marketplace here. )
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| Google I/O 2011 T-Shirt Puzzle Deciphered Posted: 13 May 2011 01:18 PM PDT Google always has some fun with its I/O t-shirts and this year is no exception. There was a hidden message in the shirts, which appeared to have some sort of binary or Morse Code on the back. You can take a look at the shirt below and see if you can decipher it before continuing after the cut for the answer.
Putting the dots and dashes in line and considering the line breaks to be spaces, it turns out to indeed be Morse Code. After plugging it into a Morse Code translator you will find that the message is actually HTTP://GOO.GL/A4C639. An interesting note about the URL is that the "A4C639" is actually the HEX value for the Android green color.
Plugging in the URL in your browser, you will find that it forwards you to a page that invites you to Androidify yourself with the limited edition Google I/O 2011 t-shirt. Google sure knows how to have some fun. You should check out the ‘Android Eats Apple’ wallpaper that was displayed on the big screen during the first day’s keynote. [via MobileCrunch] )
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| HTC Flyer Unboxing And First Impressions [Video] Posted: 13 May 2011 01:06 PM PDT The HTC Flyer comes just after a slew of recent Android tablets including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola XOOM, and the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. But what makes this 7-inch tablet stand out is its compatibility with a digital stylus for convenient note-taking. Chris Davies from our sister site SlashGear has gotten his hands on it and brings us now the unboxing and his first impressions.
Although these days it seems the stylus, Davies finds that it does help set the HTC Flyer apart from the slew of near-identical Honeycomb tablets. The stylus shows promise and the digital ink flows smoothly despite the tablet’s 1.5GHz single-core Snapdragon processor. The tablet is also full of neat features such as Evernote integration with its handwriting recognition, a twin set of fascia buttons that rotate automatically for portrait or landscape orientation, and a sturdy paperback-sized chassis.
However, he notes that the HTC Flyer unfortunately still runs Android Gingerbread instead of Honeycomb, which could prove to be a problem for the device should updates to Honeycomb not pan out, although they are in the works. The absence of a holder for the digital stylus as well as broader app support for using the stylus are other negative elements. He will be doing a full review soon at SlashGear, so stay tuned. You can read his full first impressions here.
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| ‘Android Eats Apple’ Wallpaper Download Posted: 13 May 2011 12:33 PM PDT At the Google I/O developer conference earlier this week, Google poked a little fun at Apple on its big screen during the first day’s keynote. They showed an illustration of the Android robot happily eating an apple, which had many folks not only thinking it was funny but wanting it as a wallpaper. Thanks to the original artist, it is now available.
The artist behind the ‘Android Eats Apple’ illustration is Fraser Ntukula, who tweeted the original image that’s been hosted at DeviantArt. You can go view it here. The original, however, has the text “Not evil, just hungry” scrawled out below the illustration, which was noticeably cut out from the one shown at Google’s developer conference. If you haven’t been following up on the Google I/O announcements, then make sure to check the recap and our follow up posts, including a guide of the newly unveiled Google Music Beta. )
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