Android Community |
- US Cellular Launches Motorola XOOM Officially
- Xperia Active Demonstrated by Tennis Superstar Maria Sharapova
- Myriad Alien Dalvik Allows Nokia N9 to run Android Apps Seamlessly
- Motorola XOOM microSD Card Support Activated everywhere but the USA
- Maxthon Mobile 2.1.2 lands for Android with 3D skins in tow
- McAfee and NTT DOCOMO extend partnership for securing Android devices
- Zipcar app lands for Android users
- Google TV 2.0 “Fishtank” program leaks
- Sony Ericsson XPERIA ray and XPERIA active outed for X10 retroists and joggers
- HTC EVO 3D Review
- Motorola Triumph on Virgin Mobile Set to Release July 19th
- Vizio Demonstrates Newest Vizio Tablet Iteration
- T-Mobile Samsung Exhibit 4G Hands-On and Unboxing
- Droid Incredible 2/S Achieve Permanent Root with S-Off
- Angry Birds Seasons Next Update Dubbed Summer Pignic
- Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo Confirmed as July Release
- Verizon LTE Launching in 13 More Markets July 21st
- SteamBirds Review – our Android Community App of the Week!
| US Cellular Launches Motorola XOOM Officially Posted: 22 Jun 2011 11:25 AM PDT The coolest star-studded carrier in the land has announced today that they’ll be releasing the Motorola XOOM on their own high-speed network. This device will be available starting today for $599.99 and will have the same 10.1-inch display and Android loveliness you’ve grown to know and love as it’s been released on alternate carriers and from warehouses across America. This release of the XOOM will come packed with the very newest version of Google’s mobile OS, that being Android 3.1 Honeycomb, this version of the OS only having been announced weeks ago.
This version of the XOOM has 32 GB or memory inside and it’s not yet clear whether the microSD card slot will be active. We heard a little earlier today that the Motorola XOOM as it exists on basically every carrier outside the USA will be getting an update to Honeycomb that brings the device up to the 3.1 version of Android, also called Honeycomb, this update also bringing availability of the microSD card slot as promised by every ad being transparent about said slot since its inception. US Cellular’s site for the XOOM includes a note: “External Support: up to 32 GB.” Could this mean what we think it means? US Cellular notes that customers will have to add a $25 data plan to their account if they’d like to tether the Motorola XOOM to their existing smartphone, this making it clear t hat this is, indeed, only a Wi-Fi version of the tablet. You’ll be working from your home or with a connected handset anyway, right? $25 a month worth it to you? For that extra 32 GB, perhaps! Then you’ve got to consider all the new stuff you’re going to be able to do with the device like attach it to a keyboard or use the $14.99 Targus Stylus Pen the group has for sale at launch. What a wonderful world of XOOM we’ve got here! Maybe a good time to whip out the ol’ Samsung Gem or the LG Optimus U to connect, eh? Also note that we’ve got a full review of the Verizon version of this device, so you can get a general idea of what it was all about before 3.1, or you could head to our Android 3.1 Honeycomb review on a XOOM for a better look at what you’ll be getting with US Cellulars iteration! )
|
| Xperia Active Demonstrated by Tennis Superstar Maria Sharapova Posted: 22 Jun 2011 10:32 AM PDT Sony Ericsson has announced two surprisingly popular devices this morning, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active being one of them, this one made for high action ladies and gentlemen, able to withstand even the harshest beatings and underwater adventures. I say popular because – take a look – that original post is already in today’s top ten posts, and with a cool demonstration from a known sports star like Maria Sharapova, Sony Ericsson is set to grab a significant portion of today’s eye time.
What you’re going to see here is Maria demonstrating some of the features on this newest of Sony Ericsson phones including the unique Sony Ericsson music player, photo gallery, and the Pulse Band which works with iMapMyFitness which tells you your heart rate and can automatically send the information to your trainer – if you’re that sort of person, that is. Then there’s the water action which I’m sure everyone will be clamoring about the most — though if you’ll recall some months ago, we had a device that did essentially the same thing – the Motorola Defy! Have a look below this paragraph to see our own dunking of the Motorola Defy in some water and note that although this device can be dunked, it’s still not as rugged as the Xperia Active claims to be. Then there’s the even newer Casio GzOne Commando – will it beat the Xperia Active for hardcore active ability to stay in tact? I’m afraid we won’t get the opportunity to bash these phones around until they break – but that’d be a fun test, yes? ALSO have a look back at this “leaked” photo and see if Sony Ericsson is now having a laugh at us all!
|
| Myriad Alien Dalvik Allows Nokia N9 to run Android Apps Seamlessly Posted: 22 Jun 2011 09:29 AM PDT Let’s speak for a moment about a non-Android cousin of our favorite mobile operating system and it’s hardware buddies. The Nokia N9 with MeeGo in tow was introduced this week, our good pal Chris Davies getting his hands on several of these bright units for SlashGear with some great things to say about them. What’s been re-introduced today is a bit of software called Alien Dalvik, one that allows in this case Android applications to run on the Nokia N9 (which is indeed running MeeGo) – this opening a WHOLE new door for the device and indeed washing the device into the prospective pockets of a much larger cross-section of smartphone fans.
What Alien Dalvik does, as a refresher, is to allow developers and app stores to very easily repackage Android .apk files for this system, allowing them then to run on MeeGo hardware, in this case the brand new Nokia N9. Myriad, the group that represents the Alien Dalvik software, offers an Android SDK plugin that allows Android developers to tweak their apps as far as they like, allowing complex integrations with the hardware at hand. Even without tweaks as such, apps appear to be working here without modification – out of the box, as it were. This is not the first time a group has attempted to bump their audience with a method for allowing Android applications – just a few months ago we first heard of RIM adding Android app support to the BlackBerry PlayBook, this news coming with a wave of oohs and ahhs until we realized the PlayBook wasn’t the rough and radical bit of hardware we’d hoped. That said, this Finnish piece of magic, the Nokia N9, is shaping up to be quite the magic maker, a bit of hardware that’s certain to entice more than a moderate share of folks looking to stay in or get in to the MeeGo game. Myriad tells us that Alien Dalvik will be commercially available for the MeeGo platform sometime inside 2011. It’s important to note that this system will be available on OTHER os platforms as well later on, Myriad having yet to list more than a few. Thus far we’re aware that they’re targeting vehicle computers, an area that MeeGo is also aiming to work with – BMW, GM, Hyundai, Renault, Delphi and Peugeot-Citroen all appearing in this Chris Davies / SlashGear post on the subject. For a full review of the hardware we’re talking about, the brand new Nokia N9, head over to SlashGear for some high-class hands-on. Now lets have another look at this software in action: [via SlashGear] )
|
| Motorola XOOM microSD Card Support Activated everywhere but the USA Posted: 22 Jun 2011 09:03 AM PDT What in the world is going on here, you might ask? It appears that Motorola Europe will be heading off this particular wagon of updates, they having a Facebook status up that confirms that their Android 3.1 Honeycomb update will include activation of their SD card support for the tablet. Of course you know that if you’ve got this tablet inside the USA on a Verizon plan, you’ve already got the update – but without the SD card bit. What blasphemous set of clicks, developers developers developers, and carriers lead to this terrifying situation?
Only the manufacturer gods know for sure. What we do know is that non-US users are the only ones that’ll be seeing this update come to them over the air in the coming days and weeks, starting today. This update brings one of two long-awaited updates to the world’s first Honeycomb tablet, the other being 4G LTE speed capability for those, again, having the tablet as carried by Verizon. There are ways of grabbing the first of these two updates that aren’t technically official, of course, but we’re always wanting the real deal to be coming asap, of course. There’s also news incoming via some intrepid Verizon employees that the name of the XOOM may well soon be changing to XOOM 4G or XOOM LTE, both of which would lead us to believe the device’s LTE capability will be activated sooner than later. As for the microSD card bit, you could always head back to the post entitled Motorola XOOM gets SD card activation early via Tiamac Kernel and see how that works out for you. This would be a bit of a hacking situation where you replace the software in your device via some instructions you MAY find confusing. Because these instructions could also lead to your device being busted beyond repair, we suggest you exercise utmost caution, without a doubt. [via Motorola Euro] )
|
| Maxthon Mobile 2.1.2 lands for Android with 3D skins in tow Posted: 22 Jun 2011 07:53 AM PDT Maxthon has announced that a new version of its mobile browser has landed for Android. The new version is Maxton Mobile 2.1.2 and it has some cool features. The new features include a new selection of skins for the browser including some with 3D floating effects that lets the user customize the device more. The browser also has a default zoon to size pages for easy viewing.
The new version of the browser needs 40% less memory than other Android browsers. It has an improved and easier to use homepage layout and remembers what mode you were using from the last browsing session. That means if you were using WAP last time that is what the browser will default to. The browser can also save links in history for you. Other new improvements to the browser include easier to sync favorites, enhanced YouTube experience, and easier to use search options. The search options are also expanded. Do you use this browser? Let us know what you think of it if you do. )
|
| McAfee and NTT DOCOMO extend partnership for securing Android devices Posted: 22 Jun 2011 07:37 AM PDT
McAfee is providing VirusScan Mobile as an exclusive offering for Android users on the DOCOMO network. The software is able to alert the user about viruses and malicious apps while on the go. It will scan and clean files, emails, installer packages, internet downloads, text, and MMS messages. The software will also protect users from malicious attachments to emails received. The two companies say that the software has minimal computing needs and will not affect the usability of the device in any way. The software will be available on the NTT DOCOMO network starting on July 1. The app will be offered under security service. This is good news for users of the network looking to stay virus free. )
|
| Zipcar app lands for Android users Posted: 22 Jun 2011 07:23 AM PDT If you live in a larger city that is served by the Zipcar network and use an Android device the company has a new app that will help you find a car if you need to rent one for a short while. The Zipcar network lets you find a car in your area that you can rent for however long you need. The new app also uses the GPS connectivity of your Android device to put the location of a Zipcar vehicle on a map for you to find easily.
You can use the app to book a car or extend a reservation and if you are having a hard time finding the vehicle in a parking garage you can make the car honk its horn using the app. The app will also unlock or lock the doors. Presumably, that unlocking and honking is only after you reserve so you can’t just go around unlocking all the Zipcars in your area. Zipcar sounds very interesting for people that don't own a vehicle or that are traveling in an unfamiliar city. I wonder how the driver gets the keys to the vehicle. If any of you have used Zipcar let us know how it works in the comments. You can grab the app right now directly from the Zipcar page. )
|
| Google TV 2.0 “Fishtank” program leaks Posted: 22 Jun 2011 07:22 AM PDT Details of the Google TV “Fishtank” program, giving developers early access to version 2.0 of the smart TV software, have emerged. According to Geek‘s sources, less than 50 developers were invited to take an early glimpse at the platform, ahead of the Google TV 2.0 SDK being ready for primetime.
Google apparently sends participants an Intel CE4100 reference platform – the same chipset as found inside the Logitech Revue and other first-gen Google TV hardware – running a copy of Android 3.1 heavily modified for Fishtank use. The OS is stripped down and has a new UI, partially familiar from Google TV as we’ve already seen it, with a clock app and a Live TV app that shows content from the HDMI input. Unfortunately, that Live TV functionality is already the source of arguments between Google and developers. According to the Fishtank program source, many of the developers involved gained invites based on their ideas for Live TV related apps, dressing up real-time content with information pulled from online. However, Google has decided that when Live TV doesn’t hold the focus, developers won’t be able to access it:
Still, there’s plenty of time for Google to change all that. The updated version of Google TV – running on Ice Cream Sandwich, we’re led to believe – is expected to be released later in 2011.    )
|
| Sony Ericsson XPERIA ray and XPERIA active outed for X10 retroists and joggers Posted: 22 Jun 2011 01:52 AM PDT Sony Ericsson has outed a pair of new Android smartphones at CommunicAsia 2011 this week, the XPERIA ray and XPERIA active. Both running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the ray – which looks particularly similar to the XPERIA X10 – has an 8.1-megapixel camera but a considerably smaller, 3.3-inch touchscreen, while the active has a 3-inch touchscreen and is semi-ruggedized for runners and other sporty people.
According to Crave, the XPERIA ray is 9.4mm thick and weighs 100g. Unlike other recent Sony Ericsson handsets, it has a front-facing camera for video calls, though it does use the familiar Timescape UI. The display is scratch-resistent and packs in 854 x 480 resolution, and the phone itself will be available in black, gold, white and pink.
As for the XPERIA active, it too has a scratch-resistent display – though running at a mere 480 x 320 – but is also water-resistent for dunks of up to 1m for 30 minutes, and dustproof. It has GPS and a barometer, along with Bluetooth and a bundled wrist-strap. No word on pricing, but the Android pair are apparently set to drop sometime in Q3 2011. )
|
| Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:02 PM PDT Welcome to the first real curtain call to the original HTC EVO 4G of yore, this being the HTC EVO 3D, a dual-core 4G HTC device with what may appear at first to have everything its predecessor had and more, what with the fashionably red-framed dual-LED flash-having 3D camera at the back. That’s not just one, but two cameras for a stereoscopic vision of the world through both photos and video. And the 3D doesn’t end there – a glasses-free 3D vision for your gaming and eventually alternate app supporting everyday experience. Will this device take the HTC cake, or is it, as many commenters and talking heads of the past have suggested: a gimmick?
HardwareWhat you’ve got here is a device that’s solidly built, has a lovely 4.3″ 540 x 960 qHD display up front with glasses-free 3D, dual 5 MP cameras on the rear and a 1.3 MP front-facing camera for video chat. You’ve got a headphone jack on the top near the power/lock button which is in the standard top-right location but has a lovely soft-plastic feel. There’s a Micro USB port along the left, an intent along the bottom for popping off the battery cover if you like, and another excellent use of soft plastic on the volume rocker on the right.
Then there’s a couple of rather unique and well-placed additions that you’re not going to see on ANY other devices in just such a form, both of these features on the right (or the top, if you’re holding the device in landscape mode). There’s a switch that goes back and forth between 3D and 2D specifically on your camera, next to this a lovely round and giant dedicated camera button. We’re big fans of dedicated camera buttons around here, especially when they’re on device that don’t often see such buttons – in this case an HTC device, believe it or not. While this switch has gotten a little loose in the short time we’ve had the device, it’s certainly stuck in place with whichever mode we’ve set it at, and the camera button is nothing but excellent, opening the standard camera app on a long press and activating recording like it aught to in all cases.
The battery cover consists of the entirety of the back of this device, a cool soft-plastic ribbed design with a large hole for the classically red-bordered set of cameras. This recalls the EVO’s red rim and makes you feel right at home if you’ve been an EVO user since the old days. The old, old days. Of course you know the front face has the same circled set of Android menu buttons as well, and the whole handset feels rather solid if I do say so myself – our own Cory G repping AC on SG says the same. Software and PerformanceWe’ve got Android 2.3.3 running on the device here out of the box with a version of Sense 3.0 that’s basically identical to the one presented in the HTC Sensation 4G for T-Mobile. The device presents a highly responsive Android vision amongst the greatest non-vanilla flavorings of Android we’ve seen. Though I don’t think we’ll be able to ever enjoy anything more than Android 2.3 Gingerbread without any additions on top, this particular brand of sprinkles tastes nice.
As far as apps included out of the box, you’re going to get all your Google favorites along with a few Sprint apps that you’ll NEVER ever use. Then there’s some rather nice HTC apps that we’ve seen couple other times now, that being on the HTC Flyer and the HTC Sensation. There’s HTC’s newest version of Friend Stream, an app you’ll love to use to direct your Twitter and Facebook feeds to a single location with a high-class full-panel widget in place for bonus points. HTC Hub and HTC Likes will keep you connected to your HTC-directed world, while HTC Mobile Guide is a link to a webpage in your browser – our least favorite kind of “app” shortcut. Then there’s the best HTC app in recent months, Watch, now connected to a library of videos and TV shows you can download and watch via this excellent library organizer.
As a sort of bonus, you get a DEMO version of the 3D Spiderman game from Gameloft (more on this in the 3D section below) as well as The Green Hornet 3D. This app is actually just a shortcut to a download of the movie that’ll then appear in your Watch folder. Of course, as expected, this movie looks magnificent through the device and plays without a hitch. Finally there’s Qik for video chat, an app that we’ve come to expect quality from and have been left with a fine working taste in our mouth that reminds us of candy corn – and that’s sweet! As for how well the device performs in benchmarks, have a look at this comparison of what we’ve gotten and our sister-site SlashGear has gotten on the same device – exciting!
And we’ve got a couple more because we’re like that:
The rest of the device is as generously well put together an Android device as we’ve come to expect from HTC, their software reasonably easy to bypass if you’re in to the whole hacking world and well designed enough that if you’re NOT that sort of person you’ll be able to go through your whole device’s lifespan without wanting a different interface. If you DO want a different look to your device you’ve also, of course, got HTC’s unique Personalize set of functions, a link to which is right at the bottom of your display on the right – a paintbrush for all of your lovely customizations. Make it colorful!
CameraFor a moment let’s consider the camera on it’s own. It’s a 5-megapixel camera on its own (and this is on the back, mind you, we’re not going to touch the front-facing camera as essentially every front-facing camera on every handset for the past few months have been exactly the same – or close enough that there’s no reason to review them.) Have a peek at some 2D media ala the EVO 3D:
The front-facing camera is fine, the back facing camera is decent as well, considering that it’s not the full 8-megapixels the past few HTC devices like the ThunderBolt and the Sensation 4G have had. 3DFor a good look at the 3D capabilities of this device, you’re going to have to go out and get your hands on the device for yourself. Now I know it’s a faux pas to say such a thing in a review as these reviews are supposed to give you that virtual hands-on you seek, but just like the other glasses-free 3D devices we’ve seen of late, the effect can’t be experienced through the camera or the computer screen – at least not yet. What I CAN share with you is a 2D version of a 3D photo linked to the 3D photo file for you to look at if you’ve got a 3D capable device. How that’s going to help you, I’ve got no idea, but we’re on the brink of some new technology, so let’s flow with it, know what I mean?
The 3D switch on the camera is sweet, let me tell you that. The camera button is just as sweet, and if you remember, you’ve got to exit the camera from 2D to get to 3D when you’re using the most closely related handset, the Optimus 3D, so HTC gets bonus points for making it instantaneous here. Looks great, feels great. As far as how fun / awesome / headache inducing it is to use the 3D on this device, see the hands-on with this device we’ve whipped up, Spiderman 3D in tow. Also note the following: this is the least headache inducing of the pack we’ve seen thus far. On the other hand, all these 3D technologies are so very comparable that you’re pretty much going to love it or hate it. Your humble narrator is into it, but wouldn’t pay a premium for it. You and I know though that this device doesn’t cost any more than the rest of the smartphone lineup on carriers these days though, so heck, it’s like a free feature! Spidery enough for you web-spinner fans out there? This video also features some additional hands-on and the original unboxing of the device for your convenience as well. Phone and BatteryBattery situation – not so fabulous. We’ve got this device running 24 hours ONLY with light use and without the 4G activated. When the 4G is activated and the phone is used with the 3D camera activated and you’re playing Spiderman and other Gameloft games that’ve got 3D action working well, then you’ve got a different situation on your hands. More like 10 hours with heavy use, and right between there and a full day for your everyday low to medium daily use user.
As far as the phone call quality and speakerphone volume and all that – all up to spec. All items regarding the most basic functions of this device are perfectly good and of the highest quality a device in this top-tier range of superphones we’ve been checking out over this past year or so. Wrap-UpThis device is aimed at two groups of people quite obviously, then the rest of the general public in a much more secondary way. First, the massive group of people who’ve been using the original EVO, the device we’ve very recently been speaking of having a giant barrel of problems in its upgrade to Gingerbread. Guess what, you EVO lovers – here’s your salvation – a whole new device, and it’s got 3D rocking on it as well.
Then there’s the Android people. Myself and a large chunk of the people that frequent Android Community. Does the HTC EVO 3D satisfy those that have access to the information on every single Android phone on the market thus far? You bet it does. The display is bright, the HTC Sense 3.0 is superior to most other 3rd party user interfaces, and the dual-core is powerful. This device is going to be good as a massively powerful Android for your pocket for at least the next year, at which point quad-core devices will be in full swing and you’ll want to trade up for whatever new EVO they’ve released by then.
And what about the 3D? How does it add up to the other two comparable 3D devices on the market? I’ll make it short and sweet – yes, it’s just as good, in that it’s basically the same technology compares very well, and if you’re looking for the best 3D device overall – this is it. You know full well that I love my HTC devices though, so make sure you’ve got the full facts in our reviews of the LG Optimus 3D and the T-Mobile G-Slate, both of which have camera setups and game playing capabilities along the same lines. Looking to upgrade your HTC device? Think about the HTC Sensation 4G as well, then be sure to let us know what you’ve got in mind for your final selection – report back with your findings as well! You can also take an alternate look at this device in SlashGear’s review done by our own Cory Gunther – head over there now and hassle him a bit, no growth comes without giggles!                                   )
|
| Motorola Triumph on Virgin Mobile Set to Release July 19th Posted: 21 Jun 2011 04:05 PM PDT Hey all you fans of Virgin out there, it’s your time! It’s time you got an Android phone that competes with the best of em – and does it with a nearly vanilla flavoring to boot! This is the Motorola Triumph, a device which we got to peek at a short while ago and one we’re rather pumped up about on account of its uniqueness. Though it is still rolling out with Android 2.2 Froyo when even the mid-range competitors are blasting through the gates with Gingerbread, don’t count the Triumph out – not by a long shot – and get pumped up because it’s coming in July!
Have a look at our hands-on with this device back on the 9th of June, 2011, and/or head to the video below. What you’re witnessing above is a clipping from a magazine handed over to Facebook which states the Triumph to be coming out on the 19th of July. But why, again, why are we so excited that this phone is about to be released? Because like all Virgin Mobile devices, this one comes with absolutely no contractual obligations. THis device looks very similar to the original DROID, had a 5-megapixel camera on the back, a VGA camera on the front, 720p video playback over HDMI out and it’s running Android 2.2 Froyo with, again, that nearly vanilla style to it. Looks solid, looks well made, looks like a winner. Will this be the device to thrust the Android game on Virgin Mobile to the forefront to compete with the rest of those pesky opponents? We shall see! [via Facebook] – post now deleted by the man! )
|
| Vizio Demonstrates Newest Vizio Tablet Iteration Posted: 21 Jun 2011 03:48 PM PDT It seems that the folks over at Engadget have found their way into a demonstration of the upcoming Vizio Tablet from none other than Vizio. This device is a Gingerbread Android tablet at the moment, but Vizio has stated that they’re considering moving to Honeycomb before the device launches. This device has a 1024×768 pixel resolution display, is made to be multimedia oriented with HDMI out, speakers on the top and side for optimal listening and an IR controller again at the top so you can change channels on your television from your seat.
This device will be offered up for sale sooner than later – aka sometime this summer – for an incredible $349. Have we finally hit the point at which manufacturers are able to offer inexpensive AND high-quality Android tablets to the public? Let’s hope so. Have a look at this video filmed by the Engadget folks and meet me on the other side for some additional commentary: We’ve got a bit more information on this tablet, that being that the date for the Walmart release is in July or August, that the price will indeed be $349 at all Walmart locations, and that Blake Griffin already has one. This tablet doesn’t quite have the flashiness of the Galaxy Tab nor the first out of the gate flavor of the XOOM – it doesn’t even have a keyboard dock, for goodness sake! Does that matter though, or are you gonna bust our the wallet instantly upon being able to trade cash for V-Tab goodness?    [via Engadget] )
|
| T-Mobile Samsung Exhibit 4G Hands-On and Unboxing Posted: 21 Jun 2011 02:36 PM PDT What we’ve got here today is a cool little violet device coming from Samsung to deliver you a handset with no less than a single 1GHz processor, a 3.2 Megapixel camera on the back, a VGA camera on the front, and Gingerbread. Wait, what’s that, it’s got Android 2.3 Gingerbread? Yes, here comes the tide of mid-level devices with Gingerbread in tow indeed. Though the device is mostly running a simple version of TouchWiz 2.1, you do get a bunch of the tasty cookie perks like the keyboard fully breaded.
This device has a 3.7-inch 480×800 pixel resolution display with a 1500 mAh battery and connections over T-Mobile. This device’s processor is a Hummingbird, again at 1GHz, and without a doubt this little monster will be pulling in right at the top of mid-range when it comes to accessing the market through its big pink carrier. What we’ve seen thus far is a rather simple device with three of its four Android homekeys set as touch-sensitive below the main display with the home key sitting inside the purple – looking like a joystick but I assure you, only acting as a button for you to ride home on.
This device is everything you should come to expect from Samsung in a slightly less powerful package, that is essentially the Nexus S fixed up with the simplistic TouchWiz package over the nude Android 2.3 Gingerbread and a less powerful processor so you know you’re not quite messing with the best. We’ll be taking a look at this device over the next few days for you so that we might deliver no less than a full review for you and yours. Meanwhile – ask all the questions you like right here on this post. What would you like to know about this little purple device? Would you like to see its innards in the form of benchmarks? How about the camera, should we venture out into the wild and test it valiantly?             )
|
| Droid Incredible 2/S Achieve Permanent Root with S-Off Posted: 21 Jun 2011 02:01 PM PDT HTC has promised to unlock their bootloaders on future phones, which is awesome for sure. We have been left, however with several great phones that are still locked down. Luckily developers are working to free those phones that were locked down before the community talked some sense into HTC. Among those devices is the Incredible S, or Droid Incredible 2 in the States. A group of developers working on these and other recent HTC phones, have successfully used their AlphaRevX exploit on the Incredible 2/S.
The information given by the team is, unfortunately, a bit vague, and how close the exploit is to being published we aren’t sure. We have been supplied a video of the exploit running on the phone’s fastboot screen. What the exploit accomplishes, is turning off a security lock which restricts the recovery and system partitions of the phones memory to read-only, and checks for a signature on all flashed zip files. With this lock off, it will be capable to flash custom ROMs, recoveries and the like, as well as achieve permanent root, a goal which has been unusually tricky to obtain with this phone. Click here to view the embedded video. This is awesome for any Incredible 2/S users out there looking to mod/hack their phones, but it leaves us wondering, will HTC unlock this and other phones that had been sold with locked bootloaders? There have been rumors, for the Sensation at least, that they are, but we haven’t heard anything of the matter since that initial rumor. As the makers of the first, and to this day some of the best Android devices, we hope HTC doesn’t leave those who were loyal to them in the face of a locked bootloader high and dry.
|
| Angry Birds Seasons Next Update Dubbed Summer Pignic Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:47 PM PDT As the title suggests, there will be another update to the brightest of all Angry Birds games, Angry Birds Seasons. This is a slight departure from the usual update string coming from said game as in the past they’ve mostly been official holidays, (or veiled references to those holidays, as it were,) this update being simply a lovely afternoon event in the sun. This update is sure to bring a couple new building bits, some new bonus points here and there, and of course some new hats for the piggies!
If you watch the preview below very closely, you’ll see that worst of all birds, the green on, flying overhead in his ever so evil flipping way, that pig certainly in trouble if there’s a skilled assessing behind the tapping. This is old stuff – that bird was here before. What’s new that you can glean from the video is that there’ll be bricks in this expansion. Lovely, impossible to break bricks. Also you can see the new cool summer hat the pigs will be wearing, and the theme of the birds attempting to keep the eggs away from the pigs will continue. One unique thing about this expansion is the amount of platforms it’ll be announced on all at once. Where before Angry Birds has only once or twice mentioned word of the game being on more devices than just iOS, Android, and PC, now they’ve got a whole list of locations, all at once: iPhone and iPad Wow! NOOK is now rated up there with the big boys! Also I should mention that the device floating around in the middle of the commercial is sort of a cross breed between devices, not quite an iPhone and not quite a Galaxy S II – odd button, man. Note that we’ll be running through this game at super speed when it comes out, just like we’ve done in the past with such classics as: Gotta catch em all!    )
|
| Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo Confirmed as July Release Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:02 PM PDT A flurry of official Twitter account updates has apparently confirmed the delay of and subsequent release date (approximate release date, I should say) of the upcoming Xperia release known as the Neo. This Sony Ericsson device was originally supposed to come out the same time as the Xperia arc and Xperia Play around the globe back in March, but it appears that it was indeed the Japanese natural disaster line of events that pushed this device back to right around now. That is, for the rest of the world – this device has been released in Hong Kong for the entire suggested period.
What we’re learning now is that the Xperia Neo will be hitting the markets in Europe by the first week of July. Users can look forward to a lovely candybar with rounded sides and a landscape orientation suggested by the back logo set. Also, as you may already know, this device shares quite a few of the fun features the Xperia arc already has, but will be priced at a much more affordable point. The sources confirming this information are Sony Ericsson Netherlands as well as Sony Ericsson Italy both of them picked up by our friends at Xperia Blog. They’ve confirmed further that this first week in July release date goes for an expanded bit of Europe that includes at least the Netherlands and Italy. You can see the device in action below courtesy of our sister site SlashGear. This is a slightly older version of the phone (February 13th 2011,) so the final result will be slight different in at least the software, but it should give you an OK look at the device: Rather bent, isn’t it!        [via Xperia Blog] )
|
| Verizon LTE Launching in 13 More Markets July 21st Posted: 21 Jun 2011 12:55 PM PDT Verizon’s the biggest carrier in the U.S. and their size is allowing them to churn out 4G faster than any of the other carriers. Verizon has promised to get LTE to over 140 markets by the end of the year, and so far has activated its super speedy 4G in 74 cities. Just last week Verizon flipped on LTE in 19 new markets, including mine. July 21st is looking to be the next turn-on date for 13 more markets.
Android is the sole OS to grace LTE phones so far in America, and those phones, the HTC Thunderbolt, Samsung Droid Charge, and LG Revolution, fly. Unfortunately, coverage isn’t ubiquitous yet, leaving some users on Verizon’s less stellar 3G speeds. Verizon is, however, putting the other carriers to shame with their 4G rollout. Not only is LTE by far the fastest 4G tech at the moment (seeing as its the closest to being an actual “4G”), but they are also outpacing other carriers by a fair amount in deployment. Over the past week, I’ve been able to get internet speeds comparable to my home internet while travelling with the LTE hotspot I got at Google IO. Unfortunately if Verizon’s rumored tiered data plans turn out to be true, customers in those new markets may not get to experience these unlimited LTE speeds. If you already have a one of the Verizon LTE Android phones, and live in the following areas though, get ready for some crazy fast on-the-go internet next month.
[via SlashGear] )
|
| SteamBirds Review – our Android Community App of the Week! Posted: 21 Jun 2011 12:33 PM PDT Welcome to the club, SteamBirds, you’re amongst an elite group of most-excellent apps that’ve been spoken of for eons, years, and even weeks! The Android Community App of the Week is no small honor, wear your badge brightly! And let it not get tarnished, of course. Now for you, the reader, let’s speak about this application. This is a game set in the extended past of aviation war. Fighter pilots have been blasting each other out of the sky for decades now, and SteamBirds hopes to capture the magic for you in a turn-based strategy game that teaches you lessons as you play it.
What sort of game is this, you might be saying, a school game? Some sort of learning game where I’ve got to learn things? I don’t want to learn, you say, that’s the reason I’m playing video games! But I say to you: just do it, you’ll be glad you did. For this is war knowledge, and even though the classic tune Down by the Riverside tells us that we shouldn’t be studying war no more – see song below – we must also remember the wise words of John Adams:
Get some knowledge from Mr Armstrong: War! We’ve got to learn it. And you’re going to be a fighter pilot some time in the future, so you’ve got to figure out what you’re going to do when you’re rocking some war reenactments with old timey airplanes. That’s what SteamBirds is all about. You get a turn, your opponent gets a turn, and so on and so forth until all of one team’s airplanes are shot down. You get several moves you’re allowed to make each turn, your planes equipped with the same features throughout the round. All moves are done on a single flat surface as opposed to a 3D space that reality would take place in. You’re on a grid, but you’re not regulated to squares to sit in, and your fight can take place inside 10 feet or 10 miles, whatever you choose. This game is extremely well put together, able to work on every single one of your modern Android devices, us here using the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for example so we can have plenty of space to see the playing field, while we’ve tested the game on smaller screens and it works like a gem there as well. Versatility, simplicity, and requiring next to no power to work, these are the makings of a masterpiece. You’ll be able to pick this game up in the Android Market now for a low low price of $1.99. You can also grab a demo of the game if you’d like to try it out before you purchase. Well done, developers! Remember the name Spry Fox for your future awesome Android arcade action, friends. SteamBirds on the Android Market Grab it now!    )
|
The number of hacks and malicious software that is aimed at Android users its constantly growing. Android users that have no virus and malware protection can find themselves in trouble with a compromised device that could result in stolen content or fraudulent charges on their bill. To help protect NTT DOCOMO customers the partnership between it and McAfee has been expanded.
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Community To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment