Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Android Community

Android Community

HTC Thunderbolt May be Free in Next Verizon Promo

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 11:36 AM PDT

Verizon may have a new promotion kicking off soon and you could get that awesome HTC Thunderbolt for the low low price of FREE! Obviously that is with a new 2-year contract signing of some sort but a Thunderbolt for free sure does sound awesome. If you look at the ad you might also see the Droid X for $99 but listed as “certified pre-owned”. Users might be able to get the Droid X for only $99 and that is a deal in itself.

If you are still rocking the original Droid this upcoming promo might be just in time for you to upgrade to a fast new 4G LTE Thunderbolt or that Droid X. Our man Chris Burns recently posted a review of the Thunderbolt after 3 months of use, it’s a great read for those interested in the device as he loves it.

We don’t know when or if these deals will be showing up on Verizon, but if they do I’m guessing there will be a few happy campers that get that Thunderbolt for cheap, er I meant FREE! You might notice the iPhone 4 is listed as $50 off in the same ad, I don’t know why anyone would want that when you have the Thunderbolt clearly “above” it, but I figured it was sort of worth mentioning.

[via vzbuzz]

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T-Mobile Not Allowing Exchanges on the G2x?

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 11:20 AM PDT

We haven’t heard much regarding the T-Mobile LG G2x as of late and I’m starting to wonder what T-Mobile has decided regarding the device. Not only are we still waiting for the Gingerbread 2.3 update that last we heard was coming soon, but we also haven’t heard anything else regarding a few of the quality control issues.

Back in May the phone went out of stock online at T-Mobile and it still is currently listed out of stock. Well over a month later and they still don’t have more, that makes me think it was in fact pulled for quality control issues and not because of high demand. With reboot problems, LCD backlight bleeding and more all mentioned here you have to wonder what is going on.

A new tip was recently received stating that T-Mobile will not replace the phone for any of the current issues they already know like linked to above, only for other issues. No exchanges for reboots and crashes and such will be made until the software update to Android 2.3 but we still don’t know when that is coming. The tip also mentions that T-Mobile is suggesting users replace the G2x with the myTouch 4G for the exchange.

LG better hurry and get that Android 2.3 Gingerbread update ready to go and rolling out soon or more and more users might end up with the myTouch 4G instead. It is a great phone but it isn’t a dual-core HDMI-out feature phone like the G2x is supposed to be. Hopefully T-Mobile gives us some information on the update soon so we don’t have to sit around waiting.

London Jr — Thanks for the tip!

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Verizon Tiered Data fees Confirmed for July 7th

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:34 AM PDT

You better hurry and get moving if you want to get in with a Verizon Wireless unlimited data plan, or even just something better than the tiered plans coming soon. We have just got confirmation of the tiered data fees that Verizon plans to start come July 7th and will replace the existing options. New details are confirming four main options for subscribers.

With pricing and options starting at $10 per month for just 75MB up to $80 per month for 10GB for you power users. For the rest of you that are more in the middle they will also offer a $30 per month 2GB plan, and a $50 per month 5GB plan. We have covered this before and you can read more on that by clicking here.

Sadly each GB you go over will cost an addition $10 so you better keep an eye out for your data usage. These changes are to take charge starting on July 7th so if you want a different plan you better make some changes today. We will have to wait and see how other carriers take this and if they will follow.

[via SlashGear]

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Themed MIUI Animated Clocks [Download]

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:17 AM PDT

I know you all love to mod and tweak your Android phones just like I do so when I saw this I figured you’d all enjoy it. What we have here is a huge collection of themed clocks. The highly popular MIUI animated clock is being used as it’s neat and clean looking and really makes your phone look sharp. Just about every color you can imagine is listed in his thread so you can get exactly what you want and the modder 00McD00 is even taking requests.

He is even making custom clocks for those that request them, things like team logos or other things like the HTC logo in the background. He has filled many requests so just scroll through a few pages and you’ll most likely find something you like and can download. They are all available for download then you just install like any other APK.

The original thread of all the clocks can be found by clicking here. Some of the clocks on page 3 sure look nice and I’ve already downloaded like 5 for myself. They show up in the widgets list just like any other install so this is easy enough for everyone to enjoy.

[via XDA]

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Reminder: Win A Tablet In Our First Annual Tabletpalooza Giveaway!

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:54 AM PDT

Just a small and quiet reminder here that we have a GIVEAWAY GOING ON! Yes, we have already started our first annual Tabletpalooza Android Tablet Giveaway both here, and over at our sister site SlashGear. If somehow you’ve missed this you better hurry and enter for your chance to win.

For the original post here at Android Community you can click here as that gives you all the details and rules, it also explains the few easy steps you must take to enter and win. The first week we will be giving away the blazingly fast Acer Iconia Tab 500, and our pals at SlashGear are sending out the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to one lucky person.

We have 5 Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core tablets we will be giving away over the coming weeks so I’d be checking out both AndroidCommunity and SlashGear daily if I were you. We will also be on Google+ and you can find us by clicking here.

Stay tuned and good luck!

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Motorola Droid 3 Shown in 360 Degree View on Verizon

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:32 AM PDT

We have seen plenty of the Droid 3 over the past few weeks and the phone should be launching later this week, and then in Verizon stores starting on July 14th. We should be hearing something official any day now especially now that some are seeing it on the Verizon website.

Our friends over at Droid-Life were able to catch an early look at the 360 degree view of the upcoming phone over on the Verizon website and mention it should be live soon for everyone else to check it out. It shows you all the pretty edges this phone has in just about every angle you’d want to see. The Droid 3 is looking better each time I see it, hopefully Motorola unlocks that bootloader but I doubt it.

We should be seeing or hearing more in the next day or two about the Motorola Droid 3 especially if it’s supposed to start selling this week and be in stores next, so keep your eyes and ears open because something should be coming rather soon. More pictures at the source.

[via Droid-Life]

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Motorola Droid Bionic Launching August 4th?

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:12 AM PDT

A recent screen leak is now suggesting that the popular Motorola Droid Bionic may in fact be launching sometime this year. With all the delays and lack of information we were all beginning to wonder if we’d ever see it officially. The latest screen leak is showing a release date of August 4th for the Bionic, that might not be to far away but it sure is late considering they said “Spring” back at CES.

We recently saw the Droid Bionic pass through the FCC with some 4G LTE radios so the hope for a 4G and dual-core device are still alive. It will be a pretty neat phone if it ends up coming with both of those highly wanted specs, we will have to keep waiting sadly.

In case you missed it back in June Motorola tweeted the phone was still on schedule so that at least shows they have not forgot about us, or the Bionic and are still hard at work perfecting the new form factor. If the suggested August 4th date is to be believed we should start seeing and hearing more about this phone soon.

[via Android Central]

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Android Community Now on Google+ and It’s a G+ Party!

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:01 AM PDT

All should know by now that there’s a massive earthquake in the works that’s going by the name Google+, or G+ if you’re down with the G. This brand new social network is still in Beta mode, but you know us, we want to get to the party so early that they haven’t even set the cups of punch out yet. Therefor we’ve got links to every one of our staff members so you can follow along that way OR you can follow up straight with our official Android Community G+ account!

First of all, let’s talk about what you’re going to be seeing if you follow each of our staff members (and this includes everyone who’s involved in Android Community, not just the regular writers.) You’re going to see updates that are both professional and personal (to a degree) so if you see a photo of our assistants Susi the dog or Millie the cat, you need to show some respect – because they’ve got feelings! Now on with the show:

Vince king of Behind the Scenes!
Rue on the SG beats!
Cory from the Feeds!
Sam from the Forums!
Daniel in the Guts!
John hugging Androids!
Burnsy yours truly!
Simms22 ruler of the Pits!
Chris straight off the Streets of London!
Avi from out east!
Ewdi our man in Japan!
Shane on the morning tip!
And everyone else is still creeping around!

Then there’s the big one everyone should follow: Android Community!

If you’ve taken part in our Invite Initiative in one way or another, you will be or will have already been invited by one of our staff members OR the official Android Community account. Give whoever invited you (more than likely your humble narrator) a high five and get Circled!

Also don’t forget to get educated:
Android Community 101: Google+
A Google+ Guide from Top to Bottom

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Merriam-Webster dictionary app is free on Android

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 08:20 AM PDT

If you are an Android user that likes to have all the apps you might need for school or work on your device and ready to go when you need them, you might want to check out this dictionary app. I bet we are all familiar with the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It's what my elementary school used. The Android app is available in a free ad-supported version.

The app is on the Android Market right now and is currently on version 1.0.2. The app needs Android 1.6 and higher and is supported by ads. Ads can get irritating, but it’s nice to have a real dictionary app without having to pay for it. The app also has some cool features.

The app lists synonyms and antonyms and has voice search capability. That means you can say the word you are looking for and the app will find it. Other app features include example sentences, audio pronunciations, and a lot more. You can grab the app here.

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HTC Flyer comes with free stylus at Best Buy

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 07:40 AM PDT

The HTC Flyer tablet was a nice Android device for most Android fans to choose. The tablet had the benefit of that cool stylus that lets you write on the tablet and directly on content on the screen. The downside is that if you wanted that tablet without paying for a monthly data plan you had to get a bundle making the stylus about $80 at Best Buy.

Best Buy has made a nice reduction of the price on the HTC Flyer WiFi version. We reviewed this same tablet back in May. Previously at Best Buy you would need to cough up $580 for the tablet and the stylus. Best Buy will now give you the stylus at no charge for $499.99. That makes for a big savings and has the tablet ready for its biggest feature right out of the box.

If you want a data plan with your tablet you can get the HTC Evo View 4G, which is a rebranded version for Sprint. It comes with the stylus as well. This is a smart move for Best Buy and will make the Flyer more appealing to shoppers on a budget that are interested in the stylus capability.

[via Unwired View]

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Microsoft lands Android patent agreement with Wistron

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 07:09 AM PDT

Microsoft is using agreements like the one with patent agreement it signed General Dynamic Itronix up for to its benefit. The company so far has licensed up several major companies for the patents it has relating to Android tablets. The last company to sign the patent agreement was Onkyo. Today another Android tablet maker has signed up to license the patents for tablets and other devices.

Microsoft has announced that it has signed Wistron Corp up for a patent agreement that covers a broad range of patents that Microsoft holds. Wistron is licensing the patent for tablets, mobile phones, eReaders and other consumer electronics devices that are running Android or Chrome. Neither party has disclosed the terms of the agreement. I would like to know how much money Microsoft is making off these licensing agreements.

Do you think the new costs associated with Android will keep some companies from bring Android Devices to market? HTC is rumored to be paying as much as $5 per device to Microsoft and that will certainly cut into the budget of companies big and small.

"We are pleased that Wistron is taking advantage of our industrywide licensing program, established to help companies address Android's IP issues," said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of Intellectual Property and Licensing at Microsoft.

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TI promises Full HD Netflix streaming on Android devices soon

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 06:20 AM PDT

Texas Instruments has announced that its OMAP4 platform has been Netflix certified for the 1080p Full HD version of the streaming movie company’s app, the first time a mobile platform has been approved. It’s the M-Shield security section that’s won TI the kudos, apparently, working in combination with the high-definition capabilities of the processor cores.

Although Netflix already has an Android app, its compatibility is limited to certain handsets. That, the company has previously explained, is because Android lacks standardized secure streaming protocols that Netflix can use not only to funnel their content out to phones and tablets, but also use to reassure content owners that the movies won’t be ripped and shared illegally.

TI’s M-Shield security system, however, offers a hardware-protected, trusted execution environment (TEE), running on the OMAP4′s dual ARM Cortex-A9 cores, but supposedly does away with either a dedicated chip or extra CPU cycles. There’s also support for Full HD HDMI output, which could mean plugging your Android phone into an HDTV and turning it into a mobile Roku-style streamer.

According to TI, devices with the Netflix app pre-loaded “will be launched in the near future.”

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Toshiba Thrive tablet hits at least one Best Buy early

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 05:17 AM PDT

There are many Android tablet fans out there waiting with anticipation for the Toshiba Thrive to land in stores so they can go in and pick one up. The Thrive hit pre-order with Best Buy last month. The ship date on those pre-orders wasn't offered, but the rumored launch date for the tablet has been July 10. Apparently, at least one Best Buy has the Thrive on hand and ready to sell already.

One of the admins over at the Thrive Forums happened into a Best Buy in Austin, Texas over the long holiday weekend. He noticed a working version of the Thrive sitting in a corner and spent some time fondling the little beast. The sales person claimed that the tablets were in fact in the back and could be purchased right then.

The catch is that the Thrive had a tag that said the 16GB version was $479.99, which is quite a bit more than Amazon is selling the tablet for on pre-order. There are also reports that other locations have a 32GB version of the tablet for $579. Anyone else run across this in Best buy recently or purchased one already?

[via Thrive Forums]

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Part two of the cool Sony S1 and S2 tablet ad surfaces

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 02:56 AM PDT

Back on June 17, we posted up the first part of a really cool Sony ad for the S1 and S2 tablets. The ad is the one with the balls and other stuff that rolls down a path and activating different parts of a mechanical machine during the commercial. The commercial was cooler than most of the products Sony sells in my opinion.

If you liked that commercial and have been waiting for the next part of it, the second part to the commercial has now landed on YouTube. Sony says that the commercial will have five parts and that more installments will be coming. It has been roughly two weeks since the first installment so if Sony continues that pace it will be about six weeks before we hit the end of the story.

I would like to see how exactly the commercials were made with the set up of the machine. The second ad starts with some marbles bouncing into a bucket. I would like to know what’s up with the plastic dancing couple holding onto the tiger’s tail. That was a bit strange. The commercial is very cool though and you can check out the first part we have already seen and the new part two below.

[via SlashGear]

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