Friday, 22 July 2011

Android Community

Android Community

Samsung Nexus S 4G Android 2.3.5 Update Starting July 25th

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 11:31 AM PDT

After initial reports suggested the Samsung Nexus S 4G might soon be getting updated to Android 2.3.5 it appears that it indeed will see the update starting next week. Starting Monday, July 25th, the Samsung Nexus S 4G OTA rollout to Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread will get under way. It will bring many changes and improvements to the WiMAX sporting device.

This update will help the slow speeds the device has been plagued with on 4G WiMAX and it should not only be much faster, but also more stable. Samsung has just made the announcement that the rollout will start on the 25th, and should see most users devices within a 2-week period.

The Samsung press release also touches on a few other things. They’ve fixed the wi-fi bugs, speakerphone and voice quality should sound better, and they’ve added a 4G toggle widget. According to my sources NFC will also be enabled with this Android 2.3.5 update but that is yet to be confirmed. Engadget was able to get the update early and they are reporting some pretty solid 4G speed improvements so feel free to head down to the via below for some screenshots.

[via Engadget]

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[Deal] HTC Thunderbolt Just $59 at Wirefly

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 11:20 AM PDT

Oh Snap! Wirefly is at it again offering extremely low prices on the phones we love the most. Last we saw they had the Thunderbolt for $99 but this is a new low. Right now you can get the HTC Thunderbolt with those 4G LTE speeds for just $59 at Wirefly (with a new contract). Sadly these deals are for new contracts only but if you’re not in contract feel free to cancel and sign a new one to get this steal while it lasts.

This is nothing new as Wirefly always has amazing deals, check out our Wirefly portal. It really is a shame these sort of deals are only for new subscribers but then again for that price can we really complain? I’m sure you all know plenty about the HTC Thunderbolt by now but if you’ve been living under a rock here is our hands-on video.

Basically the Thunderbolt rocks, its an awesome phone and our very own Chris Burns uses it daily. Not only does he use it daily but he also threw together a little post about his thoughts after using a while. Here is his thoughts after 3 months review. You don’t want to miss it as he explains all the reasons that make the Thunderbolt an amazing phone. As always these deals at Wirefly wont last long and if you don’t hurry they might sell out so you’d better hurry and decide.

[via Wirefly]

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Four New LG Android Phones Revealed, Prada K2 Looks Nice

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 10:48 AM PDT

We all expected more phones coming out of LG this year as they’ve only just started their venture into Android. We have what appears to be possibly the remaining phones for the 2011 line-up. These are all renders from what I’m hearing and a few look pretty nice. The first name that caught my eye was the LG Prada K2. Does anyone remember the original LG Prada? Here’s our review from 2007 on SlashGear. (Blast from the past)

Does it look familiar? Prada (left) and the new LG Victor (right) are both pretty high end devices with the Prada K2 taking charge. The Prada looks similar to the original I linked to above but don’t worry it will be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and be dual-core. Its said to be sporting a 4.3″ HD NOVA Display, have a 8MP shooter on the rear and 1.3 MP on the front. Being a Prada it will be a fancy and fashionable design and have a Prada-inspired back cover. We can expect to see it around or during the holiday season.

Next is the LG Victor and it may not be as powerful as the Prada K2 but it’s no slouch either. It comes powered by a modest 1 Ghz processor with a 3.8″ display. It is what I’d call a higher end mid-range phone since you need a dual-core to play with the big boys now it’s 2011. It should also come rocking Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 5MP rear camera as well as VGA front.

Next we have the NFC-capable LG Gelato (above) and it looks just like the Optimus Net but will be packing an NFC chip inside. NFC is rather new to the scene but higher end phones like the Galaxy S II or the Nexus S 4G had it on board, not a lower end phone like the Gelato. I know Gelato is similar to Froyo but this phone will indeed come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread as well as a 3.2″ display, 3MP camera and a measly 800 Mhz CPU.

There was a brief mention of an LG Univa that might end up being the LG Optimus Two but we’ll reserve that judgement for you. This leak also showed a Windows Phone 7 device or two but those don’t really concern us. I personally like the idea and look of the Prada K2 as long as they get the bottom bezel a little smaller. More details are at the source link below.

[via PocketNow]

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20th Century Fox Bringing Blu-ray Digital Copy Downloads to Android

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 10:17 AM PDT

For those that buy Blu-ray titles and have noticed they always come with a downloadable digital copy mostly for your PC or iDevice things are about to change and soon they will be offering them for Android. With only a few movie watching or streaming options such as Netflix for Android and Hulu having limited options and device availability, being able to download any Blu-ray you buy would be a great addition.

20th Century Fox is aiming to change all that and will be bringing digital copy downloads to Android. The first movie they tested this with was actually Unstoppable but we didn’t hear much about it. 20th Century is looking to improve the system and programs already in place on PC and will allow you to download a digital copy and then side-load that to any and all of your Android devices, more than one.

I know previous users have reported just taking the Windows Media Player version and adding that to their SD card for playback but the new system will be fully supported and easy for all users. 20th Century Fox aims to get this rolling fast especially with how big Android is getting.

The first available film for Android digital copy is said to be X-Men: First Class and more will follow this fall. We should start seeing this in the U.S., UK, Germany and France with more coming soon.

[via SlashGear]

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Droid Bionic Placeholder Stands At Verizon, Phone Coming Soon?

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:58 AM PDT

More and more Droid Bionic news keeps appearing this week. We’ve seen more pictures and docks leaked as well as Amazon listing it early revealing a 360° view of the phone and its awesome looking dock featuring HDMI-Out and three — yes three USB ports. With a dual-core and 4G LTE this might as well be my computer and internet in one, right?

We wont even get into the “leaked” pricing we saw earlier this week. The image above could very well be a tease for what is to come. A placeholder ad stand at a Verizon store with the big dawg phone in the middle missing. What would be better than the Droid X2 or the Droid 3 — only an LTE dual-core beast like the Bionic of course.

The amount of excitement surrounding this phone was big from the start and has only been gaining steam as all these leaks keep dropping. I know plenty of people waiting that will be upgrading to the Bionic when it does indeed hit the shelves. A recent update to Netflix in the market showed the Droid Bionic on the supported list so that is just all the more reason to want this phone.

I’m expecting Verizon to have a few awesome commercials to go along with this launch as it should be their new flagship device. We should be hearing more soon and hopefully start seeing some commercials and a release date.

[via DroidForums]

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Spy shots said to be Lenovo IdeaPad 7 surface

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 08:25 AM PDT

We like spy shots around here even though spy photographers are the worst photographers on the planet. Why can a spy shot never be clear and have no grain? Beggars can't be choosers I guess. What we have here are photos of what is thought to be the Lenovo 7-inch IdeaPad tablet. The tablet is suspected to be called the A1-07 internally at Lenovo.

We don't have hard facts, but we do have more rumors as far as specs go. The tablet is through to use a TI OMAP3621 processor, which is the same processor under the hood of the Nook Color. The screen of the leaked tablet is a 7-inch unit and has a resolution of 1024 x 600 with support for touch control. The little tablet is also supposed to have Broadcom GPS and a 3G modem with a SIM card slot.

Other rumored specs include a microSD card slot and a 3,700mAh battery. The tablet has front and rear cameras of some sort; so far no spec rumors have surfaced on the cameras. The device is expected to run Android 2.x. Take this rumor with a grain of salt, Engadget reckons that the photos have been modified.

lenovo-ideapad-7-1 lenovo-ideapad-7-2

[via Engadget]

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Fruit Ninja Free is on Android Market

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 04:54 AM PDT

I would bet that any of you that are into mobile games have heard of Fruit Ninja. This really cool game has been around for a while now. Back in late March, the game was on Amazon as the free app of the day. Halfbrick Studios has now announced that the game is on the Android Market for free. The free version is called Fruit Ninja Free.

Reading the free version description it sounds just like the older pay version that sold for a bit over a dollar. You get three play modes with Classic, Zen, and Arcade. You get the same power ups in arcade mode like Freeze, Frenzy, and Double Score. Players can also unlock custom blades and achievements. The thing that is a bit confusing is that the normal pay version of Fruit Ninja is still available as well.

It has the same description as the free version. The HD version for tablets is also still available. If you grab the new free version and find any differences between it and the older paid version let us know. This is a cool game and if you don’t have it grab the free version, it’s tons of fun.

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Amazon leaks Droid Bionic with dock listings

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 03:25 AM PDT

Yep, that there is the Droid Bionic that we have talked about and lusted after for a while now. Yesterday we talked about the photoshopped page that was floating around showing the Bionic, but these are pics of the real deal. They come our way thanks to someone at Amazon that added some docks to the product listings on the site.

Naturally, the car and desk docks show the Bionic sitting there, taunting us with the promise of dual-core LTE love. We know a bit about the phone with its 4.3-inch qHD pentile matrix screen, 8MP camera, and 1GHz dual-core processor. Enough about what we know, if you want the smartphone you may want some accessories too so here they are. The desktop dock holds the phone in landscape mode. We see three USB ports on the back of the dock.

The desk dock also has a 3.5mm output and a HDMI out to connect the smartphone to your TV or monitor. The desk dock has ESP tech that allows you to pick the apps you want the docked home screen to show. The Vehicle Navigation Dock is a holder that sticks to your windshield with a suction cup. The dock is designed to allow you to use the Bionic for navigation and keep the little beast charged up. This dock also has ESP and will change the docked home screen to the apps you want to see in the car. Pricing and shipping details are not offered on either dock.

droid-bionic-1 droid-bionic-2 droid-bionic-3

[via Engadget]

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Photile Live Wallpaper, Brings Photos To The Grid

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 04:02 PM PDT

Today I have another unique live wallpaper to share with everyone. I better stop featuring all the good ones or they might run out on me. Today I’ll be showing you Photile Live Wallpaper. This amazing app like many other LWP’s doesn’t look that great from the images but once you install it you will see why I chose this. It’s actually very cool and gives you plenty of options.

Photile actually turns any picture you choose into a grid of bouncing, floating, fading, and sliding tiles. With smooth and stunning visuals you can tap the screen and watch a ripple-like effect as the tiles float around. You can choose to keep the image in tact or let the tiles slide and go completely random. You lose sight of what the image is that way, but it sure it neat to watch.

I was going to show you with my wonderful Olivia Wilde background but I decided the image above was more appropriate for all my viewers as I cater to everyone. You can used saved wallpapers, screenshots, downloads and even pictures taken with your device. You can choose how strong the reaction when you tap the screen and even change the size, spacing, shadows, and background color of the tiles. The developers Joko Interactive really give you plenty of options. Here is the video to show you what I mean.

Photile Live Wallpaper is very unique and will give your tablet or phone just the look you desire. It is available for free in the Android Market (linked below), as well as a paid version to unlock even more features although the free version is quite nice too. Don’t forget to check out my other top picks by going to the wallpaper portal.

Click or scan the QR code below to easily download Photile Live Wallpaper.

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Multiple APK Support Heading to Android Market

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:36 PM PDT

Google has been on fire lately with announcements like over 550k phones being activated daily, to over 250,000 applications in the Android Market. Today they are announcing what I think will be an awesome advantage and offering for the Android Market — and that is multiple APK support.

Google is now allowing developers to upload multiple versions of their applications at the same time. Multiple APK support is a new publishing option in Android Market delivering to those developers who want it, extra control over distribution. This new option should be available for developers starting today. Until now, each application listing or game had a single APK uploaded at a time and only one version available for download.

There will not be more than one listing for any said product so we wont see the same application multiple times. Instead developers can upload multiple APK’s addressing a different subset of their customers.

These APKs are complete, independent APKs that share the same package name, but contain code and resources to target different Android platform versions, screen sizes, or GL texture-compression formats. When users download or purchase your app, Android Market chooses the right APK to deliver based on the characteristics of the device.

This will allow for single application listings, yet there will be multiple versions to target phones or tablets. This will also come in handy for when new platforms become available and developers want to test or try an application without updating and hurting their current customers or user base.

Developers can access and start using this new service right away. Google has updated the Developer Console with these new control options and hopefully we start seeing this soon as all the developers just on board. This is another exciting change for Android and I can’t wait to see what Ice Cream Sandwich brings in the future.

[via Android Developer Blog]

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ASUS Transformer How-to and FAQ Video Round-Up

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:14 PM PDT

The teams have ASUS have been busy with the launch of devices like the ASUS EeePad Transformer tablet running on the greatest OS of all times — Android! Recently for anyone that may follow them on Twitter (assuming you’ve not left for G+) you’ve probably seen the upwards of 10 or so videos they have posted recently all about the Transformer. Feel free to follow them at @ASUS, and us at @androids. Being the nice guy I am I’ve gathered them all right here just for your viewing pleasure.

Basically what ASUS has done is started responding to all their users FAQ’s with how-to videos and plastering them to YouTube. It’s actually a really great idea as they neatly and quickly show you all sorts of amazing things their tablet can do. From playing games on your HDTV, stream video wirelessly to said HDTV, to using Google Maps and more. These videos are short and sweet and vary from 1-2 minutes on average.

This is no particular order (but I’ll try) and I’ll be tossing them below as I see them. This will be a great post you can direct anyone with an Android tablet for help, not just Transformer users as plenty of this is universal to Android or tablets.

Google Maps on the Transformer

Downloading Android Apps from the Market

Using the keyboard dock, and what makes it different

Expandability and Storage

Screen size and durability

Playing games on your device and HDTV

Using Flash on the Transformer and Android

Taking pictures and video

Streaming wireless video

Access computer and Windows on the Transformer

Like I said this is actually a really great idea and a nice round-up of some of the top questions users may have for all Android tablets and for that– Asus, We thank you! I went ahead and watched almost all of these completely through and learned a few things even I didn’t know. For how much I toy around with Android I was surprised with what some of these videos had to offer. For average or novice users this will be a great help but for users like myself we might already know and use most of these features and tips.

Feel free to enjoy all of these videos and ask any questions you may have in the comment section below, as well as to Asus over on Twitter and YouTube.

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HTC Kingdom Gets DLNA Certification as HTC Hero 4G

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:03 PM PDT

The HTC Hero was the first Android device bearing Sense to hit US shores. The HTC Kingdom has been a rumored device for awhile now, but we don’t have much info about it. Today that has changed, as the Kingdom has received DLNA certification, as the successor to the Hero, the HTC Hero 4G.

The Hero 4G will be running Gingerbread 2.3.3 with Sense (presumably 3.0 like the EVO 3D). Inside the sleek looking device is 1.2 GHz processor (there seem to be mixed signals over the number of cores) 768 MB of RAM, and 5MP and 1.3MP rear and front cameras respectively. All of this is said to be packed under a 4″ qHD display.

If the processor is dual-core, this could prove to be hero phone material (get it, Hero phone!). While slightly smaller, it bears some resemblance to a CDMA/WiMax Sensation. The Hero 4G will have to compete with the likes of the EVO 3D. However, for those who don’t care about 3D in their Android this could be a welcome alternative. If it does turn up being a single core processor though, it will have been a long time coming for a mid level phone.

[via Android Guys]

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Motorola Defy+ Could be Headed to AT&T

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:19 PM PDT

The Motorola Defy has been surviving falls and going for swims on T-Mobile’s network for over half a year now. Now This is my next has picked up a rumor that Motorola’s rugged little smartphone is getting an upgrade on its way to AT&T (or maybe Canadian carriers) as the Defy+. The Defy is not a top of the line device, and even with the bump it will still be mid-tier, but for those who need a tough phone that can survive a few bumps, the Defy+ will be a handsome looking choice.

Spec wise all we have is that the Defy+ will supposedly have a 1 GHz TI OMAP 3620, upgraded from the Defy’s 800 MHz processor. Other than that Gingerbread 2.3.3 is said to be on board with most other specs (camera, RAM, screen, etc) will be the same.

With 850/1900/2100 HSPA bands, the Defy+ could be sporting 3G on either AT&T or one of several Candian carriers. AT&T already has the Bravo, a Moto phone with specs similar to the Defy, but lacking its ruggedized design. Even with its water-proof design, the Defy is a slim and cool looking phone.

[via This is my next]

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BlackBerry PlayBook Android App Player Beta Leaked

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:35 PM PDT

It’s been awhile since RIM first demoed there planned Android App Player for their PlayBook tablet. A beta version of the App Player has recently found its way onto the internet, allowing PlayBook owners to get a taste of all the awesome apps we enjoy here in the Android world.

The Android Player allows RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to make up for its less impressive app selection, by letting it access Android’s impressive app base. The magic is in a port of Android’s Dalvik virtual machine, which runs apks just like an Android phone.

The Android Player application and Virtual Machine are based off of Gingerbread 2.3.3. There are two big things to take away from this. First, this means the PlayBook will be capable of running almost all non-honeycomb apps (somewhat strange since its a tablet, but it is beta). More upsettingly, this means that a BlackBerry tablet will be running a newer version of Android then the vast majority of Android phones.

The idea to port the entire Android app selection to their tablet was a pretty brilliant idea on RIM’s part, and the more customers the merrier for Android developers. What remains to be seen is how performance will hold up on the tablet. Early reports describe it as laggy but usable.

Will we see Android apps ported to other operating systems if this is successful? Dalvik is based on the Java virtual machine, which was meant to allow the same binary run on different platforms. Could Android apps become common place on all mobile platforms some day?

[via N4BB]

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