Android Community |
- Toshiba Thrive Review
- ASUS EeePad Silder Hits the FCC
- AT&T Confirms all 2011 Android Phones will get 2.3 Gingerbread
- SkyGrid lands for Android Tablets
- Android to overtake App Store by 2012?
- ZocDoc books your checkup on your smartphone
- Intuit offers QuickBooks Mobile for Android
- Samsung smartphone sales tipped to beat iPhone and Nokia in Q2 2011
- My Beach HD Live Wallpaper, Lets Enjoy Some Sun!
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE Official Launch Date Confirmed: July 28th
| Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:46 AM PDT Welcome to the Toshiba Thrive (aka the Toshiba THRiVE if you believe the box’s interpretation of it.) This is a tablet we’ve been talking about since early 2010, a tablet of some legend – one that was said to possibly be the hero device for Honeycomb, then the hero device for Google to be giving away at their Google I/O conference this spring! But alas, none of that came true, and here we are with the thickest and possibly the heaviest tablet in the whole Android bunch. Will fun features such as a replaceable back panel and ports galore save this device from “it’s not thin enough” fever?
Before we begin, let’s have a look at the unboxing and hands-on of this device performed again by yours truly. This tablet comes in a rather nice box and is certainly made to be sitting on the shelves looking healthy AND is amongst the elite group of Best Buy displayed tablets in their new tablets area – have a look: HardwareThere’s buttons and ports galore, the ports spoken about in this review down in the Connectivity and Battery section, then there’s the following: a lock at the top on the camera side that’ll allow you to let loose the back removable cover, a lock that’ll stop your screen from rotating, volume up/down, power button, two lovely speakers at the bottom of the device when held in landscape mode, three LED lights showing power, Wi-Fi connectivity, and battery, a 2-megapixel camera on the front, and a 5-megapixel camera on the back.
The battery cover, aka the entire back of the device, is swappable for many different colors which you’ll be glad to know only cost $20 each. You can choose from Silvery Sky, Blue Moon, Raspberry Fusion, Lavender Bliss, and Green Apple. Under the battery cover is one gigantic monster of a white battery that we speak more about in the Connectivity and Battery section below. With this battery and the full sized ports galore, plus the fact that this tablet has been in production (or at least in the works) since early last year all adds up to this tablet being thick. It’s 0.62 inches thick, that being twice as thick as the thinnest tablets on the market – iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1, weighing in at 1.66 pounds, basically the same as the Motorola XOOM.
Your display here is a 1280 x 800 resolution IPS LCD with a 16:10 aspect ratio, making it narrower than most other tablets. Certainly not made for outdoors viewing but doable, looking fabulous inside with perfectly wide viewing angles all around. This tablet isn’t made to be held with one hand and tapped with the other, that is of course unless you’ve got very big hands or very long fingers. Should you have a surface to place it upon like a leg or a table OR if you just want to hold it with two hands like a normal person, you’ll be good to go.
The Thrive has a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor with 1GB or RAM and a choice of onboard flash memory: 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. The full-sized SD card slot on the side of the device supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC, meaning storage is expandable by up to 128GB. You’ll be rolling out with cameras similar to the XOOM at 2-megapixels and 5-megapixels but you’ll be without a flash on the back so no dark night photos for you! Software and PerformanceThe Toshiba Thrive is the first tablet to come with Android 3.1 Honeycomb right out of the box, many other devices still popping out with 3.0 needing an over the air update directly, this meaning that when Android 3.2 Honeycomb comes out (sometime in the next few weeks we expect) you’ll be right up there at the top for updates. The Thrive comes packed with your usual Google set of apps including maps, the Android Market, and Gmail, but surprises you with a full suite of Tegra 2 specific card games for instant fun.
Beyond that, it’s a rather vanilla look, again, at Honeycomb. It’s been a strange occurrence in the release of Android tablets since Honeycomb was released in that this has been the primary norm: vanilla. This means, for those unaware, that the tablets are running Android in exactly the same (or a very similar) way to how Google intended it, not an overlay in sight. Then that NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor is humming underneath. You know the power, and you love it. Have a look at some benchmarks to refresh your memory on the power of this super system:
For more information on Vellamo, head to our hands-on post. Connectivity and BatteryThe Toshiba Thrive has ports galore, more and more impressive are the ways you can connect with this device each time you turn it around in your hands. Be sure to pop the covers off or you’d never find them: a full sized HDMI port, a full sized USB 2.0 port, an odd mini USB port (odd for 2011, that is,) headphone jack, power jack, full sized SD card port, and a docking port. This means you could potentially have five wires hanging out of this device at once: USB port for a video game controller, headphone jack for a 3rd party speaker system, power for power, mini USB for accessing your desktop’s files, and HDMI for running the whole show on a big screen HD TV! What fun you could have!
Then there’s the battery. Once you pop off the back (having released the cover lock at the top of the tablet of course) you’ll find that there’s one gigantic battery sitting in there. It’s a magnificently large 2030 mAh Toshiba battery that’s rated for 11 hours straight. Should you be using it pretty hard though, like we’ve done, you’ll get somewhere between 5 and 7 hours max. Standby time is, like most Android tablets today, basically a week – crazy stuff! Also note that even if you don’t have you battery plugged in, if the device is plugged in with your power cord, you’re good to go. CameraAgain we’ve got a 2-megapixel camera on the front and a 5-megapixel camera on the back capable of 720p recording. Have a look at some examples of what you might be seeing when you start this camera up:
Wrap-UpThis tablet is up for sale for you for one of the following prices: $429.99, $479.99, or $579.99 – the difference between these three being the hard drive of 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB. That’s all at Best Buy, the first place we ever saw this tablet advertised. Now whether or not you want to go out and purchase it is up to you, but we offer this advice: go into the Best Buy and try the Toshiba Thrive out. You can get a full hands-on there as well as a hands-on with basically every other Android tablet on the market today. No other store has this opportunity so we suggest you take it now and take it at Best Buy.
Would that this tablet were released first, that is if it were chosen as Google’s hero device for Honeycomb instead of the XOOM, it would be much more famous and very much more desirable. As it stands today, the positives are very close to tied with the negatives. You’ve got ports galore, and certainly this is an entertainment machine to be appreciated, but it’s fat. It’s not the prettiest tablet in the world, but you can put on alternate covers. It’s not light, but it’s not meant to be. The Toshiba Thrive is certainly unique, and options are its speciality. Grab it now or forever hold your cords in your drawers.                           Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
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| ASUS EeePad Silder Hits the FCC Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:33 AM PDT We first saw the ASUS EeePad Slider also know as the SL101 back at CES 2011 and I’m sure a few of you were excited with the possibilities of a slider tablet. Back in May it was supposed to hit stores soon but that never happened and we are still waiting for more news. Today it hit the FCC so at least we know it’s still on track and on its way.
You can get the ASUS Slider and have one device rather than carry around the Transformer and the additional keyboard dock, I like the idea as long as its smooth and a good design and from initial looks I think it will be a hit. It was also supposed to launch around the same time as the Transformer but that never happened. Recent reports suggest yet another delay for the Slider and we might not be seeing in until fall after initial comments suggested we should see it by August. With this latest FCC filing things might finally be back on track for ASUS. They may in fact launch the ASUS Slider sometime in August. We’ll take what we can get for now but hopefully we hear more very soon. [via Wireless Goodness] )
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| AT&T Confirms all 2011 Android Phones will get 2.3 Gingerbread Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:04 AM PDT If you are one of the thousands and thousands of people that bought an Android phone in 2011 AT&T is going to take care of updates according to latest news. Today AT&T confirmed that all Android phones sold in 2011 will receive an update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The HTC Inspire should see 2.3 Gingerbread in August and they even mention the Samsung Captivate.
AT&T also mentions the Infuse should also see the 2.3 update sometime in August. In case you missed it the rollout for the Motorola Atrix started last week and you can download it over the air or manually with the link just provided. It seems now that they aren’t in just appleland and are now carrying a stronger Android offering they are looking to up their game. They even mention that the upcoming LG Thrill 4G will actually be offered for just $100 with a new contract, pretty interesting indeed but I love the price and can’t argue with that. We still don’t have an official launch date for that but latest reports suggest August 7th. For the full details head over to AT&T. [via AT&T] )
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| SkyGrid lands for Android Tablets Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:07 AM PDT Android tablet users now have a new app that will let them keep track of the stuff they like to follow in one place. The app is SkyGrid for Tablets. The app has been around for a while for smartphones landed for tablets last week. It requires Android 1.6 and higher to operate. Using the app, you can keep track of news on just about anything you want.
You can track celebrities, sports, politics, news and just about anything else. The UI for the tablet version is custom designed to take advantage of larger screen. The app offers notifications of the exact interests you follow and you it has a what’s hot section to find news happening right now. The app also makes it easy to share the news you find interesting. The app has links for sharing news you like via Facebook, Twitter, and Email. The app sources news from over a million sources to ensure you get what you want when you want it. The tech inside the app will find news trending the fastest using its Information Velocity algorithm and deliver updates you the user based on that information. [via TMCnet] )
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| Android to overtake App Store by 2012? Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:51 AM PDT Right now, the Apple App Store is the most popular and successful of all app selling online stores around. That may not always be the case though. Just as Android is starting to take the lead from the iPhone in many markets, Android apps are catching up with the sales of iPhone apps too according to a new report. The report comes from Strategy Analytics.
According to the report, the Android Market is set to overtake the App Store in quarterly volume by the end of 2012. The overall app economy is looking to be worth $2 billion per quarter by the end of 2012. The report does suspect the App Store to maintain the lead through 2012. The prediction is that Android will get help from other Android app markets to beat Apple. The help for Android apps will come from the other markets like the Amazon App Store, GetJar, Nook, and other sources. Overall the app market is selling billions of paid apps monthly and downloads are expected to add up to about $2 billion by the end of 2012. [via CBROnline] )
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| ZocDoc books your checkup on your smartphone Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:31 AM PDT I really hate making doctors appointments. I think that the people that make the appointments at my kids’ doctor may well be the least helpful people on Earth. It’s so bad that I try to call when they are closed because the answering service is easier to talk to. If you have the same issue with making appointments for your doc or for your kids, ZocDoc for Android promises to help.
The app runs on your Android smartphone and it helps make your appointments for you. The ZocDoc app will not only let you book an appointment, but it will also help you find a doctor if you need a new one. The app sorts docs in your area by specialty, insurance, and current location. The app uses the geolocation service of the phone to find docs near you. You can also use the app to read reviews of the doctor and to see their credentials. The docs calendar can be viewed in real time. The app covers 4.9 million doctors in major metro areas. The app currently supports doctors in New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Atlanta. )
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| Intuit offers QuickBooks Mobile for Android Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:11 AM PDT If you are the type that needs to be able to access your financial data for your business anywhere you are Intuit has a new app for Android smartphones that you might like. Intuit’s QuickBooks mobile app is aimed at the small business owner that needs to be able to handle financial details on the go. Using the app gives the business power many different things they can do.
The app will let the user create estimates on the go and manage invoices, view customer details, and a lot more from their smartphone. The app will also sync automatically with QuickBooks on the computer at home or in the office to ensure the data is the same on the smartphone and the computer. The data on the app can be updated on the go as well. When the app is synced, the data on the computer will be updated too. Access to QuickBooks Mobile is free for any QuickBooks online customer. QuickBooks Pro and Premiere 2011 can subscribe to get the mobile app. The app is on the Android Market and App Store right now. )
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| Samsung smartphone sales tipped to beat iPhone and Nokia in Q2 2011 Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:57 AM PDT Samsung’s Q2 smartphone sales could have exceeded those of either Apple or Nokia, the first time the Korean company would have managed such strong performance. Samsung’s official figures for device sales are expected to come in at between 18m and 21m globally for the last quarter, research firm Strategy Analytics told Bloomberg, likely to best Nokia’s 16.7m smartphone sales and Apple’s 20.3m iPhone sales.
The increasing demand for Samsung’s phones – both regular handsets and smartphones – is expected to further narrow the gap between Nokia’s first place position in the global market, and Samsung’s number two spot. Nokia currently holds around 26-percent, while Samsung is expected to reach around 20-percent.
Samsung’s success hasn’t been entirely down to Android – the company also sells “dumb” phones and handsets running its own bada OS – but the popularity of devices like the Galaxy S II has certainly put the Google OS at the forefront of its marketing campaign. The GSII is expected to make its US debut in August. The company is yet to confirm its official sales figures for Q2 2011. )
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| My Beach HD Live Wallpaper, Lets Enjoy Some Sun! Posted: 24 Jul 2011 12:34 PM PDT I saw this Live Wallpaper this morning and it was just so amazing that I had to share it with everyone. I’ve been getting into the LWP’s lately and this is a refreshing and highly customizable wallpaper almost everyone can enjoy, unless you don’t like the beach. (Is that even possible) This is My Beach HD and as always the pictures just do NOT do justice and you’ll need to install this yourself or watch the video to truly enjoy it.
As you flip through your screens you get a full panoramic view of the beach from lifeguard stands, coolers and umbrellas, beach balls and even sharks in the water. All of this is highly highly customizable of course. I always try to choose wallpapers where the user can choose exactly what they want and this is no different. You can have a bomb-fire while laying in the sand having a coke, or have the open beach with nothing but sand to build castles in. This has more options than most wallpapers, it really does.
Each amazing wallpaper I feel like is my new favorite and this is no different. I’ve been using this all morning and changing all the options. Have a smooth beachfront or get the water raging with incoming waves and airplanes in the sky. It truly has it all. I have my beach sign set to “Private Beach” so no one will disturb me. Future updates will allow a custom sign and I’m debating putting clothing optional, or Android Community.
If you want fireworks in the sky they have that too. Trust me when I say they’ve thought of almost everything in regards to options and customization. Here is the video below so you understand just what I mean. As always this comes as a free wallpaper and you can get that in the market by clicking here, but the paid version for only $1.00 gives you all the options to make it your own. For the paid version you can click or scan the QR code below. Now all I need is a Corona!
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE Official Launch Date Confirmed: July 28th Posted: 24 Jul 2011 12:11 PM PDT While we can’t technically say it’s 100% official it has been just about confirmed that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Verizon 4G LTE will indeed be launching and available in stores starting July 28th. That is Thursday and is the exact date we suspected earlier in the week. It is exciting to see this coming to market but I’m still wondering where the 4G LTE hardware upgrade for all the Xoom owners went.
Earlier in the week users who pre-ordered the 4G LTE Tab started receiving emails suggesting it will ship on the 26th for a delivery date of the 28th and that is also right on time. I have a feeling many ordered with 1-day shipping and most likely users will start seeing the device show up on doorsteps on Wednesday. With posters arriving at Verizon Stores we knew this was coming soon. I personally can’t wait for this tablet to hit the market because the dual-core combined with Verizon 4G LTE things should be extremely fast. If you don’t need the 4G don’t forget we are giving away our own Galaxy Tab 10.1 THIS WEEK. For more information here is our Tabletpalooza Giveaway post. [via Droid-Life] )
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