Android Community |
- ScreenCast App Review, Screen Recorder for Android
- Amazon Kindle Android Tablet Hands-On Revealed
- HTC Incredible Android 2.3 Gingerbread now rolling out
- Upgrade to a Smartphone on Verizon and get a $100 Gift Card
- HTC Flyer Receives Honeycomb Upgrade [Leak]
- HTC Sense UI 3.5 Ported to the Desire HD
- HTC Runnymede 2 Spec Sheet Leaks
| ScreenCast App Review, Screen Recorder for Android Posted: 02 Sep 2011 04:31 PM PDT Today I found a new application for Android that looked pretty awesome, it’s called Screen Cast. This is a screen capture and screen recording application for Android smartphones and tablets. Obviously something like this will require root access, but that is to be expected. In the market now by Media Solutions they have both a free version to test the app and try all of the features, as well as a paid version for $2.99 for those wanting to record for a bit longer.
Again Screencast requires root access but for those that have it the app works great. Screen cast records your phone screen at high frame rates into a high quality MPEG4 video. This program includes a gallery to view, play, rename, delete and even share your recorded videos from within the same user interface. It comes with tons of different options and settings as shown in the image above. We’ve got a little hands-on demo below for everyone to actually see it working live while I do plenty of multi-tasking. Screencast screen record demo video In my video above I used high resolution, 25 FPS, and auto orientation setting on a Sensation 4G with a 960×540 display. It looks pretty good and playback on PC and phone is actually quite decent, so far I really like this app. You’ll notice the occasional graphics glitch but it rarely happens and most of the video was smooth, fluent and captured with ease. Even gaming while recording was smooth and stable, but not every time. Screencast offers tons of different settings and options to fit most users needs. You can change the video resolution, video orientation (or leave on auto), frames per second, filename, animations and UI and you can even make the Screencast app user interface transparent if needed. According to the developers they are also currently planning to offer live streaming of your video in an upcoming release but that is still under development. Now if it would record audio at the same time that would be awesome. I could see that being highly functional for my app reviews such as this one. Overall the app is worth the price if you find it useful. I did have the occasional glitch that hopefully can be worked out but it otherwise worked perfect. Head over to the market and try out the features with the free version or go wild and record as much as you’d like by getting the full version for $2.99 available in the Android market. )
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| Amazon Kindle Android Tablet Hands-On Revealed Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:44 PM PDT It appears that Amazon’s future plans for a brand new line of Android tablets is very real and that tech journalist MG Siegler has gotten his hands on one this week. This device is a 7-inch tablet whose form factor is not unlike the BlackBerry PlayBook according to Siegler, and yes, indeed, it is running Android [SORT OF]. What Siegler is saying he’s acting on is strict orders to not reveal anything TOO telling about the future of Amazon’s tablets, but he’s sure got a whole heck of a lot of information from a source that doesn’t appear to want to give too much of the surprise away. No photos, no video, only the word of the man himself. Let’s talk about it.
First of all, this is not an E Ink device, instead being back-lit, full color, and capacitive in its full touchscreen abilities. This device appears to have 2-finger touchscreen capability, and the 7-inch form factor appears to be the only tablet they’ve got any plans to release at the moment, and they’re currently aiming at the end of November for a full release. The version Siegler saw was a Design Verification Testing unit and is therefor not a final build by most means, but the hardware appears to be set, while the software needs tweaks before release. Apparently it’s confirmed that this Amazon Kindle was originally one of two, the smaller of the two with the 10-inch version still somewhere in the works should the 7-inch version prove to be a hit. This 10-inch tablet would then be released in Q1 if all goes to plan, costing some sort of amount more than the release cost of the 7-inch Amazon Kindle which will be, unbelievably, $250 USD. Remember though, that the Barnes & Noble Nook Color also currently costs right around that price, and both this and that tablet have a 7-inch display. Also in a similar fashion to how the Nook Color is running Android but you’d never know it because of its totally different user interface, the Amazon Kindle has its own version of Android – as Siegler says, it looks nothing like the Android you’re used to seeing. The interface is very brand-specific to Kindle and Amazon, it being covered with black, dark blue, and lots of orange, and the main screen is set up sort of like the carousel you’ve got on your everyday average Android, but looks much closer to Cover Flow in iTunes. This spinning set of options includes all the content you have on the device including books, apps, movies, and more. Right below this set of moveable icons you’ll see a dock where you can pin your favorite items for later use. This dock only appears in portrait mode, disappearing when you hold the device in landscape mode. Above the dock (below the carousel?) is a status bar which shows time, battery, and other items including notifications. The very top bar here shows “YOUR NAME’s Kindle” and shows the number of notifications you’ve got in bright orange text. There are no physical buttons anywhere on the device, save for a single power button on the bottom when you hold it in portrait mode, a single tap of the screen bringing up your navigation menu from whens you can get back home or go to several other places as well. Amazon’s content store, for example. You can read books with a Kindle app, and you can play music with Amazon’s Cloud Player. To play movies, you’ll be using Amazon’s Instant Video Player. Amazon’s Android Appstore is the place you’ll be downloading apps, and there is no Android Market out of the box. From what we’re to understand from Ziegler’s report, this device’s software is build on a very basic version of Android prior to version 2.2 FroYo. How this will play out with apps created in the meantime that require higher versions of Android to function we cannot be sure at the moment. This device will not be updated in the same fashion that other Android tablets are updated, that meaning you wont get “the Honeycomb update” if you know what I mean, all updates coming from Amazon and being either invisible or working to improve the Amazon user interface. Beyond the fact that Amazon has used an early version of Android to build their new user interface on, Google’s influence is nonexistent. While most manufacturer’s work directly with Google to get their devices approved so that they can have access to the Android Market, Amazon has opted to do whatever they want since they’ve got their OWN Android Appstore. There’s a web browser that appears to be very similar to the current Android (WebKit) app, but with tabs, and Google search still appears to be the web standard while there’s an entirely separate Kindle search tool on the device to search through your local content. Pulse may be included in the final build as a standard app, and a simple game like Angry Birds will more than likely be included as well. Another bit of the plan is to push for people to subscribe to Amazon Prime, this given away for free with the purchase of an Amazon Kindle tablet. What Amazon Prime does is offer you free unlimited two-day shipping on products purchased at Amazon.com with no minimum purchase price to get said perk. Another piece of the Amazon Prime pie is Amazon’s Instant Video service, and it’ll almost be a certainty that other perks will come along with the launch of the tablet as well. Currently Amazon Prime costs $79 a year. This device appears to have only a single-core processor, though the 10-inch version will likely have a dual-core chip. Inside there appears to be 6 GB of storage, with emphasis placed on the cloud services Amazon uses for all sorts of different media. Mentions appear to have been made about an SD or microSD card slot for memory expansion, but the unit being looked at here did not appear to have any way to access it (if it exists.) The first version of this tablet will be Wi-fi only, with a possible 3G version coming afterward. The back of the device is rubbery for grip, there are speakers on the top of the device (when held in portrait mode) and there’s a microUSB port for power (and perhaps data transfer). And there are no cameras. In addition to this tablet, Siegler has been told by his source that Amazon is working on a multi-touch E Ink hybrid tablet device, but that it’s not coming any time soon. This Amazon Kindle will be a real contender from what we’ve heard here, and it’ll likely be out by the end of 2011, right on time for the Western holiday season. [via TechCrunch] )
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| HTC Incredible Android 2.3 Gingerbread now rolling out Posted: 02 Sep 2011 01:20 PM PDT I must say that was pretty fast HTC. Just a few short days ago they mentioned the Thunderbolt and Incredible would both get 2.3 Gingerbread in September. Now two or so days later it appears the Incredible is already getting the OTA update because it’s hitting handsets right this minute. If you are confused, the update was started back on the 15th but was quickly delayed for a few bugs HTC or Verizon found.
A few days after the first OTA started rolling out it was halted for some fixes but now all systems are a go because its live again. This is the newest version coming from HTC and shouldn’t have any issues or bugs the previous builds had. The last OTA was later leaked online but this official build is what you want.
For all the details regarding the official Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update for the HTC Incredible feel free to stop by the Verizon support page. As always the update should hit handsets over the course of the next week and those that do not wish to wait can always manually update by going to Settings>About Phone>HTC Updates and then hit OK. With this finally starting today does this mean the official update for the Thunderbolt is coming soon too? Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
  [via androidforums] )
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| Upgrade to a Smartphone on Verizon and get a $100 Gift Card Posted: 02 Sep 2011 01:02 PM PDT Everyone likes a good deal and now Verizon is all set to introduce their new trade-in program. It’s actually really simple, upgrade to a new smartphone and then mail them your feature phone (dumbphone) and they’ll send you a $100 gift card you can use as you please. Sounds pretty great right? Obviously this deal varies a bit with new subscribers and what not but they are offering this to almost anyone eligible for a new plan, upgrade, and all new subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber at Verizon you are still eligible for the deal if you are ready for an upgrade, or if you add an additional line of service. Here is how it works according to Verizon: -Activate a Smartphone line of service with a new 2 yr contract agreement and data plan (or resign). That may seem like a lot of steps but it really isn’t. Buy a new amazing smartphone like the upcoming Droid Bionic, wait for an email, ship your old phone back, wait a bit longer and boom — you just got $100 dollars. I’m reading that this is an online only special but you may be able to call in or head down to your nearest store and give it a try. Now go get with the times and upgrade to an Android smartphone already. [via Verizon Wireless] )
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| HTC Flyer Receives Honeycomb Upgrade [Leak] Posted: 02 Sep 2011 12:28 PM PDT Several weeks ago we were holding the HTC Flyer for the first time, a brand new tablet running a unique version of HTC’s Sense user interface on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, all in a mid-sized tablet form factor with a special “Scribe” stylus for on-screen writing. We got to look at this device as the HTC Flyer (a Wi-fi version of the tablet) and the HTC EVO View, a WiMAX-capable black instead of white plastic casing version. Now what we’ve got coming down the underground pipeline is a Honeycomb upgrade for the full tablet experience!
But wait, wasn’t HTC able to get ahold of Honeycomb back when they first started producing the HTC Flyer? We’d like to think that they were able to do so since the Motorola XOOM had already technically been released right around that time earlier this year, and certainly several Android 3.x Honeycomb devices had been released before the Flyer was sent out to stores, so what gives? More than likely it was simply much more feasible to build Sense around Gingerbread at the time of development for this device than it was to work with Honeycomb. Now we’ve got this totally-unauthorized BETA, and an early Beta at that, build of Honeycomb for the HTC Flyer in RUU – you can access it at MoDaCo courtesy of Paul – if you should take the risk and run it, let us know how it goes. Meanwhile check out what we know about the AT&T HTC Jetstream, the manufacturer’s first 10-inch tablet and first device running Honeycomb. We’ll more than likely take a look at the tablet before it’s released to the public having been excited about its existence since it was simply called the Puccini. )
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| HTC Sense UI 3.5 Ported to the Desire HD Posted: 02 Sep 2011 12:09 PM PDT Those that saw the new HTC Sense UI screenshots recently and would love to give it a try now can. Thanks to some nifty dev work over at XDA users with the Desire HD can now give it a test run. We first saw HTC Sense UI 3.5 screenshots leak last week and thanks to the HTC Bliss devs are now porting it to other devices.
Recently we received a full video walk-through of Sense UI 3.5 on the HTC Bliss shown here and now it’s available for those with a Desire HD via a custom ROM. A leaked RUU build of the HTC Bliss was leaked and that is where this custom ROM gets the bits of Sense UI 3.5 and while its not perfect, it looks great from what we are hearing and seeing.
If you can handle a few bugs with bluetooth and having the camera be completely non-functional (for now) go ahead and give the new Desire HD build a try and test Sense UI 3.5 for yourself. This is still a work in progress and will likely be completely stable over time, as always this is one of those at your own risk type of deals. Be sure to back up all user data or do a Nandroid backup but you should know all that already. Full details and download instructions are available at the source link below thanks to XDA. [via XDA Forums] )
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| HTC Runnymede 2 Spec Sheet Leaks Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:55 AM PDT Another set of details has just been leaked regarding the HTC Runnymede 2. Although I’ve still not heard of the first one and unsure where the “2″ comes from I’m excited either way. It appears Samsung isn’t the only one thinking bigger is better because HTC is planning a 4.7″ Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread phone. We now have a spec sheet that seemingly confirms the previous rumors.
Earlier this week we first reported on the Runnymede boasting some mightly impressive specs, and now we have the leaked document shown above that just about confirms the gritty details. Looking over the spec sheet everything about this phone sounds awesome. It even lists both a 16GB and 32GB variant, or that is just expandable storage. Everything is top-tier high end on this device with one exception, that being the processor. According to the leaked document it will feature a MSM 8255 single-core processor although it will be blazing along at 1.5 Ghz. Wouldn’t that be the MSM 8255T then? It’s highly possible that this will still come with a dual-core but we can’t know for sure. Other specs confirmed are a 4.7″ qHD display, Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, HTC Sense UI 3.5, 768 MB Ram, 16 and 32GB storage. A powerful 8 MP camera on the rear and 1.3 MP front. The leaked document also suggests the Runnymede will be under 10mm thick, making it thin like a Galaxy S II and it will also come with Beats Audio. We will report back when we see more of this device, and for now we are hoping the single-core aspect is incorrect. [via AndroidGuys] )
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