Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Android Community

Android Community


Verizon 4G LTE reaching another 26 markets tomorrow

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:49 AM PDT

Verizon has been on a roll lately with their 4G LTE network roll-out and it appears they aren’t slowing down any time soon. Back in August we mentioned they would be updating additional network markets in September starting on the 15th (tomorrow), but we only reported around 15 or so.

Verizon isn’t taking any chances at anyone catching up because now they’re telling us they plan to add 26 more markets to 4G LTE tomorrow instead of the original 15. They’ve also expanded the reach in many current markets too. With plenty of devices on the way to take full advantage of 4G LTE Verizon has a clear lead over the rest of the pack and it’s only getting stronger.

Over the past few months we’ve seen upgrades about twice a month from Big Red, leading me to believe soon enough they’ll have everyone covered with their blazing fast 4G LTE speeds nationwide. With Verizon also getting ready to release a slew of mid-range and competitively priced phones with 4G LTE like the Samsung Stratosphere and the Pantech Breakout it’s safe to say AT&T has some catching up to do.

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Motorola DROID Bionic gets ClockworkMod Recovery

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:25 AM PDT

The Motorola DROID Bionic hasn’t been out but a few short days and the developer community is already hard at work. Right away they achieved root access and now we are already seeing a custom recovery for the DROID Bionic. Before we get started check out my full DROID Bionic review.

Happily shown in the above image is yours truly, the Droid Bionic, running with clockworkmod recovery. Now all we need is some custom rom’s and we will all be happy right? The picture is provided by MyDroidWorld and while we don’t have any instructions for this yet, they are coming soon we were assured.

We don’t have details or instructions but they will be posted soon enough for everyone that wishes to move past the stage of rooting their Bionic. Most likely this is a bootstrap application similar to that used on the Droid X and Droid 3 but until it is released we don’t know for sure. Be sure to stay tuned for more information as things are moving along plenty quick in the world of DROID.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID Bionic
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : August 24, 2011
    Release Date : September 08, 2011
    Also Known As : Targa
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution : 540x960
  • Screen Type : qHD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.00 Inch
  • Width : 2.60 Inch
  • Depth : 0.40 Inch
  • Weight : 159 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1735 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • MP3
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU :
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 16.384 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution :8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
  • CDMA
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :

[via MyDroidWorld]

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Qualcomm lightly details next-gen S4 processors, quad-cores and 2.5 Ghz

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:03 AM PDT

Everyone had to know that NVIDIA wasn’t the only one preparing quad-core processors for the mobile markets. We have seen a few reports from Qualcomm in the past but this leaked slide image shows the new S4 class of processors that are coming in 2012. With most chipset makers Qualcomm included behind NVIDIA with the dual-cores we’ve been wondering how the next step would look.

S4 class shown above will be their highest offering for mobile, build on a smaller more efficient 28nm processor fabrication they should consume less power while being extremely powerful. The single/dual/quad stands for number of cores in the processor and while we aren’t expecting 2.5 Ghz quad-cores we can expect a few single-core chips to boast those impressive speeds.

Obviously they have many more features but the key ingredients are quad-core, 2.5 Ghz, 3D, 1080p, LTE and more. Previous rumors had mentioned we wouldn’t be seeing quad-cores from Qualcomm til late 2012 but according to new details they could be shown off early 2012 in February at Mobile World Congress. Manufacturers should start receiving these new chips at the end of the year and some impressive devices will surely follow.

[via Pocket-lint]

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Logitech Revue gets another Honeycomb leak, Apps now showing in Android Market

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:57 AM PDT

Well folks, it looks like we are now seeing a second leak of Android Honeycomb for the Logitech Revue. From watching the video leaked along with it you can clearly see things are moving along quite nicely and it appears much closer to release than the last. If this doesn’t make you want to run out and buy one for $99 I don’t know what will — except for maybe Ice Cream Sandwich.

Like I mentioned above we have a video rundown of this second leak and thanks to them we have about 8 minutes of video showing plenty about the new Honeycomb build. Things are starting to look a lot more polished, smooth, and it even has Netflix but I’ll let you see for yourself.

Also while this isn’t extremely new this goes along nicely with this latest leak. Now available in both the web market and on the Logitech Revue we are starting to see Google TV apps appear. Shown in the image above there is a nice little group of apps available right now, I want to try out Napster myself.

These leaks for the Revue aren’t anywhere near complete and only for the bold and daring. If you’d like to give it a try you can find the files here. If you’ve yet to buy the Logitech Revue remember now they are only just $99 dollars should you decide to give things a try.

[via ChannelAndroid]

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HTC Flyer bootloader unlocking gets official from HTC

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:29 AM PDT

Just like a few other HTC devices in the recent past the HTC Flyer tablet has been added to the list of supported devices from HTC that is allowed freedom. We all know the HTC bootloader situation plenty well so I wont go into that, but it’s now appearing over at HTCdev.com/bootloader in pretty much every version.

It’s nice to see HTC continuing to add devices to the list of their unlock program but I’m sure there are more than a few users wishing they’d move along a bit faster. Currently we only have the EVO 3D, Sensation, and now the Flyer as supported for unlocking. HTC did say they’d start with new releases and make their way backwards from there so hopefully phones like the Thunderbolt, Droid Incredible 2 and more start seeing the same freedom soon.

If you haven’t seen it, feel free to look over our HTC Flyer review then head over to this post to learn about Honeycomb for the Flyer. Android 3.2 Honeycomb is headed to the HTC Flyer soon and there is even a leaked rom available for those who dare. If unlocking is your thing, use the tools at HTCdev and try out the new Honeycomb ROM and be sure to let us know how it goes.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Flyer [WiFi Only]
    Manufactuer : HTC
    Carrier :
    Announced Date : February 15, 2011
    Release Date : May 14, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7.00 Inch
  • Resolution : 1024x600
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.69 Inch
  • Width : 4.80 Inch
  • Depth : 0.52 Inch
  • Weight : 420 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 4000 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 1470 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : Snapdragon
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 1
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 16.384 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution :5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • A2DP
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :

[via HTCdev.com]

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WD announces mobile WD 2go and WD 2go Pro apps for Android

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 07:52 AM PDT

When it comes to storing data and files on the cloud, there are many people out there that store sensitive data that worry about the security of their data on a cloud system run at a location outside their control. If you are this sort of person that wants a cloud storage network, but wants control over the physical place the data lives Western Digital (WD) has the product for you. The company has been offering the My Book Live storage device for a while now.

WD now has a pair of new apps that are available for Android and for the iPhone. The apps allow the user access to the data while on the go right on their own storage drive at home or in the office. The system has some of the benefits of private and public cloud services. The apps are WD 2go and WD 2go Pro. Both apps offer remote access to data on the storage drive.

The main difference is that the Pro version of the app also allows the private sharing of files with other people. The app allows sharing of anything from documents to photos and video. The WD 2go app is available free on the Android Market with the Pro version costing $2.99 to download. The storage drive needed sells for up to $249.99.

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HTC Sensation XE gets official packing Beats Audio, 1.5GHz CPU and more battery life

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 02:14 AM PDT

About a month ago, the HTC Sensation 4G smartphone got an Android 2.3.4 update. A new Sensation has now landed called the HTC Sensation XE. The Sensation XE has gone official and the smartphone packs in some cool features that the original Sensation didn’t offer. The new smartphone is the first to get the special audio tech from Beats Audio thanks to a new partnership. That custom audio processing hardware and software is also coupled with a nice set of earphones.

Better audio isn’t all that is in store for the geeks that buy the new Sensation XE. The smartphone also has a faster processor with 1.5GHz clock speed. The smartphone also gets a new larger battery that should let you talk, play, and listen to music longer before the battery goes dead. I already mentioned those cool Beats earphones briefly.

The smartphone will automatically switch to the Beats Audio hardware and software processing when the earphones are plugged in. The special earphones also have an inline remote that will let you control your music. A mic is also integrated for making and receiving phone calls. The Sensation XE is set for sale in Europe and Asia late this month. Pricing isn’t announced at this time.

[via SlashGear]

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Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710 Review with Riptide GP on Toshiba THRIVE [Video]

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 05:31 PM PDT

If there’s one thing that’s advancing at radically enticing speed in the Android world, it’s gaming. Think about the games you were playing on Android a year ago, then watch this video. You’ll find that not only is the game Riptide GP, a game we’ve looked at several times before still an awesome game, we’ve got it updated to the newest version available and, what do you know, it’s got the ability to work with 3rd party controllers. We got a nice package from NVIDIA containing the Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710 for some USB-connected action and we were on our way! Not before getting those controls calibrated to our precise wave-riding calibrations right first though, you know we love our calibrations.

Let’s have a look at what it means to use an Android tablet as in intermediary rather than as a screen and controller in one. Is the sweet spot for gaming right around 10 feet away from a relatively large HD display? If that’s the case, then Android STILL has your back. What we look at here is several tablets that have the ability to work with the gamepad, first of all, then we go on in and give it a whirl. While we could have just stopped at controlling the game as it appears on the tablet, your humble narrator had to take the opportunity to put that full-sized HDMI jack on the [Toshiba THRIVE] into action. It’s just so conveniently full sized, I’m telling you!

The other tablets you’ll be seeing in this video are, first of all, the [Acer Iconia Tab A500], a tablet that’ll soon be coming out in a 501 edition carried by AT&T. This tablet has a full-sized HDMI port in it right out of the box, so playing the game with the controller on the tablet is no sweat. It’s also got a microHDMI port on the side so if you’ve got the right converter, you’re also well on your way to big screen playing.

Next there’s the [Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1], the thinnest NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core Android tablet on the market, (the A500 is Tegra 2 laden as well), the GTab 10.1 needs an extra converter to grab full-sized USB action. Luckily right next to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 stack of boxes in your local mobile retailer will be this lovely little converter device, easy as a pickle to work with.

Then there’s the Toshiba THRIVE. This tablet is also working with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor and has been lampooned for its larger-than-average body since release. Had it been released inside 2010, we’re sure it would have been praised as a genius bit of industrial design, but because about a billion other Android slates have come out inside the year 2011, it’s left to be replaced by its thinner counterpart, the [Toshiba AT200]. The unique thing about this tablet is, and you’ll find yourself patting yourself on the back if you purchase the device for this reason, is the combination of full-sized USB and full-sized HDMI ports. If you use this tablet like the tool it was build to be, it’s pretty dern awesome.

So we take our Logitech Gamepad F710 package apart, put the controller to one side, plug the teeny tiny USB dongle in the Toshiba tablet, and start up Riptide GP. Inside the settings on this game you’ll find the option to adjust your controls. As we found the first time we launched the game’s control options without the USB dongle plugged in, you’ve only got one option unless you’re correctly hooked up. If you’re hooked up right, you’ll see options that directly correlate with your game pad.

All you’ve got to do is plug and play.

Once your USB dongle is in and you’ve calibrated your controls to your wanted settings, you’ll be on your way to a sitting on your couch playing awesomely giant video games experience, just like your ancestors. But unlike your ancestors, you’ve still got an Android tablet at the end of the day.

My only complaints with this combination are, first, that Riptide GP’s menus still require on-screen touch activation, this making me get up off my butt every time I want to go to the next level. Next, I must complain that not enough developers have made use of the awesomeness that is USB peripherals like this super keen Logitech gamepad. It works like a charm and brings a whole new level of versatility to your games.

Go for it!

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Barnes & Noble NOOK Developer hooks up with Appcelerator

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 04:49 PM PDT

When you think of the NOOK or the NOOK Color, you think of reading. When we first looked at the NOOK Color, we found that not only were you able to read ebooks, you were able to work with text in many different ways, look at brilliantly colorful and digitally active magazines, and even interactive childrens books were part of the equation. Now we know this tablet to be much more versatile than that even, holding apps for games of all types as well. Today Barnes & Noble has announced a partnership with the well known development platform Appcelerator to further their dive into the much wider world of Android apps!

Appcelerator is what they note as “the leading enterprise-grade, cross-platform development solution on the market today” backing this up with such statistics as 1.5 million developers using their platform regularly as well as 25,000 cloud-connected mobile, desktop, and web applications having come out of their platform to be used by millions of users daily. That’s hefty. Appcelerator Titanium is a platform which allows completely cross-platform development for mobile, desktop, and web applications, and will most certainly entice many developers to work with Barnes & Noble to create apps that will now be more supported than ever by a network of helpers that want to see great apps made.

Barnes & Noble’s 7-inch VividView color touchscreen tablet is at the center of the party here, it being the closest device B&N have to what one might call a “standard” Android tablet. Of course its unique chassis entice many right alongside it’s ability to be hacked and turned into a standard B&N-less slate, but we don’t want that, right? And even moreso now that there’ll be a whole new wave of apps from the Appcelerator crews!

We’ll get to know a whole heck of a lot more later this month at Appcelerator's CODESTRONG 2011 developer conference. At this conference we’ll see Barnes & Noble make an appearance or two at the conference, which takes place September 18-20, and we’ll be sure to relay the information they present (supposing you’re not there yourself!) NOOK on 2 the future!

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PSA: Motorola DROID Bionic $279 Costco bundle deal is live, ends tomorrow

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:20 PM PDT

Just a little public service announcement for all the DROID Bionic buyers out there. That Bionic Costco bundle deal we mentioned a few weeks ago is legit and currently available right now. Yup, you get the Droid Bionic as well as the desktop dock, car navigation dock, car charger, and portable charger with a spare battery all for just $279 — that is $20 less than Verizon is asking for just the phone.

Update: Deal is available in store and also online so head over to Costco Wireless.

We mentioned this deal back in August but since then I think everyone might have forgot about this amazing offer thanks to Costco. Getting all those accessories and the 4G LTE Droid Bionic (see our review) for that low price is almost ridiculous it’s so awesome. Why anyone would get it for $20 more from Verizon without all that is beyond me — except that Costco has very limited supplies.

The picture above is everything you get free if you snag your Motorola DROID Bionic from Costco rather than a Verizon Wireless store so feel free to call or run down to the nearest Costco and give it a try. I know mine was limited and only received 15 packages so you guys better hurry. This deal is live and available right now to new subscribers as well as those eligible for an upgrade. This entire package deal ends tomorrow the 14th so you’d better decide quick.

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Amazon App Store offering great deals for “Geek Week”

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:59 PM PDT

The Amazon App store isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and the great ideas they have just keep getting better and better. Not only do they offer a free app of the day every single day, but now they look to be starting something called “Geek Week”. It may not be every week but they are offering amazing Android apps that many power users (or geeks like myself) will find very useful all at extremely low prices.

This first round of “Geek Week” looks to please all the rooted and power users of Android because this is almost what I’d call the essential app list for root users. I own four of those apps and the only thing missing is Titanium Backup. Check out all the awesome and highly highly popular apps below at huge discounts thanks to Amazon.

Easy Tether $9.99 –> $4.99
Root Explorer $3.99 –> $0.99
WidgetLocker $1.99 –> $0.99
Wave Launcher $1.99 –> $0.99
SetCPU $2 –> $0.99
RepliGo Reader $4.99 –> $1.99
Xtralogic Remote Desktop Client $24.95 –> $12.99
BackupEverything $1.99 –> $0.99

If you have a rooted Android phone and are yet to buy Root Explorer and SetCPU now is the perfect time as both of those apps are essential and something I’ve been using for a long, long time. If you’ve been debating on whether its worth it to set and and use the Amazon App Store this would be another one of those good times to give it a try, all you need is an amazon.com account.

Geek Week App List

[via Android Police]

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T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II will feature a 1.5 Ghz dual-core Qualcomm processor

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:44 PM PDT

Well folks, this has now been confirmed rather than just a rumor. If sources are correct the Samsung Galaxy S II headed to T-Mobile (aka Hercules) will feature the fastest CPU of all the U.S. Galaxy S II phones and will clock in at 1.5 GHz thanks to Qualcomm. We mentioned this last week but had no confirmation as to whether it would feature the same 1.2 GHz speed as the rest, or be faster.

Thanks to the support guys from Samsung on Twitter at @GalaxySsupport the speed has been confirmed to be 1.5 Ghz and will in fact be the Qualcomm APQ8060 processor and not the Samsung Exynos chip. This is the same dual-core processor used in the HP Touchpad and is the latest generation dual-core from Qualcomm.

This also lines up with the original leak regarding the Hercules way back in May. Obviously we can’t say this has been completely confirmed because often times a PR member controlling a Twitter account at a huge company like this will make a mistake that is later corrected. Similar news was released last week stating the processors were different but no speed or product version was listed. Hopefully this ends up being true and T-Mobile users can be happy to know they’ll have the fastest stock Samsung Galaxy S II around soon.

[via Twitter]

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LG Optimus Black to be called the LG Marquee

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:29 PM PDT

It looks like the LG Optimus Black we’ve seen a few times that was also said to be headed to US carriers back in July is finally here, but with a different name and a slightly different cover around back. The Optimus Black will be called the LG Marquee and will debut here in the U.S. on the Now Network in yellow.

While it brings a little less black along with it by losing that in the name and replacing the rear black battery cover with a grey pinstripe it still looks plenty sexy and I hear it feels great in the hands too with that curved design. The LG Marquee may not have the power we all love and crave in those dual-core processors but it does have an amazing screen and the latest version of Android.

The Marquee claims to have one of the best and brightest displays for mobile phones with the LG NOVA display. It also features a 1.0 Ghz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, a 5 MP shooter on the rear with LED flash and VGA front. With Android 2.3 Gingerbread it rolls in as a nice mid to high-range smartphone. It should be shipping around October 2nd but we have no word if this will feature 4G WiMAX but sources are leaning towards a no. If the EVO 3D is too much for you and the Samsung Galaxy S II isn’t your thing either maybe the LG Marquee will be what you desire.

[via PocketNow]

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Motorola Droid R2-D2 Gingerbread update rolling out now

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:57 PM PDT

Well folks, it looks like Verizon and Moto hasn’t forgot about the amazingly awesome Droid R2D2 after all. After not hearing as much as a peep regarding this phone since well — its release, I was beginning to wonder about the Star Wars superphone. I’m glad to tell you the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update is now a go and rolling out.

While there doesn’t appear to be any more Star Wars goodies included users are getting the update this morning bringing them to 2.3 Gingerbread as well as the latest Moto Blur. Users can expect the same features and improvements that Gingerbread has brought to all other handsets including all the recent Motorola phones. Some of those include:

-New Download Manager
-App and Power Management Details
-Improved Copy/Paste
-New UI and color scheme
-New dock icons
-App groups in tray
-Improved security and battery life
-and tons more

All the new features and information is available on the photos below right from Verizon Support. I personally didn’t think we’d see an update for the R2D2 although it does make sense for this to follow the Droid 2 and Droid 2 Global updates as they are basically the same with a few nerdy “enhancements”. The update should be hitting your R2D2 any time now or as always manually update by going to Settings > About Phone > System Updates and give it a run. The update is around 137MB and will take around 10-15 minutes to complete.

I did want to point out that for those daring, this update should bring users to a similar system as the Droid 2, Droid 3, and the Bionic and if so the same 1-click-root should work here as well but we don’t know for sure.

Enjoy!

droid-2 d2 Droid 2 D2 another Droid 2 D2
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Droid 2
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : August 10, 2010
    Release Date : August 11, 2010
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 3.70 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x854
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.58 Inch
  • Width : 2.38 Inch
  • Depth : 0.54 Inch
  • Weight : 169 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1400 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 315 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.2.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : TI OMAP
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 1
    Ram : 512 MB
    Internal Storage : 8.192 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution :5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :

[via Verizon Support]

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Git Media announces duo of Honeycomb tablets with 250GB HD’s for $479

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:21 PM PDT

Git Media might not be a name you’ve heard much in the world of Android but they look to be changing that with the announcement of two new Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets. The Git Surge and the Git Pro. Both of these tablets feature impressive and standard Honeycomb tablet specs and both offer dual-core performance, the difference here is they come with a 250GB hard drive for extended storage capacity yet stay relatively cheap and are just $479 — More details below.

The Git “Surge” will run on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1.0 Ghz processor and the “Pro” will be powered by the Samsung Exynos processor found in the Galaxy S II. Are they saying the Samsung version is better since it’s the Pro and the NVIDIA model isn’t? Just a thought. The spec rundown on both devices is identical other than the color and processor so I’ll hit that all in one run.

-10.1-inch 16:9 touchscreen (1280X768)
-Android OS 3.0 (Honeycomb)
-250GB internal HDD
-1GB RAM
-5MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera
-Wifi, GPS, Bluetooth, optional 3G
-Built-In Speakers and Microphone
-3.5mm headphone jack
-USB Port, Micro SD, and Mini USB Port

Sadly I don’t notice anything regarding HDMI-out, a feature I’m sure most users would like to take advantage of especially with those powerful dual-core processors capable of full 1080p media playback and more. These tablets have mighty impressive specs, along with a 250GB hard drive for all the storage one would ever need yet they cost the same price as many current Honeycomb tablets available today — $479 and will come with a free leather case.

The Git Surge and Pro might be a bit thicker and heavier than say the Galaxy Tab 10, and come in around a half inch thick and 22oz. (1.3 lbs) they sure offer a great overall package at an exceptional price. I’m looking forward to hearing more about both of these tablets. They are available for pre-order at the source link below and come with a few free goodies and a 3-year warranty.

Update: Order with caution as we’ve never heard of these guys and the about me page sure looks interesting with zero info. We are reaching out and will report back shortly

Git Tablets pro_large surge_large

[via GitCorp]

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Facebook for Android update available, Seems to add tablet support

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:59 PM PDT

Late last night Facebook for Android received another update and while it includes the usual bug fixes and performance comments most updates do, it doesn’t however mention that now it works for tablets and is available for download. Don’t get me wrong this is no where near a tablet user interface, something we desperately need for Honeycomb but it does seem to look ok and work pretty great too. More details past the break.

Recent updates have been a bit boring lately and I know many Android users have been hoping and waiting for something better from the team at Facebook. Hopefully one day we’ll get a full out Honeycomb application but for now this will have to work. Here’s the list of updates right from Facebook themselves.

-Made it easier to share with who you want
-Improved the sharing tool to add privacy controls on posts and match your settings on the web site
-Added the ability to tag friends and places in posts
-Added new design for Profile and Group Walls
-Fixes and tweaks
-Improved photo browsing with swiping
-Added the ability to tag your friends in photos
-Improved Messages and Notifications
-Fixed a number of crashes and performance issues

Some of the notable changes are the ability to finally tag friends and places in posts and while viewing photos all now available on mobile. Some of the new UI changes are a welcomed addition but I still would like to see more changes on Android. The “pull to refresh” in news has been added as well as some other minor changes, I’ve been a bit busy on Google+ and have forgot about Facebook as of late, but that’s just me.

It is available now in the market and head over for the update by clicking here. Give it a test on your Honeycomb tablet and tell us what you think in the comment section below. Enjoy!

[via Android Market]

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Sony Walkman Z announced, 4.3″ Tegra 2 dual-core media player [Video]

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:40 PM PDT

Sony is aiming to take back the reigns of the Walkman brand with the release of the new Walkman Z. While we’ve heard plenty about Walkman’s with Android this is real and finally here and it’s a powerful dual-core personal media player powered by Android. We have full details and pictures as well as a hands-on video below for everyone to check out.

With pretty impressive specs you could almost call this a mini tablet. Powered by a NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1.0 Ghz processor, a bright and clear 4.3″ WVGA display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Wi-Fi, HDMI-Out, FM radio and more this device should do just about everything but make phone calls. We didn’t hear a confirmation on battery size but Sony did mention 20 hours of quality audio playback and up to 5 hours of video.

The Sony Walkman Z will be available in two colors – red and black and be offered with three different flavors and price points. We have 16GB for $360, a 32GB model as well as a 64GB version for around $550 but prices are subject to change. We should see these media player devices hit the shelves first in Japan sometime in December and then more markets following. I feel that is a bit late, and a bit expensive but the power these Walkmans have make them a great tablet alternative.

Check out all the pictures and here is some hands-on video too.

Walkman z 1 sony-walkman-z Walkman Z 2 Walkman Z back walkman z walkman-z

[via diginfo.tv]

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Google and Intel show off Medfield-based Android phone

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:22 PM PDT

Today Google’s Andy Rubin took to the stage at IDF along with Intel CEO Paul Otellini who was nice enough to show everyone a little peak at a new Intel Medfield-based Android phone. The phone was running a version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread and this goes nicely with what we reported yesterday regarding Intel Atom processors and more getting Android Gingerbread support.

This isn’t the first time we have seen or heard of hardware running on Intel processors aboard Android but this is a sign that things are surely moving along. This shows us that Intel and Google have been working together to bring Intel mobile processors and more to the world of Android.

Both Intel and Google plan to develop and improve their offerings and support for each other and this only proves that Android is and will continue to grow. The best news so far, is that all future versions of Android will have full support for Intel’s low-power portable and mobile processors and will even be “optimized” for Intel. The only thing I don’t like about the Medfield-based phone shown on stage and pictured above is how closely it resembles an i*hone 4. We will stay up on all things Intel and report it as we see and hear it.

[via Engadget]

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