Saturday, 17 September 2011

Android Community

Android Community

Android Community Weekly: September 17, 2011

Posted: 17 Sep 2011 08:08 AM PDT

It’s another round-up of this week’s tech knowledge in this mid-September issue of Android Community Weekly! The Samsung Galaxy S II has finally made it’s way to the states through the Now network, and the sign-up page is already live over at AT&T! T-Mobile has specs confirmed for its own device but sporting a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor opposed to the 1.2GHz Samsung Exynos. If you are looking to see an in-depth benchmark comparison of the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and international Galaxy S II, then head over here for the showdown. Finally, you will be pleased to hear Samsung has already released the Epic 4G Touch kernel source to the public! Let the modifications begin.


Sunday, Orb Live came to the Android Market in attempt to help Hulu-fans stream their favorite episodes straight to their Android device without paying the Hulu-Plus subscription fee. For this to work of course, users will need a consistent internet connection at home for Orb Live to access it via mobile. Later Sunday, we got wind that the Intel Atom E series process may support Android Gingerbread in 2012. As most devices either run a Qualcomm or Samsung chipset, Intel’s entrance into the mix will be very positive indeed. The Intel Atom has already proved to run Bluestacks, an Android emulator, on the ViewSonic ViewPad 10pro very fluidly. We were given some hands-on time with this Windows 7 slate Thursday.

GameStop has been testing an Android gaming tablet aimed at a pre-2012 launch – and of course, this tablet will most likely be an exceptional gaming device. GameStop is said to be working with developers to release wireless gaming controllers compatible with the device, to offer more comfortable gameplay. Speaking of wireless controllers, Logitech has released the Wireless Gamepad F710 for many of the tablets out there. Chris Burns officially reviewed the controller on the Toshiba THRIVE Tuesday. After putting the full sized HDMI-out locally included in the THRIVE to good use, playing video games on the big screen couldn’t be easier.

The Motorola DROID Bionic has already been spotted booting CyanogenMod 7! Though this release is no where near alpha, who would have expected CyanogenMod 7 only days after the device hit the market? CyanogenMod 7 Alpha has however made it’s way onto the HTC Sensation and EVO 3D; and from user’s reviews it’s running silky smooth. Though the HTC Sensation was just released, HTC has already deemed its successor the Sensation XE official. It will pack a 1.5GHz cpu, more battery life, and Beats Audio (Beats headphones included).

Finally, don’t forget to head over to Motorola’s Facebook page for a chance to win either a DROID Bionic, signed football, or 2 tickets to see the New England Patriots host the New York Giants!

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Samsung Galaxy S III and Nexus Prime rumors run wild

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:00 PM PDT

I know we all love leaks and rumors but sometimes a few appear that just make me laugh. While the details and information I’m about to pass along below very well could be true and accurate, lets just say take all of this with an extremely large grain of salt. According to some details from the world of 4Chan we have some more information on not only the Samsung Nexus Prime, but also the upcoming Galaxy S III.

I’ll start with the Galaxy S III because that is new and fresh. According to the details and rumors recently unveiled we just might be seeing what we can truly call a “superphone”. The Galaxy S III might feature an impressive 2.0 GHz quad-core processor most likely made by Samsung, 1.5GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage as well as an SD card for expanded storage. A bright and amazing 4.65″ 1280×1024 resolution HD Super AMOLED III display. The awesome specs that I’d love to see don’t stop there — we also may be greeted with a 10 MP camera on the rear and a whopping 2250 mAh battery to last all day.

Obviously this is still at least 3-6 months out with the Galaxy S II just barely starting to hit the shelves starting today. We can also expect Android 2.4 (or 4.0) Ice Cream Sandwich and an all aluminum design. While these specs seem a bit unbelievable at the same time I could also see this being realistic. Who wants one?

Next up is more Samsung Nexus Prime or DROID Prime news. We’ve heard everything under the sun regarding the upcoming Android ICS next-gen phone but we’re always up for more rumors right? According the the same depths of 4Chan we are also getting some nice details on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus — yup no Prime.

According to sources the Galaxy Nexus was actually out and in the wild and he received some hands-on time with the bad boy. Coming in with a similar 4.65″ Super AMOLED display with a 1280×800 resolution, claiming it looked very similar to the Nexus S with the curved glass, only bigger and shaped more like the Galaxy S II. Lining nicely with previous rumors it’s said to have the Samsung Exynos processor cranked up to 1.5 Ghz, come with 1GB of RAM, a 2000 mAh battery and also have a brushed aluminum back rather than the usual Samsung plastic battery covers. Even better is its decently thin coming in around 8.8mm thick.

Apparently Verizon passed on the SGSII to get the exclusive rights to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Android 2.4 Ice Cream Sandwich first. Yes we are hearing it will indeed be called Android 2.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. The tipsters hands on time had him mightily impressed. Saying the application tray had three tabs up top for Apps, Games, and Widgets for quick and easy access to not only selecting apps but also choosing and placing widgets on the homescreen. There was also talk about being able to name more tabs to single down apps in the tray to say “Sports” or “News” almost like folders but in a much cleaner and productive way.

With major improvements to the app tray, browser, and overall UI everything seemed very smooth and polished and like Google’s really stepped it up.

Now I’ll mention this one more time — take all of this with a grain of salt. I do read these specs and get a little excited not to mention that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when a new phone is coming soon. What do you guys think? We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on these recently leaked rumors.

[via Phandroid]

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Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch kernel source up now

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT

Hackers and modders of codes galore rejoice, the kernel code for Samsung’s WiMAX Galaxy S II is already out there, and it’s official! Samsung has released the source kernel for the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and yes, it is shorter than the title suggests. Users can download and modify this source code how they wish, making changes here and there to blast their device off into outer space or to burn it up by tweaking it utterly horribly. Whatever your poison, your time is now.

To access the kernel now, head over to the Samsung open source center and search for D710. Then the power will be yours! All of you having no idea what to do with a kernel should stop in their tracks right this second, those who wish to know more should head to our Galaxy S II forums or head to our special Question Haus to get the answers you seek. This version of the device is slightly different from the rest, as are each of the Galaxy S II units on different carriers, so we suggest being very careful with how to work, as always.

As far as purchasing this device you’ve got several choices, you could head over to big blue and get it for $99, another place with the same price is GCI in Alaska, and of course you can go to your local Big Yellow dealer as well if that’s your poison. And – oh, you don’t even know what the heck this device is all about? Take a look at this hands-on video with the device from back at the launch in NYC, see another video showing the device popping out of the box just this week, and prepare yourself for our big review soon!

Samsung GSII Epic 4G Touch hands on in NYC

Samsung GSII Epic 4G Touch hands on by Philip Berne

Samsung GSII Epic 4G Touch hands on in MN

Also here’s a bunch of benchmarks if you love such stuff.

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HTC Vigor named the HTC DROID Incredible HD

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 02:18 PM PDT

When we first heard the name HTC Vigor we all knew it was a codename and we’d eventually hear Verizon and HTC’s plan on a name. While we’ve seen plenty of leaks it appears the new name has finally been decided. The HTC Vigor will be the first HD phone to market as the HTC DROID Incredible HD and feature a 1280x720p HD display.

The Vigor originally leaked back in July and we’ve seen bits and pieces for months but lately it’s all coming nicely together. The Vigor recently cleared the FCC showing those 4G LTE speeds and more. Latest leaks are also suggesting the Incredible HD may land possible as soon as October 13th just as recent roadmaps have suggested.

With a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, HD screen, 4G LTE and the latest Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread this should be a nice alternative to the Bionic. Lately pictures of the Vigor in the wild have leaked and you can see those images here and more details on the press image shown above. I figured it would be called the Incredible LTE but HD sounds a bit more exciting don’t you think?

More options are always welcome and I’m just glad to see Verizon is rolling out the 4G LTE phones in full.

[via Droid-Life]

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Amazon offering $50 gift card with a new Verizon phone purchase

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 01:16 PM PDT

Everyone loves a good deal or some extra cash right? Amazon Wireless is offering a $50 dollar Amazon gift card to those purchasing a new Verizon phone and sign a 2-year agreement. For those that have been waiting for a good deal or the Bionic to finally land now is the perfect moment to snag one thanks to Amazon.

They’ve been known to offer great deals in the past, especially devices being offered by Verizon. Just last week they undercut Verizon on launch day for the DROID Bionic and were selling it for just $179. I’m sure a few original DROID owners are finally up for an update and can conveniently sign a new 2-year agreement and get the Bionic, then get that $50 rebate making the price that much better than from Verizon.

Exclusively from Amazon Wireless this $50 gift card deal will last from now until September 26th, you might wanna hurry before all the good stuff is gone because Amazon tends to sell out fast at times. I’d be getting the DROID Bionic if it were me. Feel free to check out our full review, then use that $50 gift card to snag some accessories like the HD Dock by Motorola.

[via Amazon Wireless]

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AT&T Impulse 4G by Huawei Hands-on and Unboxing [Video]

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 01:07 PM PDT

It’s time for Huawei to come in to the USA and crush all the competition! Sort of! In fact the device you’re about to get a look at certainly isn’t aiming to take out top-tier or bottom-tier devices any time soon, instead aiming for the relatively inexpensive mid-tier section of carrier devices, starting right where features phones leave off and smartphones begin. It is here that the $30 (with 2-year contract) Impulse 4G shines.

The first thing you Android addicts will notice about this device is that it’s vanilla. This means that Huawei has done little to nothing to modify the Android OS as it comes straight from google. This is a GOOD thing if you like to do things down and dirty like the Nexus S does it. On the other hand, this device is running Android 2.2 FroYo, so you may still feel a little behind all of your top-tier pals with their Android 2.3 Gingerbread. On the other hand again, the display is fairly nice at 3.8 inches with an 800 x 480 pixel resolution, and the whole hardware package is, when it comes down to it, quite nice to hold.

The people this device is aimed at are those getting in to the smartphone game. While some entry-level Androids are, sadly, and I won’t name names, so low-quality that they’ll turn a consumer to iPhone, this Huawei device steps its game up and acts as a quite nice doorway into the basic Android ecosystem. Users will certainly be staying with Android after their 2 years on this lovely little skateboard are up, and they’ll likely keep it around with fond memories of Androids past once they move up.

The real question here (amongst the rest that you can feel free to ask in comments below before we do the full review) is whether this means Huawei will be ramping up in the USA for higher-grade devices in the future? We’d love that to happen, certainly, and look forward to a landscape with as many wonderful manufacturers as possible, including ones with names so hard to pronounce your tongue falls out of your head.

Check out the photos above and below and the unboxing video to see what this device is all about, and again, if you’ve got any questions or have tests you’d like us to run, don’t hesitate to comment!

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Verizon Promotes Star Wars Blu-ray with the Force [Video]

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 12:53 PM PDT

It seems that Verizon’s connections with George Lucas and the whole Star Wars franchise will be continuing on into the future, as the Blu-ray release of the films have begun to be promoted by the mobile carrier this week alongside the DROID BIONIC. All you’ve got to do is send a text to a number and bam! You get a free little teaser video of C3PO. Lucky you though, you don’t have to run up your data this month, you can see said video in the post below, for your pleasure.

The video you’re about to see is a rather simple and short video as sent out to Verizon customers this week after they text BLURAY to the number 91611. You’ve got to have what they’re calling a “multimedia-supporting device” in order to make this work, and the clip simply shows several scenes of the droid many agree isn’t the LEASE annoying character in the Star Wars saga, he also being one of the three characters to appear in every single one of the six Star Wars films (not counting Darth Vader, of course, because he’s not in the first two films, he’s someone else entirely!

This promo is set alongside ads for the new DROID BIONIC, strangely disturbing copy included: “Force your HDTV to display the epic content on Bionic’s screen on an epic scale.” You’ll notice that every time the DROID name appears, a tiny ™ sits alongside it, this connecting then to “DROID & Lucasfilm Ltc. 2011.” Fun fact: the word DROID is owned by Lucasfilm, aka George Lucas, the originator of Star Wars. The more you know!

Of course the final connection Verizon has with Star Wars is the R2-D2 DROID which we last saw getting a Gingerbread update last week. We also unboxed it back about one year ago when it was released!

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LG U6200 leaks with 1.5 Ghz dual-core, LTE and 720p HD screen

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 12:43 PM PDT

Well folks, it seems LG is finally ready to hit the dual-core realm a bit harder soon. Most of their current offerings have been single core devices other than the Optimus x2. We’ve been waiting for a few more powerhouse phones from them and looks like we’ll see some shortly. Just hitting the wires is not only a dual-core phone, but it also packs 4G LTE, an HD display and a few other impressive specs.

A flash site showing the phone appeared and was quickly pulled. What we have is a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with a 4.5″ 1280 x 720p HD display touting to be better than Samsung’s AMOLED technology — called H-IPS, then 4G LTE and more. First guesses might say this is the LG Revolution 2 for Verizon like we’ve seen in that leaked roadmap.

Some of the other rather impressive specs are a 8 MP camera on the rear, 1.3 MP front facing webcam, 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage and nicely rounded up with a sleek 10.5mm thin profile. Originally launching in Korea it should be announced late this month and be available shortly. With specs like that hopefully we see a global release or at least over in the US so we can get our hands on it and see if LG can rival the Bionic and Galaxy S II.

[via GSMArena]

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