Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Android Community

Android Community


LG Esteem officially announced, headed to MetroPCS

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:42 AM PDT

Today LG has officially announced their new higher end Android smartphone for MetroPCS. This may not be a top tier high end smartphone, but for MetroPCS it’s one of the best they have to offer and is available now. Earlier last week the LG Esteem was first leaked online and it spilled the beans on all the details and specs including Gingerbread, and 4G LTE.

The hardware specs are nicely rounded off with a 4.3″ WVGA display, 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 5 megapixel camera on the rear with LED flash. The Esteem will also offer a 1.3 MP camera for chatting up front, 8GB internal storage with micro-SD support, and even comes with micro-HDMI out as well. A nice well equipped smartphone if you ask me. If you didn’t know this is basically the LG Revolution, but for MetroPCS.

That’s not all either, we also have Android 2.3 Gingerbread and 4G LTE on board making this the best smartphone offered by MetroPCS. With 4G LTE smartphone plans starting at just $40 dollars this makes a great alternative to other options in the 4G LTE realm. Available right now Metro’s offering the Esteem for $250 with no contract (with a mail in rebate sadly). Along with the purchase users will get Rhapsody unlimited free for 90 days as an added bonus. Head over to MetroPCS.com for full details.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 heads to T-Mobile

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:02 AM PDT

In more Galaxy Tab news today T-Mobile has confirmed they will indeed carry the Galaxy Tab 10.1 according to this tweet. In case you missed it the Tab hit the FCC earlier this month with T-Mobile 4G bands so we had a feeling this was coming, and now its been confirmed although that is all T-Mobile had to say.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has only been released in two models — a Wi-Fi version and you can see our review here, as well as the Verizon 4G LTE we’ve also reviewed. This is the only other 3G/4G enabled Galaxy Tab 10 we have heard about as of late and hopefully we’ll know more soon. The Galaxy S II launched on multiple carriers and they all changed it a little, we don’t know if T-Mobile will do the same with the Tab 10 but most likely it will come in the same form factor and internals as the Verizon Model.

I’m glad to see T-Mobile getting another great Android Honeycomb tablet in to offer customers, because we all know the G-Slate wasn’t a big hit. They also have the HTC Amaze 4G, and the Galaxy S II slated for next month. According to another leak recently T-Mobile may also have a Galaxy Tab 7.7 to offer soon so we’ll have plenty of options over the next few months from the Magenta carrier.

If you thought T-Mobile was going to go quietly into the night with the AT&T acquisition, you were wrong because they just keep looking better and better.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Tab 10.1
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier :
    Announced Date : March 22, 2011
    Release Date : June 08, 2011
    Also Known As : Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Google I/O Limited Edition
Display
  • Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 10.09 Inch
  • Width : 6.81 Inch
  • Depth : 0.34 Inch
  • Weight : 595 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 7000 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 120 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 3.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MP3
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 2
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution :3.2 MP
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
    CDMA Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1900
  • 2100
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 :

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Kindle Fire Accessories from Amazon

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:50 AM PDT

Today Amazon has officially unveiled the new Kindle Fire and already we have a flood of comments coming in regarding all sorts of things from price, availability, and accessories. Shipping November 15th for $199 you can pre-order it now, as well as see our hands-on images here. We should see plenty of accessories soon but for now I’ll just show you a few cases.

Over on Amazon.com we have a few cases already showing up, all set to start shipping on launch day — November 15th. First, shown above, is the Kindle Fire Sleeve for just $29.99 and comes in 5 colors. It will hold your Fire snug in place while keeping it protected. The Kindle Fire does come with a 7″ screen protected by Gorilla Glass but the more protection the better right?

Next up is the MicroShell Folio Case and stand for $39.99 also coming November 15th. Specifically designed for the Kindle Fire it features a hard polycarbonate back piece with a soft protective lid for protection against scratches and impact. Then has a soft fabric lid that folds to function as a stand for easy viewing.

Last and most expensive is the CEO Marware Genuine Leather Case for $44.99 and it also features the same foldable lid that also acts and functions as a stand. Only difference here is everything is genuine leather on the Marware, and it also offers two angles for viewing rather than just one.

These are just a few of the already announced and fully designed specifically for the Kindle Fire accessories. We are sure to see tons of screen protectors, cases, sleeves, docks and more over the coming days and weeks but I figured a round-up of the first few awesome cases would be worth a shout out. I think the MicroShell looks best as it features a hard polycarbonate plastic to fully protect my Fire when it arrives — trust me I’ll be getting one, will you?

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Amazon Silk: Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser for the Kindle Fire

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:05 AM PDT

Along with the announcement this morning of the Kindle Fire, Amazon also had something else exciting to share with everyone. They’ve developed a brand new cloud-based accelerated browser specially for the Kindle Fire and future Amazon tablets — called Amazon Silk Browser. Essentially this is a browser that uses the many cloud based services and technology offered by Amazon and does all the dirty hard work and rendering for you, so users have blazing fast browser performance no matter what the situation. We have a few details and a video demo below.

The Silk browser consists of two things they are calling Amazon Split that basically makes it a two part browser. The image above is a good demonstration of how Split will be using Amazon's EC2 super computer cluster loads, and then processing intense webpage images and code on Amazon cloud servers. This will free both the browser and the Kindle Fire’s resources to continue working on much simpler tasks, as well as seriously improve battery life.

Amazon Silk Demo

As you can see from the image and video above, Amazon’s servers will do the majority of the work and then pass the crunched and accelerated web page down to the end user. This is a similar approach as the Opera Mini or Opera Mobile has been doing, but I have a feeling Amazon’s implementation will be much better, not to mention they have a huge database of servers and cloud storage.

The Amazon Silk browser will also store cache and frequently visited sites right on the cloud and the EC2 servers. This means you’ll have virtually unlimited cache as well as be able to quickly load frequently visited sites like Android Community in the blink of an eye. Soon you’ll be able to get as much Android news from Android Community as quickly as possible thanks to Amazon’s Kindle Fire, and Silk browser.

We’ll be sure to get our hands-on coverage video of the Silk browser up as soon as possible so stay tuned. For all the new information regarding Amazon feel free to check out our portal for the Kindle Fire.

Bonus Video: Kindle Fire Commercial

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Amazon Kindle Fire: Hands-on [Video]

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:35 AM PDT

Okay folks, I know we are all on a little Kindle Fire overload at the moment, but we have some official hands-on pictures live from the Amazon event for you all. What we have here is a super thin, lightweight, and powerful Android powered tablet coming from Amazon. We already know plenty about this device so I’ll just head right into the good stuff — our hands-on pictures.

The Kindle Fire is based around Android but hides it very well, we don’t see any signs of the green robot anywhere here — and no lock screen gesture either. With all the Amazon services one would need, and super fast web browsing thanks to Amazon’s new Silk Browser this is sure to be a smooth, fast, and fluid consumption experience. Also note that we have no Android Market, this is a Amazon experience device, not a Google experience device. While Amazon isn’t letting us get our own hands on the slate, we were able to snap a few close-up photos so check em out. Does that IPS display look awesome or what?

Kindle Fire hands-on video

We are still digging for full specs but you can see everything you’d like from our event coverage. Just like previously mentioned we have a 7″ IPS display although its only 1024 x 600 resolution (but colors look great), 8GB internal storage (unlimited on the cloud), a powerful dual-core processor, but no cameras. Amazon opted to not add cameras most likely for a few reasons — those being cost, and that this is mainly a device for consumption of books, movies, videos, and gaming. We have a camera on our smartphones anyways right?

The Kindle Fire will ship on November 15th and is available for pre-order right now. For now we won’t have any official details or thoughts regarding how fast and stable the heavily skinned operating system is until Amazon relaxes a bit and lets us try one ourselves. Until then, check out our live pictures and a video demo will be up shortly.

hands main hands 2 hands 3 hands 4 hands 5 hands 6 hands 7 hands 8 hands hands 9 )


Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet shipping November 15th, Pre-order today

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:14 AM PDT

Today Amazon has just unveiled their Kindle Fire 7″ Android powered device. Just as many rumors had suggested this Android powered, Amazon skinned dual-core tablet will be just $199 and pre-orders are available right now for those that don’ want to wait.

For all the details and pictures you could possible want feel free to head over to our live coverage of the event in NYC today regarding the Kindle Fire tablet. Like we mentioned in an earlier report, the Kindle Fire is closely integrated with everything Amazon. From the Amazon AppStore for Android, Amazon Prime, Kindle Books, Amazon MP3, free cloud storage and more. While it has some impressive specs of a 7″ IPS display with bright and vivid colors and great viewing angles, protected by Gorilla Glass. It also has a Texas Instruments dual-core processor. However, processor speed and final specs were not confirmed.

Just as plenty have speculated the amazing price we all were hoping for has came true. Amazon will be selling the new Kindle Fire for just $199, a great price if you ask me. Coming in smaller than the iPad and for more than half the price this could truly rival the iPad on all grounds. With Android applications and games bundled with the many Amazon services this can do it all.

Without talking to much we’ll get you started on getting your own. The Kindle Fire will be $199 and ships starting November 15th from Amazon.com. Pre-order your very own Kindle Fire right now before it’s too late by clicking here.

fire 2 fire 3 fire 4 Kindle fire Fire $199 fire specs

[via Amazon]

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Amazon Kindle Fire 7″ Tablet officially announced, just $199

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:47 AM PDT

Well folks, we are live here in NYC for the event today where Amazon has just unveiled their new tablet, the Amazon Kindle Fire. Today they’ve fully unleashed this new 7″ tablet and are aiming for the likes of the iPad. Being smaller and more than half the price at just $199. We have all the info and pictures below so head on past the break for full details.

Today in NYC Amazon announced not only a $79 Kindle e-reader, but the much anticipated Android running Kindle Fire Tablet. That is what we wanted to hear so lets break it down. Just like recent leaks the Kindle Fire will be a 7″ IPS display Android tablet with gorilla glass, powered by a dual-core processor and weighing just 14.6 oz and features 8GB of internal storage. We have no hardware buttons in terms of navigation and everything will be on-screen controlled. The rest of the hardware specs remain a bit scant but most likely it will have 1GB of RAM along with that powerful dual-core processor. It is running on Android but it looks nothing like it. We see zero resemblance. The Amazon Kindle Fire looks very similar to the BlackBerry playbook and has no cameras, this is purely a consumption device people.

Kindle Fire will have access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows, 17 million and more songs, access to the Amazon Android AppStore (growing everyday), Kindle Books and more. This story is developing and so are the details so stay right here as we continue to update.

[Update] The Kindle Fire will officially be $199 and will ship starting November 15th. Pre-orders will be going fast even though they’ve probably got millions on the way. Pre-order the Kindle Fire right now at Amazon.com by clicking here.

Kindle fire amazon fire 2 fire 3 fire 4 fire 5 fire 6 fire 7 fire 8 fire 9 fire 10 Fire good fire close Fire $199 fire specs )


Kindle Fire tablet to cost $199

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:06 AM PDT

We told you all yesterday that we would be on hand at the Amazon event where they are announcing the Fire tablet. Vince is there right now at the live event and we will be updating as the event unfolds. However, the tablet has already leaked over on Bloomberg. It will pack in a 7-inch screen and sell for $199. That is a very nice price for a tablet assuming it performs decently.

The Fire will run on the Android operating system and is a more powerful version of the Kindle that has only a black and white screen. Exactly what version of Android the fire will run is not yet known, but we expect it to be using Android 2.3 as the OS. The tablet cuts corners on hardware to get to the $199 price. It has WiFi, but no 3G. It comes with a 30-day Amazon Prime trial as well. It also uses a custom UI over the top of Android. There is no camera or microphone either.

We still don't have the full hardware specs of the Fire tablet yet. However, the expectation is that Amazon is one of the only tablet players with a chance to touch the iPad. The massively lower price tag of the Fire will certainly make it appealing to budget shoppers. Stay tuned for more.

[via SlashGear]

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Microsoft signs Android licensing deal with Samsung

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 05:52 AM PDT

Microsoft has announced that it has landed a patent agreement with Samsung that will allow Samsung access to the patent portfolio that has to do with Android smartphones. The announcement means that the two largest Android smartphone firms in the US are now licensing patents for Android from Microsoft. The agreement will see Microsoft paid royalties from Samsung for tablets and smartphones on the Android platform.

Microsoft also notes that it and Samsung will be working together on Windows Mobile Phones. As TechNet points out, this is the seventh licensing agreement that Microsoft has landed in the last few months. Right now Acer, General Dynamics Itronix, Onkyo, Velocity Micro, ViewSonic, Wistron, and HTC are all signed up.

That leaves one of the few Android holdouts being Motorola Mobility, which Google has purchased. Microsoft has already filed suit against Motorola for infringement. It appears that Google will soon face the prospect of licensing patents from Microsoft to use its own OS. Microsoft hails the deals as a way to prevent patent litigation. Google complains that this sort of deal limits software innovation.

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RIM outs details on Blackberry Runtime for Android Apps

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 05:26 AM PDT

If you are one of the few that went out and purchased a Blackberry Playbook and have been waiting with some modicum of patients for the Android app support promised to land new details have surfaced. Sadly, the news isn't very good. RIM engineers have noted some things that will be unavailable when you run Android apps on the Playbook.

The features that will be unavailable on apps include Live Wall paper, which isn’t that bad since that feature sucks battery life like a frat boy on a bender. Other things that are lacking in the compatibility layer on the Playbook may be more of an issue depending on the app you are using. Nothing built using the Native Development Kit will work on the Playbook.

Apps that contain only App widgets won’t work and neither will apps with more than one activity tied to the launched. Any items that need Google Maps, in-app billing, and the Android text-to-speech engine or the cloud-to-device messaging will not function. Will your favorite apps work under these restrictions.

[via Thinq]

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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light heads to Xperia Play first

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:36 AM PDT

Sony Ericsson and Square Enix have announced a deal that will see one of the new video games from the game publisher coming to the Android-powered Xperia Play first. The game is called Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. The game will be available for the Play in November. There is no indication of how long the game will be an exclusive for the Play.

Square Enix and Sony Ericsson will also be bringing more games to the Xperia Play in the future. This move may bring more gamers that like to be the first to get games on the Android platform to the Xperia Play. I don’t think that a mobile game will be anticipated enough to actually drive many Xperia Play purchases though.

Sony Ericsson has been offering the Play in the US for a while and is now $49 on AT&T. The company announced this month that the Play would hit Japan on NTT DOCOMO in October. I wonder if the graphics in this game will be anywhere near the detail of the render above.

"With a unique control pad and immersive graphics that enable an enriched gaming experience, Xperia™ PLAY is bringing a unique and exciting dimension to smartphone gaming," said Ben Cusack, Head of Mobile for Square Enix Europe. "This is just the start of what we plan to do together, but right now, we are delighted to be able to show off the full potential of our games with this innovative smartphone, bringing them to life as our creators intended."

"Xperia™ PLAY continues to redefine smartphone gaming. By bringing some of the world's most popular console games to the Xperia™ PLAY we're delivering an unrivalled smartphone gaming experience," said Tim Harrison, Head of Content & Marketing Strategy for Sony Ericsson. "And this is still really only just the beginning – we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with new games and new experiences optimized for Xperia PLAY, ensuring that consumers have the best gaming possible experience on a smartphone, whatever games they are in to."

[via SlashGear]

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Samsung GT-I9250 Nexus Prime sees Bluetooth certification

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 09:40 PM PDT

We’ve got a massive amount of news and rumors surrounding the upcoming Google hero phone made by Samsung, the following bit of content falling in the first category. What we’ve got here is a Bluetooth certification for device GT-I9250, one thus far tied only to the name Nexus Prime. Samsung has quite the firestorm started here around what we’re expecting will be the hero device for Android Ice Cream Sandwich, each news bit adding to what must soon be a legendary device indeed.

We’ve got news that this device has already been hanging out at Verizon, that a Samsung roadmap has already leaked the launch date for the device as well as Ice Cream Sandwich – two more confirmations coming about a week later. It’s not difficult to see why this device would garner such massive interest as each Google hero device (the Nexus S being the last) have been not only massively popular devices, they’ve turned out to be rather well made and long-lasting devices as well.

To see everything we’ve got on the matter, check out the Nexus Prime portal and get severely educated. It’s not every day we have a phone gain such attention before its release unless it’s got a stacked set of specs, and given that this device has no real solid specs released at all at this moment, we’ve gotta keep our eyes open. Will you be amongst those running to the stores on release day?

[via Bluetooth]

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Toshiba Thrive 7″ Tablet Announced, coming this November [Gallery]

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 07:06 PM PDT

Toshiba has just announced their new Android Honeycomb tablet offering, the Thrive 7″ to go along with its bigger brother. In case the original 10″ Thrive was a bit “large” for some of you the 7″ variety will be much smaller, and thinner. We have plenty of pictures provided nicely by Toshiba so check them out below.

Just like many tablets currently available we have a pretty solid device. Running on what we already suspected and that is the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, with 1GB of RAM and the Thrive 7 will be offered in both 16GB and 32GB flavors. Rocking a 7″ 1280 x 800 Autobrite LED display, dual HD cameras and Android 3.2 Honeycomb powering it all. We’ll get a 5 megapixel around back with LED flash, and 2MP on the front for chatting and more.

Measuring just .47″ thick and weighing under one pound at .88 lbs the new Thrive 7″ will be portable and powerful while maintaining a slim design. The Thrive 7″ will feature many of the same specs and ports as the bigger 10″ version but micro versions to keep things small, along with the same slip-resistant Easy Grip finish around back. Around the devices built-in ports we have Mini USB, Micro HDMI and a Micro SD card slot, giving consumers plenty of choices for connectivity and options.

One small change is the back is now non-removable and the battery will not be replaceable like the bigger sibling, but I’ll take the thinner package any day — wouldn’t you? The Toshiba Thrive 7″ Tablet will be available mid November well before the holidays although no pricing has been revealed yet. As soon as we hear more we will update with exact dates and pricing. For more information check out the Thrive 7″ product page at Toshiba.com, as well as the full gallery of images below.

Thrive 7 1 Thrive 7 back Thrive 7 bottom Thrive 7 side Thrive 7 top Thrive 7 )


Motorola DROID 4 codenamed “Maserati” and will have 4G LTE [Rumor]

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 06:42 PM PDT

I must admit the codename “Maserati” gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, although I’m not too big on slide out QWERTY keyboard smartphones. What we have here is a rumor so feel free to take this with a grain of salt. According to a few members of HowardForums the next device in the DROID slider evolution will be the DROID4 and is codenamed “Maserati”. They mention a few other things but first check out the awesome car below.

How often do I get to post an awesome supercar and call it a smartphone right? If the slide-out QWERTY keyboard and 4G LTE sound familiar its because we heard it a few weeks back thanks to the poem on twitter by @black_man_x and his friend Tom. A part of the poem even said “The one with the keyboard is what I enjoy” and you can see more on that by clicking here.

So what do we have here? Nothing really, just a bit of speculation unless the members from Howard Forums end up correct — and they often do. Basically all the details we have are that it will most likely be called the DROID4 just like the recent others in the naming scheme, but could also be called the DROID4 LTE and that makes a bit more sense. We have a rumored 4.0 or possibly a 4.3″ display, obviously a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but the D-pad has gone missing and maybe that is because we’ll have ICS on board instead of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Then given the name and title we can expect to also see Verizon Wireless 4G LTE on board, something the DROID3 really should have shipped with. This leakster also claims to have enjoyed some hands-on time with the Motorola Spyder too, so we’ll see when the time comes.

[via Droid-Life]

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Amazon announcing the Kindle “Fire” tablet tomorrow, We’ll be there live

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 01:34 PM PDT

Last week Amazon sent out invitations for a media event scheduled for Wednesday, September 28th, and that is tomorrow. We have heard tons of rumors regarding the Amazon Android tablet and it appears we’ll be seeing just that come tomorrow. The name being tossed around is “Kindle Fire” and it will be a 7″ tablet heavily skinned to look nothing like Android, more details below.

Earlier this month TechCrunch had all the details, and claimed they even enjoyed some hands-on time with the tablet. Tomorrow marks the day we’ll all find out what Amazon has been pushing through the pipelines as of late. According to new details it will be called the Kindle Fire, and will be marketed different than current e-reader tablets as they plan to sell both. It will be 7″ and run with an unknown TI dual-core processor. According to the same report, this tablet is made by the same company making the BlackBerry Playbook so it will resemble the BB tablet in terms of design. Given the same design the familiarities end there, the Kindle Fire will have a much better user interface that is complete, as well as a stable and smooth ecosystem all ran by Amazon.

We have heard it will run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread but look nothing like it. Amazon has made their own unique Kindle UI that will have zero resemblance to Android. It will also be offered with their own suite of applications like the Amazon App Store, Kindle app, Amazon Prime for movies, Amazon MP3 and everything else that Amazon has to offer, and show as little Android and Google as possible.

We don’t have any confirmed full details or a price as everything has remained extremely tight lipped by Amazon and their manufacturers. While this is all just rumors and speculation for now we will know everything after the event tomorrow.

Be sure to stay tuned to Android Community as we will be live in NYC to get a first hand look at what is revealed by Amazon come tomorrow morning.

[via SlashGear]

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Motorola Xoom 2 tablets launching in November

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 01:13 PM PDT

Motorola is prepping a few tablets to refresh their lineup from the original Xoom. We first saw what appears to be a 7″ Motorola Tab in the wild earlier this month, then more pictures leaked last week. We have heard about an 8.2″ media edition so they might even have a 7, 8.2, and 10.1″ in the works but that has yet to be confirmed. New details are claiming the 7″ Motorola tablet will launch this November.

According to Digitimes, Motorola is building the 10″ model in-house while letting Compal work on the smaller slate. We are also hearing neither will launch with Android ICS and instead come with Android 3.2 Honeycomb but that was to be expected this early on. However, because of Google's planned acquisition of Motorola Mobility, the expectation is that the new tablets will be first in line once Ice Cream Sandwich is finally here and being pushed to manufacturers for updates.

A full gallery of both the 8″ and 10″ were leaked this weekend, giving us yet another look at these unknown tablets. We know they are coming, and soon, but that is about it. No specific hardware details have been released other than they are super thin and will be around 9.3mm thick. These newest photos reveal a more industrial and unique design compared to the original Xoom’s standard black design and look. With angled edges and an entire different looking rear it appears Motorola is taking a new angle on design.

According to tipsters the 7″ variant will land sometime this November, and the Xoom 2 coming in at 10.1″ will be available in December but as always these dates are subject to change.

[via SlashGear]

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Google Maps update available, improves transit navigation

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 12:50 PM PDT

Today we see another update hitting Android for Google Maps. As usual the update brings a few improves as well as the usual term “bug fixes”. Google has been busy with Maps and is continuing to make it an awesome experience on mobile, we’ve seen a lot of updates lately all bringing great new features.

Back in August it was updated to support transit navigation and more and today a few fixes are aimed just at that for all you public transit users. While transit navigation is still in BETA many users have been trusting it for their day to day in big cities such as NYC and other large cities with huge public transit systems. Today the update should add stability as well as help the location services be more accurate.

Google has been busy this week with updates to the Nexus One, Nexus S and now Google Maps. I must say though, my favorite new feature still probably is the option to download maps before you travel, so while out of service you can still get directions thanks to Google Maps. If you haven’t gave that a try I suggest you check it out for your next vacation.

Feel free to let us know in the comment section below if the new update improves accuracy for navigation and location.

[via Google Maps]

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CyanogenMod and FreeXperia team up to offer CM7 on 10 Sony Ericsson devices

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 12:36 PM PDT

Back in August we first heard a few minor details that the members of CyanogenMod were planning to support more device, especially a wide array of Sony Ericsson smartphones. Yesterday Cyanogen himself (Steve Kondik) confirmed support for 10 new SE phones over on Google+. With a joint effort by the CM team and the group known as FreeXperia we can expect to see CM7 and future releases support many Sony Ericsson and Xperia play devices moving forward.

While none of the phones pictured above are Sony Ericsson it does show the wide array of smartphones supported by CyanogenMod, and now with 10 more coming I’m sure plenty of users are excited for things to come. Detailed on Google+ Cyanogen mentioned all 10 SE phones they plan to initially support — they include:

- Xperia Arc
- Xperia Neo
- Xperia Mini
- Xperia Mini Pro
- Xperia Play
- Xperia Ray
- Xperia X10
- Xperia X8
- Xperia X10 Mini
- Xperia X10 Mini Pro

Kondik also mentioned that the FreeXperia team is now a part of the CyanogenMod development group, this means that with upcoming releases from Sony Ericsson like the rumored Nozomi users can expect to see support by CM7 or 8 for many new phones as they come out.

Great news for all the Sony Ericsson users out and around, CM is one of the greatest custom ROM’s available for Android and will be for a long time to come.

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