Android Community |
- Washington Post app comes to Android
- T-Mobile leaks 6 Android devices slated for November
- First live photo of the Nexus Prime hits the web [Updated]
- Adobe Flash Player 11 hits Android Market
- Apple says no to Samsung settlement offer
- HTC promises OTA privacy patch in pipeline
- LG Optimus LTE delivers dual-core 4G
- HTC shows off Explorer with new video
- Official Hotmail Android app available now
- World of Goo coming soon to Android Market
- Android might reach 1 million activations a day by October 20th
- Eric Schmidt: Motorola acquisition “Won’t screw up the ecosystem”
- Adobe unveils more powerful Photoshop Touch
- Verizon expands “C.O.W.” making 4G LTE network portable
- Adobe Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 available tonight for download
- Archos 80 and 101 G9 Tablets receiving firmware update
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G hitting T-Mobile October 26th
| Washington Post app comes to Android Posted: 04 Oct 2011 07:48 AM PDT The Washington Post is one of the most popular newspapers in the country and many people read it even if they are far from the Nation’s capitol. The Washington Post app is now available for Android devices and is up for download right now. The app offers access to some content that you would find in the paper with news, politics, analysis, sports, and lots more.
The app also has enhanced weather with forecasts for the area in 7-day and hourly styles. It offers traffic information for local users and real-time metro alerts and traffic cams. The app also features photojournalism and photo essays. The app also has a breaking news alert system. Important stores can be shared by the user via SMS, email, Facebook, and Twitter. The app was launched this week and requires Android 2.1 or higher to operate. It is a free app and so far has been installed 5,000 to 10,000 times. )
|
| T-Mobile leaks 6 Android devices slated for November Posted: 04 Oct 2011 07:24 AM PDT T-Mobile may be bemoaning the lack of a certain Jesus phone today, but if you’re an Android fan, there’s plenty to look forward to. No less than six new devices from LG, Samsung and Huawei are in the pipe for release next month, with confirmation on the HTC Amaze 4G, Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 this month. Check out the full round-up below.
First up is a pair of LG mid-range phones, code-named “Maxx QWERTY” and the “Maxx TOUCH”. These appear to be the same phones leaked a couple of weeks ago, and they will probably be branded the “MyTouch by LG” and the “MyTouch Q by LG”. The phones appear identical except for the slide-out keyboard, and should debut at $129 on-contract. Next up is the LG “Flip II”, a 4G split Qwerty phone with a unique secondary screen right on the keyboard. This interesting Gingerbread phone is priced at $149. Following is the Samsung “Ancora”. It’s tough to tell from the small photo, but it looks a lot like a member of the Galaxy S family, probably one of the smaller, cheaper models like the Galaxy W given its list price of just $99. That’s a pretty good deal for a 4G Android smartphone. Filling out the order is a pair of tablets, the Huawei “Tallsome” (almost certainly this 7-inch Honeycomb tablet) and the Samsung “Robin”, which we’re guessing is the updated Galaxy Tab Plus. All these devices are set for a November 2nd release, except for the Samsung tablet, which will come a week later. The LG Flip II is the most exciting new device on the list, if only because of its unique form factor. It probably won’t strike a chord with everybody, but I’m always glad to see manufacturers try out new designs like the Kyocera Echo. You never know what might be the next big, or in this case, small, thing. )
|
| First live photo of the Nexus Prime hits the web [Updated] Posted: 04 Oct 2011 06:52 AM PDT
If rumors are to be believed, the Nexus Prime is only days away from its debut at the Samsung Mobile Unpacked Event. If you just can’t wait until then (and who can?) an anonymous tipster has posted what is purported to be the very first photo of Samsung’s new Google hero device. Details are pretty spare, but the small photo shows a 720p display and Ice Cream Sandwich software buttons.
Rumors have been flying back and forth on the Nexus Prime/DROID Prime/Galaxy Nexus, but this is the first time we’ve gotten any look at all at the actual hardware. Though only part of the phone is shown, it’s guessed that the 4.3-inch, 1280 x 720 screen (which will presumably use Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology) is pushing more than 340 pixels per inch – in other words, beating the iPhone 4′s “retina” display. GSM Arena claims that the Honeycomb-style Android control buttons are on the screen itself, and not standard capacitive buttons. Note yet another new icon style for the buttons themselves. Take this news with a grain of salt. While we haven’t heard anything that disagrees with the purported specs or design, it’s curious that only a small part of the Nexus Prime is shown. The comparatively tiny photo doesn’t help, and could have easily been mocked up from a similar Samsung Galaxy S II. In any case, we won’t have long to find out – Google and Samsung will probably be unveiling the new device on October 11th. UPDATE: GSM Arena has posted a larger photo of the device, in which you can definitely tell that the Android function icons are on the screen, and not separate buttons. Click the image for a full-sized view.
|
| Adobe Flash Player 11 hits Android Market Posted: 04 Oct 2011 03:00 AM PDT We mentioned yesterday that early this morning Flash Player 11 would hit the Android market. The new Flash Player is on the market right now for you to download. Adobe does point out that before you download and install of Flash Player 11 you need to be sure that you are on the latest version of the Android OS and that your firmware is up to date. Android 3.0 tablets need to be updated to Android 3.1 before installing.
On Android 3.1 tablets the Flash Player content is delivered in full screen using buttons on the menu provided by the content provider. The app is 6.2MB and will work with Android OS 2.2 and higher. You might want to look at the list of Flash Player certified devices that is on the Adobe site to be sure your device is listed. Some of the comments on the app are pointing out that it takes a lot of space to run. One user claims that Flash Player 11 takes over 10MB of space. Despite complaints about the size of the program, it still has a 4.5 rating on the Android Market. You can download Flash Player 11 here and let us know what you think. )
|
| Apple says no to Samsung settlement offer Posted: 04 Oct 2011 02:39 AM PDT Yesterday Samsung offered up a deal that it hoped would allow it to get back into the Australian tablet market. We don't know exactly what the offer from Samsung was, but what we don’t know is that at least for now Apple is having none of the offer. Apple has reportedly declined the offer and the two firms are said to be “a considerable distance apart.”
Apple says that it didn’t turn the offer down flat, but wanted more information and details on the offer form Samsung. One Samsung lawyer, Stephen Burley, said that the offer from Samsung was “no more than a tactic to maximize the chances of launching what we would contend is an infringing product.” The judge presiding over the case said, “It’s going to take me a little time” to work through the arguments that each side have offered when Samsung tried to push to get the arguments heard in court tomorrow. Samsung has argued that if the courts ban the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia until 2012 that the tablet would be commercially dead. Samsung has stated in the past that it would remove the zoom-bounce system from the tablet, which is one of the features at the heart of the case. Samsung could remove the feature and have a new version of the tablet on the market a week after a ruling. [via SlashGear] )
|
| HTC promises OTA privacy patch in pipeline Posted: 04 Oct 2011 01:22 AM PDT HTC has confirmed that a fix for the recently uncovered security vulnerability in its Android smartphones is in the pipeline, addressing what some security experts suggested was a “massive” privacy issue. “In our ongoing investigation into this recent claim,” the company told Engadget, ”we have concluded that while this HTC software itself does no harm to customers’ data, there is a vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by a malicious third-party application”
However, HTC also insists that it has seen no reports of the loophole actually being taken advantage of, with the potential for harm seemingly more theoretical than practical at this stage. Nonetheless, a security update is being worked on now, and which – after some carrier testing – will be delivered OTA to HTC Android phones. There’s no timeline for its release – HTC says the carrier testing period will be “short” though that’s presumably up to the networks themselves to deliver on – so until then the company points out that people should “use caution when downloading, using, installing and updating applications from untrusted sources.” That’s pretty sensible advice no matter what the situation. Full HTC Statement: )
|
| LG Optimus LTE delivers dual-core 4G Posted: 04 Oct 2011 01:13 AM PDT LG has officially announced the LG Optimus LTE, the handset previously known as the LU6200, packing a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.5-inch 1280 x 720 resolution display and 4G LTE connectivity. The high-speed smartphone – set to go on sale on South Korea’s SK Telecom tomorrow, October 5 – has an 8-megapixel camera with an LED flash and HD video recording.
There’s also DLNA support and an HDMI output, for getting your multimedia off the smartphone either wired or wirelessly. LG is hoping you’ll watch some of it on the Optimus LTE’s display itself, however: the phone uses one of the company’s “IPS True HD” panels which, it claims, will beat the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE to the market and be the first such resolution panel on offer. 326ppi is not to be sniffed at, after all. What’s still up in the air is availability outside of South Korea. After all, LG knows there are LTE networks in the US and elsewhere, and so we wouldn’t be surprised to see broader sales after the initial roll-out this week. [via SlashGear] )
|
| HTC shows off Explorer with new video Posted: 03 Oct 2011 07:04 PM PDT We’ve barely gotten a glimpse at HTC’s budget-conscious Explorer, but the manufacturer seems keen on giving us a few more. They posted a new preview video on their YouTube channel yesterday, utilizing the “quietly brilliant” branding they’ve been employing for quite some time. The breezy video shows off the value smartphone’s assets, and will probably be appearing on American commercial blocks sometime soon.
The Explorer isn’t going to end up at the top of any superphone lists any time soon, but then it isn’t meant to. Sharing a lot of physical traits with the HTC Wildfire S and other budget phones, this little guy features a 3.2-inch screen with a diminutive 320 x 480 resolution and a depth of half an inch. The CPU is clocked at 600MHz, and even the 3 megapixel camera could fill up the 512 MB of internal memory quickly. Check out the official ad below: What HTC’s target customers are likely to care about is the software/interface, and on that front, the Explorer delivers. As shown in the video, the phone has the latest version of HTC Sense, 3.5, with all the spiffy widgets and animations that come with it. Underneath it’s thankfully running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. For a more complete rundown of the specifications, check HTC’s product page. HTC hasn’t offered any availability or carrier info on the Explorer yet, though its 3G wireless bands match up with AT&T. Stay tuned. )
|
| Official Hotmail Android app available now Posted: 03 Oct 2011 06:02 PM PDT Like peanut butter and pickles, Microsoft and Android are an odd combination, but not (necessarily) an unwelcome one. Today Microsoft unveiled its new Hotmail Android app, available right now in the Market. Be sure to call you
In all seriousness, Hotmail still has a surprisingly large userbase – in fact, according to a comScore estimate in 2010, it’s the world’s largest with over 350 million users. While it was previously possible to use the native Email app or the browser to check Hotmail, the new app is much easier, and to Microsoft’s credit, it looks pretty feature-complete as well. Various unofficial apps and widgets have been available on Android for years, but Microsoft seems to be making a solid effort to push itself to its rightful spot at the top of the list. Hotmail supports true push email, an absolute godsend for busy professionals, and allows you to use multiple accounts at once. Also included are advanced spam and blocking filters, attachment support and folders. If you’re the rare, rare Android user who’s still attached to Hotmail or Windows Live Mail, go ahead and download the app now – you’ll be glad you did. Just don’t expect a Gmail app in Windows Phone 7 any time soon. [via SlashGear] )
|
| World of Goo coming soon to Android Market Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:37 PM PDT World of Goo, the popular 2D indie game that’s a fan favorite on PCs and consoles, will soon cover everyone’s favorite little green robot. Developer 2D Boy revealed the news today on the company blog, calling the game “GooDroid” – though that probably won’t be its official title. A release date was not given, but the developer notes that they’re finishing some bug fixes in preparation for the release.
The game has quite a following, and is a certified hit on Steam, the Xbox’s XBLA download service and iOS. The general premise is that you create simple architectural structures by placing balls of goo on the screen, achieving new goals in each level. Though 2D Boy is an independent developer, they’ve done an amazing job – the PC game sits with an impressive 90% positive Metacritic score and has 4.5 stars on the iTunes App Store. 2D Boy is quick to point out that both phones and tablets will get in on the gooey, delicious action. The iOS version of the game costs $3 and $5 for standard and HD versions respectively, but the Android version may use a free, ad-supported model, like Angry Birds. We’ll keep a close eye on World of Goo as the release date nears. [via DroidGamers] )
|
| Android might reach 1 million activations a day by October 20th Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:06 PM PDT When last we hear Google speak on the number of Android devices activated per day, Larry Page declared the number at 550,000. That way way back on July 14th. Now analyst Michael DeGusta predicts that the number could reach as high as one million devices worldwide every day before the end of October. That’s a growth of nearly double in less than ninety days.
Even conservative estimates put the number of worldwide activations at at least 1,000,000 a day by December. Any way you slice it, it’s an incredible milestone for an operating system that’s about to pass its third birthday (if you go by retail hardware). And of course, it’s a heck of a statistic to come out the day before a certain big announcement. The number of Android activations, i.e. the number of smartphones, tablets and other devices that sign in to Google for the first time on any given day, isn’t exactly, well, exact. There’s a significant number of Android devices that eschew the Android Market and other Google services, not to mention older phones that are hard reset or loaded up with new software. But as a metric of growth, it lines up with other statistics nicely, including the all-important market share reports.
At last count, Android had a whopping 54% of the market share among “connected devices” (smartphones and tablets combined). The next closest was Apple’s iOS with 28%, followed by Blackberry at 13%. Windows Mobile and Symbian were each rated at just 1%. Both Android and iOS are expanding, while all other competitors are in decline. Apple still leads the individual device race with the iPhone’s 13% share and the tablet market with the iPad winning over 80%. )
|
| Eric Schmidt: Motorola acquisition “Won’t screw up the ecosystem” Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:12 PM PDT Many industry insiders, not the least of whom being Motorola’s competitors, have worried that Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility might make the hardware company the “golden child” of the Android universe. Google chairman Eric Schmidt gave an interview this weekend, assuaging fears and assuring investors that the stability of Android is paramount. Google, he said, is committed to Android as a whole, and will not play favorites – sort of.
Schmidt was quoted as saying the following:
That last clause, “in the way people are concerned about,” may indeed be cause for concern. Samsung certainly thinks so – they gave a statement earlier last week saying that they “can’t rely on Google” for patent protection. Not surprising, given that Samsung has been the hardest hit by Apple’s worldwide lawsuits. Microsoft, which has licensing agreements with both HTC and Samsung, rakes in an estimated $444 million a year off of the “free” Android OS. Schmidt mentioned the 17,000 mobile patents that Google received from the Motorola purchase in the interview. It’s important to note that flagship “pure” Android devices have come from all three of the biggest Android manufacturers thus far – HTC had the Nexus One, Motorola had the XOOM and Samsung has the Nexus S (and if rumors can be believed, the Nexus Prime as well). Google’s strategy for its intellectual property going forward is a “rough truce”. “From our perspective, we will end up having enough patents that we can end up with a rough truce with everybody else, which is how it's done,” said Schmidt. The executive said that he does not know when such a truce might be achieved. )
|
| Adobe unveils more powerful Photoshop Touch Posted: 03 Oct 2011 02:39 PM PDT Let’s face it: Photoshop Mobile is a joke. It’s not really an image editor as much as it’s a tweaker, an app that’s just about worth its free price tag and doesn’t really live up to the Photoshop name. Now that tablets with the screen real estate and horsepower to take advantage of more traditional photo editing exist, Adobe wants to take advantage of them with Photoshop Touch for Honeycomb.
The app features a full-screen interface that mimics the tools of the desktop version of Photoshop, while still staying relatively finger-friendly. Basic functions like rotation, crop and various color corrections are easy with advanced warps and modifications also possible. Most exciting is that Photoshop’s robust selection and layer tools seem to have made the mobile transition intact, making truly useful image manipulation possible. The app also takes advantage of tablet hardware for live video layers. Perhaps the most exiting part of Adobe’s announcement is that the Android app will cost just $9.99 in the Market. Considering that you’re getting a solid chunk of the functionality found in Photoshop Elements on a relatively new platform, that’s a downright steal. Couple Photoshop Touch with a cheap capacitive stylus, and all of a sudden you’ve got a full-on digital drawing tablet at a fraction of the cost (and to be fair, a fraction of the functionality) of hardware like the Wacom Cintiq. Adobe demo video Photoshop Touch will release sometime in November for Android, with an iOS version to follow. How often do you get to hear that, Android fans? It’s part of a small suite of apps including Collage, Debut ( a presentation manager), Proto (simple website designer), Kuler (color manager) and Ideas (vector editor – why not just call it Illustrator Touch?). All six apps will work with Adobe’s Creative Cloud system, so you don’t have to keep local files on your tablet. [via SlashGear] )
|
| Verizon expands “C.O.W.” making 4G LTE network portable Posted: 03 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT Verizon Wireless today has proudly announced that they soon will be driving around cows. Actually today they delivered the company's first 4G LTE C.O.W. (Cell On Wheels) in Florida to bring the joy of reinforced high-speed wireless capabilities to its customers. What we have here is a new system kicking off in Florida where major sporting or media events, tourist destinations, and other heavily populated areas will get extra support to the 4G LTE network when needed. This is a great system for natural disasters and hurricanes when most service eventually goes down.
These COW’s are nothing new or to laugh at either, weighing in around 24,000 lbs with huge telescope like antenna towers that will provide the 4G LTE service to many. Verizon details that these new mobile units will be able to simultaneously handle hundreds and thousands of calls, and texts, as well as data such as pictures, email, app downloads and more. These will be placed in key areas when needed and should provide tons of protection and support for Verizon. While we have seen these “COW” towers in the past with Verizon, similar to what some local news vans use, these are much larger and like mentioned above weigh in around 24,000 pounds. Most likely they will be pulled behind large vehicles instead of an all in one solution like pictured above, but you get the idea. As soon as we get an official view of these new 4G LTE COW’s we will be sure to update with more details. I just keep thinking about the Chick-fil-A cow floating around with antenna’s on its head, but I’ll just stop right there. Verizon also has emergency response vehicles with charging stations that provide additional service, power, and support in times of need and we’ve seen these plenty in the past. Being able to also supply 4G LTE in the same way is an entire new level. I’m excited to see more and I’d love to throw one inside a palm tree and put it out back by the pool. )
|
| Adobe Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 available tonight for download Posted: 03 Oct 2011 01:13 PM PDT Today Adobe is rocking the news with their MAX conference. They have just announced the much anticipated Adobe Flash Player 11 will be available starting tonight for multiple platforms, including Android. Same rules apply for Air 3.0 and they will be available tonight at 9:00 PM PT or early morning for you East Coast folks. The latest Flash updates will bring significant changes that were detailed in-depth back in September.
Sadly for mobile and Android this initial release wont see the new Stage 3D codenamed “Molehill”. Although both flash and air will eventually bring major improvements to mobile that will help to stabilize and revolutionize the way we game and consume content on the web and our mobile devices. Stage 3D was one of the most exciting aspects of the new Flash 11 and while it is coming soon, its sad that we can’t see it today on Android. More details can be found over on the Adobe blog and the downloads for both Flash 11 and Air 3.0 should go live tonight around 9:00 PM PST. For now until everything gets incorporated into Android we’ll just have to wait and watch. Soon we’ll be experiencing amazing 2D and 3D graphics at upwards of 60 FPS on our Honeycomb tablets for some true console-style gaming. Stay tuned for more details regarding Android as the Adobe event continues, below is one example of what we can expect to see coming soon. [via Adobe] )
|
| Archos 80 and 101 G9 Tablets receiving firmware update Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:49 PM PDT The brand new Archos G9 Honeycomb tablets have only been out a short time and Archos has already started pushing a firmware OTA update to the devices. The Archos 80 went up for sale late last month and we quickly snagged one up for some hands-on time. The new update from Archos fixes plenty of bugs, and adds some new features like Google Talk so head on past the break for full details.
The Archos G9 tablets are their first entry into the Honeycomb tablet game and are aiming at the low priced segment. Our hands-on (linked to above) shows plenty of the new tablet from Archos and our full review is coming shortly. Like most updates it adds a number of features and fixes a number of bugs. Here are a few of the highlights right from Archos: -Google talk is now part of the firmware and comes pre-loaded. For more information you can head over to the Archos support page and see all the changes in the change-log by clicking here.
The latest Archos Firmware version 3.2.46 is available now for those who already own the Archos G9 tablet and can be updated right from the device. Head to menu > settings > about tablet > then just hit “Firmware Update” and start the download. It should only take but a few minutes and upon rebooting you should be on firmware version 3.2.46 and be able to enjoy all the bug fixes, Google Talk and more. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network Device Connectivity
|
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G hitting T-Mobile October 26th Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:08 PM PDT T-Mobile has a few Android tablets up their sleeves. We first spotted the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with T-Mobile 4G in September hitting the FCC most likely looking just like the Verizon 4G LTE version we reviewed here. Then just last week T-Mobile confirmed it was coming soon on Twitter. Today we have a leaked calender from the inside stating October 26th for the launch date.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 should be rocking T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ network but no other details or pricing has been revealed. We should see the same Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16 and 32GB variants like usual. The Wi-Fi Tab has received updates to the newest Tab Touch Wiz UX from Samsung but the 4G LTE version is still waiting. Hopefully we see their customizations come out of the box with the T-Mobile version that is coming soon.
This isn’t the only tablet T-Mobile has up their sleeves as we mentioned above. We recently saw a leaked Galaxy Tab Plus sporting T-Mobile frequencies as well so its safe to assume they have a few in the pipelines coming for the holidays. Samsung recently made the Galaxy Tab 7 Plus official, so we could see that hit T-Mobile shelves come this October too. Stay tuned for more details as October 26th gets closer. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
[via TmoNews] )
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Community To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment