Friday 11 November 2011

Android Community

Android Community


Philips Fidelio AS851 Docking Speaker for Android Review

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 11:22 AM PST

Android users have a virtually unlimited choice when it comes to smartphone hardware, and it’s one of the most important advantages of the platform. Unfortunately a wide variety of hardware inexorably means a smaller selection of accessories, especially ones that work with all models. Nowhere is this more evident than in the dock/speaker department. Whereas you can’t find a $20 alarm clock without an iPod dock, models that support Android are few and far between. Philips seems to be the only company that’s interested in this particular segment, and for that, we’re eternally grateful. They sent us the top-of-the-line Fidelio AS851 speaker dock, designed specifically to work with Android smartphones, for review.

Hardware

The AS851 is the largest of the Fidelio docks, and at about a foot and a half wide by eight inches tall and deep, it’s quite sizable for a speaker dock. The front is dominated by a huge speaker grille hiding stereo speakers, with the microUSB dock itself and some minimal controls at the bottom. Power and volume are all you get – a play/pause and track skipping buttons would have been nice. The build quality is pretty good, with no loose seams or creaking. The Fidelio dock is pretty hefty, but not so heavy as to be unwieldy for its size. Around the curved back you get the AC input, a USB port for charging devices that won’t fit on the dock itself, and a headphone port for directly connecting  devices without Bluetooth. Also included in the box are a male-to-male audio cable and a small remote.

The most important part of the dock is the flexible USB port on the front. It slides from left to right and rotates 180 degrees to accommodate any size smartphone, and a tiny wheel on the side can lock it into position. While the plug itself is fine for even the largest smartphone, tablets are just too heavy, and in any case usually won’t charge via a MicroUSB port. The dock is definitely designed with smartphones, and not much else, in mind. Android phones with a microUSB port on the bottom will stand up in portrait mode, while those with a port on the side (like the DROID X in the photos) must stay in landscape mode.

Connection

Since Android can’t play music directly via USB, the Fidelio docks use an A2DP stereo Bluetooth radio to play music. Pairing was not a problem among any of the Android devices I had on hand, and considering that that includes phones from Samsung, HTC and Motorola, not to mention one Huawei and one HP tablet, that’s a very good thing. Once connected the audio from the phone broadcasts clearly through the speakers, whether on not it’s actually plugged in to the dock. This means you can walk around with your phone, up to about 30 feet or so, while still having audio play through the dock.

Once connected, the phone will easily reconnect time and time again. The Bluetooth connection didn’t show any of the skipping or fuzziness that’s all too common with car stereos that use A2DP. The threshold for audio seems a bit low, though – if you manually lower the volume on your phone (not the dock) to less than 30%, no sound at all will come from the dock. Note that because of the Bluetooth connection, the Fidelio dock should work with any phone, tablet or MP3 player that uses Bluetooth – iOS, Windows Phone 7, even some feature phones. Failing that you can use the line-in for some old-fashioned tunes. It’s a surprisingly versatile device.

Sound

The Fidelio dock is LOUD. As in, hear it from every room in your house (or the apartment complex) loud. Sitting it next to my desktop computer it gave my JBL 2.1 speakers a run for their money. However, the sound that comes from the Fidelio is not exactly hi-fi. You can get lots of volume, yes, but the audio seems tinny at the high end and lacks bass. This is probably due to the A2DP Bluetooth connection, which is fickle enough to allow for some hiss and cracking on even the highest-quality music. This is a common problem with Bluetooth speakers, and one you’re likely to encounter with any similar hardware. Of course, you could physically connect your phone via the line-in port, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the dock.

Fidelio App

Philips has conscientiously developed an Android app for use with its Fidelio docks, and you can download it directly from the Android Market. The most important inclusion in the software is the ability to manually adjust the dock’s equalizer, which is otherwise impossible. It will also automatically connect to the dock when inserted… or, in fact, plugged in to any power source. Unfortunately, a host of bugs made force-closes a constant problem. The dock app itself is nothing to write home about, and I found myself switching back to my own homescreen more often than not. But for the equalizer feature, it’s a worthy (and free) download. Most of the functions you can handle with the dock’s physical remote.

Wrap-up

The Fidelio dock is a nice piece of audio equipment, even if it is unfortunately brought low by the limitations of Bluetooth. As an Android speaker dock it’s at the head of a very small pack. You should have no problem connecting any Android phone, and if a tablet is more your style, you can still use it without physically connecting to the dock.

For $200 it isn’t cheap, but the high-end build quality certainly justifies the cost. If you find yourself listening to music or podcasts with cheap-o headphones, especially in your own home, it may certainly be worth it. If you like the idea of an Android speaker dock but don’t want to drop two Benjamins, Philips has smaller docks in the same family starting at just $90, suitable for a nightstand or desktop.

Check out our hands-on video below:

IMG_1021 IMG_1024 IMG_1026 IMG_1027 IMG_1032 IMG_1033 IMG_1037 IMG_1038 IMG_1039 IMG_1041 IMG_1043 IMG_1048 )


Google Maps update brings Live Events to Google Places

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PST

Google is at it again today with another quite fancy update to Google Maps. While this might not be as big as 3D buildings or transit navigation in some of the recent updates they do have a cool new feature for those that like to get out and have some fun in the town. Today Google’s update adds a notification to Google Places for live events going on nearby. So your next trip to San Fransisco you can quickly and easily find something fun to do.

Along with the live events we also have a small change where Google has removed the “post to Twitter” option while reviewing places. We aren’t sure what brought about that change, but no more tweeting from Google Places while writing a review. The new live events feature is currently just a BETA and is available now for a few select cities and more should follow shortly.

Currently Google is only offering this new update in New York, San Fransisco, Paris, Zurich, and London to the list of “live events” in the Places page. Users should be able to find events going on based on their location. Should be a great feature for this holiday season as the Christmas events start lighting up the night sky’s. Give this new feature a try and let us know what you think.

[via Android Market]

)


Adobe pushes last major Flash update to the Android Market

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 10:05 AM PST

Earlier this week Adobe announced plans to abandon Flash on mobile platforms, to much weeping and gnashing of teeth. They still intend one more major release, Flash Player 11.1, and it’s available in the Android Market now. The 11.1 update brings bug fixes and stability to the Android version, including a particularly nasty audio problem on the Samsung Galaxy S II.

11.1 will be the very last version update, unless Adobe changes its mobile strategy. Smaller bug fixes and security updates will follow, and a good thing too, since Flash is historically insecure. But there will be no more features added to Flash for Android, since Adobe has decided to focus on its AIR platform and HTML 5. The move has drawn ire from Flash developers and derision from Apple advocates, who recall the extremely public spat between Steve Jobs and adobe over iOS’ lack of Flash support last year.

The move came after a major restructure at Adobe, which saw hundreds of employees laid off. In this economic environment, Adobe simple doesn’t have the resources to pursue as many software vectors as it did before. (I note however, with a distinct lack of surprise, that the price on the Adobe Creative Suite hasn’t dropped in these lean times.) According to a former Flash manager, a lot of the issues Adobe faced came from a late start, after underestimating the iPhone and Android’s impact on the smartphone market.

)


Verizon surprising old Razr owners with the new DROID RAZR [Video]

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 09:52 AM PST

Do people seriously still use the original Razr? Seriously? Apparently they do because Verizon and Motorola have tracked down a few loyal (or outdated) Motorola Razr owners and are showing them what’s up in 2011 with the brand new Motorola DROID RAZR, available today. The phone is beautiful and thin and whoaaa it has a camera on the front too. The video by Verizon is truly pretty epic and we figured you’d all love the laugh this Friday afternoon.

Why go to CES and try to snatch a phone and run when you can just be walking around the street with an old and outdated “flip phone” then get a surprise from Verizon, a brand new DROID RAZR completely for free. That is what appears to be happening here. Verizon has just posted this awesome video to their YouTube channel so here it is in all it’s glory.

With fast and sleek cars, just like the phone, Verizon is driving around and finding users of the original Razr as shown above and I must admit — this is pretty cool. If you look close the driver is the same dude from the Verizon Batman style “payload” commercial we covered yesterday. Driving around showing all these loyal users just how awesome the new phone is.

The best part is as the end they let them keep the phone in their hand. Yes a shiny new DROID RAZR for free. What would be awesome is if one person opted to keep the original, that would be epic. Before you go check out our full review of the DROID RAZR, then have a look at its insides in this teardown video.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID RAZR
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : October 18, 2011
    Release Date : November 03, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution :
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Advanced qHD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.15 Inch
  • Width : 2.71 Inch
  • Depth : 0.27 Inch
  • Weight : 127 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1780 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 8.9 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP 4430
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 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
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1700
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Verizon Wireless]

)


DROID RAZR torn down by iFixIt and Motorola

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 09:37 AM PST

Have you been wondering how Motorola crammed so much high-end hardware into the DROID RAZR‘s slim frame, especially considering its beefy battery and LTE radio? Well so have the folks at iFixIt, only they have the expertise to tear apart that Kevlar case without destroying the goodies within. They’ve done their customary teardown, albeit with some non-standard tools – I’m told on good authority that that wicked little tool below is a Japanese carpentry saw called a dozuki.

If you get a thrill sewing high-end hardware laid bare for all the world to see, you’ll really get a kick out of the site’s RAZR teardown. With the casing open, you can see that the battery has to be flattened out almost across the entire back of the phone to fit into its incredibly skinny body. iFixIt has a pretty good breakdown of the core silicon, too, identifying the processor, GPU, on-bard memory and so on. Basics like the earpiece and camera are pretty easy.

They note that the RAZR will be very difficult to repair, due to its secure enclosure, non-removable battery and generally non-existent interior space. (You probably won’t actually need a dozuki, though.) If you’re still keen on the RAZR, be sure to read Android Community’s exhaustive review, then head on over to Amazon Wireless to take advantage of an insane $111.11 on-contract price, for a limited time only.

Once you’re done there, Motorola has a more official version: a walkthrough of the DROID RAZR in glorious CG video. It’s a little more tame, what with the lack of gigantic blades and everything, but gives you a good idea of how Motorola’s engineers crammed everything in there in the first place. Check it out below:

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID RAZR
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : October 18, 2011
    Release Date : November 03, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution :
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Advanced qHD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.15 Inch
  • Width : 2.71 Inch
  • Depth : 0.27 Inch
  • Weight : 127 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1780 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 8.9 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP 4430
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 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
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1700
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

)


Hulu Plus also coming to the Amazon Kindle Fire

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 09:03 AM PST

hold your horses, Barnes & Noble: you’re not the only e-reader/tablet game in town with access to Hulu Plus.  Amazon has just announced that the popular streaming service will also becoming to the Kindle Fire. Barnes & Noble ad previously highlighted built-in apps for Hulu Plus and Netflix for its upcoming Nook Tablet, but those advantages have quickly gone by the wayside. Both devices will be released next week.

The web version of Hulu runs on Flash, and could technically work with any Android device, but the operators have blocked mobile access in order to sell subscriptions to Hulu Plus at $7.99 a month. In addition to the Android (and iOS, and connected TV) app, users get access to a much wider backlog of TV shows and movies that aren’t available on the free website. Hulu Plus has been available on the Android Market for months, but tablets without access to the market, like the Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet and Vizio 8, have special versions created. The Fire will also get access to the ESPN ScoreCenter app.

The inclusion of Hulu Plus, in addition to Netflix and the already extensive Amazon App Store, puts the Kindle Fire far ahead of the Nook Tablet when it comes to app and media access. Kindle Fire users also have native access to Amazon’s streaming library of movies, TV shows and music, though Nook Tablet users could certainly get to it through the web browser, albeit in a much more clunky fashion. It remains to be seen which tablet actually handles streaming video better – we’ll be sure to pay it particular attention when we get a closer look. The Kindle fire releases on November the 15th, with the Nook Tablet coming just three days later.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : NOOK Tablet
    Manufactuer : Barnes and Noble
    Carrier :
    Announced Date : November 07, 2011
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1024x600
  • Screen Type : VividView IPS
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 8.1 Inch
  • Width : 5 Inch
  • Depth : .48 Inch
  • Weight : 400 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Polymer
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Kindle Fire
    Manufactuer : Amazon
    Carrier :
    Announced Date : September 28, 2011
    Release Date : November 15, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 7 Inch
  • Resolution : 1024x600
  • Screen Type : IPS LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 7.48 Inch
  • Width : 4.72 Inch
  • Depth : 0.45 Inch
  • Weight : 413 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 3.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1000 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 512 MB
    Internal Storage : 8.192 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via SlashGear]

)


Limited time discount on Amazon gets Droid Razr for $111.11

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 08:14 AM PST

If you plan to buy the Droid Razr smartphone from Motorola and don't mind waiting a few days to get the device, Amazon Wireless has a smoking deal for you. Amazon has a limited time offer that will get you about $188 off the $299.99 normal price of the device for new accounts.

The smartphone is being offered for $111.11 for a limited time. Amazon offered no indication of how long the deal would last. If you want one, I suggest you order now. As of now the Razr shows to be backordered and shipping in 8-9 days. The special $111.11 price tag is only valid on new accounts. If you add a line to an existing account to get the Razr, it will cost you $249.99.

The outright no purchase price for the smartphone is $749.99 with no contract. You can check out our review of the Razr here. This is one of the cooler Android smartphones launched lately and it is also one of the thinnest making it very portable.

)


Verzo Kinzo Android smartphone now shipping for $459

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 07:25 AM PST

When we first heard that Verzo was going to launch a luxury oriented Android device back in August the ship date was pegged as sometime in September. That launch month came and went and so did the next month. If you had a hankering for that Kinzo phone for some reason, the device is now finally shipping. As of today you can get the Android device for $459.

The phone is mostly a style thing with a custom skin over the older Android Froyo OS. The hardware is lackluster as well. The phone has a 4.3-inch multitouch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480. The phone has quad-band GSM radios and some of the bands covered will work for the AT&T network. The processor is a slower TI OMAP 3630 at 1GHz and it has 512MB of RAM.

The front camera is a 0.3MP unit and the rear is a 5MP autofocusing camera. It has a light sensor accelerometer, and a proximity sensor. The smartphone also has GPS integrated. It has a 1590 mAh battery that should power the device for nine hours on GSM and up to 360 hours of standby. The phone also comes with some accessories as well. It has a leather case, car charger, and a set of earphones.

kinzo-1 kinzo-2 kinzo-3

[via SlashGear]

)


Official Accessories for Samsung Galaxy Note hit Clove UK

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 05:02 AM PST

If you own the new Samsung Galaxy Note that launched not long ago, you may be interested in some cool accessories to go along with the device. Clove in the UK has a new line of accessories just for the Galaxy Note including docks and adapters for more connectivity. The devices include a desktop cradle, a car cradle, and a MHL/HDMI adapter.

The first of the accessories is the MHL/HDMI adapter that will allow you to connect to your TV and more. That little adapter sells for £20.82 before VAT. It plugs into the microUSB port on the smartphone. One of the accessories that will be the most popular is the official Galaxy note vehicle dock. It includes a suction cup windshield mount to hold the Note and a car charger to keep it powered.

The vehicle dock sells for £33 before VAT. The last of the new accessories is the Galaxy Note official Desktop Dock selling for £32. This dock holds the screen of the note up at different angles so you can comfortably view the device. It also has the space needed to charge the Note when it is in the dock, but you need your own charging cable.

)


Hands-on Philips’ new Fidelio Android speaker docks

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 03:57 AM PST

Over at sister site SlashGear, they got to spend some hands on time with a trio of new Android specific speaker docks from Phillips. The three speaker docks are in the Fidelio range. The three docking stations all use the Philips FlexiDock that will allow the smartphone to charge and play music from your Android device at once.

That cool FlexiDock hook up is movable from right to left so you can center the phone and it can be height adjusted to fit lot of different devices. The music playback part is handled using Bluetooth streaming. That means that it will play tunes from any smartphone that supports A2DP Bluetooth. The Fidelio app will pair and connect the smartphone from playback when it is docked.

The three models include the AS851, which is the high-end device has dual full range 3-inch woofers and a 15W amp. It also has a USB port for charging another device at the same time. The AS351 is smaller than the other with a 10W amp and then the AS111 is round and meant to be an alarm clock. It also syncs the time when you dock the device. The devices sell for $199.99, $129.99, and $89.99 respectively.

[via SlashGear]

)


Revue supplies to run out this quarter, no new model in the pipe

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 03:10 AM PST

The Logitech Revue set top box was not a successful product. It was overpriced to start with and had little content to set it apart from the much cheaper competitors out there. That fact that the Revue failed so badly is no surprise looking back that the device was not popular with buyers. Logitech CEO Guerrino De Luca talked about the Revue at a recently analysts and investor day and was very blunt.

De Luca said that the entire 2010 Christmas launch for the Revue was “a mistake of implementation of a gigantic nature.” Ya think? I wonder if they don't actually see what consumers think about products like this before they launch. The CEO even went so far as to say that the software in the Revue was in beta form when it launched. Apparently Logitech though the Revue was going to revolutionize the TV world.

If you are a Revue fan, this will be your last chance to get one of the set top boxes. Once these are gone, there will be no replacements. De Luca did say that he still thinks Google TV will succeed in the future, but it will be the “grandchild of Google TV” that will succeed. What do you think about the Revue?

[via SlashGear]

)


WildTangent brings its game rental service to Android

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 06:22 PM PST

Mobile games are generally cheap, but the purchase is also permanent and non-transferable. And since Google’s decision to cut the trial period on the Android Market from a generous 24 hours to a paltry 15 minutes, finding fun games reliably has become a lot harder. Enter WildTangent, a popular game rental service on the PC that’s bringing its rental capabilities to Android phones and tablets. You can download the rental client here.

WildTangent announced its plan to expand to Android this summer, and the first version features a pretty good selection of popular Android games. Big titles like Burn the Rope, Age of Zombies, Fruit Ninja and Kona’s Crate ( not to mention Twilight: the Movie Game - joy) are available for purchase or rental. The app download the games from WildTangent’s servers, not the Android Market.

Rentals cost about 25 cents a day, converted into WildTangent’s propriety WildCoins currency. The interesting bit is that the WildCoins spent on a rental also apply to the purchase of a game itself. So if you download a $3.99 game as a rental, after twelve days you own it. It’s an interesting system, though those hoping to save some money over the Android Market versions of the game will have to keep a close eye on their usage. At the moment there’s only 91 games available, and expensive titles from Gameloft and EA are nowhere to be seen. Let’s hope some of the more expensive games out there will show up on the service soon.

[via GameZebo]

)


Swiftkey X Beta brings better tablet support, we go hands-on

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:16 PM PST

With its advanced text prediction and easily theme-friendly interface, Swiftkey X is the software keyboard of choice for a lot of Android users. Developer TouchType sent us the new beta for Swiftkey X, in both smartphone and tablet versions. We couldn’t resist trying it out. The most important new feature is the ability to customize the height of the keys themselves. Take a look:

That may not seem like much, but it’s an absolute godsend to those of us using tablets running Gingerbread or earlier. When Swiftkey is installed on a 7-10 inch tablet, the keys default to their smartphone dimensions, making typing a hunt-and-peck hassle. But in the new beta you can choose between several different key heights, including a much larger option. Since the tablet version of Swiftkey is only available to Honeycomb users, it’s an important step in supporting a wide variety of devices. Issues with the prediction row not appearing on tablets seem to have been fixed as well. Check out the difference on my Touchpad running Cyanogenmod:

Elsewhere, support for fans of the Dvorak and Colemak layouts has been added ,as well as compatibility support for when Ice Cream Sandwich arrives. (Hello? Verizon? Anybody home?) If the Swiftkey servers are busy, you can save a custom prediction text for later. General speed and stability tests were also implemented.

The experience isn’t that different from normal Swiftkey on a smartphone, but if you’ve been waiting for Swiftkey to become more useful on your Gingerbread tablet, head over to the download page right now. The larger keys make typing a lot easier, and well worth the upgrade, especially if you’re a long-time user. Swiftkey’s prediction is as fast as ever, and the Beta seems to be stable as the regular release at this point, even on my hacked software. Though anyone can sign up for a Swiftkey forum account, if you want to use the final version you’ll have to pony up $3.99 in the Android Market.

)


Motorola Lapdock 500 clears the FCC, spotted with the DROID RAZR

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:43 PM PST

We’ve seen plenty about Motorola’s Lapdock offerings but until the recently released Lapdock 100 they were proprietary and only worked with a single device. The new Lapdock 100 and 500 will be universal and will work across all future top end Android devices from Motorola. We showed you a little about the Lapdock 100 during our Atrix 2 review but today its bigger brother the 500 has cleared the FCC and is on its way to store shelves soon.

During the Lapdock 500′s visit through the FCC it received a teardown and was even spotted with the beautiful new DROID RAZR. We have a few pictures to give you a better idea of what to expect from the new dock and there is plenty more from the filing itself. We even have some quick hands-on video of it below from the DROID RAZR launch event, check it out.

DROID Lapdock accessories video

Just like the Lapdock 100 the 500 runs Motorola's Webtop apps, including Firefox, Facebook and tons of games and can function as a full out laptop (almost) or a phone with access to the market, your phones homescreens and more. With a webcam, additional battery life, 2 USB ports and more it gives you plenty of options that aren’t available on just a phone itself. Whether they are important enough to warrant the dock is up to you, the user.

It has a webcam, 6 rows of keys with a chick-let style keyboard and a large touchpad for controlling everything. You can see plenty in our video above as well as a few pics in the gallery below. Feel free to sift through the FCC filing for pictures of the innards of this device if that type of thing interests you. Once this larger Lapdock hits the streets I’m sure we’ll have it in for a full review so be sure and check back when the time comes.

Lap 500 main Lap 500 2 Lap 500 main 2 Lap 500 lap 500 main 3

[via Wireless Goodness]

)


For the kids: Toys ‘R’ Us Reveals $200 Nabi tablet

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:44 PM PST

Kids love smartphones and tablets. If you’ve ever taken your six-year-old to dinner and whipped out your smartphone, you know this to be true. The combination of a shiny gadget and a touchscreen is irresistible. But handing over $700 worth of HTC Jetstream to tiny hands that have been known to destroy anything that they can touch is a hard prospect indeed. Enter the Nabi, a safe, kid-friendly tablet from Toys ‘R’ Us designed to allow the youngins to have their fun while you keep your peace of mind.

The Navi Nabi features a 7-inch, 800 x 480 screen running a heavily customized version of Android, crammed into an ultra-protective case. Specs are nothing to write home about, and that’s for sure: a 533Mhz ARM processor can’t handle too much, even if it is dual-core. You get 4GB of storage, a single forward-facing camera, and a WiFi-only connection, a 3,000 mAh battery and that’s it – very Spartan.

The important thing about the Nabi is the software. The locked-down environment allow access to selected apps and games, a specialized “safe” web browser and access to the Nabi App store, populated by safe and simple games and educational apps. You can customize the tablet with whimsical cases, two of which are shaped like bears. Now the real question is, is the Nabi a better kid-friendly solution than buying an Amazon Kindle Fire or a Lenovo A1 and loading up some specialized software like Zoodles?  You’ve got until December 1st to decide – that’s when the Nabi goes on sale for $199.99.

)


Samsung Galaxy S II overclocked to 1.6 GHz destroys benchmarks, nearly 7800 in Quadrant

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 02:33 PM PST

WOW is all I have to say. We see benchmarks almost daily between custom ROM’s, new versions of Android, and devices that have beefed up or new dual-core processors. What we have today is the popular and widely known standard Bell Galaxy S II that has been tweaked, hacked, and manhandled to achieve one of the highest Quadrant benchmark tests we’ve ever seen. All the details on this crazy overclock and high performing kernel can be found below.

This bad boy running with one of the most popular kernels for the Galaxy S II known as SiyahKernel v2.1, manages to score almost 7800 in Quadrant Advanced — yes I said 7800, but its 7778 to be exact. I know some might mention that Quadrant results can be faked but this came right from a few friends of ours over on Google+ that love tweaking and overclocking their Android devices as much as we do. Cheers to Jamie Doege and Simms for the results shown above.

Jamie states that he’s running Checkrom v2.0.0 for the original Galaxy S II with SiyahKernel v2.1.1 clocked at 1.6 GHz to achieve the perfect winning combination for these deadly benchmark results. Take into consideration that stock the Galaxy S II scores around 3600 give or take, as shown in our original review here, these results just look even more impressive. We overclocked the G2x to 1.5 GHz and were able to squeeze out around 4600 in Quadrant but getting nearly 8000 is jut downright crazy. I think it’s safe to say the Samsung Galaxy S II is the new benchmark king, as if we didn’t know that already.

The links below will give you all the information you need if you feel like giving this ROM and custom kernel a try yourself. As usual try these sorts of crazy things at your own risk but most of all, have fun and enjoy it.

Checkrom v2.0
SiyahKernel v2.1

SGSII quad 7800 Quad 7800

[via Jamie Doege] — Thanks Simms

)


Motorola ELECTRIFY update coming soon, Moto is seeking testers

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 12:59 PM PST

The new and powerful Motorola Electrify from US Cellular has been running strong with Android 2.3 Gingerbread but just like all phones a few updates and bug fixes are needed. Motorola and US Cellular appears to be recruiting around 200 or so users to test the newest update for the Electrify according to the Motorola Forums.

The Motorola ELECTIFY (aka PHOTON) was released on US Cellular back in September and here is our full Electrify review. Apparently a software update is in the works and they’d like to start a soak test or beta test with a few current users and are asking for help at the forums. Here is what they had to say:

Motorola and US Celluar are happy to announce a future pre-release* opportunity for MOTOROLA ELECTRIFY, before it is officially released to all customers. We are recruiting 200 Electrify owners to test and provide feedback on future updates.

This registration period will be open until we receive our limit of qualified applicants. Note that you must be a member of the Motorola Owners’ Forums to register. If you’re interested in testing and want to take part, just join our community now and then fill out the short Motorola Feedback Network registration form. When specific opportunities become available you will receive additional info via email to register for a particular Electrify opportunity.

Please note that registering with the Motorola Feedback Network will not guarantee you’ll be among those testing the software update as testers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, and on valid registration responses. Selected users will receive additional information to prepare for the update via email when the trial begins.

Thanks!
Mark
Support Forums Manager

* Motorola Software Pre-Releases are final software checks, with a limited group of users, before upgrades/updates are provided to the general public. Software tested may be no different than what other users receive, once testing is complete.

**Please check back here for updates on general availability.

This isn’t really anything new as we’ve seen plenty of updates get tested before going out, and Motorola hasn’t been very lucky with some of their recent updates so the more testing the better. With updates like this hitting support forums we can expect some sort of update coming in the next few weeks. If all goes well it will hit for all users shortly so stay tuned for more details.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Photon 4G
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Unknown
    Announced Date : June 09, 2011
    Release Date : July 31, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.30 Inch
  • Resolution : 540x960
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.00 Inch
  • Width : 2.63 Inch
  • Depth : 0.48 Inch
  • Weight : 158 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1700 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 199 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Tegra 2
    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
  • 720p Video Recording
    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 3.0
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via androidcentral]

)


Verizon 4G LTE keeps rolling, more markets announced for December 15th

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 12:39 PM PST

It’s no surprise that Verizon is pushing full steam ahead with their 4G LTE network, they’ve been updating with 10-15 new markets and locations almost every few weeks for months on end. Late last month they flipped the big red switch on 22 new markets and another list will be activated on November 17th, today they’ve just announced another round of upgrades coming in mid December.

Its been under a year and as of last month Verizon announced they have already completely exceeded and past their initial goals for the 2011 4G LTE rollout. Reaching more than 185 million users across the US and counting. With more coming this month, and another slew of updates set for December they’ll be serving over 200 million customers by years end.

The image above is an old graph but still shows the huge coverage by Verizon Wireless, I think I’ll just cover every white spot in red soon and use that instead. Today they’ve announced another location that will be receiving the 4G LTE expansion. The new areas of coverage that have been announced include Findlay, Tiffin, Warren, and Youngstown, Ohio. They also mentioned Indiana, White Twp. (including the Indiana University of PA campus), Homer City and Blairsville are among the few slated for activation in December. We didn’t get any other details regarding other markets in Ohio or Indiana but most likely the list is quite larger as they’ve been updating more than 10-15 each few weeks as of late.

Most updates have been activated and tested a week or two before becoming official so if you’re located in any of those areas feel free to start testing for those 4G LTE speeds if you have a capable device. Let us know how it goes in the comments below.

[via Market Watch]

)


DROID RAZR Inside scoop from Motorola CMO, Smart Actions and more [Videos]

Posted: 10 Nov 2011 12:18 PM PST

The Motorola DROID RAZR is almost here, its so close we are seeing videos and commercials appear almost by the hour. What we have for you today is the inside scoop on how the DROID and RAZR brands came together to create what we now know as the DROID RAZR. Obviously you’ll want to check out our full DROID RAZR review, then enjoy the video below.

We have a few quick videos today showing off the new phone, its features, and how the RAZR came to be. Bill Ogle, CMO from Motorola had a few things to say about the extremely iconic name we all know as the RAZR, and how this extremely thin and beautiful phone was just right to deserve the name. Here is the first video:

DROID RAZR: Inside Scoop

Next, Motorola has just published a new video showing off a few more awesome features of the upcoming DROID RAZR. The new clip shows off Motorola Smart Actions. A feature set that will not be new to some but many will enjoy having it built right into the device software. With battery saving features when the phone gets below 20%, device going silent after a certain time of day or when you arrive at the office and more. We’ve seen it before but Motorola’s neatly integrated it for us and here’s the video demonstration.

Motorola Smart Actions

We’ve been seeing plenty of reports of those that pre-ordered the new RAZR should be getting them in the mail and on their doorsteps sometime today, so expect plenty of videos to follow shortly. If you are still on the fence I urge you to look over our review posted above, then enjoy one last video of the DROID RAZR by our very own Chris Burns.

Droid RAZR hands-on

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID RAZR
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : October 18, 2011
    Release Date : November 03, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution :
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Advanced qHD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.15 Inch
  • Width : 2.71 Inch
  • Depth : 0.27 Inch
  • Weight : 127 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1780 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 8.9 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP 4430
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 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
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1700
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

)


No comments:

Post a Comment