Wednesday 14 December 2011

Android Community

Android Community

HTC releases source code for Sensation, Sensation XL, Rhyme, and more

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 11:02 AM PST

HTC is at it again today and have released the source code for many of their current and recently updates smartphones. It’s nice to see that HTC is continuing to honor the GLP terms by offering these releases — although I’m sure many wish they’d offer them a little faster. The Sensation has been around for a while but at least we finally have access to the code now.

From the image above you can see they’ve released the code for many devices including the Sensation, Sensation XL, Desire HD, Desire S (Gingerbread builds), Rhyme, and a few others. Me being a proud owner of a Sensation I’m expecting a few awesome updates coming shortly from kernel builders and hackers alike.

As usual, average people don’t have much use or need for these sorts of things but for all the Android enthusiasts, geeks, and kernel builders now is the time to start cranking out the good stuff. We should be seeing smoother and better performance from many custom ROM’s once the source code tweaks make their way into custom builds and kernels.

Fun stuff — if you’re in need of any of the above said code head to HTCdev.com to get started.

[via Twitter]

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Qualcomm isn’t worried about Tegra 3, says VP

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:39 AM PST

Quick: what’s the system-on-a -chip that’s on the top of everyone’s mind right now? If you answered the Nvidia Tegra 3, Qualcomm Vice President Rob Chandhok has got a bone to pick with you. Speaking at a pre-CES press conference, the VP of Software Strategy called Nvidia’s processor a “single use product”, comparing it poorly to Qualcomm’s own Snapdragon line of processors. Chandhok went on to say that Snapdragon will be featured in hundreds of devices.

The executive’s point isn’t necessarily wrong – Tegra has been limited to high-end devices so far, a trend that continues with the quad-core Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Forthcoming handsets from HTC are also top-of-the-line contenders. Qualcomm is no stranger to the high end, but they also provide components for smaller and cheaper devices that help fill out product lines for just about every device maker. As awesome as the Tegra 3 is, you won’t be seeing it in a $50 Android phone any time soon.

Tegra 3 isn’t concerning us. There are lots of smart people in the world but what we're going to focus on is product roadmaps that help our manufacturing partners not just single use products … I could go away and make something brilliant with Tegra 3, but you're going to see hundreds of [Snapdragon] S4 devices in the marketplace.

Of course, Nvidia’s corporate image is built around performance. When’s the last time you saw an Nvidia ad for an efficient, low-cost graphics card? They make a range of products, but their reputation lies in the high end, and that’s what Nvidia is focusing on in the mobile space – and doing pretty well. Qualcomm isn’t in any sort of danger in the safer low end of the market, but the Snapdragon line is definitely looking a little long in the tooth when it comes to raw power. Qualcomm isn’t the only one preparing answers to the Tegra 3: Samsung’s Exonys line is expected to expand early next year with many powerful new options.

[via SlashGear]

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TeleNav announces web-based HTML 5 navigation service

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:23 AM PST

Today the popular location-based service provider TeleNav has announced an HTML 5 browser-based navigation service for mobile devices. They’ve been a popular and widely used 3rd party navigation tool on Android for a long time and now their entire suite of location-based services are about to get even better, and easier to access.

TeleNav’s new HTML 5 browser-based system will allow anyone to use their services. Developers will be able to add one simple line of code into their Android app or website to offer customers and users free turn-by-turn navigation, which will then be available to anyone who has a smartphone or tablet. This same feature will be available for websites. Simply add the code to your site and users can instantly get turn-by-turn navigation without leaving your site.

This is an enormous amount of added value for any mobile, location-based website or app focused on travel, shopping, local search, deals and more. With one line of code, you can give your customers one-click access to premium, voice-guided turn-by-turn directions to any location, including hotels, restaurants, merchants or deal locations. Customers never need to leave your app."

This could potentially take navigation to a completely new level. No more need for an additional application to launch or download for directions, taking up device resources and battery life — everything will be in the browser and quickly closed with a single click. TeleNav has told us users will not be required to be a TeleNav customer and everything will be completely free (for the end user). This creates an awesome opportunity for developers to make directions and more extremely easy — adding value to their site or application.

TeleNav HTML 5 web-based navigation is currently being opened to developers for testing and will be available early next year. Developers can get started right here.

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Google+ updates with instant hangouts – one tap goes from text to video chat

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:07 AM PST

Make no mistake, Google+ is gunning for Facebook. When a third-party app is beating most of your own apps on the Android Market, it’s hard not to. But with the latest addition to the ever-growing featureset of Google+, there’s one more important distinction between the two networks. You can now switch from a textual chat or comment interface to a live Hangout video chat at any time from a status update or post, whether it’s on the web or the Android app. Beatboxing is not compulsory.

Updates to the On Air service are only going out to celebrity accounts at the moment, but the full interface should trickle down to use commoners soon enough. It integrates live hangouts in a broadcast model, sort of like a mobile version of Ustream. Videos can be recorded and posted to YouTube – so all the annoying kids who liveblog from their bedrooms will be doing it from everywhere now.

And for those with an older phone or computer, or who just want to avoid the frequent “up the nose” shots of front-facing cameras, you can now dial in to a hangout from any phone number. Connections in the United States and Canada are free, while international rates are “super, super low,” the same 2-15 cents-a-minute rate that Google Voice uses.

Finally, Google+ Hangouts has added some festive fun, in the vein of the new Androidify options. For December only, you can add a set of antlers and a Rudolph nose. It looks like this feature is only for desktop users, but hey, it’s the thought that counts.

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Android Market 3.4.4 offers significant speed improvements

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:18 AM PST

How’s the 10 Billion Apps promotion been treating you, readers? I’ll bet you’re wishing for a speedier Android Market experience after all those new apps, and now Google has provided. The latest version of the Android Market should be hitting your device soon, and if you just can’t wait click here for a full download. Install like any non-Market app – no root required.

There’s a bit of a language change in the settings menu surrounding the automatic “add to homescreen” feature. Because Ice Cream Sandwich treats shortcuts at 1×1 widgets, the Android Market settings menu now allows you to”auto-add widgets” instead of shortcuts. There isn’t any real difference at the moment – it’s still a shortcut, by any other name. Maybe in future editions the Market will automatically fill empty spaces with widgets.

 

Tying out the app myself, I can definitely notice some speedier transitions and approvals, even in the low-coverage black hole that is my house. Otherwise, there isn’t a whole lot of change in the Market. It’s the same boxed interface you’ve grown used to in the lat few months, just quicker. Downloads will depend on your connection speed, of course – it’s just the interface and navigation that’s been improved as far as fluidity goes. Try out the latest version for yourself and sound off in the comments section.

[via Android Police]

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NPD: Android passes 50% market share in the US

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST

Android has been making a beeline to the top of the smartphone world for the last two years, and it looks like the little green OS that could has passed one of its biggest milestones yet. Research firm NPD says that Android runs on 53% of the smartphones being used in the US. No other OS comes close, with iOS in a distant second at 29%. If mobile operating systems were horses, Android would lead by about two and a half lengths.

But the really interesting numbers come in at the third place and lower contenders. RIM’s BlackBerry continues its downward slide with just 8 percent of the market, and Microsoft’s Window Phone 7 presence is sitting at just 2%. Compare that to a 50% market share for Windows Mobile four years ago. Android and iOS, the only mobile operating systems making concrete gains, combine for a whopping 82% of the market. Worldwide Android activations are creeping up on 200 million, beating iOS in just about every market. In some places like the UK and China, Android reached the halfway point even faster.

The real question is this: what’s the saturation point for Android? It’s been growing by leaps and bounds for the last two years, so how much further could it possibly go? The smartphone market itself has a lot of breathing room in the US, with less than half of mobile users relying on smartphones. Since the wealthy and early adopters are mostly spoken for when it comes to smartphones, the low end and middle ground will likely see the most growth in 2012 – and we all know which OS excels there.

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Verizon’s white DROID RAZR on sale tomorrow, mum’s the word on the Galaxy Nexus

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 07:26 AM PST

If you’ve been holding on to your three hundred bones, waiting on the prospect of chillier version of the Motorola DROID RAZR to land in time for Christmas, you needn’t wait much longer. Verizon announced availability for the white variant via press release, just one day shy of its December 15th debut. Speed freaks and fashionistas can pick one up tomorrow at the regular $299 on-contract price.

There’s also the deal for a select group of consumers who want both a Verizon 4G LTE smartphone and tablet: buy a new DROID RAZR and you can take an extra hundred dollars off the price of a DROID XYBOARD tablet. Since the cheapest 8.2-inch XYBOARD is $429.99, that makes for an attractive offer – but only if you really want two multi-year contracts. Here’s our hands-on look at the XYBOARD 8.2 and 10.1 – our reviews of both units will be coming in a few days.

Of course, the white RAZR isn’t exactly the most anticipated Verizon phone at the moment. The press release announcing availability for the Motorola phone seems to be all the company is saying this morning – still no official news on the Galaxy Nexus release. The latest rumored date, corroborated by retailers around the country like Costco, is also December 15th. At this point it looks like Verizon may be planning a “soft launch” – no significant promotional effort or advertising, just a sudden availability. Of course, since there still isn’t any ironclad official word on availability, they may have bumpbed the internal date back. Again.

The fat lady has not sung yet. Tomorrow we’ll find out just how much longer the intermission will take.

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10 Billion Apps promo, day 9: EzPDF, Guns’n'Glory and Zenonia for 10¢

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:59 AM PST

The penultimate day of Google’s 10 Billion Apps promotion is upon us, and thankfully there’s a fresh batch of apps and games to pick up on the cheap. Google is celebrating more than 10 billion (with a b) app downloads with apps discounted to just ten cents / pence, a discount of more than 90% in most cases. Today’s batch of new apps includes EzPDF, Guns’n'Glory and Zenonia.

Here’s the list of new apps so far: Collapse!, Deer Hunter 3D, EzPDF, Guns’n'Glory, MX Moto, Sleepy Jack, Tank Riders, Toddler Tapping Zoo, and Zenonia. If you didn’t pick up SwiftKey X already, you’ve got another chance today. Google’s focus on games remains, but it’s nice to see them throw in another utility, in the form of the very solid ExPDF. If you often find yourself viewing Adobe documents on your phone or tablet, it’s well worth the dime.

As usual, Google won’t update the banner on the Market home page for some time, so just use the links above for the moment. Yesterday’s deals will be active for a few more hours if you haven’t already bought what you wanted. Google’s been having issues with the Android Market locking up due to the sale, especially in the mornings (US). They’ll likely refund your purchase if something goes wrong, but to avoid the hassle, you might want to either use the web version or wait until later in the day to buy your apps.

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Samsung Galaxy S II test ROM leaks with Ice Cream Sandwich [UPDATE]

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:24 AM PST

What’s this? An official Samsung ROM with the most desirable bit of software this holiday season? Someone out there has been a very god little Android modder this year, and if you own the international version of the Galaxy S II, you can take advantage of his or her good fortune. Sammobile got their ans on a leaked version of Ice Cream Sandwich for the SGSII, and the adventurous can flash it at their leisure.

The ROM is a customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich that’s a long way from ready for an OTA release, but it’s surprisingly complete for a test build. All the basics are covered, including calls, SMS, Internet access, etc. Sammobile claims that some of the apps are unstable, and random reboots are an unfortunate reality at this stage. By all accounts, it isn’t ready for use as a daily driver.

The implications for the modding community are good: even if the OS itself isn’t fully baked, the modified Ice Cream Sandwich kernel should allow quick and easy builds from AOSP’s open source code. With any luck, basically complete custom ROMs could be ready well before the end of the year. As always when flashing new ROMs, remember to keep a Nandroid backup close at hand, and be prepared to be a literal test case for Samsung. You can find the download at the source link. Be aware, it’s not your typical CWM flash- this one will require a little more finesse using Samsung’s ODIN.

UPDATE: Sammobile posted a video of the ROM running on the Galaxy S II. Enjoy!

[via Reddit]

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Clever Sense nabbed by Google to provide local recommendations

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:22 AM PST

Whether or not you like Apple or the iPhone; the Siri search assistant in the latest versions of the iPhone is a very cool feature. Google is gearing up to fight Siri and some of the cool local recommendation and other features that the AI assistant touts on the iPhone 4S. To help beef up the Google arsenal in local recommendations Google has plunked down the cash needed to buy up Clever Sense.

Clever Sense is a recommendation service that will undoubtedly find its way into Majel, the rumored Siri competitor for Android. Clever Sense is the firm behind the Alfred apps for Android and iOS devices that are able to keep track of restaurants close to the user and then make recommendations based on what the app determines are the tastes of the user.

The team of geeks at Clever Sense will become part of the Google local search team. Cleaver sense had plans to make its app more than just a food recommendation service. It was planning to make the app suggest entertainment options and deals in a system sort of like Groupon. I can see all of those things making nice additions to Majel.

[via SlashGear]

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Galaxy Nexus devices slip out early to some from Best Buy and Verizon stores

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 05:15 AM PST

If you have been one of the many Android fans who are spamming the websites of your favorite stores looking for the Galaxy Nexus to go on sale; you need to go into the closest Best Buy or Verizon store sand see what you can do. eWeek reports that in some Best Buy and Verizon locations, the Galaxy Nexus has been sold early to customers. This isn't such good news today as it would have been weeks back, still no one likes to wait.

On December 9, a software engineer from CrowdFlower named David Fayram reports that he walked into a Best Buy store, and they sold him one of the phones in stock and sitting there for the official launch. Another user reportedly purchased one from Verizon that was in the stockpile waiting for the official launch.

I don't think many of us will be surprised to learn that Fayram reports the smartphone has the typical Verizon bloatware installed. The Verizon software in question includes the My Verizon Mobile and Verizon migration Assistant software. The actual launch is December 15 and most of us will have to wait until then to get the phone.

[via eWeek]

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LG Prada Phone K2 leaks again, launch event today

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 03:35 AM PST

The coming LG Prada Phone isn’t exactly a closely held secret at this point. We have spotted the smartphone in the wild when it surfaced back in October. Some other photos leaked in late October, and then we saw the device cross the FCC in November to get the approvals it needs. Today more pics of the smartphone have leaked coming from BestBoyz.

That new pic comes a tiny bit ahead of the official unveil of the phone by LG later today at an event we will be attending to bring you the details as they happen. The phone is expected to be available for users to purchase starting in early 2012. Naturally the phone will be running the Android OS under the hood. We already know virtually all there is to know about the device other than how it feels in the hands and how well all those specs work together to make a decent smartphone.

The device rocks a 4.3-inch WVGA NOVA display that is really bright at 800cd/m2. The smartphone will use a TI OMAP 4430 1GHz dual core processor and work on the HSPA+ networks floating around. Other features include WiFi, Bluetooth, and an 8MP rear camera. That camera can shoot 1080p video and the phone has 8GB of internal storage.

[via SlashGear]

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HTC Flyer missing from Best Buy online

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:52 PM PST

Could the Flyer be discontinued? It is no longer available for purchase on Best Buy’s website, and the trend may follow with other retailers soon. It has been discounted many times over the past couple months, and may be nearing the end of its shelf-life. Of course, after using the tablet myself – it functions better than many of the current tabs out there.


In one sale the Flyer dipped down to $240 for a brief moment, and that was quite the deal. It may not have appeared for $99.99 like the famed HP TouchPad, but still 50% off. If Best Buy is pulling its inventory, another “Firesale” could be underway soon.

When a tablet is discontinued, the developmental community is bound to worry. The HTC Flyer has many unofficial developers on its side producing some excellent ROMs and kernels. Knowing the Flyer may never see Android 4.0 could be quite the disappointment, but at least developers won’t be waiting on it. It may even give a few the spark to start a something from scratch.

[via Phandroid]

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Netflix could get scooped up by Verizon for 4.6 Billion

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:07 PM PST

Rumors suggest video streaming service, Netflix, could get purchased by Verizon Wireless for $4.6 Billion. The source also revealed Verizon has been currently looking for a way to minimize costs for video streaming, thus Netflix sounds like an excellent company to get involved with. Netflix is already available for practically every capable Android device, so syncing it within a service would be amazing.


However, we just heard yesterday Verizon was preparing a service with RedBox termed “Project Zeotrope”. This service would allow subscribers to pay for credits prior to a media purchase. Then of course, the media would be available for up to 24 hours after a rental. Could Veizon be dealing with both RedBox and Netflix? It seems like they would pick one of the two.

Verizon using Netflix technology to stream both movies and TV shows would practically eliminate the need for their Verizon Video application. Verizon Video already has a great selection with the latest TV episodes on many channels, and tied in with the vast Netflix library it couldn’t get much better. Of course, it helps to operate all of this over a WiFi connection – streaming video takes quite the toll on your allowed data usage.

[via TalkAndroid]

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ASUS Transformer Prime hitting Australian shelves in January

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:50 PM PST

The ASUS Transformer Prime is said to be hitting the US before Christmas (December 19th?), but for Australian retailers – expect to see the device in early January of next year. The price is yet to be confirmed, but the Transformer Prime may end up seeing an instant OTA update to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) due to the delayed release. In my opinion, this tablet is the best announced thus far for the year – so once updated to ICS, the best will just get better.


This news was gathered directly from an ASUS (Australia) tweet, so it’s official. We’re not sure the cause of the actual delay in the states to December 19th, but there had been rumors of WiFi issues. To give you a rundown on the tablet’s specifics, it will sport a 10.1-inch SuperIPS display and 1.3GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor.

It’s the first quad-core tablet, and has some excellent benchmarks. We actually have a few hands-on videos and an official review if you’ve got the time to check them out. The best feature by far, is the capability of to connect to the lapdock keyboard with the included touchpad. It’s finely tuned, and looks just like a laptop when clamped shut. And with 12 hours of video on a single battery charge, there’s not much this tablet doesn’t offer.

[via AusDroid]

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Sega snubs Android, delays Sonic CD release till 2012

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:05 PM PST

If your only experience with Sega‘s blue hedgehog is post-Dreamcast, you can stop reading now – this story isn’t for you. If, however, you’ve been patiently awaiting the Android arrival of one of the most celebrated 2D platformers of all time, prepare to be disappointed. Though the Sega CD classic Sonic CD will see a release on the iPhone tomorrow, December 14th, it won’t be hitting Android until early next year. We’d blame Dr. Robotnik, but you’d think that he’d be on board with Android all the way. Android fans should be used to waiting by now (cough cough, Verizon).

It’s not all bad news. XPERIA Play owners can add Sonic CD to the ever-growing list of games that will support its game pad, and with a fast twitchy game like Sonic, that’s a godsend. And it’s good to know that more people will at least get to play Sonic CD, which had a pretty small audience way back in 1993 due to the Sega CD’s failure to sell. We can wait in good company – the Windows Phone 7 release has been delayed as well.

While you wait, you might as well check out some classic Sonic action with this here trailer. Sonic CD is considered by many to be the best of Sonic’s 2D adventures, with gigantic stages and high-fidelity music made possible by the denser CD format. The re-release will be getting the original Japanese soundtrack. Though Sonic has fallen on hard times in modern 3D versions, Sonic CD remains a highlight of his fast-paced career.

[via Pocket Gamer]

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Xiaomi’s MI-One Ice Cream Sandwich build shown on video

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 05:10 PM PST

If you’re a fan of the MIUI family of custom ROMs, you’re almost certainly aware of Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi’s MI-One, the phone that comes with MIUI pre-installed. Keeping their title as the most mod-friendly manufacturer in the eastern hemisphere, the company is hard at work integrating the Ice Cream Sandwich version of MIUI into its flagship phone. The company showed off a video of their progress on YouTube – see below.

MIUI version 4 is the first update with Ice Cream Sandwich at the core. But like previous versions of the custom ROM, it’s integrating a home-built user interface that combines elements from Android, iOS, WebOS and just plain beautiful design. It’s not for everyone, but MIUI has gained quite a following in the Android community, and interest has only grown since it became the only aftermarket ROM to feature in a commercial phone release.

Check out the progress below. At the moment it looks exactly like stock ICS, probably running on a kernel that’s only been slightly modified:

MIUI is still a ways out from delivering an ICS-based ROM that’s ready for prime time, but considering its reputation for solid performance and regular updates, I’m sure it’ll be a welcome upgrade for many. Remember that the MIUI ROM is available on a variety of devices – head on over to their official website to check them out.

[via MicGadget]

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PopCap’s Plants vs Zombies and Peggle finally hitting the Android Market

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:30 PM PST

If you’re into PC or mobile gaming at all, odds are you’re either obsessed with or apathetic towards PopCap. The indie developer is famous for small, simple and wickedly addicting games, most notably Bejewled, Plants vs Zombies and Peggle. Bejewled has been available in the Android Market for a while by way of EA, but the latter two are finally coming to play in Google’s house, after months of exclusivity on the Amazon AppStore.

If you’re not familiar with Plants vs Zombies, it’s sort of an offshoot of the tower defense genre, wherein you play a group of plucky flowers trying to hold back a ravenous zombie hoard. Yes, really. Various flowers shoot differing projectiles, and you must replenish your defenses before your last lines are breached. Plants vs Zombies has been a favorite on iOS for years, and it’s finally available to Android Market users in a few days. Peggle is a simple game based on pachinko, the Japanese pinball variant, that’s been devouring the free time of obsessive gamers since its desktop release way back in 2007.

PopCap said their games would appear in the Android Market “later this week“, so keep an eye on the home page – they’ll likely be featured within a day or two. Be careful when searching; there’s at least one bogus Plants vs Zombies app out there already, priced at a ridiculous $7.99. The real Plants vs Zombies and Peggle should be $2.99, with “PopCap” listed as the developer.

[via Phandroid]

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DROID Incredible 2 also getting a software update

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:56 PM PST

HTC is on a roll lately because now after we’ve seen a few different HTC phones receive updates this past week or two today Verizon has posted the update details and instructions for their HTC DROID Incredible 2. The INC2 was updated to Gingerbread back in July and has since experienced a few small bugs that are being treated with this latest update.

While this is nothing major or Ice Cream Sandwich the update brings users to build 5.10.605.9 and will be about 29 MB in size so shouldn’t take but a few minutes to complete the software update. We are seeing a few bugs being fixed as well as some of the usual performance enhancements and what not.

The clock and alarm apps have been improved and received some new features. The signal strength indicator bars now will show five bars with full service. As well as multiple security patches from Google for Bluetooth, WiFi and others. Again, nothing extremely special here and many users are probably running some sort of custom ROM but those stock users will be happy to know an update is available — or coming soon.

As usual you can manually check for updates by going to settings and system updates and give it a try. Let us know how the update goes or if you experience any issues. More details are available from Verizon Support.

Incredible 2 update htc_incredible_2_890440_g1

[via Droid-Life]

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Skype update offers better video calling, file sharing

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:42 PM PST

Skype has been a mainstay on many an Android device since it was released on the Market last year, and today’s update brings it more in line with the VOIP service’s desktop client. Those who aren’t regular Skype users might not know this, but in addition to video and audio calls, the service also includes a full-featured instant message function, complete with file transfer. Today the Android version gets the feature, though it’s focused on photos and videos at the moment.

Other improvements include better video support for newer Android phones, including the HTC Amaze 4G, the DROID RAZR. Tegra 2 phones and tablets should see significant power and stability improvements as well. The standard Skype rates and restrictions apply: calls to other Skype members are free, while calls to regular phone numbers cost a small per-minute fee. Skype works on WiFi or 3G, but naturally you’ll be responsible for data charges if you use the latter.

Skype has had an increasing number of competitors in the last few years, especially on Android, where most mid-range and high-end phones now include front-facing cameras for video conferencing, to say nothing of the iPhone. But the company is staying on top of things with consistent releases and admirable support. You can download version 2.6 in the Android Market now. Are you still using Skype, or have you switched to a competitor like Fring or Qik? Let us know in the comments.

[via SlashGear]

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