Saturday 18 February 2012

Android Community

Android Community


Android Community Weekly: February 18, 2012

Posted: 18 Feb 2012 08:59 AM PST

It’s time to rehash the entire weeks top stories and bring everyone up to speed before next week’s big MWC event in Barcelona, Spain. First up, specifications of the HTC One X, set to be their new ‘hero’ device, surfaced early Wednesday morning. The One X has also had its ROM leak to the public, which made a later Android 4.0 port to the HTC Sensation a reality. The port sports HTC Sense 4.0, yet they’ve had to disable the Rosie launcher, keyboard, and HTC’s lockscreen. They’ve been replaced with more stable substitutions for the time being.


We went hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Note from AT&T, and presented an unboxing and some overall first impressions. There’s no question that it’s an amazing device, but its size will likely not appeal to the average user. And on the other side of the spectrum, many will find it was just what they’ve been waiting for. Many are surprised to see the stylus come back in play, but with such great, new capacitive screens – the new-age stylus is much more comfortable to use. We’d also managed to get a hands-on and unboxing up of Lenovo’s IdeaPad A1.

The Motorola DROID 4 was rooted this week, but just recently a developer had managed to find an exploit that allows a ‘one-click-root’ to any current Motorola device running either Gingerbread or Honeycomb. The method was originally meant to root the DROID XYBOARD, but to everyone’s surprise it worked universally.

Sources say the Samsung Epic 4G Touch could be the first GSII device to receive Android 4.0. And when the first GSII device finally receives it, you know the others will soon follow. Hopefully it hits before Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) is rolled out in the 2nd quarter of this year. And with Quadrant Benchmark finally updated for ICS support – it’s going to be great seeing how the new OS compares.

Finally, be sure to stay tuned for Android Community’s WIMM Spring Developers Project. We’ve already given away three WIMM developer packages, and there are many more changes to win throughout next week. Contest entry is simple: Just let us know some great application ideas and/or features that should be implemented into the WIMM One.


Features you will instantly miss from a Galaxy Nexus once trying out the iPhone 4S

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 11:47 PM PST

As many would agree, it’s best to have an unbiased opinion to help the public see the truth in your word. And taking that to heart, I went out and purchased an iPhone 4S to get a better feel for its differences and similarities to Android. Sure, we’ve all messed around with an iPhone at a retail store – and after taking the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for a spin it’s instantly hard to reason with its pricetag. But the iPhone does so well, and people love it. This is why I needed to test it out for myself.


First off, iOS 5 is smooth and doesn’t skip a beat. But then again – it’s completely absent of widgets; this alone was the hardest to cope with. Customization of the homescreen is one of Android’s finest perks, and is currently an area Apple’s iOS 5 can even touch. Next up is the absence of an app drawer. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been sold on ADW EX since its initial release. When maneuvering throughout iOS 5, out of habit I often swiped upwards thinking my apps would appear. From my personal experience, I do not like a crowded homescreen – and prefer having my most used applications taking up specific screen real estate. It helps avoid accidentally openings.

Next up, you guessed it: You’re going to miss the large, beautiful, Super AMOLED displays that we’ve grown to love in so many new devices. Don’t get me wrong, the Retina display used on the 4S is spectacular – but I have huge thumbs. What’s a guy to do? Siri can only help so much when trying to carry on a conversation or surf the net. However, the iPhone’s smaller display helps you retain solid battery life throughout the day. That was my only gripe about the Galaxy Nexus, without loading a custom ROM and kernel – it wouldn’t last me more than four hours.

The dismal battery life on the Galaxy Nexus could also be attributed to having a 4G LTE connection, but after using the iPhone 4S and being limited to 3G alone, poor battery life is much easier to swallow. Once you’ve experienced Verizon’s 4G LTE, nothing seems to fill its shoes. Again, this is a personal opinion; I have access to my computer’s USB port most of the day, and an outlet is usually close by. Thus charging up the Nexus was never an issue.

Build quality in the 4S easily surpasses that of the Galaxy Nexus, hands down. It feels extremely solid, and ditching the plastic chassis should be a future implementation for Android to work towards. Another area the iPhone wins over is camera quality. I’ve never been much of a photographer, but after using the iPhone 4S – taking pictures is a much better experience. Each device has its pros and cons, but after this iOS 5 test drive I’ve come to the realization Android suits my lifestyle better. I enjoy Google services way too much, particularly Google Navigation, and an OS that isn’t so locked down. I’ve yet to tweak my 4S via jailbreak, but that probably deserves a comparison towards custom Android ROMs and kernels anyways.


Android 4.0 hits HTC Sensation from an HTC One X port

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 10:19 PM PST

We’d said HTC Sensation owners would see Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) relatively soon, but that time still hasn’t come. That is, unless you’ve managed to root your device already. A ROM port from the highly anticipated HTC One X has brought Android 4.0, including the newest iteration of HTC Sense, to the Sensation.


We see ROM ports all the time, but they are normally ported from one similar (and often nearly identical) device to another. However, this particular port takes a ROM coded for an NVIDIA Tegra 3 chip and lays it over the Sensation’s Snapdragon S3. And surprisingly, it could pass as a ‘daily’ for many. Many features work flawlessly.

They include 3G, WiFi, GPS, calling, SMS, sound, and display usability. That leaves MMS, Bluetooth, video playback (including YouTube), and the Camera/Camcorder currently dysfunctional. To optimize usability, the dev has disabled HTC’s iconic launcher, lockscreen, and keyboard. We could see some serious progress, but then again an official upgrade is probably right around the corner.

[via AndroidAndMe]


Android Community Evening Wrap-Up: February 17, 2012

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 08:10 PM PST

TGIF, and now that the work week is coming to a close, lets go over today’s top stories. First up, let me mention our own Michael Crider recently returned from a 3-day business trip from Dallas-Fort Worth to Las Vegas. He took the RAZR MAXX along to see how long the massive 3300mAh battery would last. It managed to last 3 full days of communication and mobile web access with 4G LTE turned off. 3300mAh may have been the ‘sweet spot’ we’ve all been waiting for after all.


Remember how the Motorola DROID XYBOARD was just recently rooted? That same root method works on ALL current Motorola devices running Android 2.3.+ and 3.0+. It’s a good thing Dan Rosen berg was around to show off this exploit, however – let’s hope Moto doesn’t patch it now that it’s in the wild! The method is called ‘Motofail’, modders should definitely check it out.

Lets face it, ASUS has had a bit of trouble when it comes to patching up their Transformer Prime. Some users had been consistently facing bug after bug since their purchase. Let’s hope their new update fixes a recent reboot issue (a fix my Motorola XYBOARD 10.1 could use too). Users seem to be satisfied with the update, that is… until it randomly strikes again.

The popular ‘Swype-like’ keyboard replacement SwiftKey has just recently passed 5 million downloads. And in the spirit of celebration, they’ve put it on sale this weekend only. SwiftKey, unlike any other keyboard replacement app, gets more accurate with use. And frankly, it’s apps like this one that steal over iOS5 users.

Finally, be sure to check out our first three winners from Android Community’s WIMM Spring Developers Project! They had some great ideas, and they’ve been gifted for them. We’ll be giving away many more throughout February, so don’t miss out on your chance to win!


Android Community’s WIMM Spring Developers Project Update!

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 07:11 PM PST

It’s time for the first big update of our Spring Developers Project, complete with the first three contributors who earned their very own WIMM One developer kit (which you can also view a full review of on SlashGear if you wish.) This event will continue through this weekend and on to the next week, leading all the way up to the end of the week before Mobile World Congress 2012! Join in on the fun today!

The simple instructions you see below are what you’ll be following if you want to get an opportunity to grab your own WIMM One developer kit, then below that you’ll see our first three winners and their contributed ideas. We’re running this project at the same time as our sister site SlashGear is running a twin event with 10 WIMM One developer kits of their own! Our contest is run on Google+ while theirs is run on Facebook, and it’s all up to YOU where you want to enter. Here’s what you’ll have to do if you want to enter here on Android Community:

1. Follow and circle our Google+ page at: +Android Community
2. Leave a comment in [this thread] on G+ with your idea for a Micro App that would work great with WIMM in the future.
3. We'll pick a set of our favorites and select a random winner every 24 hours starting on the 15th of February!

It's just that simple! You may only submit ONCE, and only ONE idea of yours will be considered for the random pull if it's good enough to get into the hat in the first place!

Development tools (SDK) are available to registered WIMM developers. Sign up here. For the FULL rules and legalities, head back to the main project post.

Our first three winners!

1. Allistair Lee

“As I am a frequent traveler, I have been using Google Maps on my Android phone to navigate around all the time. Taking my 4.5″ phone out and putting it back into my pocket all the time can sometimes be a hassle, especially when I am carrying my luggage. With this, I see many possibilities. Instead of having to check my phone regularly, I can now pair the WIMM One with my phone and navigate around with only WIMM One. I can even expand it even more, with a touch of a menu, I can have all the nearest POI shown on my WIMM One.”

2. Tommy Thompson

“Since a lot of the Smart watches have the ability to get text notifications I think it would be cool if you could setup quick responses, choose one on the watch and have it send it from the phone. Instead of having to pull out your phone for every single reply. Also have the app be a part of the phone so you can edit the quick responses to say what you want them to say.”

3. Micah Madru

“An emergency information app. Incase you ever get into to trouble, like you’re knocked unconscious and bleeding, this app will have all the most vital information that would be accessible. Who to call if it’s an emergency, your blood type, what health procedures you’ve had and so on.”

NOTE winners should contact Giveaway[at]SlashGear.com with their contact information including preferred shipping address, phone number, and email so that we can send you your WIMM One developer preview kit, and the full list of winners will be listed in the original contest post! Also remember everyone, just because you’ve submitted your idea and we’ve selected several winners already doesn’t mean you don’t still have a chance to win! We’ve gotten lots of great entries already – keep checking back!

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : One
    Manufactuer : WIMM
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : August 02, 2011
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 1.4 Inch
  • Resolution :
  • Screen Type : NA
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 1.42 Inch
  • Width : 1.25 Inch
  • Depth : .49 Inch
  • Weight : 22 Grams
Battery & Power
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
Hardware
    CPU :
    CPU Clock Speed : 667MHz Mhz
    Core : 1
    Ram : NA
    Internal Storage : 2 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : NA
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Three new Samsung phones show up in Wifi certification

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 03:54 PM PST

The Samsung Galaxy S III may still be a long way off, but you can satiate you gadget lust with a trio of new phones revealed by the Wi-Fi certification website. Ameblo (1, 2, 3) spotted all three and grabbed them off the web – good on ya, guys. The phones have model numbers SGH-T999, SGH-I535 and SPH-L710. There’s not much information on the phones as far as release goes, but there is a little info to be gleaned from the specifications in the certification listings.

The T999 has a 720p screen, which indicates that it might be the Galaxy S Blaze 4G that T-Mobile announced at CES. That phone will easily be Samsung’s flagship on the carrier with a Super AMOLED screen and 1.5Ghz dual-core processor. There’s still no concrete price or release date for this one, but expect it soon. The I535 is a mystery, though the presence of a CDMA/LTE radio indicates a Verizon release, and the listing mentions Ice Cream Sandwich. The L710 will probably headed for the Now Network.

All three phones could be shown off at Mobile World Congress in a  couple of weeks – or not, since MWC attendees don’t usually cater to US carriers at the Barcelona show. The phones’ appearance on the WiFi certification site certainly indicate that they’re coming soon, though, and the I535 is particularly promising – we can hope that it’s the Galaxy Journal (AKA Verizon’s Galaxy Note) but don’t really have any solid evidence for it. Hey, a nerd can dream.

[via Androinica]


DROID XYBOARD root works on all current Moto 2.3 and 3.0 devices

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 03:24 PM PST

Good news, Motorola modders: the root method developed for the Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and DROID XYBOARD 8.2 should work on just about every current Motorola device out there. The developer of the XYBOARD root method (among many, many others) Dan Rosenberg said that the exploit, which he calls “Motofail”, should work on Motorola devices running Gingerbread and Honeycomb. Since that encompasses pretty much every Motorola device released in the last six months, it’s a major boon to the community.

The DROID XYBOARD tablets are the only Honeycomb devices to come from Motorola since the original XOOM, which already has an official Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade since it’s Google’s developer device for Honeycomb anyway. Anyone who’s running the ICS update already probably rooted it about half a minute after flashing. For all those running the various DROID RAZRs and Atrixes out there, you should be seeing new apps and one-click root tools very soon. A big thanks goes to Mr. Rosenberg for his tireless root work.

And rooting for Motorola devices has gotten a lot more important this week, as the company announced their plans for official Ice Cream Sandwich updates. Most of the company’s current phones won’t be getting ICS until the second quarter of 2012, if at all. A lot of these phones (basically all of them on Verizon) won’t get an unlocked bootloader, either, but ICS ROMs can be bootstrapped off of Gingerbread kernels for limited functionality. Motorola’s stance on bootloaders and updates isn’t winning it any fans among advanced users – and interesting fact, since they’ll soon be fully acquired by Google itself.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID XYBOARD 8.2
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : November 03, 2011
    Release Date : December 09, 2011
    Also Known As : XOOM 2 ME
Display
  • Screen Size : 8.2 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : NA
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 8.5 Inch
  • Width : 5.47 Inch
  • Depth : 0.35 Inch
  • Weight : 386 Grams
Battery & Power
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 3.2.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MP3
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU :
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID XYBOARD 10.1
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : November 03, 2011
    Release Date : December 09, 2011
    Also Known As : XOOM 2
Display
  • Screen Size : 10.1 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : LCD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 10 Inch
  • Width : 6.83 Inch
  • Depth : 0.35 Inch
  • Weight : 599 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 3.2.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
Hardware
    CPU :
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 2.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Android Police]


Archos shows off new Arnova 8b G2

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 02:59 PM PST

Americans aren’t all that familiar with the Arnova line, a family of tablets that’s even cheaper than Archos’ (already cheap) main line of Android tablets. The latest member is the Arnova 8b G2, a slight update to the 8 G2. This one still runs Gingerbread on an 8-inch screen, but it goes without physical buttons – an indication that it may be getting a sweet software upgrade sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Android’s navigation buttons are moved to the status bar, a design decision seen on many cheap Gingerbread tablets.

Aside from a more ergonomic casing, the tablet remains the same as its slightly older brother: an 800×600 LCD screen, 1Ghz CPU, 512MB of RAM, and either 4GB or 8GB of storage. Basics like WiFi and Bluetooth, MicroSD card support, a front-facing camera and a microphone round out the package. Archos didn’t mention a price or release date, but they don’t often wait long, and it should be close to the ~$180 price of the standard 8 G2. Distribution in France and the rest of Europe will likely come first.

The lack of physical buttons is a new trick for the Arnova line, and may precipitate an Ice Cream Sandwich update. After all, Archos has already promised ICS for its main line of  tablets in Q1. That said, the specs of this device may not be enough to handle Android 4.0 well, even without Google’s blessing. It’s just as likely that Archos is simply standardizing its design across all of its tablets. We’ll see if Archos is more generous with its update plans after the Arnova 8b G2 launches.

[via Liliputing]


Intel-powered smartphone could head to Orange UK as the London

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 02:42 PM PST

Intel is preparing to make a big splash in the world of Android over the next few weeks and months with Medfield. We have a feeling we’ll be seeing plenty of them at Mobile World Congress in a few weeks. Today new reports are coming out of an interesting but awesome sounding phone for Orange UK ingeniously named the London.

Most of the details remain unclear with nothing more than the above shown screenshot — which may or may not be fake. According to Coolsmartphone it was sent to an Orange subscriber after he completed a survey so we’ll take this with a grain of salt. It also looks to be a phone branded by Orange themselves but could easily be manufactured by LG or Huawei from the looks if it.

The interesting part is some of those crazy specs. The Intel Medfield mobile platform has a powerful 1.6 GHz processor and we know that, but the 8 megapixel camera capable of 10 pictures per second sure sounds impressive. Not to mention the best ever phone camera stabilizer and 8 times zoom. For now we don’t have any further details regarding this phone and it’s the first we’ve heard of it. We can expect plenty of Medfield devices to be on display at MWC 2012 so we’ll keep you up to date with anything and everything.

Do you have more details on some Intel Medfield devices? Feel free to drop us a comment or a tip!

[via Phandroid]


Porting your Android app to the BlackBerry PlayBook? Make due without ads

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 02:25 PM PST

A lot of Android developers have been looking at the BlackBerry PlayBook as a new revenue platform, since RIM has developed a set of tools that make porting Android apps to the PlayBook OS a piece of cake. That interest only increased when RIM started literally giving tablets away to Android developers who joined the program. There’s a hitch in the process, however: according to GigaOm, a RIM representative has stated that apps ported using the Android App Player won’t support mobile ads, in addition to other limitations.

That’s a big setback for anyone who intended to make money with their ported Android app, since a huge portion of revenue on the Android Market is driven by advertising instead of direct app purchases. In-app purchases are also a no go. Without the income from ads, developers will either have to give their apps away totally free or change their business model and begin charging directly, at least on the PlayBook. At least they won’t have too much competition.

BlackBerry’s PlayBook has struggled even more than the rest of the platform. The $500 7-inch tablet is heavily discounted at many online and retail stores, and RIM apparently has enough laying around that they can give away thousands without seriously impacting their bottom line. The company hopes that OS 2.0 (which includes the Android App Player) will rejuvenate the platform. Considering that the PlayBook doesn’t get so much as a blip on the tablet OS market share charts, I wouldn’t hold my breath.


NFL Mobile app updated with Scouting Combine news and pages

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 02:14 PM PST

As we approach March the NFL season is long gone and wont be back for a while. Seems odd that Verizon would be updating the official NFL Mobile app now, but hold on because we have good news. The season ended with the Giants winning the Super Bowl (YES!) and while we didn’t get many app updates this season one is now available bringing official NFL blog news and more.

When the season ends I know I start playing Madden more than usual to keep my football needs fulfilled until the Scouting Combine and today that is exactly what Verizon and NFL have brought us. Along with adding links and stories from the official NFL.com blogs to the app we now have all the scouting combine news one would ever need.

I don’t know about you guys but I’m a huge fan and I’m extremely happy to see they’ve added this. I’m going on record now to say Manning will go to the Cardinals and the Colts will take Andrew Luck out of the gate — just a thought. For anyone wanting to stay up to the minute with the latest NFL Scouting Combine news the updated NFL Mobile app is a good place to start. Just a shame it’s only available for Verizon Wireless customers. Hit that market link below and get to reading up on your favorite college players.

Market Link

nflupdate nflmobilenew


Report: Sega’s Super Monkey Ball 2 headed to Xperia Play

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 01:59 PM PST

As soon as Sega started supporting Android, I had a singular, clear thought in my head: we need Super Monkey Ball. The simian franchise has been absent from Android for far too long, and the prospect of robotic monkeys notwithstanding, I don’t exaggerate when I say that it’s perfect for the smartphone/tablet form factor. According to Xperia Gamer, the Sony VIP portal has stated that Super Monkey Ball 2 will be headed to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play soon. Huzzah!

If you’re unfamiliar with Super Monkey Ball, it started way back in 2000 as a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube. The premise is deceptively simple: you use an analog stick to guide a monkey in a plastic ball around a series of increasingly difficult boards. You don’t control the monkey, you control the movement of the ground itself, like the old marble puzzles you played with as a kid. This control scheme is perfect for the phones and tablets… which is probably why Super Monkey Ball has already been released for iOS.

The fact that SMB2 will be exclusive to the Xperia Play, at least initially, is kind of aggravating. This is one of the few games that actually functions best without traditional controls, but it’s being released on the only Android phone with a built-in game pad. There’s no information on when it will be available, or whether or not the highly enjoyable minigames that the series is known for will be included.

[via Droid Gamers]


Verizon updates the Samsung Continuum – to Froyo

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 01:25 PM PST

Here’s something we weren’t expecting to see. Ever. Verizon has started rolling out an update to the Samsung Continuum, the OG Galaxy S variant with a small secondary screen below the navigation area. Curb your enthusiasm: it’s not Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s not even Gingerbread. It’s Android 2.2 Froyo, a version of Android that is now a full one year and nine months out of date. Continuum owners, if there are any of you left, please try to contain your boundless joy.

The Samsung Continuum was released on November 11th, 2010, and hadn’t received a major update until now. That’s 463 days of “support” running an operating system that was out of date when the phone launched. We’re not ones to pass around the “F” word lightly, but this sort of thing is what gives Android its fragmented reputation. Heck, six weeks after the Continuum showed up on store shelves, the Nexus S and Gingerbread appeared as well.

The Continuum uses a unique “ticker” design, with a 480×96 screen beneath the main 3.4-inch screen. The form factor didn’t catch on, despite Samsung supporting it with a handful of custom-made apps and an SDK. For other phones with wacky form factors that didn’t catch on, check out the Kyocera Echo and the LG DoublePlay. To update your Continuum, just go to Settings, About Phone, System Updates, Check New. There’s two different packages that you’ll need to download and allow your phone to flash.

Check out this hands-on video, for old time’s sake:


Google plans Android booth at Mobile World Congress 2012

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 12:46 PM PST

It’s that time of year again: the wind blows cold, cheeks grow rosy, and couples grow close to conserve warmth… and share their love of brand new phones and tablets. Mobile World Congress 2012 is just nine days and (for yours truly at least) several thousand miles away. Google doesn’t intend to let its hardware partners have all the fun: once again it’ll be in attendance with a massive Android-themed booth for the Barcelona conference. The company will likely use the space to show off the latest and greatest in hardware, a few Ice Cream Sandwich features, and probably some new devices as well, once they’re announced at their various press conferences.

As usual when it comes to Android, Google hasn’t left anything half done. To announce their presence at MWC they’ve posted a full page notice an the Android developers website. The animated scene shows a pair of robots unpacking an Android (capital “A”) for the show. Who knows what they’ll have on hand – certainly not us. You’ll have to tune in to Android community in a couple of weeks to find out!

If you happen to be going to the show, waltz on over to Hall 8 and follow the stream of green logos to booth 8C25. By all accounts Google goes all out for the show, so even if you’re not an Android guy or gal, it should be entertaining. MWC starts on February 27th and runs through March 1st. We’l be well in attendance, so say hi if you should see the AC logo on a bag or shirt.


SwiftKey passes 5 million downloads, on sale this weekend only

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 12:32 PM PST

One of the most popular and widely used 3rd party keyboards for Android smartphones and tablets, SwiftKey, has just announced they’ve passed 5 million downloads. Along with this awesome news comes two things. They are hosting a sale to celebrate, and have also updated the applications with additional language support and more.

For true accuracy and one of the easiest and fastest typing experiences on Android we highly suggest SwiftKey. I’ve been a long time user since they first released SwiftKey and it continues to impress me today. SwiftKey’s keystroke saving feature has saved users more than 35 billion keystrokes — or over 400 years’ worth of typing. And now with support for over 35 different languages and being on sale there is no better time to give it a try.

To celebrate the achievement of over 5 million downloads SwiftKey has announced a celebration sale for this weekend only in the Android Market. They are now offering both SwiftKey X and SwiftKey X for Tablets for 25% off the usual pricing. For the various reasons we mentioned above you should definetaly check it out. Hit the link below to get started.

Market Link

[via SwiftKey]


ASUS Transformer Prime updated again, aiming to fix reboot issue

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 12:02 PM PST

ASUS has just issued another over the air update to the popular Transformer Prime quad-core tablet. The software is pushing out now to devices and users should be receiving it as we speak. It is extremely small and brings us to build 9.4.2.14. Once again this update is aiming to fix the random reboot issue some are having.

ASUS just pushed an update a few days ago back on February 8th but apparently they missed something because this minor update is different. The build only changed a tiny bit so we are assuming this was something rather small. While I’ve personally never ever had a single random reboot on my Prime with Ice Cream Sandwich, many users are still reporting the issue.

While ASUS hasn’t provided a change log to the update rolling out as of late last night and today, it should help the reboot issue. According to multiple reports over at XDA the update has indeed solved the reboot problem, and improved battery life too. Something I’m sure everyone can appreciate. As a small warning the update does and will break root access. So be sure and stay away if you like root. Another option is using OTA RootKepper from the Android Market to restore root — works like a charm.

As usual head to settings > about tablet > system firmware update and enjoy the latest and greatest from Google and ASUS. Sound off below should you have any problems or concerns.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Transformer Prime
    Manufactuer : Asus
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : November 09, 2011
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As : Transformer 2
Display
  • Screen Size : 10.10 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x800
  • Screen Type : IPS+
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 10.35 Inch
  • Width : 7.12 Inch
  • Depth : .33 Inch
  • Weight : 586 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
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GSMA releases statement on MWC 2012 public transport strike

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 11:43 AM PST

Barcelona Spain is the home to million and millions of people but for a week or so it is the biggest mobile event in the world. Something we all know and love as Mobile World Congress. This is where we see the latest and greatest devices for the mobile markets but this year we might have some trouble. The main public transport operator in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the TMB and their workers have planned a strike during the middle of MWC 2012. If you are a member or part of the press planning to attend you’ll want to keep reading.

We’ve heard small details about this public transit strike for a week or so but today the group behind Mobile World Congress has issued a statement. The GSMA isn’t too worried about the planned strikes and are assuring the world and everyone planning to attend that this will not effect them. The announcement also details the City of Barcelona, Catalonia Regional Government, Spanish Ministry of Industry, the Fira and the various police authorities have been meeting regularly to try and resolve the issue before the planned event.

For those planning to attend, GSMA also has reported that they’ve designed a comprehensive contingency plan that will take place should an agreement not be met, and the strike goes forward. This will ensure all attendees will have safe and easy transport to and from the event.

The GSMA remains confident that the issues will be resolved and that there will be little, if any, impact to the Mobile World Congress.

We’ve been writing about MWC 2012 for weeks now with hints at the Galaxy S III and tons of quad-core phones from HTC, LG and many many others. Mobile World Congress 2012 will be from February 27th through March 1st for those wondering. You’ll want to stay tuned right here to Android Community as we will be there live (and hopefully safe). All the news will be right in our MWC 2012 Portal. Click below for more details on what to expect from MWC this year.


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