Monday, 23 August 2010

Android Community

Android Community

Velocity Micro Cruz Reader and Cruz Tablet Available for Pre-Order

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 10:27 AM PDT

It’s been a little while since we’ve heard from Velocity Micro. Their Tablet and Reader were a notable topic a few months back, but since then they seemed to just drop off the map entirely. Apparently they were hard at work on making their devices the real deal, because Velocity Micro has just announced that the pair of Android-powered devices are available for pre-order right now.

As the title suggests, you get two options here. The first, the Cruz Reader, will cost you $199.99 to get your hands on. It has a touchscreen display with a resolution of 800×600. It has 256MB of internal storage, but there’s a 4GB microSD card included in your purchase. Which can be expanded. The Tablet features a touchscreen display as well, with a 16:9 800×480 display. It has 4GB of on board storage, but there’s an additional 8GB included with the microSD card thrown in for good measure. Both devices feature WiFI, but the Tablet is the only one that has 802.11b/g/n.

The Cruz Reader is specifically meant to e an eReader device, and it’s only featuring Android 2.0. While the tablet is more for the “broad” user, it has Android 2.1 under the hood. We’re not exactly sure how these stand out amongst the crowd, but if you’re a fan of Velocity Micro, and you’re in the market for a new tablet or eReader, then perhaps you’ll want to pre-order the Reader and Tablet now.

[via GearLog]

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Samsung Galaxy Tab Spotted in the Wild Again, This Time in Australia

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 10:19 AM PDT

Anyone out there still think that the Galaxy Tab, the Android-powered Galaxy S-inspired tablet from Samsung doesn’t exist? This is, what, the second or third time (total) that we’ve now seen the tablet pop up in the wild. We’re expecting an official announcement any day now from Samsung, but until then we’ve got to keep staring at these photos. Except, just to make it all the more tantalizing, we’ve now got some video of the device being used.

The device in question is apparently being used by a telco worker — he was field testing the device. When asked about it, he said the tablet was “different” to the iPad, and that it was “awesome.” Bold words, but we’re sure that Samsung’s created something definitely noteworthy with the Tab. And if they are indeed field testing it on carriers in Australia, and we’ve heard reports of the device launching in the UK and the United States, it’s more than apparent that Samsung plans to launch this thing all over the place. So, considering we don’t have much to go on here, just enjoy the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via SlashGear]

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Vodafone Terminating Galaxy S Carrier Warranty if Not on Carrier Approved Firmware

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 10:08 AM PDT

There are devices out there, like the original HTC Hero, that have both carrier branded versions, and purely unlocked models floating around. This differentiation between devices can make it somewhat troublesome for manufacturers to release official software updates to their handsets, as they not only have to deal with unlocked devices making their way around the globe, but also those carrier branded versions, which have to deal with carrier optimized software. But manufacturers, like HTC and Samsung, have figured out a way around that: simply release the updated software via your website, for the appropriate device, and let the owner update on their own.

It may not be as easy as an Over the Air (OTA) update, but at least it meas you get an update. However, if you find yourself with a Samsung Galaxy S device, and you’re branded by Vodafone, you may want to think twice about upgrading any software. Apparently, Vodafone has begun terminating the carrier warranty of the device, if users install “unapproved” software upgrades to their devices. That means, even if you upgrade to the latest version of Android, no matter how small the update, and you didn’t get it specifically from Vodafone, they won’t do anything for you in their stores.

The carrier warranty will let owners repair or replace their devices from the carrier. So, if you didn’t want to have to mess with that manufacturer’s warranty, this was your other choice. (But, you do keep the manufacturer warranty.) The whole debacle came from users discussing an update that Samsung made available through its proprietary software KIES. Apparently the response from Vodafone hasn’t made many Galaxy S owners all that happy, for obvious reasons. Interesting turn of events, surely, but we will have to wait and see if Vodafone redefines their position, or if they decided to stay firm.

[via Samsung Hub]

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Motorola Updates Android Upgrade Timeline

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 09:56 AM PDT

Each time Motorola updates their Android upgrade timeline, it manages to make headlines. Not surprising, considering that every time it happens, something interesting changes. This time around, though, it takes the cake. Just weeks after we reported that Motorola was still wondering whether or not they’d even take time out of their day to upgrade the Motorola Milestone to Android 2.2, they’ve now decided to go ahead and do it.

The timeline shows that the Motorola Milestone, the European version of the original Motorola Droid, will indeed be getting updated to Android 2.2 with a staggered roll-out beginning in the fourth quarter of this year. We already know that Gingerbread is set to be debuted somewhere along that same time, too, so hopefully all the Milestone owners out there aren’t upset about the update timeline. At least it’s coming, right?

As for the Droid X? That’s still listed as “late Summer.” And since the end of August is just about on us, and there’s no update coming tomorrow (we don’t think), it’s looking like those first weeks in September might just be the magic days. Let’s hope Motorola and Verizon can roll it out without any complications. Oh, and the Devour? You don’t even get Android 2.1 — sorry.

[via Motorola]

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Samsung Galaxy S unlock hack is easiest to date

Posted: 23 Aug 2010 01:55 AM PDT

Samsung’s Galaxy S series may be relatively special in the US for being a smartphone launched – in various identikit forms – across multiple carriers at the same time, but what if you want to use your AT&T Captivate on T-Mobile USA’s network?  Happily Samsung seem to almost be conspiring against their carrier partners by apparently including unlock codes for the Galaxy S series in files actually on the smartphones themselves.

The clever souls over at xda-developers have come up with a tool to extract said-codes from the .BAK files in which they lurk, and have put together a full guide on how to use it.  Since you don’t need to root the Galaxy S in order to unlock it, and there’s also a relock system, you can even restore the phone to as-delivered condition should you need to send it back to your respective carrier.

As ever, doing any modifications of this sort leaves you facing the risk of a bricked handset, but so far reports on the process seem positive.  It works on both the US versions of the Galaxy S – e.g. the T-Mobile Vibrant and AT&T Captivate – as well as the European Galaxy S model.

[via TechTicker]

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