Android Community |
- Android’s Got Talent! Beats Dancing with the Stars [Video]
- Samsung Galaxy S II gets an HD video Hands-On and more
- Amazon tablet rumors persist
- HTC EVO 3D Features micro-USB Port with HDMI Capability
- Sprint Kyocera Echo Hands-On
- Glu Mobile Games on the Amazon Appstore now
- Alltel HTC Merge pre-orders from March 28
- Shazam adds “Shazam Friends” to Android app
- HTC Flyer WiFi to launch exclusively with Best Buy
- Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Confirmed as Former Gingerbread Hero Phone
- ACER Picasso Android Tablet Hands-On
- Amazon Appstore for Android Launches today
- HTC EVO View 4G Hands-On via SlashGear
- HTC Evo 3D Hands-on via SlashGear
| Android’s Got Talent! Beats Dancing with the Stars [Video] Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:33 AM PDT Well, it looks like the little green robot gets around. Our best friend here at AC, the Android Mascot has done it again. This time it is in the form of a dancing robot. I must say though, watch the full video as this Android has some mad skillz. Dances in sync with the beat and everything. Not to mention having those moves while in a suit can’t be easy. This might remind you guys of the Giorgio Armani Android hitting the Catwalk.
Like I said, Android gets around. Not only does everyone either have or want one, but I also have a few more stories for you about how much he really does go everywhere. From Amsterdam to Sydney and everywhere in-between. Check out the Android Mascot Roaming Sydney, then Andy showing how strong he is when he smashes a car in Amsterdam. This Andy has some dancing skills. I think we should send him on Dancing with the Stars because he would most likely win in that same Android fashion we are all used to. I don’t really know what else to say about this video clip, maybe he ate to many gingerbread cookies, or got extra energy after he ate some apples and berries. Enough of that, feel free to post your own comments below. I’d love to see what goofy titles you all come up with for this video.
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| Samsung Galaxy S II gets an HD video Hands-On and more Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:52 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy S II has been official for a while, we all have probably seen its beauty by now. It is Samsung’s next flagship device that is set to sell as many as the first Galaxy S did or more. Today we have a little leak of a prototype Galaxy S II. It comes in the form of a 720p HD video and full walk-through from some friends over in the Ukraine.
In case anyone has forgot I’ll mention a few specs just to be nice (plus video isn’t in English), the S II features a 4.3″ AMOLED Plus display, 1 Ghz Dual core CPU, 8 MP camera, full 1080p HD video capture and still manages to stay extremely thin. I also want to note the dual core 1 Ghz CPU is Samsung’s own chip, but there is also reports by Nvidia that some Galaxy S II Phones will ship with Tegra 2 CPU’s instead. Both are very powerful so that doesn’t sound so bad. Before I post the video feel free to check out our sister site Slashgear doing their own hands-on of the S II. Like I said above, the video and the source link are not in English but it’s still a great HD video showing plenty of the sexy hardware on the Galaxy S II, with tons of photo’s at the source. Oh and Google Translate will be your friend for this one. [via gagadget] )
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| Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:23 AM PDT With the launch of the Amazon Appstore for Android, rumors are beginning to mount to the book seller may be developing their own tablet. And the rumor is being pushed by consumer product analysts, not just bloggers connecting the dots. Both Forrester and Business insiders believe that with Amazon’s one-click service and vast distribution capability, it could build on what they’ve learned with the Kindle and evolve to a tablet design. And considering that they could eliminate the middle man, Amazon could offer a solid Android tablet for less.
So what’s holding them back? Well, it could be that Amazon doesn’t want to kill the Kindle, their low cost eBook reader which enjoyed brisk sales last holiday season. But there’s also speculation that Amazon is waiting for a breakthrough in a color reflective screen technology and that Qualcomm has invested a 2 billion to prep displays for a “major client.” Could that be Amazon? Will Amazon evolve the Kindle into an eBook reader with an Android heart? There’s been job listings reported from Amazon a few months ago looking for Android developers for their Kindle division. Even the New York Times has picked up on the rumor mill and reported that new hardware development is underway. Is the Kindle about to undergo an evolution to Android? And when you consider that Barnes and Noble has enjoyed an uptick of sales on it’s NOOKcolor Android eBook reader that users have been able to root and turn into a full fledged tablet, perhaps Amazon is seeing the potential. Only time will tell if the rumor turns into fact. But all the dots are there, waiting for the book seller to connect them. [via PCWorld] )
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| HTC EVO 3D Features micro-USB Port with HDMI Capability Posted: 23 Mar 2011 08:41 AM PDT One of the oddest little bits we’ve seen here on the brand new(ly announced) HTC EVO 3D is a lovely little port on the side that, in a way that we expect will become more and more commonplace as bigger groups like HTC adopt it, will reduce the number of ports we’ve got surrounding our everyday devices down to the minimum. What the port we’ve got here on the HTC EVO 3D is a micro-USB 2.0 (five pin) with mobile high-definition video link (aka MHL) for both USB or HDMI connection.
Does that remind you of anything? How about, if I may mention a competitor, Apple’s new dually functional Thunderbolt port that can both transfer data and play video at fabulous speeds? That’s two big brands working now with ports that accept several different, normally disparate transfers via the same port. While Apple’s and HTC’s ports here are relatively different, and certainly different people are involved, the idea is there. The idea that this sort of thing can be done and is being done by big groups is now in the minds of other brands, big and small, and the application can penetrate. We’ve yet to test this new port on the HTC EVO 3D, and just incase you’re wondering, the Thunderbolt port on the MacBook Pro, but once we do, we’ll blast some statistics right across your face! Of course we probably wont list the MacBook Pro report here as this is Android Community, but maybe we’ll sneak some in somewhere or another for a few laughs and giggles. )
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| Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:55 AM PDT It’s one of the oddest devices you’re ever going to hold in your hands, and that’s not just in the Android gene pool. This is the Kyocera Echo, the dual-screen Android smartphone announced by Sprint earlier this year with David Blaine the magician. Certainly a memorable event to say the least. This device is made to appeal to your need to have a device that absolutely noone else has, a device that would scare away the meek of heart, a device like you’ve never seen before! We’ve wrapped our fingers around its odd panels and buttons and the results are just as odd as the concept.
First Impressions This is a heavy phone. Not as heavy as the two screens might make it seem when you’re considering you’re holding two phone’s worth of display real-estate, but this is no Nexus S (which, incidentally, Sprint will also be carrying soon.) This wont be the first or last time I say this: this is a phone that consumers will be purchasing and deciding on keeping based on the two screen functionality. I’d wager this phone to quickly become a love/hate situation creator through its whole lifespan. I won’t go into the software / processor bits in this hands-on post very far as there’s no finality to that end of the phone quite yet, but the dual screen aspect of this phone is definitely, definitely, for certain, inescapable to the point of feeling odd while the device is closed. That said, a two screen Android device remains to me to be an exciting prospect here, even before I’m able to speak on how it’s utilized by apps and such.
The Hinge While there are hinges on a number of phones coming out right now, and hinges have been a part of cell phones since cell phones populated this earth, but this is a hinge between two displays. This is a unique hinge in that it’s not just pushing the head screen upward and outward, it’s giving you the ability to hold that screen up in several positions. You’re able to have the screen down in single-screen position, halfway up in a laptop mode (both screens visible, the top angled down at approximately a 45 degree angle,) and flat out so both screens are on the same plane. While in that last position, there’s an odd looseness in the top screen that goes on, a spring holding it down in place, that tells us this device is really meant to be held in landscape mode for every configuration except single-screen mode. If not, it really ought to be held down tighter.
The Gap If you’ve ever used a Nintendo DS, you know the coolness inherent in having two screens running the same app, utilizing two separate planes for the same app or game – it’s definitely got potential. However, setting the screen down to the “tablet” configuration makes us hope for a larger screen that the gap between displays here sort of throws a wrench into. We’re nowhere near ready to toss the towel in on this device just yet, don’t get me wrong, but I and we are hoping for some dedicated apps to make full use of the crack, not dismissing the fact that it’s there. Wrap-Up I am personally really excited to get this device in my hands for us here on Android Community to review because it’s totally unique. It’s an oddity to be sure, and one that has a good opportunity to expand the Android landscape in a way that’s extremely volatile. This device could bomb hard if it’s not embraced by developers hoping to utilize the dual screen, and Sprint / Kyocera know this for sure, but it could also be a very big deal in that it’ll be the first dual-screen Android device that’s really being pushed to the North American market on a mobile carrier. Look for our full review relatively soon – we’ll be going wildly in-depth. )
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| Glu Mobile Games on the Amazon Appstore now Posted: 23 Mar 2011 05:05 AM PDT
Games that Glu is talking up that are on Amazon include World Series of Poker Hold’em Legend , Diner Dash 2, Guitar Hero : Warriors of Rock and Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2. If you really dig poker, that World Series of Poker title is the free game of the day for Android users today and you can download it right now. “We are excited to be a featured developer in the launch of Amazon’s Appstore for Android,” said Niccolo De Masi, CEO of Glu. “The launch of the Amazon Appstore will introduce new players to our top premium Android games, and over the long term support our goal to bring rich 3D Social Mobile gaming experiences to new audiences.” )
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| Alltel HTC Merge pre-orders from March 28 Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:55 AM PDT Alltel has announced a pre-order date for the HTC Merge, the carrier’s latest QWERTY Android slider. Pre-orders will be taken as of March 28, with the smartphone priced at $124.99 with a new, two-year agreement.
That gets you an Android 2.2 phone with HTC Sense running an 800MHz Qualcomm processor. There’s also a 5-megapixel camera, 3.8-inch touchscreen and 720p HD video recording. We’ve already seen the Merge bearing Verizon branding but HTC did promise that the handset would come to more than one US carrier. The Merge is also a world-phone, which means it has both CDMA and GSM radios and as such can be used on networks in North America and abroad. No word on when it will actually begin shipping, however. [Thanks Terry!] )
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| Shazam adds “Shazam Friends” to Android app Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:17 AM PDT The music discovery app Shazam has announced that it will be getting a new Android feature in the coming weeks. The new feature is called Shazam Friends and it is a new way to let the app users find new music using their Facebook friends.
If you have friends on your Facebook page as if I do that post music constantly this app will let you keep up with what they are playing and posting. The app will track all music files tagged on Facebook and creates a continuously updated list of the songs for you to check out. The feed is in real time so as soon as a friend posts a cool new song you will know about it. The Friends tab on the app when it lands will let you brows all the tags from friends, watch videos, read reviews, and access artist info. You can see all tags from one specific friend and add tags to a friend’s history and playlist. If you like the track you can purchase it. You can also use streaming service to play the songs. The last new feature for Shazam that we talked about was Spotify. )
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| HTC Flyer WiFi to launch exclusively with Best Buy Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:05 AM PDT We have talked about the HTC Flyer tablet in the past and the little beastie looks pretty cool. Last week we knew that the tablet would be launching in April and HTC and /Best Buy have now offered up more launch details for the Flyer. HTC and Best Buy have announced at CTIA that the WiFi Flyer will be launched exclusively in Best Buy stores.
The duo doesn't offer us any more of an idea on a specific launch date for the device only noting that it will launch this spring. The Flyer is an interesting looking tablet and is made to be very portable with HTC claiming it weighs less than the average paperback book. The flyer uses HTC Sense UI over the top of its Android OS. The tablet will also work with an optional HTC Scribe digital Pen that unlocks the Scribe technology inside the tablet. Scribe allows the user to capture and annotate any on-screen content with notes and drawings. The tablet also has front and rear cameras with a 5MP rear and a 1.3MP front. The Flyer has 16GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot for expansion. The screen is a 7-inch unit with 1024 x 600 resolution and power comes from a 4000mAh battery. Pricing is unknown. )
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| Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Confirmed as Former Gingerbread Hero Phone Posted: 22 Mar 2011 10:03 PM PDT Whilst chatting at a Verizon event last night, we again heard, this time direct from a Sony Ericsson repreentative, that the reason the Xperia PLAY is able to launch with Android 2.3.2 Gingerbread is that this “PlayStation Phone” was once in the running to be Google’s hero phone. This spot as Gingerbread model has since been usurped by the Nexus S, but didn’t leave Sony Ericsson empty-handed. In fact, Google didn’t leave Sony Ericsson at all, working with them from start to finish on a phone that’s as optimized for Android a piece of hardware are you’re ever going to find.*
*This is basically what they’ve told us about the awesomeness of the device, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but having had our hands on the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY now several times, we’re bordering on completely convinced. Have a look back at the post called “On the importance of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY [via a casual conversation with an inside source]“, and note here that what we’ve just been told is that the information we picked up back there was nothing less than completely true.
This phone, the “PlayStation Phone,” is optimized not only for Gingerbread, but it’ll essentially be blowing the lid off the Android Market when it’s released as at the SAME TIME there’ll be a magic number 50 games available, most of them brand new, launched at the same time as the phone, all of them optimized for this device specifically. We’ve played more than a couple of them and it’s a real PlayStation experience. While nothing is exactly the same as holding the utterly classic PlayStation controller in your hand, this device gives you a real PlayStation feel where you can play games in a place you’re comfortable rolling out in.
Along with the games, it’s important to note that they’ll all be released at the same time as the PLAY and will be optimized for it, but they’ll work on a lot of other Android devices as well. Instead of the controllers being physical, they’ll be virtual and on the screen. Sony noted though that THAT kind of experience was what they’ve been trying to avoid. Thusly, this phone exists.
Another interesting point we’ve been reminded of is that that the physical button functionality is built in to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. All developers need to do to make PlayStation optimized games is to gain access to the NDK, like they would anyway, and call up the appropriate bits that are native to Gingerbread. No willy-dilly business needed. It’s as if, again, Google had something like this in mind for quite some time.
So the important info to take away from this is that even though the Xperia PLAY was once in the running to be released as the Google hero phone for 2.3 Gingerbread, they didn’t really lose out after the Nexus S usurped. In fact it used its position with Google to flourish, and you’re going to see that when this device is blasted upon the earth soon, soon, soon!
Oh and BONUS: the gingerbread painting easter egg works, lols.                    )
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| ACER Picasso Android Tablet Hands-On Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:39 PM PDT Now before we begin, I must say that this is not the first we’ve ever heard of this tablet, nor is it the first we’ve ever seen it in real life (If I remember right, we snuck a tiny peek at it at CES 2011 but were sworn to secrecy.) Now we’ve got our grubby mitts on it and we’ve been given the opportunity to compare it not only to the Motorola XOOM tablet, but the iPad 2, both for size and for weight. This is a tablet that’s made of metal, this is a tablet that’s made for Honeycomb, this is a tablet that is nowhere near ready for release.
This tablet is a relatively attractive looking piece of machinery, but with the tablets that have been released just this past 24 hours, we’re not as thrilled as we otherwise may have been. Given that and the fact that not only is this tablet not displaying Honeycomb (AT&T is not yet allowed to do so, they say,) but the test copy of Android 2.1 Eclair they’ve got flying around in here is so buggy that it was jumping back and forth across the screen as it sat in the display holster. This is a tablet that’s perhaps got a future in the business of people seeking out the odd, but without a working copy of an Android OS to look at, I and we can’t really make too big of a judgement in any direction.
The hardware is heavy, but not heavier than the Motorola XOOM. It’s heavier than the iPad 2, and definitely heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Tab devices revealed today, and it’s basically the same thickness as the XOOM. Behold a weird one!                              )
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| Amazon Appstore for Android Launches today Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:59 PM PDT Amazon launched it’s Amazon Appstore for Android today. And to celebrate, the bookseller is offering Angry Birds RIO for .99 all day today, and a regularly paid app available for free every day. The App store, which got major notice when Rovio opted to sell it’s line of Angry Birds titles exclusively, represents serious competition to the Android Market and could represent a real threat to the dominance of the iTunes App Store.
What differentiates the the Amazon App Store from others is their Test Drive capability. Customers can shop from any computer platform and Amazon includes a virtual Android Phone that allows users to test drive the app before paying for it. It also allows new Android users to experience Android for themselves before committing to the platform. Customers will also be able to shop directly for apps directly on their Android device. And users will be able to benefit from Amazon features like user recommendations and reviews and 1-click payment options. And like the iTunes App Store, all apps must be sumitted and approved by Amazon before they are offered for sale in the Amazon Appstore. This should help to combat the growing number of third party apps that have been wreaking havoc on the Android platform of late after being repackaged with malware. )
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| HTC EVO View 4G Hands-On via SlashGear Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:59 PM PDT Sprint just unveiled the HTC EVO View 4G tablet today during their special event at CTIA 2011. The tablet appears to be the CDMA/WiMAX U.S. version of the HTC Flyer. We first caught a glimpse of the HTC Flyer back at MWC last month, however, that version wasn’t quite ready for a hands-on. The HTC EVO View 4G, on the other hand, is ready for some action.
The EVO View 4G features a 7-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, 1.5 GHz single-core Snapdragon processor, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, and a 5MP rear-facing camera. The device boasts true 4G connectivity and can be used as a 3G/4G hotspot for up to eight WiFi-connected devices. DLNA support allows for media streaming to your HDTV or other compatible devices. The device also features 32GB of internal memory, 1GB RAM, a microSD slot, WiFi, Bluetooth, and integrated GPS. The tablet is still running a handset version of Android, likely 2.3 Gingerbread, with the latest version of HTC Sense running on top. However, the final release version should be upgradeable to Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Also featuring HTC Scribe, the tablet can be used with a separately purchase digital pen for easy note taking such as with Evernote, or for drawing and sketching in other apps. Check out the video below for a demo of the device and a myriad of up close and personal images of the device in the gallery.                     [via SlashGear] )
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| HTC Evo 3D Hands-on via SlashGear Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:27 PM PDT Today at CTIA, Chris from SlashGear got a look at the HTC Evo 3D up close and personal. And while the Evo 3D isn’t the first to offer a glasses free 3D experience, it’s certainly announcing it’s presence in the category with authority as it’s a pretty sweet looking handset. Using a 4.3″ 960×540 qHD autostereoscopic display, the EVO 3D is a glasses free experience. It’s powered by 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core processor running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with the latest HTC Sense 4.0 overlay. Designed for Sprint’s 4G/WiMax network, the Evo 3D is built for speed.
The autostereoscopic 3D display is glasses free, and it’s also got pinch-to-zoom tactile feedback. The best 3D is seen when looking at the Evo’s screen straight-on. Moving side to side tends to obscure the 3D benefit some. HTC says they are working on improving the radius so that users don’t have to be so still or centered for the 3D experience and hopes it’ll be improved by the official launch. The Evo 3D weighs as you’d expect for the Evo line, not overly burdensome, but not light as a feather either. It’s form factor is the same as previous Evo models with the same width and layout.
Though the design has a rocker switch to move between 2D and 3D, the EVO is 3D centric. The phone’s dual 5MP cameras shoot 3D video and images at 720p HD. The design encourages capture and sharing of 3D content in what HTC hopes will become a social experience. However, since it’s 3D, the downside at this point is, in order to see the 3D content, you need an HTC Evo 3D to view it. There is the option, however, to share content via the YouTube 3D app. The review for this will be coming soon and it should be a fun one!          [via SlashGear] )
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