Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Android and Me

Android and Me

Motorola Droid Bionic not canceled, but maybe delayed and improved

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 02:30 PM PDT

The Motorola Droid Bionic has been one of Verizon’s most anticipated devices (if not the most) since its announcement, last January at CES. After waiting patiently for months, rumors about the device being canceled have been floating around the internet since last week, with Taylor actually being one of the first to address the issue.

This sure did not make Verizon customers happy, and after so much commotion, a "Motorola spokeswoman" came into the picture stating that the device is, in fact, not canceled, but that it actually might be delayed until the 3rd quarter of 2011. The device seemed to be one of the highlights of CES already, but this spokesperson mentions that the reason for the possible delay, is that Motorola is working on improving the Droid Bionic, in order to further satisfy their customers

Based on compelling feedback since the show, we are incorporating several enhancements to make this an even better consumer experienceMotorola spokeswoman

There you go, Verizon users! Now you know that your Droid Bionic is coming, and even stronger than before. We do not know what these "enhancements" entail, but we will let you know as soon as there is more information available. For now, the main specs of the Droid Bionic include a 1 GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, Android 2.2, a 4.3-inch qHD display, 512 MB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, rear (8 MP) and front-facing (VGA) camera, and of course, compatibility with Verizon’s 4G LTE network. These specs sure sound sweet, so let’s see what Motorola and Verizon are buttering this device up for!

Are you excited to hear that this device is not canceled? Are you upset about the delay, or happy to see the improvements? Will you be purchasing the Droid Bionic? Let us know your opinions, and check out the hands-on video from CES posted below.

Related content:

  1. CES leftovers: Hands-on the Motorola Droid Bionic, headed to Verizon in Q2
  2. Droid Bionic first impressions
  3. Motorola Droid 3 to feature OMAP4, Motorola Targa to be first phone with quad-core NVIDIA Kal-El?
  4. A closer look at Verizon’s upcoming onslaught of Android phones
  5. Droid Charge briefly seen on video


Dell Streak 7 Wi-Fi now available from Amazon

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 01:25 PM PDT

The Dell Streak 7 from T-Mobile may not be the most popular Android tablet around, but if you're been waiting around to get the Wi-Fi version you can now pick one up from Amazon for $380.  The price of the Streak 7 just a smidge more than what Samsung is charging for the Wi-Fi Galaxy Tab, but you may be disappointed to learn that the $380 price point is only $80 less than what T-Mobile has been charging if you're not interested in signing up for a new contract. 

Specs on the Dell Streak 7 are a bit of a mismatch since the tablet features a high-end NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor paired with a low quality 7-inch (800 x 480) display covered up with Corning Gorilla Glass.  Other hardware features include a 5 megapixel camera capable of 720p video recording, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 16GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, and Swype onscreen keyboard. 

We doubt that the Dell Stream Wi-Fi tablet will keep anyone from buying an iPad, but it should keep the budget conscious tablet seekers happy as this is only the second Android tablet to sell for less than $400 which includes Google apps and the official Android Market.

Related content:

  1. Dell Streak 7 potentially launching February 2nd on T-Mobile
  2. Dell Streak 7 likely to be announced by T-Mobile next month at CES
  3. Dell Streak arrives at T-Mobile on February 2nd for $199
  4. Dell Streak 7 pricing unintentionally leaked?
  5. Dell teases 7-inch Tegra 2 tablet


Monumental launch date: G-Slate third-wheeling T-Mobile’s G2x and Sidekick 4G tomorrow

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 10:05 AM PDT

Today may seem like a very peaceful and steady day in the Android world, but tomorrow will be a completely different story for T-Mobile users (surely you have heard of "the calm before the storm"). Tomorrow, one of T-Mobile’s biggest launch dates will take place, with the release of the T-Mobile G2x, and the successor of the beloved Sidekick family, the Sidekick 4G (As T-Mobile announced last April 7). If that was not enough goodness for a Friday, T-Mobile recently announced that the G-Slate will also be coming to magenta tomorrow.

The prices will be the following (Click on the device name to see specs):

The numbers seem rather interesting. The Sidekick 4G and the T-Mobile G2x are priced very reasonably, but the tablet seems to be off the trend here. The G-Slate is a very good tablet, but the price is quite high as well, as it always is when these devices are first released (at least with the "big" manufacturers). Sure, it is nice being an early adopter, but there are prices to pay for it.

With three highly anticipated devices launching on the same day, tomorrow should be quite a busy day for T-Mobile stores around the U.S., so you should hurry and get your gadgets soon, especially if you are planning on getting the Sidekick 4G, which is expected to have supply shortages. Are you going for any of these devices? Remember that the HTC Sensation 4G is also on its way here, and many of you have been debating between the Sensation and the G2x.

Don’t Forget to check out the videos of the LG Girl with the G2x and the G-Slate, as well as T-Mobile’s introduction for the Sidekick 4G.


Related content:

  1. Sidekick 4G expected to have supply shortages
  2. T-Mobile tweets official price and release dates for G2x and Sidekick 4G (Updated)
  3. T-Mobile Sidekick 4G rumors resurface
  4. New T-Mobile CEO confirms Galaxy S 4G and Sidekick 4G coming soon
  5. Confirmed: T-Mobile chooses Samsung to revive its Sidekick brand (updated with blurrycam pics)


When Google steps in; a ShopSavvy story.

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 07:38 AM PDT

There are many who say that Google’s grip on Android is not tight enough. There are those who cry fragmentation, those who complain that “inferior” devices are being made, and those who say that Google doesn’t do enough to police the Android Market. Well, a huge step towards annihilating that third complaint was seen this week, as Google finally stepped in to put and end to what can only be described as the single most childish action I have ever seen one company do to another.

Most people are at the very least aware of ShopSavvy, Big In Japan’s remarkably good barcode scanner app. They’re so good, in fact, that a handful of other companies resorted to simply hijacking their API’s for their own apps, and made quite a bit of money doing it. Big In Japan was able to nip that particular issue in the bud, but one company saw fit to retaliate, the creators of an app called ShopKick.

This is one of dozens of comments, seen once in every three comments in the Android Market for ShopSavvy. Other comments have included “Free $25 gift cards” and various similarly worded offers. This is more than simply attacking the guy on top, but rather an expensive campaign targeted at new users who would try ShopSavvy. Like I said, however, Google stepped in.

Recently, Big in Japan has noticed that within a day or two, these comments disappear from their comments entirely. While it’s not seemed to slow ShopKick down, since there are more comments in the Market even now, it’s clear that Google’s Android Market spam filter is doing its job, and trying to keep the Market from being unusably full of junk. Score one for the good guys, and score one for those of us who know Google’s doing their part!

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