Android and Me |
- Latest Droid Charge TV ad smashes 4G and Droid together or something like that (Video)
- LG Optimus Big shows off its 4.3-inch NOVA display while packing a 1Ghz dual-core CPU
- Boost Mobile Samsung Prevail to be released on April 29
- HTC Thunderbolt tutorial videos, courtesy of Verizon
- Digitimes: Low-end Android devices are about take over the world
- T-Mobile bets you $1,000 that the Galaxy S 4G is faster than your iPhone
- On your mark, set, video call: Qik and fring fight it out for video call supremacy
- Verizon’s 4G LTE network down, no blazing speeds for now (Updates continuously coming)
- At last, Google releases a native Android app for Google Docs
- Win a Motorola XOOM powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2
| Latest Droid Charge TV ad smashes 4G and Droid together or something like that (Video) Posted: 27 Apr 2011 04:39 PM PDT Hopefully, you haven’t had enough of those movie-like Droid TV ads — we certainly haven’t. Because Verizon is back at it again, this time with a Droid Charge ad. The ad has everything you can expect from a Droid commercial at this point. Mysterious-looking henchmen? Check. Futuristic, underground facility? Check. Mechs? Check. Sexy girl? Check. More eye candy and special effects than a Michael Bay movie? Check. That’s a perfect formula, if you ask us. However, like in any other Droid ad before it, we only get to see the actual phone for a couple of seconds during the whole commercial. Would it kill you to show the phone doing something other than exploding or killing people, Verizon? Check the video after the break.
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| LG Optimus Big shows off its 4.3-inch NOVA display while packing a 1Ghz dual-core CPU Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:31 PM PDT Those Android-loving Koreans just got one more reason to fall in love all over again. LG just announced the availability of the LG Optimus Big for the Korean market. The phone seems to be a close cousin of the LG Optimus Black, borrowing the same NOVA display. The display is able to show 700 nits of brightness but it also ”reduces power consumption by 50 percent during general indoor use compared to a conventional LCD” If that’s not enough to make you want this phone, maybe knowing that it also features WiFi-Direct will convince you. Think of WiFi-Direct as Bluetooth on steroids allowing you to transfer data wirelessly at blazing speeds. Here’s a list of everything this beast of a phone has:
The phone will be available in Korea starting April 28th, but we don’t know when or if it will be hitting the states. I guess we’ll have to make do with just those pictures for now.
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| Boost Mobile Samsung Prevail to be released on April 29 Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:15 PM PDT Phones from the small carriers tend to be ignored by the general public, but it is undeniable that these such companies offer great deals, and even better, without a contract. Though it is exciting to get the new devices at highly discounted prices, signing your wallet to a carrier for two years always leaves a bitter taste. Those that want a decent device, without having to sign a two-year contract, may have been considering Boost Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy Prevail, which will go for $179.99 at full retail price (Yes, that is an off-contract price), and the unlimited plan only costs $50 per month. This device was officially announced in the beginning of April, but we have not received a solid release date since then. If you have been wanting to know when you can get your Samsung Prevail, Boost Mobile’s homepage now advertises this device to be arriving on April 29, which is this Friday. Galaxy Prevail features include: The Prevail will definitely not be a top-of-the-line device, but for $179.99 with a $50 unlimited plan, it is surely one of the best options for the budget conscious and those hiding away from contracts. Who is signing up for this?
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| HTC Thunderbolt tutorial videos, courtesy of Verizon Posted: 27 Apr 2011 01:58 PM PDT All 4G LTE network failures aside, Verizon’s first 4G enabled phone, the HTC Thunderbolt, is not a bad device at all. With Verizon’s brand new LTE network, the Thunderbolt has not been short of attention, and the fact that it is a first-of-a-kind is surely making a lot of people switch from other operating systems and/or manufacturers (maybe even carriers). Verizon has put together a series of tutorial videos for all Thunderbolt users out there, just in case you need some help learning and getting used to the device . Check the videos out if you have been struggling with your brand new Thunderbolt (Due to current network speeds, you may find some free time to learn a few extra things), and let us know if you found any of them useful.
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| Digitimes: Low-end Android devices are about take over the world Posted: 27 Apr 2011 01:41 PM PDT If you think Android is popular right now, you haven’t seen anything yet. According to Digitimes, low-end Android phones are about to propel the already-popular OS towards world domination. The reason? A handful of handset vendors are rushing to launch low-priced (sub US$150) Android devices. Digitimes predicts that 20-25 million of these devices will be sold this year. That’s a tenfold increase from last year’s 2.5-3 million phones sold. The report explains that while competition in the high-end smartphone market has been going on for a while — ever since the original Droid — the same is just starting to happen in the low-end section. You can already see the signs that low-end Android phones are about to become very common. The LG Optimus One is the first low-end Android phone to become incredibly popular. You can get the device from every carrier on the face of the Earth. You can get it free with a contract, or unlocked at a low price, or even get it with plans as low as $25/month. For those people more concerned with price than flashy features, getting a cheap Android phones is a no-brainer — the iPhone and WP7 phones don’t even stand a chance. The LG Optimus One is just the tip of the iceberg of what we’ll be seeing come out in the next few months aimed at the low-end range of the market. Thanks to Moore’s Law, today’s high-end phone is tomorrow’s low-end. In the near future, we’ll see cheap Android phones come out with front-facing camera, NFC chips, HD video recording and dual-core CPUs. Meanwhile, phones like the LG Optimus One will eventually reach dumbphone-like prices, making Android accessible to that 80% of the world who can only afford a dumbphone. And that’s how Android will rule the world.
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| T-Mobile bets you $1,000 that the Galaxy S 4G is faster than your iPhone Posted: 27 Apr 2011 12:38 PM PDT T-Mobile really wants you to know that its 4G network is the fastest one out there. In fact, the carrier is willing to give you a cool 1,000 bucks if you can prove them otherwise. That’s confidence right there. During this weekend, you can bring your iPhone to a T-Mobile store in the Seattle area and have it compete against a Galaxy S 4G. If your iPhone wins –very unlikely — T-Mobile will give you $1,000. If the Galaxy S 4G wins, T-Mobile will be kind enough to give you $300 to trade in your iPhone for a Galaxy S 4G — how nice of them. If you live in the Seattle area and are feeling a bit adventurous this weekend, you can follow this link for participating stores’ location. We wonder how long T-Mobile will keep up this marketing tactics now that AT&T is buying the company.
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| On your mark, set, video call: Qik and fring fight it out for video call supremacy Posted: 27 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT There’s a race going on in the video call world, and both Qik and fring just stepped on the gas. Yesterday, Qik announced that its Android app will now allow everybody to video chat. Until now, this feature was only available for phones that had the app pre-installed like on the HTC EVO 4G. From now on, all Android users will be able to video chat with their Android/iOS-toting friends over WiFi, 3G, and 4G. The app also features:
We’re happy to see Qik open the video-call door to all Android users, instead of exclusively launching the feature on a few phones. To get your video-calling on, follow this link. But not so fast Qik. Earlier today, fring was like “Oh no you didn’t” and went ahead and announced group video-calling for its Android app. You no longer have to show that awesome cloud to just one friend, you can now show it to your friend’s cousin, your brother and your dog all at the same time. According to fring, this is possible thanks to the company’s DVQ™ technology, “that delivers the highest quality video for all four participants.” Ready to video-call three friends and tell them how awesome Android and Me? Follow this link.
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| Verizon’s 4G LTE network down, no blazing speeds for now (Updates continuously coming) Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:54 AM PDT Just one day before the release of Verizon’s second 4G LTE phone, the Samsung Droid Charge, Verizon’s 4G network is down (since last night), and all Thunderbolt users are experiencing some speed limitations. While some people seem to be able to still access 3G speeds, most Thunderbolt users claim that their device is actually stuck on 1x, while all 3G devices still function properly (ouch!). Gladly, for those that are stuck on 1x speeds, Our friends over at Droid Life have provided us with a possible fix to this issue, which should allow you to jump right back to 3G.
While Verizon has an outstanding 4G network, such issue will leave no good impressions if the problem continues for long, especially if the Droid Charge hits the counters without 4G connectivity, or maybe even 3G. Verizon has officially reached out to its customers via their Twitter account, mentioning that they are aware of the problem, and their engineers are "working to resolve this quickly." Keep coming back for more updates about this, and let us know what you think of Verizon’s 4G network being down. If you are a 4G user, tell us what you are going through. Verizon LTE users are spoiled with blazing speeds, now that you are being reminded of what things used to be like before 4G, does 3G now seem obsolete to you? Verizon’s Updates:
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| At last, Google releases a native Android app for Google Docs Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT Is it my birthday? It must be, ’cause Google just released a native Google Docs app for Android. I think I speak for everybody in the Android community when I say: Finally! Some of you might remember that rumor we heard a while back about Google shifting its focus from HTML5 mobile apps to native ones, well, it looks like we’re starting to see the fruits of that change in strategy — and we’re liking what we’re seeing. The Google Docs app will allow you to:
Additionally, the app features a widget for easy document creation. What are you waiting for? Head to the Android Market and download this app right now, you know you want to. Gallery   
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| Win a Motorola XOOM powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:29 AM PDT Good news, everyone! NIVIDIA has been awesome enough to ship us a box of four brand new, WiFi-only Motorola XOOM tablets featuring the new NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor. We’ll be giving away all four over the next few weeks, starting today with a simple Twitter contest. We have a feeling most of you know exactly what this beast is capable of, but for those not in the know we’ll run through the specs. The XOOM is running Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), has a 10.1 inch screen, has dual cameras (5MP rear, 2MP front), and of course is sporting a dual-core 1ghz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. Because it’s got a Tegra inside, it’s also got access to TegraZone, a curated mini-market featuring the newest and best 3D games Android has to offer. Check the video below for our poolside unboxing (it was a nice day out) or scroll down below for contest details! Win a XOOM on TwitterTo be entered to win our first XOOM, all you’ve gotta do is craft a tweet with two key pieces: the hashtag #iwantaxoom and the Twitter handle @NVIDIAtegra. For example, you could tweet, Man! #iwantaxoom with the @NVIDIAtegra 2 for the awesome games. Or you could say I’m a nerd so #iwantaxoom with an @NVIDIAtegra to do homework. And to adjust my glasses with the front facing camera. The key to remember here is to include #iwantaxoom and @NVIDIAtegra. If you do so, you’ll be automatically entered in a random drawing, to be held Monday morning (5/2/11) for a free, brand-spankin’ new WiFi-only XOOM. You can use the tweetbox below or you can tweet to your heart’s content through your own apps/channels, just make sure to include the key phrases. Good luck! If you’ve got any questions, please leave a comment here and we’ll get you an answer. If you don’t use Twitter, stay tuned! We’ve got more XOOMs coming soon and they will be given out through non-Twitter channels! Contest provided by Android and Me. Prizing provided by NVIDIA. Contest is US residents only (sorry, legal request!). Any questions regarding this contest should be directed to clark@androidandme.com
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