Android Community |
- ViewSonic GTab update adds Flash and USB peripheral support
- Gingerbread for Samsung Galaxy S goes live
- T-Mobile G2x In-Browser Benchmarks
- T-Mobile G-Slates in Stores Now [in the back]
- Amazon clears the air on their AppStore Developer Agreement
- T-Mobile G2x vs HTC ThunderBolt vs ATRIX 4G vs Sidekick [Physical Comparisons]
- Droid X2 Shown in the Wild [Video]
- Samsung Replenish Comes Early to the Party
| ViewSonic GTab update adds Flash and USB peripheral support Posted: 16 Apr 2011 07:14 AM PDT ViewSonic has pushed out a firmware update for the GTab, which adds Adobe Flash support among other things. The new software – available as an OTA update – also adds to the GTab’s productivity abilities, as it throws USB keyboard and mouse support onto the Android slate.
There’s also support for an external docking station, the addition of new international cities in the Weather app, and a few new languages supported. The OTA update should be automatically offered in the notification area. Meanwhile, if you’re more into raw speed then it’s worth checking out the 1.4GHz/1.6GHz overclock we wrote about yesterday. [Thanks n900mixalot!] Press Release: )
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| Gingerbread for Samsung Galaxy S goes live Posted: 16 Apr 2011 06:58 AM PDT Samsung has begun pushing out the Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread update for the Samsung Galaxy S, with multiple European users of xda-developers reporting that the new ROM went live overnight. The update is available through Samsung Kies, the company’s PC software tool.
A Gingerbread build for the Galaxy S was leaked back in February, but until now the freshest European firmware has been Android 2.2 Froyo. US versions of the Galaxy S are still languishing on Eclair in some cases. It’s early days for feedback on the new ROM, but users are hoping for snappier performance more akin to the Samsung-made Nexus S. Let us know if you spot the update rolling out to your country in the comments. [via AgeMobile - thanks droider!] )
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| T-Mobile G2x In-Browser Benchmarks Posted: 15 Apr 2011 07:54 PM PDT What you’re about to see is a few benchmarks, all of them conducted on the browser-based JavaScript benchmark system SunSpider. Inside the post I’ll explain a bit better what SunSpider is for everyone who hasn’t seen it before, but what you need to know from here is that we’re testing both the stock browser and the newest version of Firefox (4) for Android. What you’re going to see is the T-Mobile G2x by LG, the HTC ThunderBolt running on Verizon’s LTE network, and the ATRIX 4G running on AT&T’s HSPA+ network.
What SunSpider does is sets up a group of JavaScript performance tasks which show how well your web browser handles real world tasks on your particular device. What that means essentially is it shows how well your device is going to use the internet inside a given browser on a daily basis. SunSpider is accepted by browser developers as an accurate test because it performs each of its tests multiple times and grabs what SunSpider claims is a 95% confidence interval. The lower the score you get, the better. Here’s all the scores listed first, then the images all spread out: HTC ThunderBolt LG G2x And just for fun, since it’s not final build, HTC Sensation
ATRIX 4G Stock
ATRIX 4G Firefox
ThunderBolt Stock
ThunderBolt Firefox
G2x Stock
G2x Firefox
HTC Sensation Stock [PRE-FINAL BUILD] )
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| T-Mobile G-Slates in Stores Now [in the back] Posted: 15 Apr 2011 05:21 PM PDT Oh boy am I so very mad! It seems that T-Mo News has attained a cursed T-Mobile G-Slate from the black market to show the world saying that they’ve found it at a T-Mobile store, one of many that are receiving both the tablet and a slew of accessories like a pair of red and blue 3D glasses – the kind that they guy on Back to the Future wears! What a wacky combination! They’re saying also that they believe that this and two more magical devices, (both of which we may well have on our single desk, of course,) will all be out on April 20th!
Or perhaps it’s not evil! Point is, looks like this device somas in as simple a box as the Motorola XOOM tablet, which just incase you don’t know by now, we’re giving away three of right this second. This means you’re going to win a XOOM before the T-Mobile LG G-Slate comes out – do it! Win the crap out of some XOOM tablets right over [here] Then since you love the big three so much, note that this photo set comes with a few more cases for the G-Slate, one or two for the Sidekick, and at least one screen protector for the G2x. Want to know if you’re going to need them? Prepare yourself for our reviews of these objects while you check out the unboxings:    [via T-Mo News] )
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| Amazon clears the air on their AppStore Developer Agreement Posted: 15 Apr 2011 02:25 PM PDT There seems to have been a bit of confusion over details in the Amazon AppStore Developer Agreement. There was apparently two different versions, one in PDF and one in text, and the plaint text version was an old version from before last November. Amazon had altered the ADA then, to reflect a definition of list price in the store. That likely means the some lazy intern forgot the post the new text file and confusion reigned. It’s now been fixed.
The Amazon App Store for Android launched on March 22, with a splash thanks to it’s exclusive distribution arrangement with Rovio to sell titles of Angry Birds. It also has a great daily feature which offers an app from the store for free and the apps rotate. In addition, the Amazon Appstore also offers a test drive feature which enables users to try out an app before they buy it courtesy of a virtual Android phone. That also gives users a chance to try out the Android platform themselves before taking the plunge. It’s a very cool feature. App developers look to the Amazon App Store because it avoids Google’s attempt to control fragmentation by controlling which devices get the “Google Certified” moniker and as such, the Amazon Marketplace. Some would think that causes concern, but Amazon is taking a similar course as Apple has by requiring approval of their Apps before they are sold. This will also serve as a gatekeeper against hackers uploading infected apps like what happened a few years ago. So while Amazon’s App Store represents an alternative to Google’s Amazon Market, it does so by offering a safe environment for both app developers and consumers. It’ll be interesting to see these two online portals go head to head. [via Amazon AppStore Developer Blog] )
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| T-Mobile G2x vs HTC ThunderBolt vs ATRIX 4G vs Sidekick [Physical Comparisons] Posted: 15 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT We had an extra 5 minutes today, believe it or not, so a few photos were indeed fired off. What transpired here was a comparison photo shoot (with a few specs below too, if you’d like,) that compared the T-Mobile G2x to the Sidekick (just for fun,) then to the HTC ThunderBolt and the AT&T ATRIX 4G. Would you like to know which one is the thickest? It’s the Sidekick – spoiler! Would you like to know which one looks the most awesome? That’s something you’re going to have to decide for yourself. This is an odd assortment you’re not going to find anywhere else – I guarantee it.
The most awesome form feature on any of these devices has to be – well, a tossup. There’s a tossup in your humble narrators mind between the curved glass on the G2x and the kickstand on the ThunderBolt. But wait – the ATRIX can connect to that fabulous official HD stand, and it becomes a laptop. And wait, the Sidekick may not be able to stand up in power to any of these other devices, but sure as heck it’s not going to fail in sales – simply because it’s really awesome to hold. Have a peek here at a few “physical” specs, if you know what I mean: Dimensions Weight Battery
Memory Expansion Front-facing Camera Back-facing Camera
Now have a look through the gallery. Judging these books by their covers, which one would you choose? Notice the screen brightness on the three heavy hitters. They’ve got different wallpapers just to drive home the point that you’d never otherwise be comparing these screens in such a manner, but you’ll see exactly which one is the brightest regardless. Make sure you get a feel for which of the bunch is actually the smallest, note that their weight is nearly the same, even though they’ve got rather unique chassis. Gotta catch em all!                     )
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| Droid X2 Shown in the Wild [Video] Posted: 15 Apr 2011 12:49 PM PDT The funniest thing about Area 51 is it’s the worst kept secret in the federal government. Everyone knows it’s there but Uncle Sam. Now what does this have to do with the headline? Everyone knows about the Droid X2, but Motorola won’t fess up about it. Even when there’s this video and images of it in action ….
It’s almost like a scene from a Spy movie. The faceless hands takes the Droid X2 and hits all the buttons, showing us several features, and then snaps off a handful of images. From what we can see, the Droid X2 is almost identical in design to the Droid X. And the resulting quadrant test shows a result of 2453, showing it’s blazing fast. It runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) currently, but word is it may ship with Gingerbread. Other specs include a 4.3″ qHD screen with 960×540 resolution, a 1.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, and 768MB of RAM. There’s also an 8MP rear facing camera with dual LED flash that’s capable of also capturing video at 720p HD. The rest is the usual connectors ranging from micoUSB to microHDMI. There’s no word on pricing, but a strong hint that Motorola will confirm a release come mid May. Yeah, we’ll believe it when we see it. Click here to view the embedded video.    [via TechnoBuffalo] )
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| Samsung Replenish Comes Early to the Party Posted: 15 Apr 2011 11:14 AM PDT Samsung has created a rather cool, and green, Android handset with the Samsung Replenish. Samsung has deliberately incorporated recycled and recyclable plastic into it’s design in an effort to stem the growing amount of eWaste that is plaguing the eco system with tossed cellphones. And who doesn’t like keeping Mother Earth happy?! But there’s more …
Even though the page has been pulled down, we do know that the Replenish (great name considering, BTW) has a 2.8″ QVGA display and a full hard key portait QWERTY. That should make it a useful transition for the BlackBerry set looking to transition into the Android platform. It also sports a camera, which is seen in the image above, though we don’t know what kind. Since it’s a very entry level design, that camera will only have a 2MP camera. There’s a few other details about the Replenish. It’ll run Android 2.2, Froyo out of the box and it looks to come in three color options – Onyx Black, Arctic Blue and Raspberry Pink, although the Raspberry model won’t be out until summer. It’ll be available through Sprint for $49.99 and they’re waiving the $10 monthly data charge. Look for May 8th. Just in time for Earth Day, eh? UPDATE: We’ve now got the official skinny on this and one other phone in the press release below. Nothing TOO fantastic, but a neat Android phone nonetheless. The other phone is a feature phone with no Android, but it does have web browsing, texting, keyboard, and it’s on our good pal Virgin Mobile’s wireless network.       )
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