Thursday, April 7, 2011

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Motorola Enlisting 1,000 Bravo Owners to Test Software Upgrade to Android 2.2

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:49 PM PDT

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The time is almost here, Bravo owners – Froyo shall soon be yours. The sweet dessert was once delayed for the device but Motorola’s now opened the floodgates for 1,000 testers to get their hands on it. The catch? Just be willing to guinea pig software that may or may not turn your phone into a pile of molten lava. (These things aren’t usually harmful, though. In fact, they’re often quite stable.)

Be sure to fill out this registration form for your chance to get in on the fun. (You’ll need to join Moto’s support forums so be sure to do that if you haven’t already.) More details about the process can be had here, while details about what the upgrade itself brings can be had here. [via AC]

White Nexus S With AT&T Radios Shown Off on Video

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:34 PM PDT

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We were surprised to see this thing on sale at Negri Electronics a few days ago, and while we had our reservations about the legitimacy of that online retailer, Engadget has gotten their ands on the white Nexus S with AT&T radios from the retailer to prove it’s the real deal – no KIRF’ing here.

It’s fully white, in case you were wondering – many of you were concerned that only the back portion of the phone was white like on the white version of the HTC EVO 4G. Those are completely different phones, though, so who cares? Video’s above. (But there’s nothing exciting unless you’ve been waiting for the device in this color or for a verison compatibile with AT&T.)

Eee Pad Transformer Source Code Released Well Ahead of Device

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:17 PM PDT

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We’re usually waiting days, weeks, and sometimes months after a device has launched to get the kernel source code, but ASUS said nuh-uh – we’re going to give it to you before we can even get this thing to retail. If there was any development community getting ready to surround this tablet/netbook hybrid then they’ll be pleased to know that they can begin hammering away at things before the device is in their hands. You can only get so far with source code, of course, so let’s hope this tablet starts trickling into the market sooner rather than later. [ASUS via Android Central]

Ever Wonder Why Pandora Needed All of Those Access Permissions? [Privacy]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 05:57 PM PDT

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Pandora has long been under the microscope for its unsual list of permissions it requests of users who download their applications. Some things – like the need to read contact data and your phone identity – just don’t seem necessary for a simple streaming music service. What are they doing with this sort of power?

One security firm – Veracode – did their own analysis of the application and pulled together some interesting results. Pandora takes your birthdate, gender (these are given whenever you sign up for a Pandora account), and more sensitive information such as your Android ID and your GPS location and sends it all to what looks to be advertising agencies.

It seems to be some sort of ploy for better ad targeting. We’ve never been mad at that – we love when Google does it, in fact – but why does Pandora feel the need to hide this from everyone? I personally don’t mind that having access to and sending that stuff to advertisers to better target ads, but at least say you’re doing it.

Covering your intentions up with black tarp just makes you seem guilty and shady.  (Note: Pandora has openly admitted to collecting this data, but when questioned why the company only said it was to better personalize the music experience for the listener.) What do you folks think? Do you even care? [via Ars Technica]

Rumor: Verizon to Get Rid of 1-Year Contracts April 17th

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 05:10 PM PDT

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Another very significant change to Verizon’s services may be coming according to latest rumors. The folks at Gadget-U have received a document suggesting that Verizon Wireless will no longer be offering the one-year contract after April 17th – just 10 days from now.

The document cites the need to streamline and cut down on customer confusion as reasons why they’re making the change. They also claim that not many people opt for the one-year offering. It’s just one of many changes Verizon’s made in recent months that I’m sure doesn’t sit well with you.

Power users prefer one-year contracts as they tend to want the latest and greatest each year. With that option, they don’t have to pay full retail for the device at the point of sale with the extra padding usually being about $150 extra than what you’d pay for the two-year option. It was a very attractive deal to many, but those days may soon be going the way of the dodo. Anyone here affected by this news?

[Note]: If you’re already on a one-year contract you can get an upgrade at the end of your usual term if you so choose, but you’ll have to sign a new two-year contract at that time.

Want the T-Mobile G2x Early? Ebay Has One for $999

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:25 PM PDT

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Can’t wait until April 15th for the release of the T-Mobile G2X Why not get the early jump on the handset with this eBay auction. For $999 you can guarantee you will be the coolest kid on the block for at least a week. Any takers?

[via TMoNews]

Barnes & Noble Gearing Up for Launch of NOOKcolor Apps

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:04 PM PDT

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Barnes & Noble is preparing to launch a a selection of NOOKcolor-specific apps, and has opened up their developer portal to those wishing to submit applications for the Android-based e-reader. NOOKcolor apps will come in both free and paid flavors and users will also have access to free trials before buying. Unlike Google, BN will be screening apps and denying those it does not feel fit.

NOOK-specific apps were first touted with the launch of the NOOKcolor, but it seems they have been pushed back as we await a major software upgrade that should enhance the tablet-factor of the e-reader.

[via AndroidCentral]

HTC Incredible 2 Bears Its Droid Eye In Leaked Renders

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 02:08 PM PDT

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Earlier today we caught a glimpse of the HTC Incredible 2 in the wild, but this latest leaked set of promotional renders suggests this thing might launch as the Droid Incredible 2 after all. See that Droid eye peering into your soul? That may be the only thing that separates this handset from the Incredible S we got hands-on with at Mobile World Congress.

Verizon seems to have almost no formula for when and where it applies the Droid brand, but given that the original was the Droid Incredible in conjunction with these new images, we’d say the Incredible 2 has a pretty good shot of earning the title. We won’t have to wait long. All these leaks seem mighty suggestive of an impending launch.

[via PocketNow]

Google Mobile Search Gets Tilted [April Fools Hangover]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:43 PM PDT

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Google had some fun this year for April Fools’ Day, and it appears a few of their tricks are still hanging around. Either that, or big G wants to take its antics on the road year round. Try searching “tilt” on your Android or iPhone. Your screen suddenly looking a bit askew? Here is a quick video the globetrotting Rob Jackson threw together at the airport:

Ignore the fact that he is reading Phandroid, using a Motorola Droid X and capturing video of the whole thing from his Motorola XOOM. Don’t even mention the quick glimpse we catch of the reflection of his rockin’ Android t-shirt. Say it with me now: fan boy. If we can look past all that, there you have it. Below is a shot from some other phone if the video wasn’t clear enough. A tilted search experience for sure.

[via SearchEngineLand]

Sony Ericsson Neo Delayed Due to Supply Chain Disruption

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT

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After the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan last month, Sony Ericsson issued a statement saying that their supply chain might see some disruptions as a result. It looks like the first handset to feel the strain will be the Xperia Neo. According to Sony Ericsson Italy, the Neo won’t ship until at least July as the company reorganizes its supply chain and sources new components.

The phone was originally scheduled for a launch by late April in certain parts of the world, but alas those waiting for the Xperia Neo will wait on. The Xperia Play and Xperia Arc are still shipping as scheduled, though it might only be a matter of time before the disruptions caused by this natural disaster slow down the production of those handsets as well.

[via XperiaBlog]

Packard Bell Tries their Hand at Honeycomb with 10.1-Inch, Dual-Core Liberty Tab

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:04 PM PDT

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Packard Bell is jumping into the sea of Android tablets with their first slate, the Android 3.0 Liberty Tab. Not doing much to differentiate itself from the current pack of Honeycomb tablets, the Liberty features the increasingly standard NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset and a 16:10, 1280×800 10.1-inch display. The tablet also features dual cameras at 5MP on the rear and 2MP on the front, making sure you get plenty of use out of Google Talk video calls.

It’s kind of funny. Less than a year ago we were overrun with knock-off tablets featuring old version of Android and rather bland specs. Now we are faced with a plethora of finely specced devices outfitted with Google’s tablet-specific Android Honeycomb doing little to differentiate themselves from the pack. The Packard Bell Liberty Tab will be available around Europe this June in cherry red and pearl white color schemes.

[via NetbookItalia]

TELUS Nexus S Now Available, Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate 4G Page Goes Live

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 11:25 AM PDT

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A couple of Samsung-related news items over at Canada’s TELUS today. First off, the Nexus S has launched on the carrier, as expected. You won’t find for sale on their website just yet, but rest assured if you can bare to make the trek to a retail store the second-generation Google phone can be found for $179.99 on a three-year contract.

If stock Android isn’t quite your thing, another Samsung handset will be arriving at Telus shortly. The Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate 4G. What you will get is pretty similar to the Galaxy S 4G seen on T-Mobile in the States: everything from the original Galaxy S plus an HSPA+ radio capable of 21Mbps download speeds. It will ship with Android 2.2 and should be launching fairly soon. A sign-up page has gone live at the Samsung Canada site if you want to be the first to get all the info on the upcoming device.

[via MobileSyrup 1, 2]

Google I/O Live Brings the Sold Out Event to You

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 11:16 AM PDT

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Not able to make it out to Google I/O this year? We don’t blame you, the thing did sell out in a mere hour. Never fret, Google has you covered. Today they revealed their plans for letting those off-site keep tabs on the events and sessions of their yearly developer conference. The keynote speeches will be streamed as always, but this year several Android and Chrome sessions will be livestreamed as well. Those sessions that aren’t will still be uploaded in HD video within 24 hours. All videos, including those being livestreamed, will be captioned and translated using Google Translate into all supported languages.

Aside from the ability to view sessions and keynotes as they unfold, the I/O Live dashboard will be updated in real time with news and information, and those not attending can post questions to the developer Sandbox. Questions with the most votes will be answered. All can be accessed at the I/O Live page, which will be updated with schedule info and other pertinent goods as May’s I/O event quickly approaches.Of course,  Phandroid will be on site as well, so be sure to stay tuned here for continual updates as well.

[Google via DroidDog]

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Tab to Receive Update, No Honeycomb in Sight

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 10:57 AM PDT

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I’m not sure if you should expect Android 3.0 Honeycomb to ever grace the 7-inch founder of the Galaxy Tab family, but if you are on Verizon a new update is prepped and ready to roll for the tablet. The 34.6MB update has some fixes and enhancements that promise better web browsing, more efficient (less battery drain) searching for Wi-Fi hotspots, and improved email and messaging. You can find all the info you need over at Verizon’s support page. The update should be rolling out now or in the very near future, let us know in the comments below if you have received yours!

[via DroidLife]

HTC’s Market Capitalization Surpasses Nokia and RIM, Reaches $33.8 Billion

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 10:43 AM PDT

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Android does some pretty amazing things. For instance, it can take a large part of the credit for rocketing lowly HTC from the depths of smartphone irrelevancy to a $33.8 billion market capitalization value. At the same time, one company opposed to placing Google’s OS on their hardware has seen a fall. Yep, HTC has passed Nokia using this metric as a rule. HTC has also surpassed BlackBerry maker RIM.

For what it’s worth, the valuation shouldn’t be taken as a gold standard. Market capitalization is a measure of value among stocks available on the market. Given that not all companies make equal numbers of stocks available, you can see that the comparison may not always be fair. At best we can glean one undeniable fact: HTC’s value has grown while the value of RIM and Nokia has fallen off. More precisely, the price of HTC stock has grown by 33 percent while Nokia’s stock price has dropped by 19 percent.

Nokia’s move to Windows Phone 7 and RIMs recent moves to revitalize the BlackBerry franchise haven’t played out yet, but we are sure the coming months (and years) will see continued flux in this and other rankings.

[via Engadget]
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