Android Community |
- Days Left Widget for remembering important dates
- BeBook to release 7-inch tablet this summer
- LG to launch the Optimus Black this month in Europe
- DROID Charge at Target (but you can’t have it!) [FROM THE FORUMS]
- Samsung Galaxy S II vs Infuse 4G Quadrant Benchmark Pummeling
- T-Mobile G2x Gingerbread Leak [Apparently the Real Deal]
- Samsung Infuse 4G MHL Adapter Requires Wall Plug to Work – deal breaker or positive move?
| Days Left Widget for remembering important dates Posted: 07 May 2011 11:02 PM PDT My favorite feature of an Android Phone isn’t it’s ability to play Flash or it’s slick interface (TouchWiz and Sense notwithstanding), it’s the cool widgets you can download. Sure, we’ve all see the myriad of weather widgets and 70′s era clock radio flip widgets, but Days Left is just as useful as it lets users count down to very important dates. The widgets can be coordinated by date due, colors, and can even have several overlays. Sizes can also be adjusted to make room for more dates, or focus on more information.
Or, a combination of both. It can be very useful to remembering due dates on those utility bills so you don’t get that disconnect notice. Or that you have your wedding anniversary coming up. And changing the colors can provide a sense of urgency as you get closer to the date due. The overlays can include icons for birthdays, important holidays, and even sports for the big game. So, if you’re a to do freak who just loves getting stuff done, this app may be ideal for keeping track of all those due dates. And the best part is, it’s free! One thing tough, the widget is a home screen widget and cannot be installed on your SD card and work properly. It has no Apps2SD support. So keep that in mind when you hit the QR code.    [via Talk Android] )
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| BeBook to release 7-inch tablet this summer Posted: 07 May 2011 10:48 PM PDT It looks like the success of the Barnes and Noble NOOKColor reader/homebrew tablet hasn’t escaped the notice of BeBook. The eBook reader has announced that they will be jumping into the Android tablet pool with a model of their own, called the BeBook Live, and they’re doing it for less than $280. Now, granted, it’ll be running Android 2.2 (Froyo) out of the box and will only have a single core 1Ghz Samsung Cortex processor, but for that kinda change, it makes a very good entry level tablet for those looking to explore the Bot on a tablet level. And like other lower budget tablets, that doesn’t preclude that Honeycomb won’t come as an update, or, as the NookColor has proven, be cooked into it via a homebrew hack.
The BeBook Live has a 7-inch multi-touch screen with a nominal 800×600 resolution. It has 512MB or SDRAM and 4GB of internal flash storage. A microSD can boost storage up to 32GB. And it has a single 2MP forward facing camera for video chat as well as a mini HDMI port. It fully supports ADobe DRM for both publishing and PDF files for all your eBook readers out there, and supports magazines, comics, and textbooks. It comes with pre-installed apps like EBuddy, Rockplayer, and a game called Tank Hero, to name a few. Check out the video commercial below, and notice the very interesting picture of someone sitting on the toilet using their tablet! Now there’s a unique marketing ploy.    [via TalkAndroid] )
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| LG to launch the Optimus Black this month in Europe Posted: 07 May 2011 10:21 PM PDT LG has announced that the LG Optimus Black is heading for a little European vacation as it launches later this month. The super thin, ultra bright phone will be available worldwide after receiving pre-orders from over 50 countries. The plan is to start in Europe and then phase across six continents, ending with North America and Asia. Likely through AT&T and T-Mobile.
With it’s single core TI OMAP3 1 Ghz processor and 3G connectivity, it may not be as high performance than some, but it makes up for it with it’s .36″ thickness and 3.84 ounce weight. Couple that with the 4 inch NOVA display, and you have a very bright and colorful presentation (700 nits to be exact). In addition, the Optimus Black has what has become pretty standard in Android handsets with a 5MP rear facing and 2MP forward facing camera. It runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) out of the box and has 2GB of internal memory and a microSD slot that can take up to 32GB. Originally announced at CES in January, the LG Optimus really caught eyes at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Since then, Android fans have been awaiting anxiously for it’s appearance by flooding LG with preorders from over 50 different countries. Now it looks as if the wait is almost over. But with the trend moving towards dual-core high performance chips, running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and 4G connectivity, could the window be closing for Optimus Black?
[via Phandroid] )
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| DROID Charge at Target (but you can’t have it!) [FROM THE FORUMS] Posted: 07 May 2011 10:11 PM PDT As you may well know by now if you’re one of the folks waiting for the DROID Charge to come out, you’ve got an indefinite time ahead of you before it’s in your hands. On a nice trip to their local Target Superstore today one of our ravenous street team has sent us a few photos of what it looks like to cry and get so close, yet so very far away. At first glance it appears that Target does indeed have the DROID Charge in stock – in two places, mind you, but the truth is only about a foot away.
Above these standard phone displays, pictures intact, you’ll find a sign that lets you know that you’ll not be getting your beloved next step in the DROID line and second phone in the world to work with Verison’s 4G LTE network. Yes, the Samsung DROID Charge, they say, will not be in the store (or at least will not be available for sale) as long as this sign stands, Verizon Wireless still being the reason for the season of discontent.
You’ve got options, says the sign, if you’d like to get notified the moment the DROID Charge becomes available, you could get called, you could get emailed, OR you could talk to DROID DOES and have their website tell you too. To work with DROID DOES, just head on over to http://droiddoes.com/charge and wait in line. Meanwhile, if you’d like more information on this super device, we here at Android Community are glad to provide you with a full review!    )
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| Samsung Galaxy S II vs Infuse 4G Quadrant Benchmark Pummeling Posted: 07 May 2011 04:00 PM PDT I know there’s a mob of citizens out there saying that these benchmarking tests are bad and unreliable and can be fixed to win and etc, etc, but I’m not going to start every single post with this warning – in fact, hold me to this – this is the last time I post this warning. If you don’t like benchmarks, don’t read benchmarks, and sit on it, Potsie. That said, we’ve been going through the guts of both the Samsung Infuse 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S II (the Euro version still since the USA version isn’t exactly ready for the world yet.) What we’re finding is that at first glance they seem pretty similar in their cosmetics. Upon closer inspection, they’re COMPLETELY DIFFERENT – and in no small way, let me tell you that.
First, have a look back at our first post on this war between the two brothers (or sisters, or cousins, whatever you like,) then come back and see the true test of mightiness. While it may seem that the Infuse, having a bigger screen and being released at least a few weeks before the Galaxy S II, may be the better of the two, you’ve got another thing coming if that’s you’re opinion. Have a look at this simple Quadrant benchmarking test:
You know how much of a difference that is? A whole heck of a lot. That means that in essentially every single category listed here, CPU, Memory, I/O, 2D, and 3D, the Galaxy S II wipes the floor with the Infuse 4G. It’s as if it’s a whole different generation of phone. And it is. Once this GS2 machine is released in earnest (and by earnest I mean the USA, since I live here, ya know,) you’ll find that there’ll be basically no other choice but for manufacturers to step up their game not just a couple of steps, but a couple of leaps and bounds. Also note, both of these tests have been performed straight out of the box! See below for some additional chassis comparisons in clear view.          )
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| T-Mobile G2x Gingerbread Leak [Apparently the Real Deal] Posted: 07 May 2011 03:46 PM PDT What we’ve got here, courtest of Paul from MoDaCo is what appears to be the Gingerbread build that will eventually be the one send out to G2x users across the USA. This build is release-key signed, which generally means that it’s the real deal, and the file you’re about to download is both pre-rooted and is a repacked ROM so you’ll be able to flash it easily – just so long as your device is rooted, of course. We’ve got full instructions on how to do this here plus a quick look at the insides.
The video you’re about to see goes through a few tiny areas that are indicative of Gingerbread-ness and will inevitably be showing up in Android 2.3 for your G2x, but take it with a grain of salt. Most everything can be faked, and who the heck knows for sure? That said, it appears to yours truly to be legit, and aside from the external SD card not mounting properly (still working on it) and benchmarks not turning up so sweet thus far. It does smell like Gingerbread, at least! There’s a couple of points that I’d like to pass on to you from Paul about the build, the first of which being that this release does NOT include an updated baseband – Paul notes that he’ll provide it too once he’s got it (secret mafia business!) Next, that this release is repacked the ROM to update zip format for your ease in flashing and it’s pre-rooted, other than that, it’s 100% the way he found it. The following process will void your warrantee with T-Mobile and you’ll be very very sad if you mess it up because you’ll have to buy a new phone. That said, have fun! This guide starts at an out-of-the-box state with the G2x, so if you’re already rooted and have ROM Manager set up, skip to Part 2. PART 1 Part 2 Confused at all? Ask a question below and I’ll do my best to answer it! )
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| Samsung Infuse 4G MHL Adapter Requires Wall Plug to Work – deal breaker or positive move? Posted: 07 May 2011 02:46 PM PDT We’ve got this lovely gigantically bright and delicious (metaphorically) device here for review by the name of Samsung Infuse 4G, and one of the neatest things about it is it’s one of if not THE first phone to employ a dual-function microUSB port that also works with an MHL adapter (also included.) This MHL adapter makes it so you can output to a universal HDMI cable and thusly mirror your display to a much bigger display such as an HD television. There’s a catch though that you might find good or you might find bad – you’ve got to utilize the second port on the adapter to plug in to a power source for the adapter to function.
Let’s talk about how this could be a bad thing first. Using your handheld mobile device as a media center to be displayed through your television is a relatively new concept, and one that, if you ask your humble narrator, seems most excellent when it’s a simple interaction between the device and the television. Thus far, devices, (such as the T-Mobile G2x, ATRIX 4G, and Motorola XOOM) need no extra power source to transmit media via HDMI cord to the television. Here comes the Samsung Infuse and it’s got this great ability to work with HDMI through its usb port, but it needs for you to be plugged into the wall while you’re working it! On the other hand, doesn’t it make sense for the device to also be plugged into the wall so as to assure you you’ll be able to play whatever it is you want to play without the handset running out of power while you’re playing it. It’s brilliant for these manufacturers to have put the 2 jacks in one splitter instead of on the device, isn’t it? What’s your take? )
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