Friday, May 27, 2011

Android Community

Android Community

FCC Roundup: Two Galaxy Tabs and a Reader

Posted: 27 May 2011 11:04 AM PDT

Lets have a look at what we’ve got rolling through the FCC today! Over the past couple days, actually. As you may know, devices popping up on their way through the FCC approval process often means that a device will soon be being released in one way or another to the public – be it in a special release, just for reviewing, or straight up available for sale. First we’ve got a report from yesterday on the Galaxy Tab 8.9 which more than likely will be showing up as a reviewer’s unit before it’s released (limited edition or otherwise.)

Next there’s a listing for Barnes & Noble’s newest touchscreen reader tablet, named NOOK, aka the next generation NOOK that also runs Android 2.1 and has a 6-inch display with 800 x 600 pixel resolution and eInk. To get a better idea of what’s going on with this tablet (since the FCC listing says essentially nothing new about it, head on over to our initial announcement post and check out this fabulous video:

Next is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wifi-only edition. This is essentially the same device we got to look at a couple weeks ago at Google I/O 2011 – we’ve still got it lying around here somewhere, of there it is! And what’s that, it’s got a glass situation going on? Oh no! Have a look at what you might want to look out for now.

[via Wireless Goodness]

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Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Honeycomb Android Tablet Listing Appear

Posted: 27 May 2011 09:59 AM PDT

What’s that, is it LePad? Sort of! It’s the USA version of China’s LePad, here called the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 carrying around Android 3.0 Honeycomb and a slew of other elements you might rack up as oddities. Right now it’s appearing in a couple of online stores as “out of stock” or “sold out” and you know what that means – coming on quick. This device is slated to be released in June and will be for sale at Buy.com and Krex first if they’ve got anything to say about it.

First lets have a look at the Krex listing – this one they’ve got the device up for a total of $510 and it’s Out of Stock. Next they’ve got a listing up on Buy.com that has no price but does have a much more involved listing – a nice spread! Several of these magical images can be found in the gallery below.

This device is running Android 3.0 and an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor at 1.0GHz out of the box. This device also includes 1GB DDR2 memory, 32GB Flash storage, has a 10.1″ 1280 x 800 pixel resolution screen, 2.0MP Front Camera and 5.0MP Rear Camera, weighs in at 1.65 lbs, and connects via 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1. It’s got a whole bag full of ports: Multi-function Connector, Micro SD Card Reader, Micro HDMI out, SIM Card Port, 3.5mm stereo headphone output, and built-in digital microphone. AND it’s running a Lenovo-specific user interface that’s running over Honeycomb.

And look at this, a whole giant pack of odd apps right out of the box : Android Market, Lenovo App Shop, Amazon MP3, Slacker Radio, mSpot music, Netflix, mSpot Movies (SD), mSpot HD, Acetrax, Zinio, Kindle, Silver Creek Games (5), Oberon Warships, Rovio Angry Birds, Talking Tom, Galaxy On Fire 2, Need for Speed Shift, Vendetta Online, Murtha Drawing Pad, Kongregate, ooVoo, PokeTalk, eBuddy, Twitter, Symantec, Accuweather, Docs to Go.

Sounds good enough to drop 5 hundred bucks?

Screen shot 2011-05-27 at 11.28.12 AM 221236384-1 221236384-4 221236384 Selection_00123-550x292

[via SlashGear]

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Sony Ericsson Talking Bootloader Unlocking Too

Posted: 27 May 2011 09:10 AM PDT

SO we’re talking about unlocking bootloaders lately, and it appears the Sony Ericsson is up for review next. Last night we were tipped off by HTC that they would, indeed be unlocking bootloaders on all future devices. What Sony Ericsson is doing at this very moment is discussing the bootloaders on the new Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, specifically in regards to SEUS, aka the Sony Ericsson Update Service. There’ve been two notes coming out on this subject thus far: one that says unlocking the bootloader will stop you from getting official updates, the other that says that it’ll be just fine.

The following image is from Sony Ericsson’s Facebook page, a page we’ve dug up from the depths of these internets (with a little help from our pals over at the XPERIA blog) where Sony Ericsson UK confirms that “as long as you use the Sony Ericsson stock software [you'll be offered and will be able to use official updates.] Check it out here, and remember that this is from the UK, where things can be a little wacky:

Now there’s word from Sony Ericsson Developer Karl-Johan Dahlström who says the opposite is true. He says that if you unlock your bootloader, even if you don’t technically change anything after that, you will not be offered SEUS support. Dahlström notes that the problem is that when your device is unlocked, SEUS supposedly cannot see what software release is currently active. Dahlström adds that Sony Ericsson is investigating ways to get a Sony Ericsson ROM back on the phone, but he personally has no timeline on this thus far.

Check out his quotes on the subject straight from XDA:

I am aware that we don't have a recovery ROM in place. There are some reasons why that is the case. One reason for not supporting FOTA updates after the phone has been unlocked is that FOTA is a delta between two know SW releases and as the phone has been unlocked we can't be sure of the SW release currently on the phone. I will bring this question back to see if we could allow phones that has been unlocked to be updated via "SW update service" which would be a way to get a Sony Ericsson ROM back on the phone, but please note the warranty may still have been voided as the phone.

The above comes from here, below comes from here.

urrently we don't support SEUS for phones that have been unlocked. I have initiated discussions if we can support that going forward, but there are several things that needs to be investigated before I can give you an answer (e.g. will it affect customer call centers, repair centers, which SW should be used for unlocked phones, how to identify phone model if other things has been modified, are there security concerns for unlocked phones etc). Will get back to you as soon as I have more information. Sorry that I can't give a better answer at this time.

Thusly beware – though we’ve still been hearing accounts that say the opposite, it’s good to be aware that it’s possible you wont be receiving OTA updates if you’ve got an unlocked bootloader. To upgrade your firmware manually you can use Flashtool, and of course the folks at XDA have a copy of the Android 2.3.3 firmware update that you’ll need to upgrade at this very moment.

What’s your experience been? Unlocked and still getting updates? Locked and still waiting? Unlocked and bricked and thrown out the window?

[via XPERIA Blog]

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Displays Breaking on Galaxy Tab 10.1 [Google I/O Limited Edition]

Posted: 27 May 2011 07:26 AM PDT

We’ve got an account here of a until-recently-proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Google I/O Limited Edition Android tablet. An account that tells a story of one of the most evil errors a person holding a $500 device might hope never to have to experience – the fact that this device was free notwithstanding. This error is a physical error – it appears that the glass covering the front of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is coming loose. Luckily the person who we’re speaking with here has gotten word back from the Samsung support line on what he should do to fix this situation.

As you know, this year at Google I/O (2011), one of the free devices given out to all 5,000 attendees was this lovely Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, an early edition of the tablet featuring a special Android army etched in the back cover and a non-TouchWiz experience happening inside. We’ve got an entirely full review of this device for your enjoyment. Notice how slick, sleek, and fabulous it is. Notice how similar and perhaps even smaller and lighter than the iPad 2 it is. Wow, what an object, right?

Well it turns out there’s something very evil happening to at least one of these 5,000 – a glue error! Have a look at this terrifying image you see above and shield your children’s eyes, because it is terrifying. That said, the owner of this device, a fellow by the name of Justin G, has emailed Samsung Support, receiving this message in reply:

——-BEGIN EMAIL——–
Dear Justin,

Thank you for your inquiry. You have reached Samsung Telecommunications America. This inquiry concerns a model that is not manufactured for use here in the United States.

Unfortunately, Samsung Telecommunications America is unable to provide information, technical support, or repair services for Galaxy tablet 10.1 since this device is not yet available in United States. We do not have the knowledge base or components to provide this service.

Because this inquiry is in relation to a model manufactured for use in another country, please click here and select the appropriate country of support. This will direct you to the main website for that country’s support and provide you with a Contact Us link, located at the bottom of the page. Questions will then be directed to the proper support center for your model phone.

We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you for your continued interest in Samsung.

Sincerely, Technical Support John
———-END EMAIL———-

Well, Technical Support John, the link provided doesn’t really lead anywhere:
http://www.samsung.com/us/function/ipredirection/ipredirectionLocalList.do
but we do appreciate the sentiment. We’re truly hoping this is the only incident, but we’re asking that anyone else who has the same situation going on to step forward and let us know so we can continue to push Samsung for a fix. They’ve made one of the greatest tablets on the market, can’t stop now with a little yet potentially big issue like this!

Here’s how the corner SHOULD look, this photo taken of the same tablet in question:

Thanks for sending this in, Justin G!

back down upagain up Screen shot 2011-05-27 at 9.23.32 AM brokie

UPDATE: User Aaron Mars has the same problem, and more reports are pouring in –

“Here’s mine. Not as clear as the one from the original post, but I can assure you when I press on the corner, I can feel it move and hear the glue trying to take hold.”

Feel free to post a picture of your broken unit in the comments below OR email to chris@androidcommunity.com

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SwiftKey X hits public beta today on Android Market

Posted: 27 May 2011 06:36 AM PDT

If you are looking for a better onscreen keyboard for your Android device, a new app has landed in the Android Market that you might want to check out. The app is a public beta, so don’t expect it to run perfectly. It is called SwiftKey X and builds on the TouchType SwiftKey keyboard to offer cloud personalization and it has a new prediction engine. The app also has a bunch of UI improvements according to the developer.

The SwiftKey typing experience can be customized to the user by integrating data from Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail as the SMS messages are sent. The typing style is fine tuned to match the way you use your phone for more efficiency. The prediction engine is also able to adapt the touch sensitive areas of the keys to allow predictions based on the way the user types.

There is a host of other features in the new beta app. The settings menu is redesigned from other versions of the app, it has a next gen fluency interface engine, the response times are improved, and the battery usage is reduced. The app also has improved typo and spelling correction. Any word can also be removed from prediction, not just words populated dynamically. Check out the Android Market page for all of the details.

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Official Galaxy Tab 10.1 accessories all caught on video

Posted: 27 May 2011 06:22 AM PDT

We really like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet a lot around here and we have reviewed that limited edition version already and are looking forward to the retail version landing. Monday the official accessories turned up on a European website with prices and availability on some of them listed. There was a number of accessories including cases and lots more there for fans of the tablet to check out.

If the photos that accompanied the accessories on that European website weren’t enough to allow you to decide which to buy, they have turned up on a video over on Andoridmixer. I don’t understand the language the guy on the video is speaking, but you can see the accessories in action. The normal hard case looks nice. The leather case is nothing but a pouch; I would go with the hard case.

The video goes over the dock and just about everything else as well. The keyboard dock is the one that didn't have a pic on the post earlier this week. It looks really nice. The right shift key is small, which is a pet peeve of mine. Anyway, check out the video to see the stuff in action.

[via AndroidMixer]

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SoundHound creators offer new app called Hound

Posted: 27 May 2011 06:03 AM PDT

The developer behind the app SoundHound app that we wrote about last in December 2010 has announced a new app for Android users. The new app is called simply Hound and is a voice search app for music. Users of the full version of the SoundHound app on the Android Market have noted in the reviews for Hound that the full version of SoundHound already has voice search. This is apparently aimed at people that don't want to spend the $4.99 on the full version, but want voice search.

Hound claims to be the app that will help smartphones move from touch screens to voice searching. The app is a free download on the Android Market and on the Amazon Appstore for Android. The app will let you search for millions of songs using song title, artist, and band. You can get song previews, lyrics, and lots of artist information. That artist info includes album lists and the top songs.

Other features of the app include links to Amazon MP3 to buy the tracks, share links, video links, and links to tour dates and more. The app will run on any device with Android 1.5 or higher. The download size is 3.1M and it was added to the Android Market on May 26. If you have used this app let us know how well it works.

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Android users spurn paid apps say researchers

Posted: 27 May 2011 03:36 AM PDT

New stats seemingly confirm anecdotal evidence that Android users are less likely to download paid applications than their Apple-using counterparts. According to researchers Distimo, 80-percent of paid applications in the Android Market have been downloaded less than 100 times.

In the competitive gaming segment, only five titles in the Android Market have been downloaded more than 250,000 worldwide. In contrast, ten iPhone games in the App Store were downloaded in excess of 250,000 times in the US in the past two months alone. It’s a trend that’s seemingly shared across app segments, too:

“It is more challenging for developers in the Google Android Market than in the Apple App Store to monetize using a one-off fee monetization model. We found that only two paid applications have been downloaded more than half a million times in the Google Android Market worldwide to date, while six paid applications in the Apple App Store for iPhone generate the same number of downloads within a two month timeframe in the United States alone.” Distimo

Distimo suggests that Google’s slow rate of change of the top ten charts – which incorporates long-term performance and as such varies at a slower pace than Apple’s charts – is a significant cause of the download scarcity. That means there’s less fresh meat for users to see and be tempted by.

You can download the full Distimo report here [free registration required].

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Asus Eee Pad Slider set to hit stores soon

Posted: 27 May 2011 03:28 AM PDT

One of the more interesting tablets to come from Asus in recent memory is the Eee Pad Slider that was unveiled months ago during CES. We have all been waiting to hear when the Slider would hit stores so we can purchase the thing and have our keyboard packing Android tablet love. The standout feature of the Slider and what gives the tablet its name is the slide out keyboard. The screen tilts up at a slight angle when the keyboard is exposed for more comfortable working.

That screen is a 10.1-inch unit with a 1280 x 800 resolution. The tablet uses an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor at 1GHz and runs Honeycomb. Other than the launch date, the other key factors we are lacking is how much the tablet will cost. I hope that Asus makes the Slider a reasonably priced tablet, if the price is pushed too high it will be a hard sell to many shopping for an Android tablet.

We don’t have an official launch date on the Slider at this point, but a tweet from Asus has surfaced. The teasing tweet read, “For those of you waiting for the Eee Pad Slider, we’ve got some good news for you: its launch is due soon!” Often makers of gadgets have different opinions for just what “soon” means than many of us do so for now it’s still wait and see on the Slider. Until the launch, you can check out the hands on video and photos over on sister site SlashGear.

[via Tabletpcreview]

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Android devs hit by Lodsys in-app patent legal threats

Posted: 27 May 2011 01:39 AM PDT

The patent holder targeting iOS App Store developers over their use of in-app purchasing systems has apparently turned its attention to Android developers now, with at least one coder claiming to have received a legal threat over their software. Lodsys grabbed headlines after issuing independent App Store developers with demands for patent licensing over some of the technologies used in in-app purchasing systems, despite Apple having already licensed those patents.

“We recently implemented in-app purchases for our Android application” Android developer markusn82 writes, “and several weeks later we received a letter from Lodsys, claiming that we infringed on their patents.” So far we’re yet to hear from any other developers similarly targeted.

Apple has announced its intent to support iOS developers, arguing that it licenses the Lodsys patents under an agreement that allows it to offer the resulting technologies to its business partners and customers. The expectation is that Google will take a similar stance.

[via MacRumors]

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Breaking: HTC to unlock all bootloaders [UPDATE: Only on Future Devices]

Posted: 26 May 2011 06:31 PM PDT

Wow, breaking just now it seems that after all the talk and discussion on Facebook and Twitter over the last few days has finally made HTC listen. Many users and me included all retweeted tons of comments regarding HTC and their somewhat new policy of having locked bootloaders on their devices. Even yesterday we reported on this so it seems HTC has moved fast. This has been a huge issue in the past for Motorola and they have also claimed to be unlocking future devices as well. Official comment below.

This comes as a huge surprise tonight because this has all just happened over the past few days. This larger outcry for HTC to unlock the bootloaders on their popular android devices has got a lot of attention as of late, and the voice has only been getting louder. Devices like the upcoming HTC Sensation that everyone loves, but many wont get if its bootloader is locked.

We have just got the official word and will be updating this story as soon as we hear anything more, just wanted to get this news out to all our readers as soon as possible. So now the question is when will all these devices be changed? Will this policy be on future releases only? Will the upcoming HTC Sensation 4G set to launch on T-Mobile June 8th have a locked bootloader? Do they have enough time to change it? Original leaks show it indeed is locked, but that was before this breaking news. Stay tuned for more information as this is just hitting the wire.

“There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we’ve listened. Today, I’m confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience,” Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.

Please note that more specific details will be shared at a later date.

Here is the official twitter announcement by @HTC

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LG Revolution Review

Posted: 26 May 2011 04:26 PM PDT

Welcome to the Revolution! This is LG’s newest effort for Verizon, the LG Revolution running on their 4G LTE network. This device features a 4.3-inch 480 x 800 pixel resolution TFT display and a single core Snapdragon MSM8655 1GHz processor, connecting with Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, HDMI, DNLA, and it’s got Netflix! That this is one of the most important draws to the device makes us wary of it. But behold, this is an LG phone and we’ve been rolling out with some rather impressive LG phones as of late. The LG Optimus 3D and the T-Mobile G2x were pretty excellent, how does the LG Revolution add up?

The big question here is whether you’re going to want to select this device or one of the other Verizon LTE phones. Hands down, that’s the decision. Unless, on the other hand, you’re one of those weird folks who collects LG phones, in which case, here’s your next purchase! As for the rest of the world, is this device worth the cash – $249.99 and a two-year service plan? We shall see!

Hands-On and Unboxing of the LG Revolution

Hardware

This device is a candybar design with a camera up the center of the back and a volume dongle on the right. Right next to the volume there’s a covered HDMI port. Along the bottom is one mic hole, another mic hole on the top of the back, and a miniUSB port along the left, again covered by a nice shiny piece of chome-looking plastic. Most of the device is soft plastic except for the metal strip along the middle of the back and a nice slab of what MIGHT be Gorilla Glass along the front. We’re still checking on this factoid.

On the whole, this device has no stand-out physical features. It fits in the palm of your hand, the soft plastic along the back is nice to rub on your cheek, and the cameras on front and back are generally OK. Check below for some examples of photos and videos from both ends. The back does look rather nice, aesthetics get a plus on the battery cover. Brushed metal surrounds the display just like the LG Optimus 3D

Software

What you’re working with here is LG’s user interface, certainly one of the least-changed versions of Android you’re going to see out there as far as changes to the UI go. There’s a little red dot marking which homescreen you’re on, your lock screen is a lovely door that needs to be pulled up, and your apps drawer is separated by category. Other than that, it WOULD be essentially vanilla but LG has opted to go the Bing route. What this means is that instead of getting the standard set of Google apps that you love, you’ll have to download them from the app store – they’ll still be free, but if you’re used to certain things like Google Navigator being there for you, you’ll have that extra few clicks to deal with. Bing’s apps are… not our favorite, we shall say. They work alright, but Google’s setup is optimized for Android, so we love it best.

As far as amount of apps goes, there’s 48 shortcuts in your app drawer, the vast majority of them going to individual apps rather than being shortcuts to things like settings, and there ARE quite a few that you’ll more than likely never use. Netflix, Camera, Music, Gallery, Contacts, Phone, and a basic browser that we’d later replace with Firefox would be fine with me, but lo! We must make concessions for the Android Market.

Netflix Streaming over Wifi

Yes indeed, you can stream Netflix, and the Netflix app is starting to be pushed to several other platforms as we speak. Currently the results certainly do not appear to be the best. The result you see here isn’t connected to LTE, instead working through my very fast WiFi connection and the picture still appears to be rather ratty. Hopefully we see a vast improvement soon.

Netflix Streaming Over WiFi Demonstration

Camera

The camera setup here is a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front best used for video chat and a back-facing camera at 5-megapixels, capable of 720p video recording and placed at the center top of the back of the phone. Have a look below for examples of media collected with all the best settings:

Front-Facing 1.3-megapixel Photo

Front-Facing Video

Back-Facing 5-megapixel Photo

Back-Facing 720p Video

Performance

This device, like the general majority of the smartphone population out there today, is generously quick with the loading of apps and the flipping back and forth between screens. We’ve collected some benchmark scores for you below that should give you a generally OK idea of how well this device performs against the rest of the devices we’ve tested in the past. As always, we wish the device luck in it’s test taking, and do check to make sure it’s got plenty of sharpened pencils and a kneaded eraser.

Linpack

Smartbench 2011

Quadrant Advanced

AnTutu

Battery

We’ve definitely got to put this device through an extended test for the 1500 mAh battery as it only really shows its true face after a while – not because the battery changes any significant amount over a short while, but because it’s important to test the real-world effects of carrying this thing around using LTE all over the place. As you know, we’ve had not the best results with LTE blasting the batteries out of the DROID Charge and the HTC ThunderBolt. Thus far it appears that we may well have a winner on our hands, having only had to charge it once each day (overnight) and the charge pumping the battery up to 100% in right around an hour’s time.

Wrap-Up

This device is the third device to offer 4G LTE connectivity, and it’s certainly comparable with the first two. This device weighs approximately the same as the first two, their displays are quite different, and their processors are extremely similar. We’ll have a 3-way battle between the three LTE devices out soon, but for now let’s just say that there’s really no clear winner. Instead you’ll more than likely be choosing between which bit of hardware you like the best, aka which one feels best in your hand, and which user interface you like best. LG doesn’t take too many far-off blows with Android’s basic setup other than the obvious Bing integration rather than straight-up Google.

The device itself is rather non-fantastic, looking like a basic candybar with a lovely and very fashionable metal strip along the back. This is LG’s new aesthetic tie between their devices, and I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s classy. The camera is fine, not the best, the front-facing camera is basically strictly for video chat, and all of your insides move as speedily as an average user should want, (the device is not as powerful as a dual-core phone like the LG G2x,) and everything you want to do outside playing the most high-powered games on the market should work out fine for you, you everyperson Android user.

Now as for your hardcore early-adopters: beware. You’re going to walk in to this phone expecting something, (like Netflix with LTE,) and you’ll very possibly be surprised how you’re let down by the whole situation. Certainly this device does connect over LTE, and it’s speedy with both the downloads and the uploads, but the device doesn’t seem to have a significant amount of benefits over the HTC ThunderBolt or the DROID Charge. On the other hand, if you see this device first, you’ll more than likely love this device the best. If you see one of the others first, you’ll more than likely love that one the best. Any way you look at it, Verizon wins.

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Galaxy Tab 8.9 Hits the FCC, Coming Soon!

Posted: 26 May 2011 03:40 PM PDT

I know you all are just like me and are excited and anxiously awaiting the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 to hit store shelves. Its super thin and will most likely be a big seller. I think 8.9″ is the perfect size and feels just right in the hand. Recently we mentioned the Tab 10.1 would be hitting stores in the next few days, and now we are seeing the Tab 8.9 hit the FCC. Things are looking better and better and hopefully I can get my hands on this device soon. Check out our Galaxy Tab 10.1 hands-on while you are here.

Our friends and AndroidCentral have just got word that the Galaxy Tab 8.9 has hit the FCC. This device is being called the “GT-P7310″ and you can see more about that here. The Galaxy Tab line will now all be shipping with the updated Android Honeycomb version 3.1 and should be amazingly thin like we have already seen.

I personally cant wait to have the Galaxy Tab 8.9″ for myself as I’ll probably be taking it everywhere I go, It just feels right. So will you be getting the 8.9″ or will you opt for the larger 10.1″ that will be here soon? Or get the Asus Transformer that is out now? To keep you all excited I’ll go ahead and post the latest hands-on we have seen of the Galaxy Tab 8.9″ for your viewing pleasure. Sorry but it is not in English but we only need our eyes for this video.

[via Android Central]

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Special Stickers will bring Google Wallet to older Android Phones lacking NFC

Posted: 26 May 2011 03:15 PM PDT

For those that might have somehow missed all the announcements today about Google Wallet and Google Offers you can see all of our coverage on that by clicking here. Google is rolling out a NFC system that they hope will revolutionize the way we purchase things in stores, and online. Hit up the coverage above for all the details and information. Google Wallet will be launching later this summer and you can simply tap your phone to terminals to buy things, save for later and more. Neat stuff is coming but what about those with older phones lacking NFC, they have you covered.

According to Techcrunch who was at the event to ask questions, Google has plans to take care of all current Android users that do not have NFC. (Basically every phone but the Nexus S). They mention that Google will be provided special and secure stickers that will allow a single payment source or credit card access to your Google Wallet. What this sounds like is a sticker will relay the information over the cloud or some how be integrated into Google Wallet and allow all users to partake in the fun.

Sounds a bit odd though. Where would we put this sticker, on the back of our pretty phones, maybe inside the battery cover? I know a company by the name of Tyfone has been adding NFC chips into MicroSD cards and almost all current android phones have MicroSD slots so that would be another easy route for us users lacking NFC. This sticker news has just been released so we will report more when we hear anything.

[via TechCrunch]

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Android Community App of the Week: TweetCaster HD for Honeycomb

Posted: 26 May 2011 02:35 PM PDT

I must say that ever since I got my Motorola Xoom I’ve been wishing for a good Twitter client on honeycomb. TweetComb first came out and we did a mini review on that. Later it went from being a paid app to free for all. Personally it is nice but it is too similar to Tweetdeck for PC and I didn’t like the small size and having all three panels always open. TweetCaster has came to the rescue for all us android tablet users and so far I love it.

Hurray! Today TweetCaster HD is our App of the Week,

First Impressions

First off it looks like it was built for a larger screen device. Yes tweetcomb has context menu’s and that honeycomb feel but the font was tiny and it still didn’t seem polished for a 10″ display. Thankfully TweetCaster HD has went ahead and made use of the large area using up most of the screen for your tweets and a small panel to the left to control everything, similar to how Gmail works on honeycomb. I really like the panel style this way over seeing tweets, mentions and direct messages all at the same time like other apps do. Everything seems very polished and complete, especially for it still just being in beta.

Usability

Just like in the image above, you can see exactly what I’m talking about with the panel system, using most of the screen for what is important and that is your main timeline. One of my favorite things they have added is what Handmark is calling “smart filters” where you can filter your timeline by photo’s, video’s, or even links. Instead of seeing everyones tweets you just see photo’s. It is a great way to see everything posted without having to read through all the posts. I went to AndroidCommunity’s twitter via @androids and selected photo’s to see some photos we have posted as of late, check it out below. Neat huh?

Wrap-Up

To wrap this up I’ll leave you with my two favorite features other than the great UI. First off the filters are excellent and being able to only see my timeline by photos or links is a great way to skim through all the news for the day without having to leave twitter. Then going into settings you can customize just about everything from font size, to specific colors for your tweets and mentions but what I really liked is “shake to refresh”. Something like that on a phone you might refresh it on accident, but a large tablet it works extremely well and I am pleased to say it is very convenient.

For now TweetCaster HD Beta is available in the Android Market, you can get that by clicking here. Currently its free, and hopefully it will stay that way and I’ll be a user for a long time to come. Don’t forget to check out and click the photo’s in the gallery below for full-size images as well as more pics of things like TweetCaster’s settings, compose and more.

Last week we reviewed Bang Bang Racing THD as our App of the Week.

tweetcaster HD screen-20110526-1326 screen-20110526-1330 screen-20110526-1332 screen-20110526-1346-1 )


Music Beta App Update in the Market

Posted: 26 May 2011 02:06 PM PDT

Google has released an update to its new Music app today, bringing it to version 3.0.1. The update is the first since the app was officially released a few weeks ago in conjunction with the announcement of Music Beta at Google IO. Changes include the ability to delete songs from the SD card from within the app as well as several general bug fixes.

The update comes as another wave of invites to Music Beta is being sent out. While I have personally found the app to be awesome (especially as an upgrade from the old Android music player), with a larger user base comes a larger base of complaints, and bug-fixes are never bad (so long as they don’t bring about new bugs…). The point here is that this isn’t a very exciting upgrade for sure, but it’s good to see Google standing behind Music.

While it has dramatically increased my data usage streaming, mostly due to me being too lazy to download the songs over wi-fi, Google music has if nothing else become a much more convenient way of syncing music to my phone then having to connect, mount, and transfer the files manually. As I said, Google appears to be pushing the invitations out a bit more freely now, so keep requesting invitations and if you’ve already got access leave a comment how you’re liking it.

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Netflix Streaming Demo on LG Revolution

Posted: 26 May 2011 01:35 PM PDT

So the LG Revolution is out on Verizon, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s got Netflix on it standard. That means it’s on it right out of the box. This is a joyous announcement for all those wishing to use their Netflix accounts to stream over HDMI from their Android phones, a thing that most certainly was not a possibility in the past. So how does it look? This is a question you’ll be asking once you realize how awesome it could be to have Netflix on your LG Revolution – thusly we’ve got a demo for you.

What this demo consists of is Arrested Development playing on the LG Revolution from Netflix over Wifi. As you’ll soon see, it’s not the best quality in the world. This should perhaps have been expected as Netflix is new to Android, but why in the world would they release such a stuffy stream on such a brand new phone? We’re hoping for vast improvements on this in the near future since very oppositional brands have Netflix working basically dust-free over Wifi and have for quite a while. And I want to use my HDMI port for more than just watching Tron!

Also note that we’ll have a full review of this device up for you soon. Meanwhile you should look at our hands-on and unboxing post and check out how to convert a movie with skill and grace for playing with your HDMI-capable devices. You could play Speed Racer on your XOOM, you could roll out with your DROID Charge, and more! Meanwhile, what else do you want to know about this new Netflix for Android app and/or the LG Revolution?

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ShadowGun by Madfinger Games coming to Tegra 2 and Kal-El devices

Posted: 26 May 2011 01:21 PM PDT

Madfinger Games will soon be releasing Shadowgun for Tegra 2 devices. For those that don’t recognize the name Madfinger Games they are who are responsible for the amazing android game Samurai II: Vengeance and its stunning graphics and gameplay. They have just announced the latest game they are working on, and it sure looks good.

Shadowgun will be available when released for Tegra 2 superphones and tablets, and they are also working to optimize the game for the upcoming Nvidia Kal-El Quad-core chip that I personally can’t wait to enjoy. Hopefully both are coming soon. The 3rd person view shown in the photo above of the game sure makes me excited for this game, it looks awesome. I might have a quad-core android tablet to match my PC soon.

For more information regarding this amazing looking game head over to Madfinger Games to see more.

MADFINGER Games Announces SHADOWGUN

Unity-powered Action Title to Storm Tablets and Smartphones in 2011

Brno, Czech Republic – 25th May, 2011 – Madfinger Games, creators of Samurai II: Vengeance, today announced the beginning of a new property SHADOWGUN, with an emphasis on next-gen graphics and immersive gameplay.

By focusing on mobile platforms – including smartphones and tablets- Madfinger has created the most advanced handheld game in the market, optimized for superb performance and offering gamers the same quality expected from console gaming systems.

With SHADOWGUN, Madfinger is expanding the entertainment potential of smartphone, iOS devices and tablets. SHADOWGUN will support Android mobile devices powered by the NVIDIA Tegra super chip, and will be available on the Tegra Zone app and Android Market.

Authored with the Unity development platform, SHADOWGUN combines tactical combat with third person harrowing action, ushering in a new visual standard for handheld gaming. SHADOWGUN puts players into the role of John Slade, a professional bounty hunter in the year 2350. Slade's mission: hunt down Dr. Edgar Simon, renowned geneticist and former employee of the trans-galactic corporation Toltech Enterprises. Players must lead "shadowgun" John Slade as he infiltrates Dr. Simon's mountain fortress and fights his personal army of mutants, cyborgs, and genetically-enhanced humanoids. Using state-of-the-art weaponry, ships, and the assistance of S.A.R.A.—Slade's personal android assistant. The story is written by award winning author Micah Nathan who has joined the MadFinger team as executive creative consultant for SHADOWGUN.

"SHADOWGUN is possibly the the best expression of quality production achievable on mobile devices and a great indicator of what consumers can expect from future mobile games," said Brett Seyler, General Manager of Union. "We're very proud to see this kind of creative product created with Unity and excited to offer it to our partners through our Union distribution service."

In addition to an optimized version for Android super phones and tablets powered by Tegra 2, Madfinger is also developing an even more enhanced version supporting NVIDIA's Project Kal-El, the next-generation Tegra quad-core processor. Ashu Rege, Vice President of Game Content and Technology at NVIDIA, said: "SHADOWGUN shows off the console-quality experience that Tegra is bringing to Android devices. We're especially excited that Madfinger is creating a special version of SHADOWGUN that's optimized for multi-core processors and will take advantage of the processing and graphics power of Project Kal-El."

About MADFINGER Games

Located in beautiful Brno, Czech Republic, MADFINGER Games brings together a team of veteran console game developers. Their goal is to create console-quality games for iOS, Android mobile devices with a major emphasis on complete customer satisfaction. Their Samurai series has been downloaded over a two and half million times and received rave reviews across the web. Their most recent game, Samurai II: Vengeance THD was released on the Tegra Zone app on the Android Market received outstanding reviews and high ratings, optimized for stunning graphics and smoother gameplay on NVIDIA Tegra-powered devices. For more information, visit: http://www.madfingergames.com, http://twitter.com/madfingergames

About Unity Technologies

Unity Technologies is revolutionizing the game industry with Unity, its award-winning breakthrough development platform. Unity Technologies has more than 500,000 registered users worldwide — including Bigpoint, Cartoon Network, Coca-Cola, Disney, Electronic Arts, LEGO, Microsoft, NASA, Nickelodeon, Ubisoft, Warner Bros., large and small studios, indies, students and hobbyists — all using Unity to create games and interactive 3D, like training simulations and medical and architectural visualizations, on the web, mobile, consoles and beyond. Unity Technologies is aggressively innovating to expand usability, power and platform reach along with its Asset Store digital content marketplace and Union game distribution service so that it can deliver on its vision of democratizing interactive 3D technology. Unity Technologies is headquartered in San Francisco and has development offices worldwide. For more information, visit: http://unity3d.com.

About Union

Union is a newly formed business unit of Unity Technologies, dedicated to syndicating high quality video games to mobile phones, app stores, tablets, set-top boxes, connected TVs and other emerging platforms. Union works closely with Unity's video game developers and publishers to build a portfolio of premium gaming titles. Union then adapts, localizes and syndicates this content to app stores, mobile phones and other platforms, as appropriate to the medium, helping developers access technically or commercially challenging monetization opportunities and providing platform partners with a rich gaming experience for their consumers. Union provides an 80 percent revenue share to its developers. For more information, visit: http://unity3d.com/union.

shadowgun Shadowgun_02_0 Shadowgun_03_0 Shadowgun_04_0 )


Original Nexus S Will Not Have Google Wallet Until T-Mobile Approves

Posted: 26 May 2011 01:20 PM PDT

Google’s new NFC payment solution, Google Wallet is cool to be sure, but as of now it only works with one phone, Sprint’s Nexus S 4G. T-Mobile users on who have the original Nexus S have been left wondering why they aren’t so privileged. Both versions of Nexus S models have the same NFC chip, but a spokesperson from Google has confirmed that they have not yet reached an agreement with T-Mobile, and until such an agreement happens, only Sprint’s version will be able to use Wallet.

The statement comes courtesy of Google’s VP of Payments, Osama Bedier. To be clear Google will be working to bring Google Wallet to T-Mobile Nexus S owners, but Google has no plans of implementing the service without carrier approval. Google doesn’t see much difficulty in getting carriers on board in the future.

Now that Google’s has announced plans for the first mobile payment system in America, there’s finally a commercial use for NFC. We’ve all known for awhile now that pushing NFC has been a high priority for Google, and clearly they hope that mobile payments will be the platform that helps push NFC to be as popular in America as it is in countries like China and Japan.

[via PhoneScoop]

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Netflix App Updated to now support Motorola Droid, other phones working too [Update]

Posted: 26 May 2011 12:28 PM PDT

It looks like Netflix has just updated the app for Android, it now supports the original Motorola Droid, the G’zOne Commando from Casio, as well as the LG Revolution that just started shipping with Netflix pre-installed. Earlier in May Netflix launched for Android but only with a few devices supported so it is good to see an update come so fast to support additional devices.

We don’t know much about this update as I don’t have a device on the officially supported list around, my Nexus One is with a friend. I am glad to see Netflix working fast to add more devices to the supported list but I have a feeling they will need to work faster. The development community has already hacked netflix to work on virtually any rooted android device.

It looks like if you want to use Netflix you will have to have a supported device, root your phone, or hope they add support for your device soon. It looks like Verizon is getting all the good stuff over there with the Revolution launching with Netflix, and now the Moto Droid getting support. Either way head to the Android Market now and get the latest Netflix or just click here.

Enjoy!

Update: We are not sure if this was a mistake, or if Netflix has actually lifted the device check that was built into the Netflix App, but our friends at DroidLife are now reporting that users are able to install the Netflix app and start streaming content even if they are not on the approved list. They have reported the Droid X, the Droid X2, the Xperia Play and a few others all to be working just fine. So far it seems pretty hit or miss, but this would be a huge mistake if it were an accident. Install Netflix on your device and tell us in the comments below what you have and if it works. Thanks

Update 2: Devices that are *not* supported will not see Netflix in the Market, so download the updated APK and install it yourself with a file manager and give it a test and see if it work for you.
Download: Netflix APK

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