Android Phone Fans |
- Android Overload: Galaxy S II receiving OTA updates, Tegra 3 for next Nexus, and more
- Get Netflix on nearly any Android device (if you’re rooted)
- Verizon stores given the go-ahead to sell Droid Charge today
- Google introduces location-based news filtering for mobile
- AT&T to start 4G LTE rollout with New York City at end of June?
- Logitech Revue with Google TV drops to $200 at Amazon
- Official: Samsung Droid Charge Launching Tomorrow for $299
- Is Google spreading itself too thin with Android and Chrome? [RETROSPECTIVE]
- Contract Killer for Android Now Available
- Source: AT&T Owes T-Mobile $6 Billion in Cash, Spectrum & Roaming Privileges if Deal is Rejected
- Angry Birds Rio Beach Volleyball Update Adds Monkeys, Sand
- Samsung DROID Charge Said to Launch Tomorrow
- Amazon Reportedly Has a Family of Devices Coming, Not Just a Lone Tablet
- Nexus S 4G on Sale for $99.99 for New Customers via Wirefly
- HTC Thunderbolt Wireless Charger Set to Launch Soon With FCC Approval
| Android Overload: Galaxy S II receiving OTA updates, Tegra 3 for next Nexus, and more Posted: 13 May 2011 04:00 PM PDT
Hello, weekend. It’s been an exciting week in the world of Android as Google’s annual I/O developer conference came and went, complete with new Android versions, Google Music and Movies, and plenty more. Things are finishing off with the release of the Samsung DROID Charge on Verizon tomorrow. Below find a few more snippets to get you through the rest of this Friday.
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| Get Netflix on nearly any Android device (if you’re rooted) Posted: 13 May 2011 02:10 PM PDT
News of Netflix launching for Android came with one big caveat: it is only compatible with a handful of devices. Well, it sure didn’t take long to find a workaround. If you are a rooted user, you can easily fool the Netflix app into thinking you’re actually running a T-Mobile G2 by editing a few lines of code. After that, you should be on your way to movie streaming goodness. Some users have found more success than others, so there is no guarantee this trick will work for everyone. You can find the instructions at the Reddit link below.
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| Verizon stores given the go-ahead to sell Droid Charge today Posted: 13 May 2011 01:07 PM PDT
Though the day is winding down, if you can make it out to a Verizon retail store employees have apparently been given the OK to sell the Samsung DROID Charge a day early to customers inquiring about the device. That won’t change the fact that you will have to part ways with $300 worth of your hard earned dough, but if you have been waiting for this handset it will save you the pain of waiting one more night. Who is planning on picking this one up today/tomorrow? [via DroidLife]
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| Google introduces location-based news filtering for mobile Posted: 13 May 2011 12:30 PM PDT Today Google is introducing “News near you,” a location-based content filter for Google News on mobile devices. You might be thinking, hasn’t Google provided the ability to sort stories by location for some time now? Yes, location filtering has been available for a few years now, but “News near you” marks the first time that you can enable your handset to automatically surface stories relevant to your location and surrounding areas based on location data provided by your smartphone.
To enable the functionality, navigate to Google News in your mobile browser. A pop-up will appear asking if you want to enable location sharing. Agreeing creates a new news category called “News near you.” While some will gripe about Google’s collecting of location data, this new feature is hardly nefarious. Head over to Google News to check it out now. [via Google]
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| AT&T to start 4G LTE rollout with New York City at end of June? Posted: 13 May 2011 11:43 AM PDT
If rumors hold true, AT&T could be lighting up the first city on its LTE map in a little under two months. Insider sources are claiming June 30th is the date that New York City could become the springboard for the carrier’s next-generation network. The real 4G network won’t mean much without devices, and as of now we don’t have any word on when those could be touching down. If they follow the model deployed by other carriers, AT&T could launch a USB modem and/or mobile hotspot initially with smartphones and tablets coming later in the year. After NYC, Los Angeles is said to be the next city to get lifted from HSPA+ purgatory. That is supposedly happening sometime around July 24th. If AT&T gets the go-ahead to complete their purchase of T-Mobile, much of the acquired network will go towards furthering AT&T’s 4G cause. [via IntoMobile]
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| Logitech Revue with Google TV drops to $200 at Amazon Posted: 13 May 2011 11:11 AM PDT
If you weren’t an early-adopter to Google TV, here is your chance to get in before Google launches the Android 3.1 update and all the goodies that go along with it, including apps from the Android Market. Amazon has dropped the price of the Logitech Revue (disembodied hands not included) to $199.99 for all your internet video, TV guide searching, Netflix streaming needs. Sure, new hardware is on the way with all the enhancements that will include, but you can’t beat the savings you get here. The Revue is a personal favorite of mine and it comes highly recommended. [via CrunchGear]
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| Official: Samsung Droid Charge Launching Tomorrow for $299 Posted: 13 May 2011 10:23 AM PDT
After experiencing a couple weeks’ delay, Verizon has just hit us with official word of the Samsung DROID Charge launch. It will be available tomorrow, May 14th, from Verizon stores and can be ordered online starting at midnight tonight. If you pick up the first 4G LTE Droid handset from Verizon, you will have to pony up a pretty hefty $299.99 on a two-year contract, though other retailers have indicated that they will sell the handset for a bit less at $249.99. We guess Verizon cleared up whatever LTE issues they were having that made them hesitant to launch the smartphone with its large and beautiful Super AMOLED Plus display, 1GHz processer, and dual cameras. Check out our full review if you’re on the fence.
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| Is Google spreading itself too thin with Android and Chrome? [RETROSPECTIVE] Posted: 13 May 2011 10:13 AM PDT
With Google I/O 2011 in the rear view mirror, I have been thinking a lot about an issue that seemed front-and-center just a year ago, but was relatively absent from this year’s media coverage of the annual developer conference. It has to do with Google’s two operating systems. If we rewind the clock to early 2010, before the CR-48 netbook even existed, the big question was how would Android and Chrome co-exist, let alone thrive, in a market shifting towards portable, internet-connected devices. Of course, back then it wasn’t known how Google planned to deploy Chrome. Some wondered which operating system would be Google’s focus for tablets, a hot technology in the wake of the original iPad. Would Chrome be on tablets? Would Android be on tablets, too? The tablet seemed the key to success (and very well still could be), and if Google neglected to get Android on tablets in favor of Chrome many wondered if that would be a major blow for the mobile OS in its fight against Apple.
A year later, we have a better idea of what Google is doing with their two platforms. For now, the tech giant seems content to leave Chrome as an OS for non-touchscreen devices. This year’s I/O brought two new netbooks — one from Acer and one from Samsung — dubbed Chromebooks and due this summer. We were also teased with a desktop Chromebox, though release plans weren’t announced. Since May 2010, Android has split off into two branches, one for tablets (Honeycomb) and one for smartphones (Gingerbread). The plan is to unify the experience in an upcoming release, Ice Cream Sandwich, which is slated for the end of the year. Then there is Google TV, a platform which in its original incarnation merged features of Android and Chrome to create a unique internet television experience. It was revealed at I/O that summer will see Google TV updated to Android 3.1 Honeycomb, which will bring about a more-familiar Android experience, including the Android Market. We’d expect the Chrome browser portion of GTV will remain. Which brings me back to where this all started. A single question: Is Google spreading itself too thin? Initial worry was that the having both Chrome and Android might confuse consumers searching for Google-approved products, but a clearer division between smartphones, tablets, and netbooks has erased much of this concern. What we might fear now is developer support from a group of software engineers who already feel alienated by the so-called fragmentation of the Android platform. In addition to several versions of Android floating around on mobile handsets, developers now have the task of targeting a separate version for tablets and Google TV. Then there is the relatively untapped territory known as the Chrome App Store, which hosts rich web-based experiences. If the turnout at Google I/O is any indication, developers are eager to work with Google and create content for their various platforms. However, we still must wonder if one Google OS will eventually cannibalize the other. It’s safe to say that Android has the biggest head of steam right now, which may detract some away from Chrome, an OS that some feel hesitant about due to its new approach to cloud-based computing. Nonetheless, Google is making a huge push for institutional and corporate adoption of the platform. Could we eventually see a day where Google merges Android and Chrome? Would it take one operating system failing to trigger such an event, or is it part of Google’s plan from the get-go? We’ve come a long way since last year’s I/O conference, and what happens next year we can only guess. What we learned this week has us feeling relatively confident that both Chrome and Android can co-exist and experience success. But we also must remember: Google’s tendency to keep their hands in as many cookie jars as possible has often been the key factor to both their successes and their failures.
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| Contract Killer for Android Now Available Posted: 13 May 2011 10:00 AM PDT
The other day, I previewed a game from Glu Mobile called Contract Killer. It’s a simple rail shooter (and I’m not sure you can call it that considering you don’t move much) that has you going after assigned targets for cash. Kill ‘em or tranq ‘em, just make sure the boss is happy. You can find the video at this link, but why watch that when you can play it for free today? It’s in the Android market now and the price isn’t a mistake, folks. Consider it a gift from Glu, I suppose.
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| Source: AT&T Owes T-Mobile $6 Billion in Cash, Spectrum & Roaming Privileges if Deal is Rejected Posted: 13 May 2011 09:46 AM PDT
This just made the T-Mobile and AT&T merger trials a lot more interesting. According to a source of Reuters‘, if this deal is rejected by the governing bodies of our nation, AT&T has to pay up $6 billion, which includes $3 billion in cash, $2 billion in spectrum and $1 billion worth of roaming privileges for users who wander outside of T-Mobile coverage area. The industry is not confident that the deal will go through. All signs have pointed to a rejection and regulators have not made it easy-going for T-Mobile and AT&T thus far. There’s still a lot to get through, though. T-Mobile wouldn’t have much of an advantage over their pre-acquisition woes if they end up getting rejected, but improvement through this promised capital would be better than nothing at all.
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| Angry Birds Rio Beach Volleyball Update Adds Monkeys, Sand Posted: 13 May 2011 09:11 AM PDT
On the sandy beaches of Rio, birds and monkeys play volleyball. At least that’s what the update to Angry Birds Rio suggests. Rovio’s added new beach-themed levels in today’s Beach Volleyball update and they’ve changed the objective – instead of freeing birds, you’re attacking monkeys who hang quite gracefully form several objects. Sounds quite interesting and should be a nice break from the norm. Go ahead and find your update in the Amazon Appstore. Check the preview video out below for an idea of what to expect.
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| Samsung DROID Charge Said to Launch Tomorrow Posted: 13 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT
It’s been two weeks since April 28th, the day a pair of Verizon phones launched, but the DROID Charge seems to have missed that flight Chris Chavez style. Engadget’s reporting that several of their Verizon-related sources have mentioned May 14th as the launch date. Odd? Yes. A Saturday launch is unconventional for any carrier, but I suppose this whole ordeal has been quite unconventional. And for what it’s worth, we’ve heard May 16th as another possible launch date. Seems like Verizon just wants to get this thing out as fast as they can before another LTE outage occurs. We’ll be looking out for its arrival or an announcement from Verizon. In the meantime, be sure to consider our official review of the device before making your purchase decision.
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| Amazon Reportedly Has a Family of Devices Coming, Not Just a Lone Tablet Posted: 13 May 2011 08:37 AM PDT
Rumors about an Amazon tablet have been flying around for a VERY long time. Over that period of time, a lot of pieces have fallen into place. Amazon opened their own Android Appstore and produced compelling new Android applications like Amazon Cloud Player. They hired Android coders, and while some of that team may have been dedicated to getting their Appstore live, other evidence showed they were hiring hardware engineers with an Android background. And a few credible sources have confirmed that Amazon is indeed working on “the next generation of Kindle” devices. And yet, even with all of this compelling evidence, we know nothing about the tablet itself. Taylor from Android & Me claims a credible source told him that it won’t be just one single tablet, but a stable of devices. That could mean anything – from a number of tablets to a mixture of tablets and smartphones – but he alleges there is definitely more than one. It feels like we’re getting closer and closer to an unveiling, but there’s no telling how far along their plans are.
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| Nexus S 4G on Sale for $99.99 for New Customers via Wirefly Posted: 13 May 2011 07:58 AM PDT
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| HTC Thunderbolt Wireless Charger Set to Launch Soon With FCC Approval Posted: 13 May 2011 07:27 AM PDT
The HTC Thunderbolt is notorious for horrible battery life so it’s no surprise that Verizon wants to offer robust charging options for users. As part of their new wireless charging initiative, they’ve been providing wireless charging backs for several new phones, including the Thunderbolt, the LG Revolution and the HTC Droid Incredible 2 Unfortunately, Verizon has yet to bring these to market. Today’s FCC approval means we’re definitely close, though, and you should be able to plop your phone right down on one of those mats and get that horrible battery charged up in no time. [via Wireless Goodness]
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Just 5 days after Sprint put the Nexus S 4G on sale, Wirefly has discounted the price – you can get it from them for $99.99 after a new two-year contract. Existing customers can get upgraded to it for $150. Sprint debuted the phone for $200 on a two-year contract. The Nexus S 4G is nothing too far from the original save for the WiMax radio inside. You’re getting a stock Android 2.3 experience with a 1GHz processor, a 4 inch display, 16GB of internal storage, and both front and back cameras. Head on over to 
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