Android Phone Fans |
- WiFi Motorola XOOM Gets Google Videos App for Movie Streaming
- Celebrate the Release of the Evo 3D With Phandroid at RadioShack’s Pre-Release Party On June 23rd
- Vodafone Exclusive Red HTC Desire S Gets Pictured
- Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread Leaks for the Samsung Captivate
- Angry Birds Gets Mine and Dine Update, 15 New Levels
- Google Maps Gets Minor Update to Version 5.6.0
- Android Powered iPhone 4 For Sale At Sears For $264
- India’s $35 Tablet to See Light of Day, Units Ready to Ship
- Galaxy Tab 10.1 Available Nationwide Tomorrow
- Verizon Ad Flashes Mystery Honeycomb Tablet
- Android PSA: Stop Using Task Killer Apps – NOW
- Burn the Rope for Android Now Available on Android Market
- VOTE: Which Epic Droid Dad Should Win?
- Sony Ericsson Goes With NXP for NFC Technology
- EVO Shift 4G Gingerbread Update Available via Manual Check, Rolling Out to Everyone June 20th, Brings Swype
| WiFi Motorola XOOM Gets Google Videos App for Movie Streaming Posted: 16 Jun 2011 03:45 PM PDT
When Google’s new movie rentals and accompanying app were announced at this year’s I/O developers conference, the Motorola XOOM was announced as one of the first Android devices to receive streaming of rentals from the Android Market. The Google Videos (formerly Movies) app came to carrier-branded XOOM tablets along with the Android 3.1 update, but the same OS upgrade did not enable the app on WiFi-only versions of the slate. Motorola confirmed that the omission was intentional. Today that changes, as the app has been updated to include support of the WiFi XOOM. The app still won’t work with rooted XOOMs, and unlikely ever will. If you don’t fall into that category, head over to the Android Market link below to grab Google Videos for your tablet now. Android Market Link: Google Videos [via Electronista]
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| Celebrate the Release of the Evo 3D With Phandroid at RadioShack’s Pre-Release Party On June 23rd Posted: 16 Jun 2011 02:56 PM PDT That’s right, folks! As I count down the days until the June 24th launch of the Evo 3D I came across an invite from RadioShack inviting me to to come celebrate the launch of the nation’s first 3D phone in beautiful Hollywood, California. RadioShack will be throwing a red carpet pre-release launch party filled with celebrities, musical guests as well as RadioShack’s CMO, Lee Applbaum and various HTC execs.
I, Chris Chavez, will be on hand at the event bringing you the very latest and capturing all the blissful moments on my shiny new HTC EVO 3D Don’t forget to tune in on the 23rd as we celebrate the release of one of the biggest superphones of the summer. Shots, shots, shots!
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| Vodafone Exclusive Red HTC Desire S Gets Pictured Posted: 16 Jun 2011 02:43 PM PDT
If grey and black is just a little too expected for you, this red HTC Desire S headed exclusively to Vodafone might be right up your alley. Aside from the two-toned metal and plastic housing in alternate shades of red, nothing changed here between this handset and the Desire S you will find elsewhere. Pocket Lint got the hands-on including the above image, and you can see more by following the source link below. [via PocketLint]
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| Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread Leaks for the Samsung Captivate Posted: 16 Jun 2011 02:05 PM PDT
Though no official word has gone out on the status of the Gingerbread update for the US lineup of Galaxy S phones, a leak of not one, but two builds of the Android 2.3.3 firmware for the Samsung Captivate suggests it might not be far off. Build number UCKE3 and UCKF1 are dated May 26th and June 8th, respectively, and come courtesy of SamFirmware. These come as the first official builds of the latest version of Android for smartphones for any of the US variants of the Galaxy S, though the international model has already seen the update in some regions. When the update could become official in the States is anyone’s guess. [via Pocketnow]
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| Angry Birds Gets Mine and Dine Update, 15 New Levels Posted: 16 Jun 2011 01:15 PM PDT WIth so many versions of Angry Birds running around the Android Market, sometimes it’s hard to keep up. Rovio just updated their Rio version of the game with a slew of Carnival-themed levels, and now the original is getting its own slew of new bird-flinging action. This time the pigs have dragged the eggs underground, and the cast of PO’d birds has followed in pursuit. 15 new levels come as part of the update to keep you plenty busy on your quest towards three-star perfection. Android Market Link: Angry Birds
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| Google Maps Gets Minor Update to Version 5.6.0 Posted: 16 Jun 2011 12:57 PM PDT
[via AndroidCentral]
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| Android Powered iPhone 4 For Sale At Sears For $264 Posted: 16 Jun 2011 12:50 PM PDT
Have you ever noticed the plethora of accessories the iPhone 4 has at its disposal and maybe wish an Android phone had access to some of those goodies? Or maybe you’ve always dug the look of the iPhone 4 but didn’t want to sacrifice for an inferior OS? Well, the folks at Sears may have you covered. For only $264 you can nab yourself an Android 2.2.1 Froyo powered iPhone looking smartphone from Sears’ website. This abomination is packing dual-SIM card slots, 3.5 inch HVGA 320×480 capacitive touch screen, “WiFi + TV phones” and H2000(?) and a 2MP camera, although still unsure on the MP’s of the front facing camera. It supports the 850/900/1800/1900 bands which means it will work fine on AT&T’s 3G and overseas. Oh, and the CPU? A blazing fast Media Tek MTK6516 416MHZ that will be sure to knock your socks right off. Warning: powering it on may cause the phone to implode on itself. I’m curious to see how horrible/awesome Android runs on this beast. Anyone else even tempted to check this phone out? Or should we all continue to just point and laugh? [Via 9to5Mac]
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| India’s $35 Tablet to See Light of Day, Units Ready to Ship Posted: 16 Jun 2011 12:40 PM PDT
The story of the $35 Android tablet planned to be released under government subsidy has had its share of controversy and frustration. After problems arose with the vendor chosen to produce the tablets, hopes that the Sakshat tablet (yes, that’s its real name) would ever see a release dimmed. Still, the Indian government promised a mid-2011 release and it looks like they will meet their goal. The first batch of tablets is prepped for shipping at the end of the month, and will be priced at 2,200 rupees (about $50) before the government subsidy kicks in. Taken into account, the price should drop right down to the $35 goal. [via Engadget]
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| Galaxy Tab 10.1 Available Nationwide Tomorrow Posted: 16 Jun 2011 12:26 PM PDT Samsung just hit the wires with a news release reminding all that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will go on sale nationwide tomorrow, June 17th. This comes a week after the Tab 10.1 saw a limited release in New York City and after news that Tiger Direct is already shipping order for the Honeycomb slate. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available in-store at Best Buy and online via Fry’s Electronics, Amazon.com, Micro Center, Tiger Direct, and Newegg start at $499 for the 16GB version and $599 for the 32GB. A new “Info Clip” has been made public in case you need a refresher on all that makes up the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
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| Verizon Ad Flashes Mystery Honeycomb Tablet Posted: 16 Jun 2011 12:17 PM PDT
A curious ad from Verizon hit YouTube earlier today featuring a mysterious Honeycomb tablet that we can’t seem to place. The ad has since been removed, but DroidLife managed to capture a screen shot of slate that doesn’t match up visually with any current Android 3.0 device we are familiar with. Speculation is running wild with proposals ranging from the next Motorola XOOM to HTC’s upcoming Honeycomb tablet, with the possibility remaining that this is simply a mock-up device used as a generic tablet for the sake of the advert. The fact that Verizon has since made the video private suggests that there is something to be covered up here, we just don’t know exactly what it may be. From the looks of it Verizon might be scoring another Honeycomb tablet soon. [via DroidLife]
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| Android PSA: Stop Using Task Killer Apps – NOW Posted: 16 Jun 2011 10:00 AM PDT Hello, friends. This is an Android Public Service Announcement regarding the overuse of “task killer” apps in the Android community. Almost everyone has experimented or used one of these apps at one point in their Android life. I wont judge you. In some cases, these apps might have been installed even without your knowledge. I know for a fact that reps at carrier retail stores will download and install these upon buying any of their Android phones. But why? It’s largely in part because of this HUGE misconception that Android needs these apps in order to run properly. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Lets start at the beginning. Everyone knows one of the main benefits with Android is the fact that it — unlike certain other OS’s, can run apps in the background. The more RAM you have installed on your phone, the more apps you can have open at one time for true multitasking and switching between apps. Its quite beautiful actually. This is one of the reasons RAM is such a highly sought after spec when comparing the many Android devices on the market. I think you can ask any Android user what they hate most about their phone and they will almost always tell you, battery life. Most people know Android is definitely lacking in this department. Well, in an attempt to “think outside the box” a lot of people have come to the conclusion that the reason for the horrible battery life must be because of all those apps that are “running” around in the background. This the reason these misinformed reps install these Task Killer apps onto phones thinking they’re helping customers, when in fact, they’re not. First, Android doesn’t necessarily keep apps “running” in the background like a car for instance. Using gas/CPU even when they’re not being used. They way it works is Android will pause those apps until you return to them. If you don’t come back to the app for awhile, Android will eventually close the app altogether. This requires no intervention from the user what-so-ever. The other misconception people have with Android and another reason for using a task killer is that they feel like it will some how make their phone perform faster. This has something to do with the thought that “freeing up RAM” is going to somehow make your phone speedier and quicker when doing everyday tasks (I used to believe this as well). But not so. First off, the purpose of RAM is to be used. If you’re not using the RAM, why do you even have it? Second, even when you close out those 20 apps in the background, 20 more will open up in their place. Like Bebe’s Kids. They don’t die, they multiply. Your resistance is futile. I mean, it’s not like Android will keep opening apps in the background until you’re completely out of RAM. That would cause your phone to completely freeze and lock up and wouldn’t make any sense. Android is smarter than that. Instead, it will begin closing the oldest apps still open in the background to make space for new ones. I mean think about it, do you have to manage the RAM on your home computer? No. It just works, right? Same with Android. Is there a time and place for task killers? Sure. Even I use one from time to time. Just like your computer, there are those times when things go wrong. Sometimes an app can misbehave and become unresponsive. Or perhaps you changed some options in an app and it needs to be closed/killed/stopped so that it can be opened and refreshed. Or maybe you have a game that has gone rogue and really is, in fact, running in the background sucking CPU and RAM and causing your phone to run to a crawl. It’s only in these occasions that using a task manager is acceptable. Even then, for your average noob user, a simple reboot will solve these problems. For the Android power users that like to monitor and micro-manage everything that goes on in their phone, yes, using a task manager is acceptable. Sometimes I use it to kill off a game that I know I wont be returning to and there’s no reason for it to be open in my background. But I’m anal like that. For your average soccer mom/girl-friend/grandma/Joe Schmo who is just blindly closing every app they can because they were told to, there really is no good reason for them to have these apps installed on their phone. More often than not, they’re going to do more harm than good and ruin their user experience with the phone. This will cause them to run to the iPhone where they don’t (and shouldn’t) have to worry about this sorta stuff. That was the point of this video. So with that. I am done here, folks. I hope this Public Service Announcement helped shed some light on a murky subject going on in the Android world. Now you know and knowing is half the battle. Now, go uninstall that task killer off your mom’s phone.
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| Burn the Rope for Android Now Available on Android Market Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:40 AM PDT I’ve heard quite a few of you asking for this one and it’s finally here. Burn the Rope is now available, for free, no less, in the Android market. It’s a popular game that’s made its way over from iOS, and from first glance, looks interesting. You have to burn rope, but flames only move up so you have to tilt your phone to keep the flame alive and burn as much rope as you can. There’s a lot more to it than that, but considering I haven’t played the game for myself yet, I’ll just ask you to hit the play button above. Find it for free here.
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| VOTE: Which Epic Droid Dad Should Win? Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:09 AM PDT The entries are in, the photos collected, and all the tweets tracked down. We randomly selected 5 finalists in our Epic Droid Dad Contest and now it’s YOUR job to determine which dad will walk away with $1,200+ in SONOS equipment this Father’s Day. I posted my full SONOS Review yesterday and TRUST ME… one of these guys is going to be a VERY lucky dad. Here are the Epic Droid Dad Finalists!
Dad #1:
Dad #2:
Dad #3:
Dad #4:
Dad #5:
You can only vote once, but we encourage you to tell all your friends, family, and random passerbyers which dad they should vote for! Post it on Facebook, Tweet it on twitter, heck- send a postcard for all we care! But make sure you get all your votes in by 11:59pm Eastern Time on Saturday, June 18th because once that clocks strikes midnight it will officially be Father’s Day, the poll will be closed, and our epic Droid Dad will be crowned.
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| Sony Ericsson Goes With NXP for NFC Technology Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:24 AM PDT It’s not an exciting device announcement, folks, but we just got a quick glimpse into the future of Sony Ericsson’s products. NXP has announced that Sony Ericsson has selected them for embedded NFC technology in the future. If you don’t remember, NXP produces the same chip found inside the Nexus S It’s an intelligent chip with security features for applications of all types. It’ll be fully compatible with Google Wallet, Google’s mobile payment service set to come out soon.
Sony Ericsson got off to a slow start on Android, but they have caught up in a big way and are looking to surpass the competition with future devices. They have quickly become the fastest growing manufacturer in terms of popularity around the world, and now they’re poised to strengthen their position in mobile more than they already have with today’s deal. It may be some time before we hear of devices with this technology inside as Sony Ericsson still has a stable of Xperia devices to bring out, but at least we know they’ll be bringing the goods soon enough. Read on for full press details.
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| Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:01 AM PDT
We heard it might be on the way, and Sprint sure enough came through. The HTC EVO Shift 4G is definitely getting Gingerbread come June 20th, but if you’d rather not wait for Sprint to notify you of its availability, you can get it right now through a manual firmware update check. You know the drill: Menu/Settings/System updates/HTC software Update. Be sure you’re on a WiFi connection and have more than 30% of your battery remaining. More details below.
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Simply love that slice of pizza you picked up at that greasy shack downtown and need the world to know you think it’s the best you have ever had? Then you might actually find some use in the small update to Google Maps for Android, which sees the version number rise to 5.6.0. A new “Best Ever” rating is now available, as well as other awards that can be added to a businesses Places page. Other than that, don’t expect much when you pull the update down to you phone.
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