Wednesday, June 1, 2011

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Android 2.3 Gingerbread Hits Motorola Droid Pro Today

Posted: 31 May 2011 02:00 PM PDT

As originally promised last week, the Droid Pro will be receiving updates starting today to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. According to users, Android 2.3 Gingerbread comes in the form of an OTA update, where the Droid Pro will notify you once the update hits the device.

So far, things seem to be running smoothly for most users, so go ahead and enjoy the wonders of Gingerbread without apprehension. Typically, Motorola and Verizon roll out updates in a phased approach, so if nothing new has popped up on your Droid Pro, don't freak out. Android 2.3 Gingerbread is on the way.

[via MobileBurn]

Nielsen: Android’s Lead On iOS Plateaus, Data Usage Spikes

Posted: 31 May 2011 01:45 PM PDT

According to Neilsen's May survey, not much has changed by way of smartphone operating systems in the past month. Android, iOS and BlackBerry OS are at a standstill, posting the same market share numbers they did last month. Android still controls 36 percent of the market, with iOS trailing at 27 percent, and BlackBerry OS rounding out the top three with a 22 percent market share. Down at the bottom of the barrel, HP’s WebOS, Nokia’s Symbian, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone maintained their single-digit market shares from last month, with Windows Phone leading at 9 percent.

Though nothing's changed in terms of market share, data usage has certainly spiked. Around 75 percent of those Android/iPhone owners surveyed downloaded apps within the last 30 days, almost half listened to streaming music or mobile radio on their phone, and a little over a third of surveyed users watched mobile television. iPhone data consumption barely beat out Android in each of those categories, but according to the survey, Android users consume more data on average.

Nielsen's analysis of the nearly 65,000 cellphone bills in the U.S. found that Android users download an average of 582 MB of data each month, whereas iPhone owners download about 492 MB.

[via TUAW]

Motorola Site Redesign Spills Shots Of XOOM 2, New Handsets, And A Watchphone?

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:56 PM PDT

Whoops! Looks like someone at Motorola didn’t cover up their breadcrumbs while working on the next version of their Mobility site.

Now, leaked site redesigns generally aren’t something we cover, because, well, no one cares. This one’s special, though. This one’s fun. This one’s jam-packed full of unannounced products.

While the Mobility site is now back to its original, non-leaky form, PocketNow managed to nab some screenshots of all the good stuff. Alas, there’s not much here in terms of specs or details — beyond the product renders and names (some of which we’re pretty sure are codenames), most of what we’re looking at is still shrouded in mystery. For now.

First up, two mega-slim handsets — the Zaha, and the Slimline:

Next, the Xoom 2 (hiding in the background):

Last, but certainly not least, the Tracy XL Watchphone (named, of course, after Dick and his oh-so-futuristic Watchphone):

Of course, there’s always the chance that whoever’s building this just grabbed some random product concept renders off the network share to use as placeholders in the redesign, with none of these actually in Motorola’s product pipeline. If Motorola can actually make a watchphone that looks anything like that Tracy XL, though, I certainly hope these things are the real deal.

U.S. Cellular Launches The HTC Merge, LG Genesis Coming June 9th

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:27 PM PDT

Just a quick update for those keeping tabs on the LG Genesis (which, up until Verizon decided not to offer it, was previously known as the “enV Pro”) for U.S. Cellular: look for it to hit the shelves on June 9th for $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

In other news: that $149.99-after-rebate pricetag is the same thing they’re asking for the HTC Merge, which hit their shelves as the sun came up this morning. (And for those paying extra close attention: yep, the very same HTC Merge that Verizon decided to delay forever until eventually deciding to not sell it in their own shops, but to allow third party retailers to sell it to those who requested it. It’s a very special week of hand-me-downs for U.S. Cellular, isn’t it?)

WHO Assessment Puts Cell Phone Use At “Possibly Carcinogenic”

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:01 PM PDT

The World Health Organization has just released the findings of a major literature review by leading scientists in the fields of cancer and radiation. Their conclusion? We need more data, but it’s looking as if wireless communications are, at the very least, not not carcinogenic.

The only positive data were too “limited” or “inadequate” to permit the group to say there’s a definite link, though they saw fit to give it a 2B rating, “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

Read the rest…

Maps+ App Is Maps Plus Lots Of Other Stuff

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:00 PM PDT

At TechCrunch Disrupt NYC last week, Google's location boss Marissa Mayer pointed out that Google Maps for mobile traffic will surpass that of its desktop counterpart by June. Our dependence on mobile technology for where we are and where we're going seems to be growing by the minute, so its not too surprising to see a number of enhanced Map apps hit various app stores. One in particular, Maps+, caught our eye. And Maps+ is exactly what its name describes: Google Maps… plus a lot of other cool features.

A three-finger swipe up and down will bring up the different map types, and a tap on your current location will offer up extra information about your location fix, including coordinates, horizontal accuracy, altitude, and vertical accuracy. When a route is requested, Maps+ offers all the different possible routes to take, with options for driving, walking, or cycling. And just like the default Maps app, Maps+ offers track recording.

Another fun feature is the ability to add bookmarks to locations with label customization (unfortunately only three labels at a time), which can then be exported to GPX with mail or iTunes, or imported using Safari, Mail, or any other app that supports quick look. Maps+ also taps the power of one of our favorite social networks, Twitter, to show you where friends are tweeting from, which is my second favorite feature besides location alarms. Location alarms give you the option to be notified when entering or exiting the area of a certain bookmarked location.

The app interface is clean and easy to use, and offers the option to add any of your frequently used buttons straight to the map itself. Unfortunately, certain features are limited: one route bookmark, three pin bookmarks, two route transit points, one track bookmark, 2km of track recording, and one alarm bookmark. Twitter log-in and GPX import capabilities are also disabled upon the initial installation, but that can all be remedied with a simple in-app purchase to the tune of $2.99.

If you're a hardcore Maps user like myself, Maps+ is definitely worth a try. The IZE app is available today in the Apple App Store for free for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.


Pantech To Launch Their First U.S. Android Phone, The Crossover, For AT&T On June 5th

Posted: 31 May 2011 10:52 AM PDT

You know, we haven’t really thought much about Pantech since the ol’ days of Helio (and the Pantech-made Helio Ocean.) We’d figured the company had decided that the U.S. mobile market and its current iPhone/Android-mindset was a bit too tough to crack, and had gone back to mainly focusing on slingin’ their feature-phone wares in their home country of South Korea.

Well, Pantech’s back — and this time, they’re rockin’ Android.

This morning, AT&T and Pantech announced the Crossover. Right off the bat, AT&T says it’s “perfect for first-time smartphone users”, which should sum things up pretty nicely: it’s cheap ($70 on contract), but it’s also not exactly cutting edge.

Inside that QWERTY-sliding shell you see up above, the Crossover is packin’ a 3.1″ touchscreen, a 3-megapixel camera, Android 2.2, and a rather paltry 600Mhz CPU.

Remember, dear reader: when you’re buying a new handset, you’ve got to think of the long-term cost. When you’re locked into a 2-year contract at $70-$90 per month, a $70 handset doesn’t cost $70 — it costs $1750+ ($70 x 24 for the 2 years of monthly bills, plus $70 for the handset). Buy the best handset you can afford up front — that upfront cost is but a small chunk of the device’s overall cost, and you’ll be happier with the beefier handset a few months down the road.

Look for the Crossover to hit AT&T’s shelves come June 5th.

Apple Brings iWork Suite To The iPhone, iPod touch

Posted: 31 May 2011 09:44 AM PDT

When I got an iPad 2 test unit in the mail a few weeks back, one of the first things I noticed when browsing through apps was that the iWork suite of apps, Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, were all present in the App Store for the iPad. Immediately, I was overcome with jealousy. Of course, typing in Pages on the iPad isn't the smoothest experience, but having access to these core apps is better than not, right? In any case, it looks like the iWork suite of apps has been doing pretty well on the iPad, as Apple has migrated those applications over to the iPhone and iPod touch.

Now, business professionals can access import and export Pages, Numbers, and Keynote files to and from their phone, as well as create and edit files. All three apps are available now from the Apple App Store for $9.99 each, just like the iPad versions, and for $0.99 users can purchase the Keynote Remote, which lets you use your phone as a presentation remote. However, if you've already bought Pages, Numbers, or Keynote on the iPad, their iPhone/iPod touch counterparts will be a free install. Models earlier than the iPhone 3GS and third-gen iPod touch won't support these apps, unfortunately.

[via The App Whisperer]

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Gets Android 2.1 Eclair

Posted: 31 May 2011 06:11 AM PDT

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 owners: don't forget to put a smile on this morning when you get dressed because the sweetest Eclair of last year is headed your way. Sony Ericsson today announced the release of the update to Android 2.1 Eclair to all Xperia X10 owners on AT&T's network.

The jump from Android 1.6 Donut to 2.1 Eclair will bring with it some photographic perks like 720p HD video recording capabilities (1280 x 720 pixels), continuous auto-focus in still and video capture, and face detection during video capture. Users will also get multi-touch support and two extra homescreens, bringing the X10 homescreen total to five. Of course, all the other goodies that come with Android 2.1 Eclair will hit the X10, too.

You'll have to connect the phone to a PC for installation, but Sony Ericsson has assembled a little step-by-step guide for anyone who needs a some extra help.

[via MobileBurn]
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