Friday, March 4, 2011

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Things We Missed, You Shouldn’t [March 4th]

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:43 PM PST

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TGIF! The weekend is here, and it is time to celebrate. Here is the short list of items you might be interested in checking out if you crave even more Android news!

Motorola Atrix 4G Webtop Hacked to Work with Any HDMI Connection

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:25 PM PST

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The industrious folks over at XDA have done it again. User Fenny has modified the APK files necessary to run the Motorola Atrix 4G’s Webtop functionality to enable the feature over any HDMI connection. Goodbye pricey docks. You will need to have your Atrix 4G rooted and deodoxed for this to work, but if that’s the case you need only update the DockProvider, DockService, and PortalApp APKs to enable Webtop as an option whenever the Atrix is connected to a screen via HDMI.

Sure, it isn’t quite the convenience of a compact laptop dock featuring keyboard and screen built in, but if you have a bluetooth keyboard and an HDMI-capable display you can enjoy the enhanced capabilities of Webtop without spending an additional penny. More instructions at the source link below.

[via XDA]

Android Has Another Astronaut: Droid X Tracks Final Discovery Shuttle Flight

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:45 PM PST

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Sending in an Android phone to space, as out of this world as it may sound, is nothing new. It has already been done several times by enthusiast groups and Google alike. But this latest atmosphere pushing adventure wasn’t just a proof of concept. Two Motorola Droid X phones joined up with an array of other gadgets to track, record, and photograph the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery.

One Droid X tracked the location of the Robonaut craft while another provided imaging support. Both were equipped with 2600mAh extended batteries. The above image showing the vapor trail of Discovery was snapped at an altitude of 70,000 feet. You can see more on the Robonaut craft in the video below.

[via AndroidCentral]

ASUS Wants Android for Netbooks, 3D Displays and Quad-Core CPUs for Future Tablets

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:47 PM PST

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ASUS is still searching for their breakout Android product that will propel their brand to the same status as the likes of Motorola and Samsung, but the company is committed to the platform, and not just for tablets, according to CEO Jerry Shen. Shen says netbooks from the company will soon see Android (with some MeeGo options as well).

But in the world of tablets the ASUS is only looking forward, with Shen talking up 3D displays and quad-core processors as just a couple of the advancements the company will look into to help it gain its place as the number two tablet manufacturer in the world, a goal the company hopes to achieve by next year.

We have been impressed with ASUS’s innovation with their tablet form factors, but the actual implementation of Android and device build quality has left us a bit wanting. Hopefully these early attempts give way to some some more successful devices in the future.

[via BGR]

Mysterious New Motorola Device Hits FCC, Possibly Droid X 2?

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:30 PM PST

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A new Motorola device has hit the FC bearing model ID IHDT56MJ1, but thanks to a confidentiality request on behalf of Moto tracking down the identity of the handset might be a problem. Aside from the naming convention matching that seen on recent Motorola handsets like the Atrix 4G, what we do know about this mystery device is that it will get CDMA, EVDO, and 802.11n Wi-Fi. The CDMA radio suggests it might be headed to Verizon, but it is unlikely we are looking at the Droid Bionic.

A 180 day short term confidentiality request might hint at when the device will be released, right around mid to late summer. This would be a year from the release of the Motorola Droid X Could we be looking at an early filing for the Droid X 2? The details of that handset remain a mystery themselves, but it is expected the phone will carry a mix of newer innards such as a dual-core processor and a possible 4G LTE radio with the stylings and size of the original.

[FCC via Electronista]

Best Buy Still Showing Thunderbolt in Ad, $299 Price Tag Disagrees with Store Display

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:54 AM PST

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In some parallel universe the HTC Thunderbolt must already be released. We have seen displays in Best Buy and Verizon, and once again a weekly advertising flyer features the phone as if on sale. The price listed is $299.99 on two-year contract, though pricing featured on the latest version of the in-store display at Best Buy suggests the Thunderbolt will sell for $249.99. Just add that to the confusion surrounding when the phone will actually be released; there is nothing certain about the HTC Thunderbolt until we see an official Verizon announcement.

[via DroidLife]

Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread Update Killing Nexus One Battery Life?

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:28 AM PST

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As if some disagreements with Google Voice weren’t enough, the list of complaints against the Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread update for the Nexus One continues to grow. A significant number of users are reporting that the update to Gingerbread is leaving their Nexus One drained of battery life. While idle power consumption running Froyo amounted to about 2 percent on average, some are reporting that Gingerbread is registering power usage of 40 percent and above. One user claims his Nexus One ran through 40 percent of its battery over night sitting idle on his nightstand.

The issue seems to be related to how the phone and OS are handling idle services while the phone is sleeping with its screen off. While turning these services such as Wi-Fi on and off seemed to have no effect, setting Wi-Fi to never sleep actually conserved battery life versus setting Wi-Fi to sleep when the phone sleeps.

There is a thread going over at the Google Code site as Issue 15057, but other than a few workarounds being discussed no solution has been found. Any N1 users experiencing less than stellar battery performance since moving up to Gingerbread?

[via Google Code]

Amazon DRM Sounds a Bit Strict, Users Must Be Logged in to Appstore Client

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 10:42 AM PST

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While Google provides developers with plenty of tools to authenticate apps and make sure only the users who paid get to play, there is no hard and fast DRM solution for the Android Market as a whole. The Amazon Appstore, on the other hand, will have what on paper reads as a fairly strict DRM policy that will apply to all apps sold through the marketplace. In order to run apps purchased through the third party market, which is rumored to be launching this month, the handset in question must have the Appstore client installed and be signed in to the user’s Amazon account. When the app is opened it will ping Amazon’s servers to verify that it is not pirated wares.

“Any app that has Amazon DRM applied to it will require users to have installed and signed-in to the Amazon Appstore client to access the app. When an app is accessed by the user, it will verify with the Amazon Appstore device service as to whether the user has an entitlement to the app. If the user does not sign in or does not have an entitlement to that app, then the app will not be usable. However, any user can gain an entitlement by purchasing the app through Amazon.”

One immediate drawback to this method of DRM arrises when considering how apps might function when a handset is not connected to a data network. It is unclear how Amazon will handle the matter.

The issue of DRM is a tricky one for this fact. It is only fair that developers can protect their software from illegal distribution, but there is a thin line separating that protection from violating the rights of users who paid for an app fair and square. We will have to wait for further clarification at the launch of the Appstore.

[via Android Police]

Android Jobs in High Demand, Says Dice

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 09:55 AM PST

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I’m not really surprised by this, but here it goes anyway. Dice.com did what it does and scoured the internet for job postings for specific fields. As of today, there are 987 jobs available on that site alone. In comparison, the iPhone is pulling more than 970.

It may appear that the iPhone has been beaten, but this doesnt take into account other terms companies might use to describe the services they need – such as iOS – nor does it take into account iPad developers.

Still, it’s comforting to see that Android jobs have grown in demand right along with the iPhone from just a year ago: iPhone ‘s 312 to Android’s 273. We can only hope that the growth in demand continues throughout 2011 as tablet versions of Android applications are created for a market that’s expected to blow up over the next couple of years. [via Business Week]

Fragments API Extended to Pre-Honeycomb Platforms

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 09:44 AM PST

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Google has announced that their Fragments API – an API that was introduced with Android 3.0 Honeycomb –  is now being made available for all versions of Android starting with 1.6. Developers will have to download an Android Compatibility Package to take advantage, but it’s easy to install and get started with it.

The fragments API makes developing applications for several screen sizes easier on developers so that that “write once, run anywhere” philosophy is easier than ever for them to pull off. (Which is important now more than ever as the Android tablet market is expected to explode soon.) Find what you need over at the Android Developers site now.

Angry Birds Downloads Reach 30 Million as Conan O’Brian Plays it in Real Life [Video]

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 09:10 AM PST

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If you haven’t already heard, Angry Birds has been downloaded over 30 million times on Android. Yay! I wasn’t going to post this story until I heard that Conan O’Brian set up a live action skit of the game on his show. You might need to survive a 30 second clip of all the other hacks trying to make names for themselves on TBS and then another minute of Conan and Andy babbling on about who knows what, but don’t be alarmed because the birds aren’t far off from there. You’ll get a kick out of it. (Conan’s hair makes anything 10x better than it really is.) [Thanks, Mark!] [Joystiq, SmartKeitai]

Verizon Tops JD Power & Associates’ Call Quality Survey in Majority of Regions [Shocker]

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:32 AM PST

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You get what you pay for, they say, and those who pay more for Big Red’s massive coverage area and quality network couldn’t be smiling any harder right now. For the 13th consecutive volume, Verizon has topped their list in wireless call quality in nearly all regions – only AT&T has been able to tie them in the Mid-Atlantic region, while US Cellular has actually beaten them in the North Central region. (Not surprised considering US Cellular got their start in the Mid-West and hav been working feverishly to improve their network here.)

AT&T actually received decent scores in a few regions (again, they tied Verizon in one of them), but were dead last in the West and North Central – AT&T is notorious for dropped calls over in California and Nevada. (And the North Central result surprises me as I get exceptional coverage in my South Wisconsin town where Sprint and Verizon struggle. I’m only one man, though.)

T-Mobile – as many of you might have guessed – spent a majority of their time at the bottom of these lists. The only instances they weren’t last were when they were second to last in the North Central and West regions where AT&T failed. Sprint was average or above average in most regions, but was second to last in the Mid-Atlantic. Head on over to their site for the full slides. [Electronista]

Pixel Art Clock Widget Feeds You Your Time in Blocky Goodness

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:16 AM PST

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A pretty unique clock widget has just hit the Android market. Its name is Pixel Art Clock Widget and its name describes it all. Adding the widget to your homescreen will give you a unique looking clock made in the popular form of art that originated in the digital age. You can change the color of the text and add pre-drawn ornaments to the clock, but options are otherwise scarce. Still, it’s worth a quick download if you’re a pixel art fan. Get it from the Android market. [FrAndroid (Translated)]

Samsung Exynos 4210 (Galaxy S II Chipset) Rocks in 3D Gaming Showcase

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 07:43 AM PST

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If you had any reservations about Samsung’s Exynos chipset – the one they’ll be putting inside certain models of the Samsung Galaxy S II – throw them out of the window. ARM was on hand to show the processor (not inside of an actual device, though) and its gaming performance reportedly rocked.

They showcased a game running in full 1080p at 60 frames per second, and – for what it’s worth – performed with nary a hiccup. They claim that it wasn’t even maxing out the chipset’s capabilities as they could run the game in stereoscopic 3D at the same resolution and 10 more frames per second.

Unfortunately that functionality wasn’t shown due to limitations with HDMI v1.3. (That demo would have required HDMI v1.4.) Check it out in the video above. [Engadget]

Motorola Atrix Still Coming to Bell March 17th, Prices Revealed

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 07:22 AM PST

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We’ve heard that the Motorola Atrix would be headed to Canada before – to Bell, specifically – and that it’d be there March 17th. We’ve now got further confirmation and pricing to go along with it. You’ll be able to get the device for $170 on a three-year contract (a minimum $50 voice/data plan is required), or spend $599 if you don’t want to sign three years of your mobile life away. I

f the laptop and multmedia docks are your thing, those will also be coming to the carrier but there’s no word on how much those will be yet. (Nor is there word on whether or not it’ll be bundled with the phone as a deal package.) [via Mobile Syrup]
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