Android Community |
- HTC Thunderbolt repeatedly dropping 4G, Verizon claims update is coming soon
- Angry Birds Seasons Easter coming soon [Pics]
- T-Mobile to offer Unlimited everything plans on and off contract
- Acer Iconia Tab A500 unboxed
- T-Mobile Sidekick 4G Speed Tests
- Tyfone putting NFC in MicroSD Cards
- T-Mobile Sidekick 4G Hands-On and Unboxing
- Sony Ericsson Launches Channel on Android Market
- Exxon Mobile unveils new app to help you locate stations
- Andi-One Android universal remote surfaces
- HANNSPAD SN10T1, SN10T2, and SN10T3 tablet specs and prices revealed
- HTC Sensation vs HTC ThunderBolt [DESTRUCTION DERBY]
- Droid X Gingerbread Update happening today
- Motorola XOOM Gets SD Card Activation Early via Tiamac Kernel
- Flash Exploit can nail early versions of Android
- Honeycomb Bits Already in Android Open Source Project Repository
| HTC Thunderbolt repeatedly dropping 4G, Verizon claims update is coming soon Posted: 13 Apr 2011 11:31 AM PDT Looks like there are a few weird things going on over at LTE world. Verizon Wireless and their exciting new LTE network seems to be having some issues, or is it only a firmware issue? That is what Verizon is claiming. Reading over the Verizon Wireless Community forum there is quite a large number of customers reporting 4G drops, like every few minutes or more.
According to the complaints of some it is even worse than we just mentioned. Many users are reporting that even in solid coverage area’s with a full signal they are having 4G dropouts every 5-10 seconds, and it comes and goes. This sure makes things difficult and you can forget about tethering or hotspot functions. Read more about the complaints here. Verizon has acknowledged the problem and has said that a firmware update is coming soon. They did not mention any sort of time or a date for the OTA, and that is usually the case. It will come when they are ready. You can Google around for certain suggestions people mention are “fixes” but if this is a firmware problem those fixes will only be a band-aid until Verizon fixes the issue themselves. [via Verizon Wireless Community] )
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| Angry Birds Seasons Easter coming soon [Pics] Posted: 13 Apr 2011 11:01 AM PDT For all you bird lovers, or pig haters it looks like the wonderful developers of Angry Birds are about to push out yet again another Seasons update. This is Angry Birds Seasons Easter. The Easter update will bring 15 levels of little pigglets wearing bunny ears, with candy, and eggs all around for you to collect and enjoy.
Rovio Mobile has been on a roll lately with the huge hit the entire world knows as Angry Birds. I mean back in November Angry Birds had over 7 Million downloads on Android. Just think of everything they have done since then, with the Christmas seasons, and St. Patty’s Day. The newly released Angry Birds Rio at Amazon , and everything else they are doing is nothing but a good sign for things to come. Hopefully each new season brings another excellent release to us over here in Androidville. We sure love our free angry birds.        [via PocketGamer] )
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| T-Mobile to offer Unlimited everything plans on and off contract Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:47 AM PDT Looks like T-Mobile has decided to get in a little closer with the competition. They have now unleashed their new Unlimited Everything plans, sadly they aren’t truly unlimited but more on that below. They are offering two unlimited packages, one being on contract, and the other is contract free.
The Even More plan is $79.99 per month and requires a two-year contract, then the Even More Plus plan is $59.99 per month with no annual contract required and is geared towards the month-to-month prepaid customers. Both of these are for a limited time only so we suggest you hurry in and get a shiny new Sidekick 4G, or wait a few days and get the LG G2x. Sadly we have heard some news that makes these exciting plans not all that exciting after all. Yes everything is unlimited but if you go over 2GB on your data T-Mobile will start to slow down and throttle your speeds, basically to a crawl. T-Mobile has said that all you facebookers and mobile data consumers use on average about 1GB a month of data, well they said that the “average” customer uses this amount. I know that I use anywhere from 3GB-5GB a month right now, but I’m more of a power user when it comes to Android. So those plans are a no go for some of those more power users, or those that use lots of data. I am glad to see they are lowering prices, and not increasing them now that data is being used more and more, but unlimited data that is actually capped, and slowdowns are a few things I’m not to happy to see. What are your thoughts? Full press release below: )
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| Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:47 AM PDT We have stumbled upon what looks to be an unboxing of the Acer Iconia Tab, there is a hands on photo but after that most seem to look like photoshop or press shots. So this isn’t really an unboxing, more like a sighting. Either way it is exciting to see that the Tab is getting closer and closer to “that” time as the more the better.
The A500 tab does look to have a pretty large bezel, as well as being just pretty big in general when you compare it to the Motorola Xoom. I’m still excited to see another Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet to be on the way though. So I’m ok with that. Recently the Acer Iconia Tab was officially announced, so now it is only a matter of time. It is currently up for pre-order at Amazon like most items tend to be. I also wanted to mention that the tab is available for pre-order at your local Best Buy in store or online for the low price of $449. Will you be getting the Acer Iconia Tab? [via Netbooknews] )
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| T-Mobile Sidekick 4G Speed Tests Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:40 AM PDT We’ve got the brand spanking new T-Mobile Sidekick 4G in, the pink one, not that that makes any difference (it totally does!) and we’re ramping up with tests galore. The first one we’ve got here for you is the basic speed test, testing ping, upload, and download speeds based on location with T-Mobile’s 4G network. The place we’re testing at is Saint Paul, Minnesota, if you want to know – speedy enough for you?
It’s certainly not a ThunderBolt, that’s for sure, but it’s not the worst we’ve ever seen, certainly. This is only the first of a plethora of tests we’ll be administering to this device as we work out how well it works and how well it’s going to work for you. Flipping around and typing all nice and whatnot aside – will the numbers matter? We’ll see. Meanwhile check out our unboxing video as well as all the sweet posts we’ve had in the past with this particular device, in particular the massive hands-on experience we had with it back in Orlando. CTIA 2011 was a place of much shininess, let me tell you – both versions of this handset were there to be experienced for us and for you!    )
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| Tyfone putting NFC in MicroSD Cards Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:06 AM PDT Wow, this sounds like a great idea, Tyfone has developed a system and are now putting NFC chips, controllers, and antenna’s into Micro SD and SD cards. This makes it possible for mobile phones and other PDA like devices to easily add NFC capabilities to their device just by simply changing the SD card they are using. Sounds like a great plan, don’t have a Nexus S, just get a Tyfone MicroSD Card.
According to them the first field trials of Tyfone’s u4ia Secure Memory Card (SMC) technology are now expected to take place during the first half of this year, following successful internal testing at 21 organizations around the world. Tyfone’s u4ia (pronounced ‘euphoria’) has some serious potential to be very popular, especially with how NFC has been taking off lately, not to mention Google jumping into NFC head first as principle member. Tyfone’s u4ia Secure Memory Card would be able to break free the handset availability problem and allow any device with a SD slot to have NFC. This goes for most cell phones these days, as well as camera’s and GPS systems and more. For more information on what Tyfone’s cards contain see below: * An industry standard, GlobalPlatform-compliant multi-application contactless smart card chip Even though we welcome as many phone manufactures as possible to integrate NFC into mobile handsets because of the possibilities it holds, Tyfone’s solution looks to be a very good one. We will report back with more on this as we hear it. [via NFC World] )
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| T-Mobile Sidekick 4G Hands-On and Unboxing Posted: 13 Apr 2011 08:51 AM PDT Looks like we’ve got the brand new T-Mobile Sidekick 4G in today for our ultimate pleasure and handson-edness! Not only do we have this lovely handset here in full working order, activated, shiny, perfectly lovely, we got the pink edition! Hooray forever! Now let’s take a look at what it’ll be like for all the consumers of the earth to be unboxing this lovely little beast, piece by piece. Looks like quite the hipster machine to me.
We have had an opportunity to take a peek at this device when we were back at CTIA 2011, clicking about here and there and photographing our eyes out, but nothing beats the ability to carry it around in your pocket. That’s what we’ll be doing for the next few days and weeks so we can get a good idea on how this device is going to be faring out in the field. Watch out for the custom user interface – heavy scrutiny ahead! [VIDEO PROCESSING] See the video here and the close-up photos below, keep tuned to Android Community’s front news feed here and our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/androidcommunity.com/ for unique content on this device from each! Then head back to our T-Mobile Sidekick 4G portal for all the coverage your eyeballs can handle!             )
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| Sony Ericsson Launches Channel on Android Market Posted: 13 Apr 2011 08:07 AM PDT Today it seems that Sony Ericsson has become the first manufacturer to launch their own channel on Google’s Android Market. This channel is open now, and is dependent on which carrier you’re on, but they say it’ll be open to “most” Android users across the USA (and the world?) This feature will be replacing your “My Apps” section on the main bar (next to apps and games) moving, but not REmoving, that feature from the market. If you see the Sony Ericsson button in the market and want to instead head to My Apps, all you’ve got to do now is press your menu button to find it.
But wait a second, says basically everyone in the world, the “My Apps” button is the one I use the MOST! Sony Ericsson will have quite the time, we estimate, making this section valuable enough for people to stop complaining about how it’s changing their experience for the worse. That said, this channel will provide an area where Sony Ericsson will be able to send out the games and apps they feel best work with the phones they’re producing. For the better? Or for the brand? Have a peek at a few futures of this new channel below, and let us know if you’re excited to see it show up on your Sony Ericsson phone:
[via Sony Ericsson] )
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| Exxon Mobile unveils new app to help you locate stations Posted: 13 Apr 2011 06:07 AM PDT I have a couple gas stations that I will use because the quality of the gas is better and my car runs better as a result. I know some people that only like to use certain stations because they get cash back on credit card purchases of fuel too. If you want to specifically use an Exxon Mobile station the company has a new app to help you find one.
The new app is called Exxon Mobile Fuel Finder and runs on Android devices. The app uses the GPS tech inside your smartphone to find where you are and show you the closest Exxon station near you. The app will also tell you what features the station has like a car wash or SpeedPass capability. The stations can also be filtered by hours of operations and more. Once you find a station that will work the app will route you from wherever you are directly to the station. This app has been available for iOS devices since last year. )
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| Andi-One Android universal remote surfaces Posted: 13 Apr 2011 05:02 AM PDT A company called Conspin has announced a new and really cool looking universal remote control that runs the Android operating system. The remote has an interesting charge base and a big touchscreen for use. The remote is called the Andi One and will support over 5,000 brands of devices.
The company says out of those 5,000 brands the remote will work with up to 10,000 different devices. The operating system that the remote runs is Android 2.1. The remote will connect to devices via IR, RF, and WiFi and can be used as a WiFi phone as an option. The touchscreen is a 3.5-inch unit with a resolution of 320 x 480 and the remote will run Android apps. The battery inside is a 1500mAh unit and it will last for up to 20 hours per charge. Pricing and availability on the Andi One are unknown at this time. [via Conspin] )
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| HANNSPAD SN10T1, SN10T2, and SN10T3 tablet specs and prices revealed Posted: 13 Apr 2011 04:36 AM PDT The geeks over at Notebookitalia attended a meeting where the pricing details and specs for some new Hannspree tablets were offered up. The new tablets include the SN10T1 for Q1, the SN10T2 for Q2, and the SN10T3 for Q3. All three of the tablets sound interesting and they will share a few of the same specs.
The SN10T1 will sport a 10.1″ screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600. It will use the Tegra II processor with 16GB of storage and run Android 2.2. The tablet will feature WiFi and Bluetooth for €349. The SN10T2 tablet will have the same 10.1″ screen, use a T1 processor and have 8GB of storage. It too will run Android 2.2 and will have WiFi, Bluetooth, and a camera for €299. The last of the new tablets will land in Q3 and is called the SN10T3. This tablet has a 10.1″ screen but that screen has a resolution of 1280 x 600. It will run the Tegra II processor and have 16GB of storage. The operating system eon this tablet will be Android 3.0. It will also pack in WiFi, Bluetooth, and a camera for €449.   [via Notebookitalia] )
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| HTC Sensation vs HTC ThunderBolt [DESTRUCTION DERBY] Posted: 12 Apr 2011 05:44 PM PDT So you know what you’re dealing with when it comes to a total dual-core brawl, but what about HTC’s current bigtime winner, the HTC ThunderBolt? Will it simply be left in the dust, crushed, hopeless, crying in the dirt when it comes to battling its brother the HTC Sensation? Perhaps! Let’s have a look at the specs on both devices and see what the numbers can tell us – and don’t forget, some people choose a phone based on it’s fancy good looks, which means the HTC ThunderBolt with its tank-like extended battery might have a fighting chance!
Really quite fashionable, right? We’re going to go ahead and root for the back piece of the HTC Sensation 4G on this one, as it DOES have a sleek ribbon-like mark of distinction. But what about the kickstand? How will I ever survive without my beloved kickstand? Display Processor Camera RAM Internal Memory Memory Expansion Weight Size Battery Which one survives with the fewest chunks bitten off?! Heavy war! Easy decision. )
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| Droid X Gingerbread Update happening today Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT Droid X users are starting to get the official Gingerbread update today, but users who want to root their phones may want to think twice. The new update is version 4.5.588, and according to reports, the devil is in the details as to what it brings. It seems that Motorola may be quietly replacing the Droid X bootloader with a locked down version and users will have no way to revert back to the previous version. As if that wasn’t enough, the fact that Motorola and Verizon are quietly performing the update with no notice is just plain devious.
Users will just see the update has been downloaded and are prompted to restart their phones to have the update enabled. And once it is, there’s no turning back. But all is not lost for rooted phones. So if you’re planning on rooting your Droid, then you better do it before the update comes down the pike. There is some evidence that the update is only going to users with Verizon’s official 2.3.340 build. So, users who have rooted their phones with ClockwordMod Recovery installed should escape the OTA update. If users don’t care about rooting their phones, then by all means hit restart and dive in to all the Gingerbread goodness. The roll out is occurring right now as an over the air update. [via Android Police] )
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| Motorola XOOM Gets SD Card Activation Early via Tiamac Kernel Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:28 PM PDT Behold a fabulous kernel that’s been modified to allow YOU usage of the SD card slot on your Motorola XOOM. It’s called Tiamat, and word on the street is that the dude who’s one of the main creators of this lovely beast has used bits and pieces of code from the Asus Eee Pad Transformer to push the Motorola XOOM another step closer to perfection. Perfection, I tell you!
Now you’ll be able to take that XOOM that you got completely free and clear from us here at Android Community and the fine folks over at NVIDIA, and you can use that slot to load all your favorite oddities. You’ll be loading this and that and whatever you like with all the ease in the world. On the other hand, everyone knows that rooting and booting kernels and all that good stuff isn’t for everyone, so perhaps this isn’t the solution for you. If you ARE the kind of person who likes to live in the wild side and wipe their systems clean and buff out the insides for a chance at eternal hacking glory, consult the oracle. The oracle in this case is bigrushdog, a fellow who’s sitting pretty over at XDA Developers just waiting to provide you with Tiamat for your goodness. Use caution! And don’t say we didn’t warn you! Also note – you need to reboot once you put your SD card in for it to show up, so it’s not PERFECT, but it works! [via XDA Developers Forum] )
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| Flash Exploit can nail early versions of Android Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:08 PM PDT Adobe has announced a critical vulnerability in Flash Player 10.2.153.1 and earlier versions which may, and we do underscore MAY, affect early versions of the Android OS. The vulnerability causes a crash and could also allow a savvy attacker to take control of affected systems. It is usually triggered by an infect .swf file embedded into a Microsoft Word document delivered as an email attachment. Now, granted, this is going to be rare for the Android platform but Adobe felt it important enough to mention that early versions of the Bot OS may be affected.
So if you have an old G1 that you’re hanging onto, you may want to steer clear of using Flash until adobe gets a fix out, which is currently scheduled for June 14, 2011 as part of their quarterly security update schedule. Yeah, June. You’d think if Adobe though this was important enough to mention, and exploits always are, that they’d have a regular update schedule like Microsoft does with Windows. I mean, QUARTERLY? Then again, if you are still using an G1 or early model Android handset, you’re probably WAY due to upgrade anyway. There’s plenty of great handsets out there and many are free. I mean, we know the G1 was the first and all, but come on, get with the program! Seriously, this likely much ado about nothing for your average AC reader, but its always a good idea to keep up on what attackers are trying to do in case something pops up that nobody saw comin. )
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| Honeycomb Bits Already in Android Open Source Project Repository Posted: 12 Apr 2011 11:51 AM PDT That’s right race fans, start revving your engines if you haven’t already, Honeycomb is getting closer and closer to being released to the public via Google’s AOSP repository. We’ve recently had some unmentionables hit the fan over the fact that Google was holding back the source for Honeycomb, people flipping out over how they though this meant that Android was moving away from open-source. In fact Google was just waiting, watching, thinking, twiddling their thumbs, and the time is soon approaching – a couple bits are already out!
Our excellent friends over at Android Guys have published the path back to Al Sutton who appears to have pieced together a puzzle that’s lead to the discovery of both references to Renderscript as wells a few new build options. As you may well know if you’ve taken a look at our gigantic Honeycomb guide, Renderscript is a relatively new function to be found only in builds post-Honeycomb. That means Honeycomb and possible Ice Cream, if that is indeed what Google intends on calling it. Right after Al Sutton posted his findings, mister Jean-Baptiste Queru, a fellow who works for Android down in Silicon Valley, said that he added the bits Sutton found “last week,” and that what Sutton was looking at is “just a current snapshot of master, in case incompatibilities develop over time.” The best part about this whole thing? Bits of Honeycomb have been in the AOSP repository for months: [via Android Guys] )
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