February 2011 Archives

Feb

Google Releases Final Honeycomb SDK, SDK Tools r10, And ADT Plugin 10.0.0

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

It's definitely an exciting day for Android developers - first, Motorola confirmed that their XOOM tablet will be open for development, and now the the final Android 3.0 SDK is available. Additionally, the SDK tools and ADT plugin have been updated to versions r10 and 10.0.0, respectively, with the following improvements and additions:

UI Builder improvements in the ADT Plugin:
New Palette with categories and rendering previews. (details)
More accurate rendering of layouts to more faithfully reflect how the layout will look on devices, including rendering status and title bars to more accurately reflect screen space actually

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Feb

This Changes Everything: Motorola XOOM's Bootloader Will Be "Unlockable/Relockable"

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Mods, Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless, XOOM

Sure, the first part of that title might sound like a Steve Jobs quote, but Motorola's latest tweet merits the expression:

That's right - unlike almost all other Motorola devices in recent memory, the XOOM will ship with an unlocked (or at least "unlockable/relockable") bootloader. That means modders will be free to create custom ROMs and kernels for the tablet - not as surprising as it would be were the XOOM not a flagship Google device, but still very reassuring.

Now, Motorola, about your other devices' bootloaders...

Source: Motorola (Twitter)

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Feb

The Peak Of Desperation - Google I/O 2011 Tickets Going For As High As $2000 On eBay

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Google, News

Google's upcoming I/O conference generated quite a bit of commotion earlier this month when all of the tickets offered to the public sold out within 59 minutes in a messy mash-F5-to-get-through-the-crashing-servers rampage. In fact, it got so ridiculous that at first Android Police ended up with no tickets of our own either (don't worry though, I will still be there to provide coverage).

Considering most of the public attention at the conference will be concentrated around Android, it is pretty incredible just how popular it became since last year, when tickets were available for 50 days after going on sale. ...

Feb

Wirefly Unboxes Motorola XOOM: "The Next Generation In Tablet"

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless, XOOM

OK, so unboxings aren't exactly the most exciting videos on the web, but when they involve a certain tablet called the "Motorola XOOM," they're definitely worth a look. Such is Wirefly's latest creation:

Items of note:

Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) - boot times seem really fast
10.1-inch 16:10 display - larger than an iPad
1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor
32GB of internal storage
2MP front camera
5MP rear camera capable of recording 720p HD video

Interestingly, the video mentions a slot for a 4G SIM card, which is odd since Verizon and Motorola say the XOOM will require a ~~hardware~~ software ...

Feb

Kaspersky Mobile Security Comes To Android

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

Anti-virus and anti-malware products by Kaspersky Lab are known as some of the best computer protection solutions for your desktop and notebook, and today the company announced availability of Kaspersky Mobile Security for Android.

The features of Mobile Security include:

anti-theft protection (including SMS Find, Remote Block and Delete, and SIM Watch)
anti-spam protection
privacy protection
anti-virus protection and firewall

The app can be downloaded from Kaspersky's servers and isn't available directly from the Android Market. The cost is rather high - $29.95 per year, although it is still comparable to products like Lookout Premium.

Official press release follows:...

Feb

AT&T's Motorola Atrix 4G Now On Sale - $149.99 At RadioShack And Amazon, $129.99 At Walmart

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), Motorola, News

AT&T has officially started selling the Motorola Atrix 4G for $199.99 with a 2-year contract.

Additionally, true to its word, RadioShack has also started offering the Android 2.2 smartphone for $149.99. The dock will set you back a further $329.99 when bought with the phone or $479.99 when purchased separately.

_{The advertisement for the Atrix 4G on the RadioShack website.}

Not to be outdone, Amazon has the device for $149.99. The phone and dock can be purchased as a bundle for $499.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate and purchase of the Data Pro 2GB/4GB plan with tethering), while the ...

Feb

Motorola XOOM Will Cost $599 On Contract, Launching On February 24th [Official]

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless, XOOM

Verizon's latest press release confirms rumors that the Motorola XOOM will cost $599 with a 2-year contract and $799 without (though we already knew the latter price thanks to Verizon's website) when it launches this Thursday.

Data contracts will start at $20/month for 1GB of data, with Verizon confirming once again that the XOOM will be upgradeable to 4G LTE in Q2 of 2011 at no extra charge.

Read more about it in the official press release:

MOTOROLA XOOM TABLET TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK ON FEB. 24
“Best of Show” Winner at 2011 Consumer Electronics

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Feb

A Must-Have New Game: AirAttack HD. It's Not Your Dream Game, It's The One After That

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Games, News, Videos

So, as you can see, I'm quite excited about AirAttack HD. Now multiply it by 10, and you'll get to the level of my fascination about how polished everything is in this game. Created by Art In Games, AirAttack HD came to Android a few days ago without much fanfare, but didn't have any trouble reserving a spot in our weekly roundup.

However, it wasn't until an hour ago that I finally got to try it out, and let me tell you, every single little thing about this game is top notch. Cream of the crop. Perhaps it's ...

Feb

Android 2.2 Begins Rolling Out To Samsung Epic 4Gs Tonight - But You Can Download And Flash It Now!

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Epic 4G, Froyo 2.2, Mods, News, Samsung, Sprint

Ah yes, Android 2.2 (build number EB13) for the Epic 4G is finally here. Well actually, that's not quite accurate if you're waiting for the official OTA rollout - which won't start until 9:00 p.m. PST - but if you're willing to flash the update as a ROM, you can have it now.

In addition to all the usual Froyo goodies, EB13 brings GPS enhancements, "user friendly" tethering for 3G and 4G, and TouchWiz 3.0 (you can get the full rundown here). Sprint will be rolling the update out in stages, with all Epic 4Gs running Froyo within ...

Feb

[Rumor] Sony Working On 'S2,' A Dual-Screen Android Tablet

Posted by Zak Stinson in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, S2, Sony, Tablets

Last Updated: June 30th, 2011

Hot on the heels of the mock-up leak for the PlayStation certified "S1," Engadget has caught wind of another Android-powered Sony tablet currently in the works. Continuing with the theme of wacky design, the device is rumored to be a clamshell-style, dual-touchscreen device. Each display will measure 5.5 inches, and when closed, the device has a cylindrical form factor reminiscent of the giant crayon-shaped calculator I had when I was 5.

Engadget's sources say that it will be running a custom version of Honeycomb with apps that are optimized for the dual screens. Google Maps is supposed to display ...

Feb

30 Best (And 2 WTF) New Android Apps, Games, And Live Wallpapers From Last Week (2/16/11 - 2/21/11)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News

Last Updated: April 13th, 2011

Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous week or so.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous week's roundup? Find it here: 32 Best (And 2 WTF) New Android Apps And Games From Last Week (2/9/11 – 2/15/11)

Apps

MapQuest

MapQuest's answer to Google Maps. But is it enough? (Probably not)

Absolutely FREE – There’s no trial period,

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Feb

[Download] Tegra 2-Compatible Flash Player Build Leaks Out

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Applications, Mods, News

Good news, Tegra 2 users: you can now obtain a version of Adobe's famous (or perhaps infamous) Flash Player compatible with your devices. The leaked beta APK comes courtesy of XDA user rothnic, who received it "from the Malata Zpad owners."

As always, proceed with caution - and be sure to let us know how it works for you!

Download Link

Source: XDA Developers via Droid Life

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Feb

US Cellular Announces Buy-One-Phone-Get-FIVE-Free Campaign, Lowers Prices Of All Android Phones

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Deals, LG, Mesmerize, News, Optimus U, Samsung, US Cellular

There are deals, and then there are deals. US Cellular's latest offer definitely falls into the latter category - now through March 10th, customers can buy a Samsung Mesmerize ($99.99) and receive five free Optimus Us. Alternatively, you could buy one Optimus U for $29.99 and get five more for free - ridiculously awesome.

That's not all, however; US Cellular also announced that it's trimming the price of each and every one of its Android phones - the HTC Desire now costs $69.99, the LG Apex goes for $29.99, and the Samsung Acclaim can be had free of charge....

Feb

The Barn Is Now A Rooftop - Verizon Releases A New Thunderbolt/LTE Commercial For A Phone Without A Release Date

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless, Videos

The most anticipated Verizon phone of the month, the HTC Thunderbolt, just got its first official commercial, complete with lightning, thunderbolt (no kidding), and a guy on the hunt for HTC's newcomer who ran away straight from the Ocean's 11 set. Two things are for sure - rooftops are definitely cooler than barns, and lightning is always a good idea.

Oh, and you know what else would be a good idea? A release date for the very thing Verizon is advertising as well as Skype at launch. That would be just super.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2TkxqVrVeQ

Source: VerizonWireless

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Feb

[Updated: Nexus One & Desire] Android 3.0 SDK Preview Ported To The Droid Incredible, EVO, Desire HD - Actually Looks Like Honeycomb

Posted by Zak Stinson in Desire HD (Ace), Dev, Droid Incredible, EVO 4G (Supersonic), Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Mods, Videos

Update: If you're a Nexus One or Desire owner and you're feeling a little left out of the Honeycomb SDK fun, I have some good news. The folks over at XDA managed to get a port running on both devices over the weekend. Hit up the links below to check them out and remember, these ports lack the basic functions of a phone and should only be used by people who know what they're doing. Enjoy!

Desire: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=962759

N1: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=961994

(Also, Brian gave the N1 port a shot. He only made it a few minutes before flashing to a

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