March 2011 Archives

Mar

The Pros And Cons Of The Amazon App Store: A Promising Market Replacement?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in App Reviews, Applications, Editorials, News, Other Reviews, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

On March 22nd, the long awaited Amazon Appstore was released, bringing a whole new way to find, install, and share apps on Android. After its initial debut, we decided that this new Appstore was the real deal. In this post, we'll break down what Amazon's done right, and what it still needs to improve on.

Pros

1. Better descriptions and more in-depth comments

Most users will tell you that finding good Android apps is not an easy task. If you're browsing the Android Market looking for something specific, then the only bit of information that you have to work with ...

Mar

Updated: CyanogenMod 7 RC3 Now Available For Inspire 4G, Nexus One, MT4G, G2, EVO 4G And More

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Desire HD (Ace), Desire Z (Vision), EVO 4G (Supersonic), G2 (Vision), Gingerbread 2.3, Hero (Sprint, HeroC), Inspire 4G (Ace, Stallion), Legend, Mods, myTouch 4G (Glacier), News, Nexus One (Passion)

That's right folks - CyanogenMod7 RC3 is up for grabs, and we'll be posting the devices it's available for as they come in. Here's the links we have so far:

HTC Desire HD (and Inspire 4G)
HTC Click/Tattoo
Commtiva Z71
Geeksphone Zero
Geeksphone One
Hero CDMA
myTouch 4G
G2
Nexus One
EVO 4G (Download link only, will add thread when it's open)
HTC Legend
HTC Slide

We'll keep this list updated as more devices are added.

...

Mar

Breaking: Download Leaked DROID 2 Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) Update

Posted by David Ruddock in Dev, Droid 2, Gingerbread 2.3, Mods, Motorola, News, Tips

TeamBlackHat has publicly released a leaked official Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) software update build for the Motorola DROID 2. To install the update, you must have the DROID 2 Bootstrapper by Koush. Instructions and download links below:

Installing Firmware
1. Download this file from the TBH app or download below
2. Use Bootstrap to get your phone into recovery.
3. Create a backup (This is not compatible with new firmware)
4. Install the Firmware using recovery
In Recovery
1. select install zip from sdcard
2. choose zip from sdcard
3. navigate to teamblackhat folder
4. select the file you

...

Mar

Breaking: Download Leaked DROID X Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) Update

Posted by David Ruddock in Dev, Droid X (Shadow), Gingerbread 2.3, Mods, Motorola, News, Tips

TeamBlackHat has publicly released a leaked official Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) software update build for the Motorola DROID X. To install the update, you must have the DROID X Bootstrapper by Koush. Instructions and download links below:

Installing Firmware
1. Download this file from the TBH app or one of the mirrors below
2. Use Bootstrap to get your phone into recovery.
3. Create a backup (This is not compatible with new firmware)
4. Install the Firmware using recovery
In Recovery:
1. select install zip from sdcard
2. choose zip from sdcard
3. navigate to teamblackhat folder
4. select

...

Mar

HTC Flyer Will Come To The US On T-Mobile

Posted by David Ruddock in Flyer, HTC, News, T-Mobile

Pocketnow dropped some images of the HTC Flyer in T-Mobile regalia earlier today, apparently dismissing rumors that the unbranded version of the Flyer would not be headed to American shores. In particular, the image below of a rebranded T-Mobile USA YouTube page would seem to all but confirm that HTC's stylus-sporting tablet will be making a stateside-debut.

HTC's Flyer tablet runs Android 2.3 (with a planned upgrade to Honeycomb), and utilizes a single-core, 1.5GHz processor. The 7" tablet's pricing has to be confirmed, but speculation on a Wi-Fi only version (read: not this T-Mobile edition) hovered around $500-600. This device ...

Mar

QuickOffice Pro HD For Honeycomb Now Available, Spreadsheets Imminent

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, Apps/Games, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

Has your XOOM experience just been incomplete without the ability to view Power Point presentations and Excel spreadsheets? Well, hold on to your triple mocha decaf vanilla sugar free latte, then - QuickOffice Pro HD has arrived to super-size your productivity for maximum tablet utility.

Seriously, though, QuickOffice is a must-have if you need to view formatted documents as part of justifying that Honeycomb-tablet purchase. In addition to reading Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files (both the old 2003 and 2007+ file versions), QuickOffice Pro comes with a powerful file browser utility that hooks into your Google Docs, Dropbox, Box, ...

Mar

Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi Root Now Available (Sans Bricking Feature)

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Mods, News, XOOM

In typically blisteringly-quick fashion, the hackers at XDA have managed to root a Wi-Fi XOOM in no time at all - good news, considering that the root method for the regular XOOM was bricking the Wi-Fi models. It's worth noting that unlocking the XOOM's bootloader (which is required for root) wipes the device.

The current method does require some ADB commands, but certainly nothing tricky. Still, for those who are hesitant, it's likely that an automated method won't be far behind. The instructions, as posted by Xaositek:

This is it guys... HUGE props to MADindustries and modplan!
Download

...

Mar

HTC DROID Incredible May Be Getting Gingerbread (Android 2.3) In June

Posted by David Ruddock in Droid Incredible, Gingerbread 2.3, HTC

Droid-life just dropped an exciting informational tidbit for Incredible owners to mull over: the device may be getting the Gingerbread bump some at the end of the second quarter. The upgrade to 2.3 will entail all of the optimizations made to the Android OS since Froyo's release almost a year ago, and hopefully will provide Incredible owners with the newest version of HTC's Sense UI.

The tip came via an email from an HTC rep in response to a customer's help ticket:

Dear Thomas,
I will be happy to assist with your software update inquiry. Indeed the Incredible is going

...

Mar

Motorola Vows Dedication To Android, But Does Not Deny That They Are Developing An OS

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Atrix 4G (Olympus), Motorola, News, Rumors

A few days ago we reported that Motorola may be working on their own OS due to frustrations with Android fragmentation, lack of Google support, and most importantly, difficulty in developing a standout device in an Android-saturated market.

In an attempt to clarify this, Motorola spokeswoman Kira Golin told PCMag.com that "Motorola Mobility is dedicated to Android." But, in an almost condescending manner, she went on to say, "That's our statement, and I can't control how you interpret or print it."

Naturally, there are a few things that bother me about this statement, the first being the fact that they ...

Mar

Official Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) ROM Leaked For Samsung Galaxy S I9000

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Galaxy S, Gingerbread 2.3, News, Samsung

You might want to take a seat for this one: an early Gingerbread build has leaked for the Samsung Galaxy S I9000, and is now available for download. The file first landed in the hands of one Tricky103, and shortly thereafter was downloaded from Samsung's internal database and uploaded to a public mirror courtesy of iammodo.

Installation instructions are ~~virtually non-existent in the post, so you should probably know your way around modding already before attempting this~~ (update) turns out installation instructions aren't there because it's super simple: just use the three button combo to flash the ...

Mar

Samsung Galaxy S II Gets In-Depth Preview: Just As Thin And Powerful As We Hoped

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Galaxy S II, News, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Samsung

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Ever since its unveiling at MWC, the Samsung Galaxy S II has generated plenty of hype. But with no release date in sight, there's no telling how long it will be before we can get our hands on the device. Fortunately, Ukrainian site gagadget managed to get a preliminary version of the phone, and while it isn't clear how much is finalized, it does give us a good idea of what to expect from Samsung's next flagship handset.

The review starts off by listing the all-important specs, though most have been already been made official:

Dual-core 1GHz Exynos processor

...

Mar

CyanogenMod May Soon Allow Users To Revoke Specific Application Permissions, Cue Mass Force Closing As A Result

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Dev, Mods, News

One of the ways Android protects application users from unwanted activities is by requiring every app to declare a set of permissions and allowing users to view those permissions during the installation phase. Don't like what an app can do? Just don't install it.

However, this all or nothing approach doesn't allow you to selectively turn off specific permissions, so if you don't like that an application accesses your phone state, you can't just disable that and still have the app installed. This forces you to either potentially compromise your privacy or miss out on what could be a great ...

Mar

HTC Representative: Gingerbread Hitting HTC ThunderBolt In Q2 2011

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Gingerbread 2.3, HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Here's some news that ought to make ThunderBolt owners smile: an HTC representative reportedly told a customer that Gingerbread will be made available for Verizon's new flagship phone in - wait for it - Q2.

According to Droid Life, John (or rudyt83) emailed HTC customer support after experiencing some issues with Bluetooth on his new ThunderBolt. HTC's (rather lengthy) response included this little nugget of information:

We are excited to announce that the Thunderbolt will receive the Gingerbread (Android 2.3) update in Q2 2011. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to the update availability.

The rep ...

Mar

[Weekend Poll] Now That The Amazon App Store Is Here, What Are Your Thoughts?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Apps/Games, News, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the newest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see AT&T Is Buying T-Mobile USA; As The Dust Settles, What Are Your Thoughts?

We saw it coming from a mile away (and knew all the details), and now it's finally happened: the Amazon Appstore officially launched on Tuesday, March 22. So far, with the exception of a minor hiccup, it looks like the launch has been fairly smooth. Now that you've had a few days to test the waters, we'd like to know what your thoughts are on the Appstore.

As always, you can vote ...

Mar

[Tutorial] How To "Un-Root" The HTC ThunderBolt And Return It To Stock

Posted by Justin Case in HTC, Mods, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Tutorials, Verizon Wireless

One of the most popular questions about rooting the ThunderBolt is how to undo the process and return to stock, which renews your eligibility for customer support. Well, here you go:

Instructions

Please read the whole tutorial first, and pay attention to every detail. Note that your battery needs to be charged to at least 40% at the beginning of the process, and remember to check the MD5 sums of all downloaded files before diving in. As always, neither Android Police nor Team AndIRC are responsible for any damage this may cause to your phone, and, needless to say, returning ...