April 2011 Archives

Apr

[Deal Alert] ASUS Eee Pad Transformer $40 Off From Target, But With A Catch - It's Backordered

Posted by Nate Kimmey in ASUS, Deals, Eee Pad Transformer, News

The Transformer is already a pretty great deal in the world of Android tablets - you get the same 10.1" screen and dual core processor as its competitors, for the low price of just $399.99. But if that price point isn't enough to get you to rush out and buy one, or you'd like some extra cash for that keyboard dock, you're in luck - you can get it from Target for a cool $40 off by using the code TCA27BAR at checkout.

The only problem is, the tablet isn't exactly available - it's still on backorder, so Target warns ...

Apr

[Weekend Poll] What's Your Next (Or Most Recent) Tablet Purchase, If Any?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Devices By Manufacturer, Polls

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

This is the newest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Thinness Vs. Battery Life: FIGHT!

This week we'll be focusing on something a bit less technical than the polls of the past few weeks. The question: if you're planning to purchase a tablet in the near future, what device are you leaning towards right now? (We think) we've covered all the major players below, but if you're going for a decidedly less well-known tablet, feel free to select "Other" and drop us a line in the comments below!

If you've recently purchased a tablet, you're free ...

Apr

[Instructions] How To Root The Verizon Samsung Droid Charge

Posted by Justin Case in Droid Charge / i510, Mods, News, Samsung, Tutorials, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: May 7th, 2011

Neither z4root nor SuperOneClick is currently working on the Charge (though I'm sure someone will come up with a one-click method soon enough), but guess what - Gingerbreak sure does. Follow these instructions, and you should have root and full /system unlock on your Droid Charge in a few minutes. Credit goes to the Exploid Crew and unnamed testers.

No custom recovery, such as ClockworkMod or RA, is available yet, but it is surely going to arrive very soon.

Pros

Permanent root
Read/write access to /system
The bootloader is factory unlocked, so no additional fiddling is required
All Droid Charges

...

Apr

[Updated] Motorola ATRIX 4G Gets Two Updates, Includes HSUPA And Android 2.2.2

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), News

Last Updated: May 3rd, 2011

Update: I know that most of you have not yet received the update, and now we know why. According to its Twitter page, Motorola has said that it would be "rolling out in phases", so hopefully you'll start to see some update action soon.

Well, what do you know? It looks like one update wasn't enough for AT&T today - there are now two OTA updates available for the Motorola Atrix 4G, the second of which brings some long-awaited features.

The first one brings the software version up to 4.1.57 and adds Bluetooth enhancements, improved performance for the fingerprint reader, ...

Apr

Unboxing & First Hands-On With The HTC DROID Incredible 2

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in HTC, Incredible 2 (Vivow), News, Verizon Wireless

I awoke this morning to the UPS delivery guy dropping off a package at my house; lo and behold, it was a DROID Incredible 2 (Dinc2) review unit. As an EVO owner, I'm fairly familiar with what has fast become HTC's modus operandi - high quality, good price, and higher-end specs. With that in mind, I was looking forward to my time with the Dinc2, and tore into the box immediately (I didn't even put a shirt on first... sorry, UPS guy).

Let's state the obvious right up front: the Dinc2 isn't going to break any records. We've ...

Apr

HTC Inspire 4G OTA Update Is Live, Includes HSUPA

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Inspire 4G (Ace, Stallion), News

We've been talking an awful lot about the Motorola Atrix 4G's HSUPA update lately, but don't think that we've forgotten that the HTC Inspire 4G suffers from the same problem. I guess HTC hasn't forgotten either, because the OTA update that fixes this very issue is now live.

The update includes a couple of other fixes as well, mainly where email is concerned. After the update, email setup should be much easier, and Hotmail, Live, and MSN email should auto-configure.

You can can see if this update is available on your device in the Settings>About Phone menu. Once you've got ...

Apr

[WTF] Barnes & Noble Responds To Microsoft's Android Lawsuit, Reminds Us Why MS Is The Devil

Posted by Brad Ganley in Android OS, Editorials, News, NOOKcolor (Encore)

Last month, Microsoft took bookseller Barnes & Noble, the company responsible for the Nook and Nook Color, to court over some patents infringed because B&N used the Android operating system in the Nook and Nook Color. This is definitely nothing new in the world of mobile devices. It happens all the time, especially with companies like Apple and Microsoft trying to take complete dominance of every arena they enter. That's not the big story here. The big story is the extremely, and I mean EXTREMELY douche-tastic way Microsoft is trying to attack Android with these patents.

One of Android's biggest ...

Apr

[New App] File Manager HD Is A Honeycomb Optimized File Browser For Your Tablet

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

Up until now, if you needed a file manager on your Honeycomb tablet you were stuck using one that was designed for phone versions of Android, which didn't always translate well to the larger screen. Software developers Rhythm Software saw this issue, grabbed it by the horns, and took care of it. The end result? File Manager HD.

File Manager HD is the first file manager specifically designed for Honeycomb tablets (according to the developer). It offers a slew of useful features:

* Based on Android 3.0 new feature and theme
* High definition(1280*800) support
* 3 sets of commercial

...

Apr

FCC Is Open To Comments On The AT&T/T-Mobile Deal - Grab Your Pitchfork!

Posted by Zak Stinson in AT&T, Carriers, News, T-Mobile

It's no secret that the acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T is largely unpopular in the Android community. T-Mobile was the first carrier to offer an Android phone and has been very supportive of the development community as of late. It would be a real shame to let an Android-friendly carrier fall under the control of a company that has the absolute worst track record in regards to Android devices, and mobile service in general.

Well, why don't you get off your duff (not actually, you can stay seated) and do something about it? The FCC is considering the matter currently, ...

Apr

[New App] HBO GO Lands In The Android Market, Now You Can Watch True Blood Anywhere

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

If you're an HBO subscriber and just can't get enough TV, then I've got good news for you! HBO has just released its official watch-it-on-the-go Android App, HBO GO. Of course, you have to be an HBO customer in order to use this app, but that's the only prerequisite as far as I can tell.

The app allows you to watch all of your favorite HBO content directly on your mobile device, including movies and HBO original content. It should work on 3G, 4G, and WiFi, but unfortunately it is limited to US customers at this time.

That's ...

Apr

[In Response To Your Concerns] Google Voice + Sprint Integration Questions and Answers

Posted by Brad Ganley in Applications, Editorials, Sprint, Tips

Last Updated: May 13th, 2011

A few days ago I posted about my experience with the Google Voice integration with Sprint and outlined exactly how I did it. In the comments section, you guys responded with a lot of good thoughts and, in some cases, some serious bugs and questions. I have done a little bit of research, some testing, and some drinking (just kidding. Kind of), and I have some answers and responses for you upstanding, early-adopting citizens.

The Questions

1.How will this affect my MMS?

This was actually the main reason I chose to integrate my Sprint and Google Voice accounts. The short ...

Apr

Guerrilla Bob Comes To The Tegra Zone, Now You Can Blow Stuff Up In HD

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Games, News

More and more game developers are taking advantage of the raw power of the Tegra 2 processor, and today, Angry Mob Games brings Guerrilla Bob to those ranks. The graphics have been completely revamped to provide a more aesthetically pleasing experience, adding things like post-processing effects like bloom and glow, real-time lighting, and higher resolution textures.

As far as gameplay is concerned, you can expect the same in-your-face killing field that has always been Guerrilla Bob, only prettier. With a full on assault of weapons - like Machine Guns, Molotov Cocktails, Double Uzis, and Rocket Launchers, just to ...

Apr

[Carrier Crackdown] Tethering Apps Are Being Blocked In The Android Market [Updated]

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Carriers, Mods

Last Updated: October 28th, 2011

It's a sad, sad day when we can't use the data that we pay for in a manner that we choose - but that day has arrived. It seems that somebody (perhaps carriers?) is blocking the ability to install Wireless Tether in the Android Market. This is what you get if you try to install it:

You can see that while it's still in the Market, it's not available for installation on any carrier-connected device. Most of the well known tethering apps have made the carrier blacklist, such as Wireless Tether and PDAnet, but there are some lesser known ones ...

Apr

We Knew It Was Coming: Google Is Being Sued Over Location Tracking in Android

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News

I would like to say that this comes as a surprise... but I would be lying. Two Michigan women have filed a class-action lawsuit against Google for location tracking features used in Android's GPS, stating that it puts "users at serious risk of privacy invasions, including stalking." Their request? That Google stops selling phones that can track users location. Puh-lease.

This $50 million class action lawsuit comes after Google acknowledged that Android phones temporarily store some location based data directly on the phone after using GPS. Google stands firm that this information is not traceable back to the originating device, ...

Apr

Google I/O 2011 Schedule For 20+ Android Sessions Now Available

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Dev, News

Google I/O 2011 is almost here - can you feel it in the air? Personally, I'm counting down days to May 10th when I'll be waking up extra early to gallop over to the Moscone Center in San Francisco and try to attend at least some of the 22 planned Android sessions, including fireside chats and office hours with the Android team.

The [almost - there's 1 TBA] final schedule for these sessions is now up at the I/O site, so if you're one of the lucky attendees, have a look below or hop on over to this document...