August 2011 Archives

Aug

[Exclusive] Toshiba's Sexy New Tablet To Be Called The Excite

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Excite X10 / AT200, News, Rumors, Tablets, Toshiba

Back in April, before Toshiba had officially revealed the name of its upcoming tablet, one Babyfacemagee did some serious detective work to figure out that it would be called the Thrive - and ended up being dead-on. Fast-forward a few months, and we're hearing rumors of a new, slimmer, sexier Galaxy Tab-fighter from Toshiba.

While we've yet to hear (or see) anything official from the company, Babyfacemagee seems to have come through with the name once again. This time around, it seems that the tablet will (quite fittingly) be dubbed the Excite.

So, what do we have by way of ...

Aug

Angry Birds Rio Gets 'Airfield Chase' Update - 15 New Levels

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

For those who have been waiting patiently for an update to the popular game Angry Birds - the wait is over. Angry Birds Rio received an update today that brings 15 new levels in an episode titled "Airfield Chase."

If you haven't already, fly over to the Android Market and grab the update!

Angry Birds Rio

...

Aug

Elixir 2 Brings Added Functionality To One Of The Best System Info Apps Available

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

The original Elixir, developed by Tamás Barta, is a powerhouse of system information and control, giving the user quick access to an ocean of information about their device. Earlier this week the same developer introduced Elixir 2, a sizeable improvement over an already handy app.

The most practical improvements in Elixir 2 are the enhanced system info tools, allowing the user to get a quick look at a comprehensive list of system information, including hardware, software, sensors, status, services, etc. The app also enables customizable widgets that display the most pertinent information on your home screen, including toggles for several ...

Aug

JRummy's ROM Toolbox Loses Liberty ROM Exclusivity, Now Available For All Rooted Devices

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

If you were to throw ROM Manager, MetaMorph, Titanium Backup, and SetCPU into a blender with a dash of steroids, then the result would most definitely be ROM Toolbox from JRummy. Clearly this is a root only app, and it is probably the most beastly one that I've ever laid eyes on. All of the features encompassed by ROM Toolkit will blow your mind, just take a look at the feature list, taken directly from the Market listing:

ROM Settings:
Access the ROM Manager with hundreds of zips to download & install
Install ROM from SD card
Check for

...

Aug

T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G Bootloader Now Officially Unlockable

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Sensation / Sensation 4G (Pyramid)

HTC has been steadily making good on its promise to unlock the bootloader of its more recent models -- first came the EU Sensation, followed by the EVO 3D. Continuing along this same path, today HTC updated the unlock portal on HTCdev.com to include the T-Mobile variant of the Sensation.

Keep in mind that if you plan on making use of this process that it will likely void your warranty, so tread with caution.

With that said, you can head over to the official HTC Dev site now and officially get your unlock on.

...

Aug

South Korean Government Urges Samsung And LG To Forsake Android: "We Cannot Go On Like This"

Posted by Liam Spradlin in LG, Motorola, News, Samsung

When news broke earlier this month that Google had agreed to buy Motorola Mobility, many members of the tech community immediately began wondering just what would come out of the deal. The Android manufacturers LG and Samsung lauded the decision, both proclaiming that they welcomed the acquisition and Google's commitment to defend Android's interests.

Evidently, however, the South Korean government has some concern about the purchase and has begun nudging Samsung and LG in an effort to bring them away from Android and toward a "coalition of other South Korean companies," intending to build a new mobile OS developed ...

Aug

[Tip] Is Your Sensation Having Touchscreen Issues? Here's A Potential Fix.

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Sensation / Sensation 4G (Pyramid), Tips

Shortly after the HTC Sensation was released, we covered a seemingly random issue with the touchscreen. Not all Sensation owners experienced this issue, and it's still relatively unknown what the exact cause of the problem is.

However, one of the theories formed on XDA is that it's a grounding issue on some devices. On others, though, the issue seems to be completely software related. If you can easily solve the problem by rebooting or a factory reset, then the fix outlined below will not work for you. If, however, this doesn't remedy the problem - even temporarily - then ...

Aug

[New LWP] Swirling Ornaments Is One Of The Best Live Wallpapers We've Seen In Months

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

Normally, I feel like live wallpapers are a novelty at best. While they may add functionality or pleasing aesthetics to a device's homescreen, they usually end up sucking down the battery and slowing down the device as a result.

Every once in a while, though, a LWP comes along that makes any potential downsides totally worth it. Thus is the case with a new live wall from Bizai Studio called Swirling Ornaments.

I'm going to be totally honest here -- this may be the best LWP I've ever seen. The colors, smooth transitions, and overall elegance is truly beautiful. Have ...

Aug

[Deal Alert] HTC EVO 3D For $50 With New Two-Year Agreement From Wirefly

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Deals, EVO 3D (Shooter), News

Last week, Amazon Wireless had a deal going for the HTC EVO 3D where newcomers to the Now Network could score the device for $99. Not to be outdone, Wirefly has fired back with an even better deal: if you sign a new agreement with Sprint, you can get the EVO 3D for $50. Also unlike Amazon Wireless' deal, current Sprint customers will only have to drop $100 with a contract renewal, saving around half of the retail cost.

Specs:

4.3 Inch qHD Super LCD glasses-less 3D display
1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor
1GB RAM
5MP rear shooter with 3D

...

Aug

The Winners Of The Seidio Case And Desktop Charger Giveaway Are...

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Contests / Giveaways

Last week, we took the wraps off a new accessory contest sponsored by Seidio, in which five lucky winners will be the recipients of a case and desktop charger of their choosing.

After reading through all 170+ entries - some funny, some tragic, some that make you feel awful for the story teller, and some that were just downright crazy, we've reached a decision on who the winners are.

So, without further ado, here they are (in no particular order):

The Winners

Ryan Duncan

First up is a tragic story of a love almost lost thanks to a dead ...

Aug

[Rumor] Verizon's Samsung DROID Prime Will Be The First ICS Device, Will Put Galaxy S II To Shame

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Galaxy Nexus / Nexus Prime, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Rumors, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

Nope, Verizon still hasn't changed its mind about skipping the Galaxy S II, but if BGR's latest exclusive proves to be true, Android fans on Big Red needn't be disappointed. Indeed, the carrier is said to be launching the Samsung DROID Prime - likely a rebranded version of the long-rumored Nexus Prime - as early as this October.

The DROID Prime's primary claim to fame will, of course, be its operating system: BGR says it'll be the first Ice Cream Sandwich device on the market. The blog didn't list any specs, but if the DROID Prime (or, if ...

Aug

Samsung Launches Cross-Platform Instant Messaging Service 'ChatON'

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Applications, News, Samsung

Samsung has taken a dramatic step today towards world domination and the death of SMS by announcing an intriguing mobile cross-platform instant messaging service called ChatON. Similar to RIM's BlackBerry Messenger and Apple's iMessage, ChatON will be Samsung's foray into the global mobile communications service connecting all major smartphones and feature phone platforms. There will even be a web client to facilitate conversations between mobile devices and PCs. Furthermore, according to the press release, ChatON will allow users to share text, images, hand-written notes and videos. Feature phones will have a basic app that will enable users ...

Aug

CyanogenMod 7 Makes Its Way To The HP TouchPad

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, News, Tablets, TouchPad, Videos

Just last week we reported that a HP TouchPad running Android 2.2 was being sold on eBay for $700. The claim seemed a little dubious, especially considering the inflated price tag, but today news just broke that CM7 has finally made its way onto the HP TouchPad. The news comes from Rootzwiki, who included a video and a letter from the CM Team related to the project and its recent progress.

The letter explains that the footage is from last week, meaning much progress has been made, many tablet-centric tweaks have been added, and the team is still hard ...

Aug

The Winner Of The 404 Page Design Contest And The Owner Of A Brand New T-Mobile G2x Is...

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Contests / Giveaways, G2x (p999)

Last Updated: September 2nd, 2011

With the launch of the 404 page design contest a few weeks ago, we wanted to achieve 2 goals:

supply a premium giveaway that didn't involve social media for a change and
give the talented readers of Android Police a chance to showcase their creativity and leave a permanent imprint on this website's design and identity

After over 140 submissions - some great, some not so good, some incredibly creative and witty, and some hilarious, I've requested your help in selecting your winner by picking the top 20 designs and putting them up for a reader vote.

To be ...

Aug

Samsung Epic Touch 4G (Sprint's Galaxy S II) Press Shots Leaked: It's A Looker

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Epic 4G Touch, News, Samsung, Sprint

Samsung's NYC event may have been rescheduled for August 30th, but that doesn't mean you'll have to wait till Tuesday to see the US versions of the Galaxy S II. We've already gotten a sneak peek at the visages of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint's editions of the phone, and now (once again courtesy of Pocketnow) another press shot has been leaked:

This is, of course, the Epic Touch 4G - Sprint's version of the device. It looks like Big Yellow has done thankfully little tweaking of the GSII: unlike most modern smartphones, there's no logo on the front of ...