31
Dec
htc-thunderbolt-official
52

Best Of The Worst: The 5 Most Bittersweet Moments For Android In 2011

Posted by in Android OS, Editorials

2011 was a great year for Android - Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was announced. The Galaxy Nexus was released. A whole truckload of Android tablets came out. The first 4G LTE smartphones appeared. But there were some significant speed bumps as well. Here are, in no particular order, the five things in the world of Android in the last year that really got our hopes up, but ended up being a little disappointing.

1. HTC ThunderBolt / All Early Verizon 4G LTE Phones

It's really hard to know where to start with the ThunderBolt. It wasn't actually a ...

31
Dec
hardware_vs_software_buttons
62

[Weekend Poll] Do You Prefer Hardware Or Software Buttons?

Posted by in Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Did You Get An Android Device For The Holidays?

In tablets, having buttons on-screen rather than built into the body is standard operating procedure. On phones, however, there's really only one that eschews physical buttons for software, and that's the Galaxy Nexus. Still fuzzy on what I mean? Take a look at the comparison shot below, lifted from our review of the Galaxy Nexus:

hardware_vs_software_buttons

On the left, the Galaxy Nexus, with its three software buttons displayed on-screen. On the right, a Motorola Atrix, with its four hardware ...

30
Dec
1323159175_f2209
27

Meanwhile In Indonesia… Nexian Offers Android Magic A893 – A Familiar-Looking Device Which Allows Users To "Switch Up"

Posted by in News, Videos

Adding to the ever-growing list of knockoff devices found overseas, Nexian (an Indonesian mobile phone manufacturer) brings us the Android Magic A893 – a device that looks awfully similar to the iPhone, but which packs Android 2.2 Froyo and rings in at IDR 1,599,000 (about $175 USD). To get a better idea of the device's eerily familiar form factor, check out this unboxing video:

And here are the device's (less than magical) specs:

  • Android 2.2 Froyo
  • WCDMA 2100MHz and GSM 900/1800 MHz compatibility
  • HSPA/EDGE/GPRS
  • 3.5" HVGA multitouch display
  • VGA front shooter and 2MP rear camera
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Bluetooth
  • FM Radio

    • ...

30
Dec
image
1

CyanogenMod Team At It Again - Nightlies Arrive For Several Xperia Devices

Posted by in Android OS, Dev, Mods, News, Xperia Active (Satsuma), Xperia Pro (Iyokan)

Just after expanding Nightly support to Samsung's Epic 4G and a slew of LG handsets, the CyanogenMod team has brought nightlies to a handful of Xperia devices, including Coconut (the Xperia Live with Walkman), Iyokan (the Xperia Pro), and Satsuma (the Xperia Active).

image image image

In a Google+ post earlier today, CyanogenMod announced that CM7 support had arrived for multiple new devices, throwing out a special hint to Xperia users.

image

For those not familiar, a "nightly" is a brand new released, built on a daily (or nightly) basis with a day's worth of new code. ...

30
Dec
Droid-4-Front
39

[Updated] More Motorola Droid 4 Pics Leak, Looks Like A Bloated Droid Bionic With A Keyboard

Posted by in Droid 4, News

What do you get when you take a Droid Bionic, slap a keyboard on it, and give it the bloat (physically - not bloatware) treatment? The Droid 4! This phone was originally said to be like the "Droid RAZR with a keyboard," but we see nothing RAZR about this behemoth. We'll start off gently - but brace yourself, it gets pretty ugly.

Update: Just realized that this is a dummy unit (not sure how I overlooked that the first time around), so that means it may not the exact size of the actual Droid 4. We'll just have

...

30
Dec
taco-c-
18

[Exclusive] TacoRoot By Justin Case And Reid Holland: A New Temporary Root Exploit For All HTC Devices

Posted by in HTC, Mods, News

Our own Justin Case has been collaborating with Reid Holland (erishasnobattery) on TacoRoot – a tool that should root just about any HTC smartphone – for some time now, and with the recent additions to HTC’s official unlocking tool, they’ve decided to release it.

At the moment, it’s quite gnarly – it’s only a temporary root for now, and there are various issues with it (see below). That said, it’s incredibly useful for downgrading phones like the myTouch 4G, which can’t be unlocked or rooted with the most recent version of their software. Besides, who could say no to ...

30
Dec
vzlogo
12

Verizon Backpedals On $2 Fee For Single Payments, Bows At The Mercy Of Its Customers

Posted by in News, Verizon Wireless

Earlier this week, Verizon announced that it would start charging customers a $2 fee for paying their bill with a debit card either online or over the phone. Naturally, this caused a huge uproar among customers -- sure, it's only a couple bucks, but it's the principal of the thing. Charging customer to pay their bill?  The very idea doesn't make sense. It's just whack.

So, after enormous customer backlash, guess what Verizon did? Changed its mind. The $2 fee was killed before it even started. Good call on Verizon's part, for sure -- but the real credit goes ...

30
Dec
boot-image-bootloader
11

[Update: Incredible S Added] HTC Expands Bootloader Unlock Compatibility – Incredible 2, Thunderbolt Make The Cut

Posted by in Android OS, Dev, HTC, Incredible 2 (Vivow), News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

In a continued effort to unlock bootloaders everywhere using their online tool, HTC has added several exciting entries to the "supported devices" list. Perhaps the most notable of the new entries are the Droid Incredible 2 and HTC Thunderbolt. Officially, HTC's online unlock tool is compatible with all devices launched after September 2011, but the new additions reflect an effort to add compatibility for older devices.

Update: HTC just added the Incredible S to the mix. Go get unlocked!

image

"What does this mean for users of the Incredible 2 or Thunderbolt," you may ask. An unlocked bootloader basically allows ...

30
Dec
htc-evo-design-4g
2

HTC Releases EVO Design 4G Kernel Source Code, Let The Modding Commence

Posted by in EVO Design 4G, News


EVO Design 4G owners, rejoice - HTC has just released the kernel source code for your device. This means that devs can grab the code, take it to the lab and start hacking away to make this device as lean and mean as possible. Overclocking, among other mods, is just one of the things that generally results in source code modification, so keep your eyes peeled for these improved kernels to start pouring out on popular development forums.

Devs, hit the link below to download and get cracking.

HTC EVO Design 4G kernel source code

...

30
Dec
unnamed
7

[Update: Free At GetJar] Splashtop Remote Desktop Is Only $0.99 (Normally $9.99) In The Amazon Appstore

Posted by in Applications, Deals, News

Having the ability to access your desktop or laptop computer from your mobile device is one of the easiest ways to ensure you always have the files that you need, and Splashtop's remote desktop software is on sale today in the Amazon Appstore for $0.99 to help you do just that.

Update: Looks like it's free at GetJar. Save yourself a buck and pick it up from there. Thanks, Brandon!

Splashtop Remote Desktop, normally $9.99 (though it has been on holiday sale for $4.99), offers smooth HD streaming of remote systems, allowing you to watch videos, listen to ...

30
Dec
91wPPKeTmjL._AA1500_
119

[Update: Working As Intended] ASUS Transformer Prime GPS Performs Very Poorly Without Wi-Fi, Massive XDA Thread Ensues

Posted by in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, News, Tablets
Last Updated: January 3rd, 2012

Update 2: ASUS has issued an official statement on the matter and determined that the Prime's GPS is functioning as intended, which for many folks means essentially non-functional.

Please note that this product is not a professional GPS device ... To avoid inconveniencing users who demand a powerful GPS device, we made the decision to remove it from our specification sheet and marketing communications. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

ASUS

That means if you're actually unable to live with your Prime without true GPS, there's not a lot to do but sell it - because ASUS isn't ...

30
Dec
Capture
339

[Updated: Here Are The Winners!] Skin Your Holiday Gift Giveaway Win One Of 50 Amzer Phone Or Tablet Cases For Doing Almost Nothing

Posted by in Contests / Giveaways
Last Updated: January 2nd, 2012

Now that the holiday season has drawn to a close, a lot of you probably have shiny new Android-powered gifts you're struggling to put down for more than 30 seconds. That also means your brand-new toy might not yet have a case - and we're here to help. Our friends at Amzer have graciously provided 50 of their awesome phone cases to help protect your Android device from the many dangers it will face throughout its life.

Capture

This contest is now over. Here are our winners, selected at random:

 

Rajaram Janardhan

haibl

B J Books

Paul

Alex

Robert Walters

...

30
Dec
Sonic-the-Hedgehog-sonic-and-tails-1470508-400-337
5

Sonic The Hedgehog 4, Episode 2 Coming To The Android Market And Tegra Zone Next Year

Posted by in Games, News

Who's ready for some old-school gaming action? If not, you better get ready - Sonic the Hedgehog and his homie Tails are making their way to Tegra-powered devices in 2012 for a sequel to the 2010 hit Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Episode 1 (which, unfortunately, is not available on Android).

Episode 2 will bring some enhanced features over its predecessor, including a completely redesigned physics engine, new character animations, and, most importantly (to us, that is), the arrival on the Android platform. The game will be featured in NVIDIA's Tegra Zone for Tegra 2 processors, and the Sonic team ...

29
Dec
ATRIX2
3

Motorola Droid Bionic And Atrix 2 Fastboot Files Leak – Come Back From Soft Brick In A Snap

Posted by in Android OS, Atrix 2, Dev, Droid Bionic, News

Hot on the heels of the Droid Razr's leaked fastboot files, two more Motorola devices can now be restored to stock configuration in case of emergency.

Motorola's Atrix 2 and Droid Bionic have both had their fastboot files leaked in recent days, providing a bit of insurance for daring users and developers alike. The Atrix 2's files are available here, while the Droid Bionic's fastboot set can be found here.

image image

For those not in the loop, fastboot allows users to flash unsigned partition images via USB (including recovery images), meaning it is possible to bring a ...

29
Dec
vzlogo
160

[Updated x4: More Info] Verizon's 4G LTE Network Is Down, Devices Left Without Data Connectivity Across The Nation... Again

Posted by in News, Verizon Wireless

It seems like this is becoming a weekly habit, doesn't it? Big Red 4G LTE devices across the nation are once again without data services (mine included).

Screenshot_2011-12-28-12-12-44

It appears that this just happened, so there's no word from VZW as to when we can expect data services to be restored. We'll keep you posted on any new information as it comes along; until then, I hope you're around a Wi-Fi network.

Update: Some users are reporting that 3G is still working, while many others are reporting no data whatsoever.

Update x2: Verizon is aware of the issue and had this ...

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