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Aaron Gingrich

Aaron is a geek who has always had a passion for technology. When not working or writing, he can be found spending time with his family, playing a game, or watching a movie.

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Jan

[Poll] Some Users Are Reporting Frequent Lock Ups And Reboots After Ice Cream Sandwich Update For Asus Transformer Prime

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Yesterday, Nvidia's CEO announced that the Ice Cream Sandwich (that's Android 4.0 for those of you new to the game) update for the quad-core Asus Transformer Prime would begin rolling out immediately. Sure enough, users started receiving the update, and we managed to snag and host the OTA ourselves (as well as help you prevent it from breaking root). For most, the update brought everything you'd expect from the hot new version of Android: even smoother, snappier performance, sleeker transitions, and various other perks. But for some, it appears that the update has seriously screwed up their device.

According to a six-page thread over at XDA, there are a number of users (though likely a very, very small percentage) who are having some pretty serious issues after updating, regardless of whether or not they were rooted beforehand.

Jan

[Weekend Poll] Ice Cream Sandwich Takes Android To A Whole New Level Of Usability And Polish - But Is It Good Enough For Your Parents To Use? [Fixed]

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Polls

Update: I had the wrong poll displayed for about an hour after posting. Sorry everyone - correct poll is live!

Let's face it: when Android first officially dropped, it was ugly as hell and not exactly designed with non-techies in mind. But as we've seen in the past 3 years (and a few months) since then, things have come a long way (albeit gradually at first) - the look, feel, and usability of vanilla Android became a major focus in the last year or so, especially with Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb(3.0), and Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0).

^{Left: Cupcake (1.5). Right: Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0)}

Again, while it just plain looks a lot nicer now, things are much deeper than what can be shown in a screenshot.

Dec

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

Posted by Aaron Gingrich 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:

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

Dec

[Weekend Poll, Part 2] Did You Get An Android Device For The Holidays?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Did You Add A Payment Method To Your Market Account During The "10 Billion Promo?"

This is part two of this weeken's poll; for part 1, see Are You Giving An Android Device For The Holidays?

The holidays are upon us. For those of you who received gifts, did you get an Android device? Vote in the poll below, then head down to the comments to share.

And from all of us at Android Police, happy holidays!

Dec

[Weekend Poll, Part 1] Are You Giving An Android Device For The Holidays?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Did You Add A Payment Method To Your Market Account During The "10 Billion Promo?"

Another year, and another holiday season that seemingly leapt up out of the blue. For those of you who give gifts during the holidays, are you giving the gift of Android to anyone this year? Sound off in the poll below, and check back for tomorrow's follow-up holiday question.

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Dec

[Head To Head] Asus Transformer (TF101) Versus Asus Transformer Prime (TF201): No Surprises Here - Prime By A Landslide

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Tablet Reviews

Although we heard rumblings that the Prime would be delayed, some lucky customers have already received their Asus Transformer Primes, and it was briefly available (again) on Amazon before quickly selling out (again). Based on the universally glowing reviews (including my own), you're probably well aware by now that the Prime is a truly excellent piece of tech. But how does it compare to its older brother, the Transformer (TF101)? Is it worthwhile for TF owners to upgrade to the TP?

The Specs

Before diving in, let's run over the Prime's specs:

10.1-inch 1280x800 Super IPS + display with Gorilla Glass
1.3GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor with 12-core GPU (up to 1.4GHz in single-core mode)
1GB RAM
microSD slot and microHDMI port (with support for 1080p video output) on tablet
SD card slot and USB port on dock
8MP F2.4 rear shooter with 1080p video recording and continuous flash, 1.2MP front camera
Tablet: 8.3mm thin, 263mm wide, 180.8mm tall, 586g (1.29 lbs)
Dock: 8 - 10.4mm thin, 263mm wide, 180.8mm tall, 537g (1.18 lbs)
12 hour battery life playing 720p video, 18 hours with keyboard dock
Metallic spun finish
Two available colors: Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold
Android 3.2.1 - will be updated to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) as soon as possible after release

Size and Build

Dimensions and build quality are probably the two most significant factors in tablet purchases for casual consumers, so it should be no surprise that Asus placed an emphasis on how thin and light the Prime is.

Dec

[Weekend Poll, Part 2] Did You Add A Payment Method To Your Market Account During The "10 Billion Promo?"

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Apps/Games, Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Would You Switch Carriers For A Phone? Have You Before?

This is part 2 of this weekend's poll; for part 1, please see How Many Apps Did You Purchase During The Market "10 Billion Promo?"

As promised, we have a second question regarding the recently over 10-day $0.10 "10 Billion Promo" sale, inspired by numerous comments on the sale posts and via Google+/Twitter/Facebook. Quite simply, did you add any new payment methods to your Market account? Vote in the poll, then head down to the comments to discuss.

Dec

[Weekend Poll, Part 1] How Many Apps Did You Purchase During The Market "10 Billion Promo?"

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Apps/Games, Polls

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Would You Switch Carriers For A Phone? Have You Before?

With the 10-day $0.10 "10 Billion Promo" sale on the Android Market now over, we have two questions to ask you. The first we'll ask today, in part 1 of this weekend's two-part weekend poll, and the second we'll ask tomorrow. Rather simply, how many apps (including games) did you purchase during the sale? Sound off in the poll below, then head down to the comments to share your thoughts. And be sure to check back tomorrow for the second question about the sale!

Dec

[Weekend Poll] Would You Switch Carriers For A Phone? Have You Before?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Carriers, Galaxy Nexus, Polls, Verizon Wireless

This is the latest in our Weekend Poll series. For last week's, see Now That The First Quad-Core Tablet Has Landed, Would You Still Buy A Dual-Core Tablet?

Inspired by the (sort of) pending release of the Galaxy Nexus (and the hilarious VZSucks coupon being offered for one at Negri Electronics), I'm curious: would you ever switch carriers for a phone? Have you before? Or does the phone come second to the network? Sound off in the poll below, and head down to the comments to speak your mind.

Dec

Protip: Use Coupon Code "VZSucks" And Get $45 Off Your Unlocked U.S. Galaxy Nexus At eTailer Negri Electronics

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Deals, Galaxy Nexus, News, Verizon Wireless

With a phone as highly anticipated as the Galaxy Nexus, it's understandable that people are (very, very) frustrated with the many rumored release dates passing with nothing to show and no official word, especially when stock of the phone is sitting in store rooms at retailers around the countries. Worse, many theories are that it's basically motivated by greed on the part of Verizon. No surprise, then, that even retailers are hopping on board the Verizon-sucks bandwagon:

If you'd like to purchase an unlocked US Samsung Galaxy Nexus (GSM), you can get one for $730.50 at Negri Electronics. Rather hilariously, if you use the discount code "VZSucks", you can knock another $45 off that, bringing the new total to $685.50.