Cameron Summerson - 210/260 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Cameron Summerson

Cameron is a self-made geek, Android enthusiast, horror movie fanatic, and musician. When he's not pounding keys here at AP, you can find him spending time with his wife and kids, plucking away on the 6-string, or watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on repeat.

Follow @Summerson

Aug

[New App] Sixaxis Controller Lets You Play Games On Your Rooted Android Device Using A Playstation3 Controller

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

Gaming on Android devices has come a long way in the past several months, but it can be quite difficult to adapt to touch-screen-only gaming. During intense games, I tend to be pretty heavy-handed, which makes me a bit nervous when the my controller is also the screen, so I would love to have a way to enjoy games on my phone or tablet without destroying the display. Fortunately, Dancing Pixel Studios created an app that allows you to use a Playstation3 six axis controller over Bluetooth. Read on to find out more.

This app is for rooted users only.

Before we get into the details of this app, there are some caveats to be aware of.

Aug

Samsung Conquer 4G Hitting The Now Network On August 21st, Gingerbread And WiMax For $99

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Conquer, News, Sprint

Sprint and Samsung teamed up this morning to announce the most affordable WiMax device to date: the Conquer 4G. The Conquer is a solid mid-range device, with modest-yet-capable hardware crammed into its 3.5 inch shell:

1GHz processor
2GB SD Card Included
3.2MP Rear camera
1.2MP front camera
Android 2.3.x

The real story with with phone, though, is the price. You'll be able to score this handset in all its 4G WiMax glory for a mere $99 with a new two-year agreement. Granted, that is after a $50 mail-in-rebate, so your out-of-pocket on the date of purchase will still be $150.

The device will be available nationwide on August 21.

Aug

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi TouchWiz UX Update Is Now Live!

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Tab 10.1, News

To all those who have been [im]patiently waiting for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 OTA to go live, wait no more - the update started rolling out at exactly 12:00am EST. This update brings a whole slew of awesome to the Tab 10.1, including TouchWiz UX and all of its added benefits. I know there are a lot of skeptics out there since this is the first major custom overlay to hit a Honeycomb tablet, but judging from the early reports, it has been very well received.

Here's a quick reminder of what to expect:

Live Panel: Magazine-like widget view for immediate access to weather, social updates, email, news, photo gallery, all on the home screen.

Aug

One-Click Root Now Available For ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Eee Pad Transformer, News

When a device is first released, the rooting process can be a tedious and cumbersome one. This is especially true with the new breed of Honeycomb tablets, but thanks to the relentless and brilliant Android modding community, the rooting process of every device becomes significantly more simple given a long enough timeline. The latest example of this is the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, which is on the receiving end of a new one-click root solution.

This article deals with a couple of advanced topics. If you’re unfamiliar with some of the terms, hit up our primers here:

Rooting Explained + Top 5 Benefits Of Rooting
Top Android Apps Every Rooted User Should Know About: Part 1 (Apps 1-8),Part 2 (Apps 9-16), Part 3 (Apps 17-25)
Custom ROMs Explained And Why You Want Them
How To Fully Back Up And Restore Your Android Phone Using Nandroid Backup
How To Flash A Custom ROM To Your Android Phone With ROM Manager + Full Backup & Restore
So You Want To Know About Bootloaders, Encryption, Signing, And Locking?

Aug

[New App] DSLR Controller Beta Lets You Control Your Canon EOS From Your Android Phone Or Tablet

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

If you've been reading Android Police for a little while, then you've probably heard the name Chainfire thrown around a time-or-two. After all, he has delivered some awesome and useful apps like Chainfire3d and CF-Bench to the community. His latest offering to the Android Market, DSLR Controller, is probably the most impressive yet, as it allows you to control your Cannon EOS DSLR camera directly from you phone or tablet, no computer required. Aside from the software, the only other thing you will need to make it work is a USB host/On-the-Go USB cable. Take a look at the video to get a better idea of how it works:

Not only is that incredible, but it's absolutely brilliant.

Aug

AT&T Customers With Unlimited Data Plans Found Illegally Tethering Will Be Moved To Tiered Plans

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, News

It's no secret that providers have been starting to crack down on illegal tethering, but now AT&T is taking a new approach on customers using their device as a hotspot without an appropriate plan.

Back in March, Ma Bell started sending out notices to customers found to be tethering without paying their dues to subtly let them know that their current plan "may need updating." Well, as it turns out, the time for subtleties is over. Users that were grandfathered in on an unlimited data plan that are tethering will now be automatically moved to a 2GB tiered plan with a 2GB tethering package.

Aug

Sony S1 And S2's New Custom UI Exposed In Leaked Screenshots

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, S1, S2

The Sony S1 and S2 tablets haven't exactly been the best kept secret in Sony's playbook, but we still haven't managed to catch a glimpse of that "heavily modified" version of Honeycomb, either -- until now. Thanks to some screenshots grabbed by CarryPad, we now have a better idea of what this duo of tablets will bring to the table. So lets have a look, shall we?

A quick look at the homescreen and settings menu. As you can see, the pair are already running Android 3.2, so they'll be up-to-date on launch day. The main Honeycomb launcher looks slightly modified, with quick access to favorites, and some possibly network connections via the WiFi icon up top.

Aug

Waiting On An Official OTA Gingerbread Update For The HTC Desire? Don't - It's Not Coming

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Desire (Bravo/BravoC), News

The official Gingerbread build for the HTC Desire was released a few days ago, but it was pushed out as an RUU, not in typical OTA (over-the-air) fashion like we've all become accustomed to. I think there has been some confusion about HTC's plans for the Desire, as we've received several emails asking when an OTA may become available.

I pinged HTC on Twitter to get an answer to that question and, to put it simply, there isn't going to be one.

Similarly, I also asked if the update would even available to regions outside of the initial group. Again -- no.

Aug

TekTrak Mobile Security Comes To Android, Offers Cross-Platform Protection With iOS For A Full Family Solution

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

I know what you're probably thinking: "...another mobile security app? Please. There are dozens of these!" While this may be true, TekTrak has a few perks that makes it an interesting and compelling choice over the competition.

Firstly, it's also available on iOS, so it's a great cross-platform solution for the entire family. It's also one of the most affordable solutions that we've seen to date, costing only $5 per year. But what does that $5 per year get you? Sounds like a good time for a bullet list.

Remote location: Using GPS, TekTrak will find your lost or stolen phone.

Aug

HTC: The Thunderbolt Will Receive The Gingerbread Update In Q3 2011

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

So, how's that for exciting news, TBolt owners? Since HTC clearly missed the Q2 update window that was originally announced, they moved it to the next logical choice... Q3. That's probably the best decision, especially when you consider the fact that we're already well into Q3.

The official word, per an HTC representative:

We are excited to announce that the HTC Thunderbolt will receive the Gingerbread (Android 2.3) update in Q3 2011. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to the update availability…

As you can see, no solid date has been confirmed as of yet -- but at least now you know that Gingerbread should be hitting your device sometime within the next two months.