David Ruddock - 129/142 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

David Ruddock

David's phone is an HTC One X+. He is an avid writer, and enjoys imparting a legal perspective on Android news where it is relevant. He also doesn't usually write such boring sentences.

Follow @rdr0b11

Jan

Google To Give An In-Depth Look At Honeycomb, Android Ecosystem News At Event Feb 2nd

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Development, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

Next Wednesday, Google will be holding a press event to showcase Honeycomb and discuss Android at large. Team Android is going to give attendees an "in-depth look" at Honeycomb, news regarding the Android ecosystem, and a number of hands-on opportunities while at Google headquarters in Mountain View.

The presentation will be streamed live at www.youtube.com/android starting at 10AM next Wednesday, so everyone will get a chance to tune in for the latest and greatest in the world of Android and Honeycomb.

Considering this is being labeled a press event, it's probably just an opportunity for Google to give Honeycomb some hands-on exposure to the major media outlets and blogs alike.

Jan

Motorola's Atrix 4G Promo Video Makes Me Want One Even More

Posted by David Ruddock in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), News, Videos

As I've said a few times previously here, I'm buying an Atrix 4G. I will be patiently waiting outside the Santa Monica AT&T store on that fateful February morning, Peet's coffee in hand, alternatively staring blankly into the store's glass and fiddling with my Nexus One. I'll probably be one of a few people there, but that's ok - I'm not a big fan of crowds.

But the battle only begins at the door. I will have to threaten (convincingly) to cancel my contract so that I can get a slightly earlier upgrade window than my agreement currently permits, (I'm not due for an upgrade until April) and pay an extra 50 dollars for the early upgrade fee.

Jan

Costco Will Be Selling The Motorola Atrix 4G For $150 As Well, Does Not Come In Bulk

Posted by David Ruddock in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), News

If you like buying your smartphones at Costco, have I got news for you. Sounds like the king of giant ketchup dispensers will be offering the Atrix 4G as part of its relationship with AT&T, and for the same $150 on-contract figure Amazon quoted (and then quickly unquoted) yesterday.

Lifetime supply of toilet paper not included

I know I'll be getting an Atrix 4G come launch day, but I think I'll take a pass on Costco as a vendor. Unless the phone comes with a free slice of Costco pizza and a polish - then I may have to reconsider.

AndroidCentral

Jan

Samsung Releases Figures For 2010: Over 10 Million Galaxy S Phones Sold, Tab Sales Mysteriously Absent

Posted by David Ruddock in Galaxy Tab, News, Samsung

Early this morning (or late last night if you want to get technical), Samsung made its quarterly earnings call, and the company's mobile division is doing quite well - profits are up 38%, thanks in large part to the Galaxy S line of phones.

Samsung managed to sell over 10 million Galaxy S handsets in 2010, comprising roughly a third of all the manufacturer's smartphone sales. Given the Galaxy S's global launch along with its premium hardware and fair pricing, it's no surprise that device has been a big hit. But what about the Galaxy Tab?

Since its release, the smallish tablet has received mixed reviews (though our own Aaron Gingrich thoroughly enjoyed it), and given its treatment by some of the major tech blogs, "mixed" is putting it politely:

This thing is just a mess.

Jan

Android 3.0 Honeycomb Gets Huge Feature Breakdown, Preview SDK Released

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Development, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

The Android Developers Blog just announced the availability of a "preview" of the upcoming Android 3.0 SDK. Developers can start getting their Honeycomb on immediately, as the preview is available via the Android SDK and AVD manager as part of the Android SDK.

But even more exciting is the fact that the Android Developers page has been updated with a plethora of information regarding Honeycomb and its features. Where to begin?

What You Can See

The brief breakdown of Honeycomb's new elements according to Google:

New "holographic" UI
Bottom "system bar" for global status and notifications
Action bar for in-application controls
Redesigned home screen customization
Revamped "recent apps" menu
New keyboard
Improved text selection/copy/paste (multiselect, clipboard, and drag-and-drop)
Streamlined USB file transferring
Completely updated set of standard apps, including: Gmail, Calendar, Browser, Gallery, and Contacts

Under The Hood

Developers have reason to be hugely excited about Honeycomb, as it's bringing some major (awesome) changes to the Android OS.

Jan

Verizon Drops To One 3G Data Plan, Premium 4G Pricing Imminent

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: December 30th, 2011

Well, we knew it was coming. Did you honestly think Big Red would bundle your 3G and 4G into one big, happy family? Neither did we. An anonymous Engadget tipster snapped a picture of Verizon's latest data plans - probably set to be released in time for the iPhone 4. Check it out:

Droid-Life posted a helpful companion image of the old pricing for comparison's sake:

Notice the 150MB smartphone plan has vanished, along with an increased base data cap for feature phones. This is likely meant to simplify things for upcoming 4G devices and new iPhone 4 adopters - Verizon doesn't want to have more than one 3G smartphone plan confusing customers, they'll leave that to the more profitable 4G tiers.

Jan

Updated: Notion Ink Halts Adam Update, Gives Recovery Fix For Bricked Devices

Posted by David Ruddock in Adam, News, Notion Ink

Update: Shortly after the update botch was noticed by Notion Ink, they halted distribution of the update in question because it was not downloading completely. If you have a bricked Adam, here is the fix as e-mailed to Notion Ink Fan:

No one here at Android Police has a device to test this fix on - so be careful, and read the warning.

How to flash your Adam and get it working again

WARNING
This fix is recommended only if your Adam has stopped booting up after installing the over-the air system update on 24 January. Please don't use the method indicated to flash your Adam with any ROM not from Notion Ink, as it would probably damage your Adam irreparably.

Jan

Android Police Editors' Best-Of App Picks - Part 1: Music, Messaging, And File Transfers

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, Apps/Games, Editorials, News, Tips & Tutorials

One thing we never grow tired of on Android is the myriad selection of apps available for use in a particular purpose. Be it text messaging, music listening, or file transfers, there's always a solid grouping of well-made apps to choose from. But whose app fits your needs best? Three of us here at Android Police are going to give you our personal favorites in an ongoing rundown series. We'll give you our picks in a wide variety of areas - from home screens to instant messaging. In this week's episode, we'll be looking at music, messaging, and file transfer applications.

Jan

ADW Launcher EX Update Released - Includes Custom Docks, Bug Fixes

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, News

An update to the popular custom launcher ADW EX was released today, and it adds a feature many ADW users have been clamoring for: custom dock backgrounds. While it may sound trivial, some have used the lack of a custom dock option in ADW to declare Launcher Pro the superior app. ADW EX comes with 8 of its own custom docks, though you can use any image from your gallery as a dock background. The update also includes a few additional customization options (you can find the full changelog here).

To get the custom docks, hit the Menu button while on a homescreen, select More, ADWSettings, UI Settings, Main Dock, Dock Background, Custom.

Jan

Toshiba's Tablet Gets A Super Cool Teaser Site, Still Doesn't Know What To Call Itself

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Thrive / Regza / Antares / AT100, Toshiba

Last Updated: April 16th, 2011

Toshiba's Android tablet (it remains unnamed) just got an awesome teaser site, complete with specs, 360-degree view, gallery, and confirmation that the device will be running Honeycomb at launch.

We got some personal time with the Toshiba tablet back at CES, and were thoroughly impressed with its tactile rubber finish and large, glossy display. We'll give you a quick refresh on the specs:

10.1" display
Tegra 2 dual-core processor
Android 3.0 Honeycomb
2MP front facing camera
Stereo Speakers
Landscape mode dock
HDMI out
USB 2.0 port
MicroUSB port
Headphone and microphone jacks
User-replaceable battery
Combined volume, screen orientation, and power buttons
Full-size SD card slot

The Toshiba tablet is definitely packing some serious heat in the features department, and it's only the second Android tablet I've seen that I might genuinely be interested in buying.