Jaroslav Stekl - 46/47 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jaroslav Stekl is a tech enthusiast whose favorite gadgets almost always happen to be the latest Android devices. When he's not writing for Android Police, he's probably hiking, camping, or canoeing. He is also an aspiring coffee aficionado and an avid moviegoer.

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Aug

Verizon Begins Rollout Of Flash To The Original Droid

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Android OS, Droid (Sholes), Froyo 2.2, Motorola, Verizon Wireless

Sure, FroYo for the Droid Incredible was out and about this morning, and FroYo for the original Droid rolled out a while ago, and now we've got even more update news, this time for owners of the original Droid.

If you recall, (don't worry, I don't either) the first FroYo update for the original Droid brought many things, but downloading Adobe Flash player from the Market was not among them. Well, according to an email sent from Verizon to Engadget, a second OTA update will be rolling out soon that will enable the download.

Anyone seeing the update on their OG Droid yet?

Aug

[UPDATE: It's Coming Tomorrow!] HTC Droid Incredible FroYo ROM Floating Around, Still No Release Date

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in EVO 4G (Supersonic), Froyo 2.2, HTC, Incredible, News, Verizon Wireless

[Update @ 1:10 PM EST by Aaron] Looks like the update is rolling out starting tomorrow. Nice!

Despite the fact that FroYo for the Droid Incredible's big brother - Sprint's EVO 4G - was officially released a few weeks ago, the Incredible itself has yet to receive the update.

We still don't have an official release date (although there are countless rumors floating around), but we may now be one step closer: a new FroYo ROM for the Incredible has been released. It isn't clear whether this is a leaked version of the update that will (hopefully) be rolling out over the air soon, or if this is just something put together based on another device's update.

Aug

Motorola Droid 2 Review: A Bit Of Makeup But Not A Complete Makeover

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Droid (Sholes), Droid 2, Droid X (Shadow), Froyo 2.2, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: October 22nd, 2011

General Overview

The original Droid was a revolutionary phone, not just because it saved Motorola from certain bankruptcy but also because it revealed the wonders of Android to the masses.

For the first time, an Android device was being marketed in a way that appealed to an average American. Not only that - the Droid was Google’s officially anointed Jesus phone, up until the Nexus One came along, meaning it was the first to get Android 2.0, the first to get Google Navigation, etc.

That sets a pretty high bar for the Droid 2, and if you read our review roundup, you already know that most other bloggers thought that, while it is certainly a worthy successor to the most popular Android phone ever, it doesn’t raise the bar or set a new standard for Droids going forward.

Aug

Dell Aero Now Available For $100 On Contract, Runs On Cupcakes

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Aero, AT&T, Cupcake 1.5, Dell, News

Last Updated: September 22nd, 2010

At this point, we'd consider it a joke to release a device with Android 1.5, but apparently, Dell thinks differently.

The 3.67-ounce Dell Aero goes on sale today (on Dell.com, at least; AT&T still lists it as "coming soon") for $99.99 on a new two-year contract with AT&T, and packs:

2GB of onboard storage
triband 3.6Mbps HSDPA and quadband EDGE
5 megapixel camera
3.5-inch 640x360 display

Oh, and the best part? It runs the latest and greatest in the world of Android operating systems: Android 1.5 Cupcake. Yes, seriously. Full press release after the break.

Source: Dell via Engadget

Dell Creates Freedom, Style and Performance to Explore Life's Biggest Moments on New 3.5-Inch Android Smartphone

Date: 8/24/2010

Round Rock, Texas

NEWS:

Dell's first U.S.

Aug

Motorola Droid 2 Gets Its First Update

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Android OS, Droid 2, Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless

No product is perfect - especially when it launches. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that software updates are often pushed out shortly after release so as to eliminate bugs, incompatibilities, and increase speed.

It appears that's exactly what Verizon's doing today, for software version.2.2.20.A955.Verizon.en.US/BP: BP_C_01.09.05P for the Droid 2 is now rolling out, OTA style. It isn't a major revision, but it does include a number of enhancements, including:

Streamlined setup of Visual Voice Mail
Improved contact syncing with Corporate Exchange
More accurate contact pictures in the recent call log
Scrolling text and picture messages

As always, the comments section below is the place to let us know how the update works out for you.

Aug

Modder's Monday: Hacking Without Hacking - A Guide to Customizing Your Android Device Without Voiding Your Warranty

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in App Reviews, Applications, Development, Editorials, Reviews, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Modder’s Monday is a weekly column about rooting, hacking, and other forms of modifying Android written by Jaroslav Stekl, a man who spends his days coding, hacking, hiking, and of course, writing for Android Police.

One of the many things that I love about Android, especially after spending several years with an iPhone, is how customizable it is - right out of the box. You can change your keyboard, tweak the status bar to make it work any way you like, change apps’ icons, and even install home replacements that alter how your homescreen works. The best part about all this?

Aug

T-Mobile G2 Launching September 29?

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in G2 (Vision), HTC, News, T-Mobile

Sure, we already know exactly what the G2 looks like, but unfortunately, we still have no idea what the specs will be or when the device is launching.

Well, with this latest round of rumors, you can cross the latter item off the list of mysteries related to the world's first HSPA+ phone, for TmoNews has just been told by one of their "trusty ninjas" that T-Mobile's got a September 29 launch date in store.

It's important to note that even TmoNews admits that this release date is far from official and that it is apt to change, although it certainly isn't unlikely given the fact that T-Mobile has announced practically nothing about the device other than that it will be their first HSPA+ capable phone.

Aug

Engadget Scores More G2 Pics

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in G2 (Vision), HTC, News, T-Mobile

Friday's round of blurrycam shots of T-Mobile's upcoming G2 not enough for you? Then you'll appreciate this story.

As you can see from the image above, the G2's slider mechanism will lift the top part of the device upwards before moving it out so as to provide full access to the physical QWERTY keyboard beneath it.

Speaking of the keyboard, it looks amazing (even if the above picture only displays part of it).

The back of the Android-powered gadget is a beauty.

And, last but not least, where would we be without a shot of the G2 next to the iPhone?

Aug

Motorola MB520 Kobe Specs And Benchmarks Leak Out

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in AT&T, Motorola

Been thinking that AT&T's Android offerings are rather...how shall we put it....measly as of late? Sure, the Dell Streak and the Samsung Captivate are nothing to scoff at, but the latter is a member of the Galaxy S family, a line of phones coming soon to all four major carriers (as well as a few regionals), while the former is a 5-inch phone/tablet hybrid currently running Android 1.6 that, in all probability, won't be getting FroYo for at least a few months.

Enter the Motorola MB520 Kobe, a device that, according to Engadget's latest tipster, sports specs like:

a 3.5-inch 854x480 LCD display

an 800MHz TI OMAP processor (although it is unclear whether it is a 3440 or an underclocked 3630)

a PowerVR SGX 530 GPU

512MB of RAM

2 GB internal storage alongside a 2GB microSD card out of the box

a 3MP camera without flash

Android 2.1 with MotoBlur (see screenshot at the top of this article)

The specs aren't all Engadget's tipster managed to grab; he/she also procured several screenshots of benchmarking apps, including Linpack and Quadrant, the former of which clocked it at 6.319 MFLOPS - not bad for a phone running Android 2.1 - and the latter of which gave it a score of 1036, a score which only the Nexus One (running stock FroYo) and the Droid X surpassed.

Aug

Motorola Charm Coming To T-Mobile August 25th For $75

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in CHARM, Motorola, News, T-Mobile

Last Updated: December 22nd, 2010

Are you in the market for a strikingly rectangular low-end messaging phone running Android 2.1 and Motoblur? Come on, you know you want one!

If so, the Motorola Charm - you know, that squat little Motorola messaging phone for T-Mobile with a 2.8 inch screen and a non-slide out physical QWERTY keyboard right below it - is now officially hitting T-Mobile on August 25 for what T-Mobile USA has said on Facebook to be an "affordable" $74.99, despite the rumors that it would be free on a new two-year contract.

Of course, the specs aren't anything special:

2.8” 320x240QVGA TFT LCD touch-capacitive display with Gorilla Glass
Android 2.1 with the newest "enhanced" version of MOTOBLUR
3 Megapixel camera
Physical QWERTY keyboard
2GB Removable MicroSD card included (expandable to 32GB MicroSDHC)
Accelerometer
WiFi B/G and N (Single-band 2.4GHz)
Can capture 24FPS video (we assume that is with VGA 640×480)
Secondary noise-cancellation microphone with CrystalTalk PLUS technology
Compatible with T-Mobile HSDPA 3.6
Support for Adobe Flash Lite
1170mAh Lithium-ion battery
3.5mm headphone jack

But hey - it's not meant for us geeks; it's aimed at the kind of people who post statuses on Facebook like "Still recovering...too many parties!" (see the picture above for more on that).