Nate Kimmey - 16/21 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Aug

Second Droid OTA Coming, Brings Flash Support

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Droid (Sholes), Froyo 2.2, News, Verizon Wireless

It looks like the Droid has a second over-the-air update headed its way. The first, which started being pushed out yesterday, was FRG01B and brought Froyo to the most popular Android around. However, a Verizon email tells us that this second update will give Droid owners the ability to download Adobe Flash 10.1, leading us to believe that it is indeed the leaked FRG22 build.

If you’re already enjoying Froyo on you Droid, keep an eye out for a second update, and let us know when it comes.

Source: Verizon Email via Android Central

Aug

Google Takes Android Voice Search To The Next Level With Voice Actions

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Applications, Froyo 2.2, News

Today’s Google Mobile even certainly did not disappoint. In addition to some minor improvements in Google Search, such as the ability to call businesses and play music from the web, Google introduced Voice Actions, a huge update to Android’s Voice Search application.

The video below demonstrates all the capabilities of the new application. If you’ve used Google’s speech-to-text functions before, you’ll know how well they work, and Voice Actions simply expands on that in a very powerful way.

As a quick reference, here is the full list of voice actions:

Speak any of these commands to perform a Voice Action on your phone:

send text to [contact] [message]

listen to [artist/song/album]

call [business]

call [contact]

send email to [contact] [message]

go to [website]

note to self [ note ]

navigate to [location/business name]

directions to [location/business name]

map of [location]

Unfortunately, this is currently only available to phones running Android 2.2 – it will also come pre-loaded on the Droid 2, the first phone to launch with Android 2.2.

Aug

Notion Ink Adam Faces New Delays, Still Set For 2010 Release

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Adam, News, Notion Ink

Last Updated: October 7th, 2010

If you’ve been waiting for a high-quality Android tablet… you may just have to wait a little bit longer. Due to investor issues, the Notion Ink Adam tablet has been delayed yet again, with the release date being pushed back to late 2010.

After first unveiling the tablet back in December, Notion Ink received enough money from investors in February 2010, but since then the device has been delayed repeatedly due to a variety of issues. Because of this, several investors have reportedly given up on the tablet, leading to further delays. Fortunately, things could be looking up for Notion Ink – in early June, they secured a new investor, and seem to have enough money to keep the project going.

Aug

HTC Desire HD Caught On Video, Looks Even Sexier Than The EVO?

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Desire HD (Ace), Froyo 2.2, News, Videos

In case a blurry picture and some unconfirmed specs weren’t enough for you, the Desire HD has already gotten a high quality video leak to call its own, and with it confirmation of all the great specs. While they certainly aren’t anything shocking, it serves to show us that the Desire HD is really pretty much a GSM EVO – but that doesn’t make it less impressive.

1 GHz Snapdragon processor
8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash
4.3” WVGA screen
720p recording
Android 2.2 with Sense
Front-facing camera

The only notable difference I can see between the EVO and Desire HD (besides the lack of a 4G radio in the latter) is the HD’s brushed aluminum body, which looks much nicer than the EVO, in my opinion.

Aug

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Finally Comes To The US - Available For Pre-Order Now, Out August 15th On AT&T

Posted by Nate Kimmey in AT&T, Donut 1.6, News, Sony Ericsson, Xperia X10 (es209ra)

Yesterday, a countdown showed up on SonyStyle's website, promising something "smarter was coming." Here's what it looked like:

The contour and image enhancement (cranking the brightness all the way up) all but confirmed that Xperia X10 was imminent. Sure enough, this informed guess was correct, and Xperia X10 is headed for AT&T. This will be AT&T’s second high-end Android handset, and the first Android phone from Sony to launch here in the US.

In case you’re not familiar with the phone, it’s got all the high-end specs you’d expect from a smartphone in 2010:

1 GHz processor
4.0” screen
8.1 megapixel camera with LED flash
WiFi 802.11b/g
and expandable memory up to 32 GB (it ships with a 2 GB microSD card)

However, there is one big exception: the phone is most likely running Android 1.6, and there’s been no word on an update to Froyo, though an update to Android 2.1 is expected sometime this quarter.

Aug

Verizon 2010-2012 Roadmap Leaked, Shows A Whole Lot Of Android Love

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Fascinate, Galaxy S, HTC, Motorola, News, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

There have been plenty of rumors lately about the iPhone launching on Verizon within the next several months. Looking at Verizon’s incredibly successful history with Android and the Droid brand, it seems unlikely; and in case you thought that Verizon might be giving up on Android, think again. A Verizon roadmap leaked by Boy Genius Report shows that the Big Red has plenty of new Android goodies in store for us over the course of the next year.

Roadmap

Droid Pro

First off, a new addition to the Droid family. Along with the Droid X, Droid 2, and Droid Incredible, Verizon will be launching the Motorola Droid Pro.

Aug

BioLock To Bring Biometric Security (Iris Scanner, Facial Recognition) To Android In Late August

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Applications, News

Smartphones are rapidly taking over some daily functions previously dominated by our laptops and personal computers, so securing these mobile devices is becoming an increasingly important issue. Information thieves are after your data via malicious software from which you can reasonably protect yourself by being careful; but what about physical device thieves?

There have been a few solutions, such as the native lock screen options (particularly in Froyo) and various remote lock/wipe/track apps, such as WaveSecure, but a new solution is about to become available – BioLock, a biometric security app from Blue Planet Apps.

BioLock

BioLock provides three levels of security, and you can use as many or as few as you’d like at once.

Aug

PayPal’s Android App Updated, Brings New Bump And Split The Check Features

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Applications, News

Just like the recent update to Facebook for Android (minus the battery draining issues), PayPal’s Android application has just received an update which puts it on par with its iOS counterpart.

Along with a heavily refined UI, the latest version includes two major new features. Bump, which allows you to share money with a friend by tapping your phones together, and Split the Check, which can calculate the cost of a bill for each person and allow them to all pay their portion simultaneously. Of course, the app still allows you to check your balance, as well as send and receive money from your account.

Jul

Unlocked European Desires Getting Froyo And A Few Other Features This Weekend

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Desire (Bravo/BravoC), Froyo 2.2, News

HTC is not resting on its laurels with the latest version of Android. Hot off the heels of yesterday’s announcement that the EVO would be the first phone to receive an update to Android 2.2 (other than the Nexus One, of course), HTC has told Engadget that unlocked European Desires would be receiving the update this weekend, which would also include an App Sharing widget, 720p video recording, iTunes sync, and improved Caller ID.

Anyone who happens to have an unlocked European Desire should receiving a notification within the next two days telling you an update is available. It is a no-wipe update, but HTC stresses that you’ll want to be connected to Wi-Fi in order to avoid data charges.

Jul

UK Samsung Galaxy S To Receive Froyo Official By The End Of September

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Froyo 2.2, Galaxy S, News

According to the Samsung UK Twitter account, the Froyo update for all Galaxy S phones in the UK is on the way, and is set for release on every carrier by the end of September. They’ve given themselves a full two months of wiggle room, so this seems like a date you can put some faith into.

This is still good news for everyone outside of the UK. The update may still be in the development phase, but a September release means carriers in countries outside the UK should be receiving the update in the same timeframe (which is good, because the phone has already launched in several countries.) If you simply can’t wait, you can try out the leaked Froyo ROM that is already available here.