Ron Amadeo - 13/19 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Ron Amadeo

Ron loves everything related to technology, design, and Google. He always wants to talk about "the big picture" and what's next for Android, and he's not afraid to get knee-deep in an APK for some details. Expect a good eye for detail, lots of research, and some lamenting about how something isn't designed well enough.

Dec

[Deal Alert] Get A New HTC Evo View 4G (A 32GB, 7 Inch, Sprint Gingerbread Tablet) for $234.98, No Contract, 1 Day Only!

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Deals, EVO View 4G, News, Sprint

Remember this?

Apparently the demand for a hardware buttoned, Gingerbread packing, 7 inch tablet (with optional pen input!) at full price isn't very high, because the HTC Evo View 4G is hitting the bargain bin yet again.

This time it's over at 1saleaday.com, where you can get an Evo View 4G for $234.98 (after shipping), that's a full $4.97 less than it was 3 days ago (which sold out in minutes), and $165 less than Sprint's theoretical $400 off-contract price.

Their title is wrong. It says dual core, but trust us, unless they have some super secret prototype we've never heard of, the tablet you receive will be strictly mono-core.

Dec

Be Constantly Reminded Of What You Would Rather Be Doing With The Tegra-Exclusive Skyrim Live Wallpaper By Nvidia

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Applications, News

Last Updated: August 23rd, 2012

Hey you! Take a break from dragon slaying for a moment and install this live wallpaper.

Nvidia has created this Skyrim live wallpaper, in case you somehow forget during the day you would rather be at home parked in front of your computer.

This picture isn't entirely accurate, when you get it on a real device, there's snowfall and rolling fog. Other than that, there isn't much to it. The foreground and background are on different layers, so they scroll at different speeds when you switch screens. It's simple, but nice looking, and it doesn't make the phone chug like some other live wallpapers.

Dec

Verizon Hates Us, Posts Galaxy Nexus Visual Voicemail App In The Android Market, Your Grandkids Will Love It

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Applications, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Verizon Wireless

The endless teasing continues.

Verizon has posted the Galaxy Nexus version of their hideous visual voice mail app, despite having no way to, you know, actually use it. You can pay $2.99 a month for the privilege of using ...this:

Why was this even made? Ice Cream Sandwich has APIs for integrated visual voicemail, carrier crapware like this is no longer needed. Get with the program, Verizon.

I'm sure those with cash to burn and a blind spot for aesthetics will appreciate this when it is finally able to be used, which right now is looking like sometime around 2054.

Dec

Bring Your GSM Galaxy Nexus Back From The Dead With This Official Image

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Have you modded your Galaxy Nexus a little too much? Do you have the boot loop blues? Google is here to help with an official Galaxy Nexus image.

Flashing the image will wipe out your Nexus and return it to it's original, stock state. You can get your factory fresh copy of Android 4.0.1 right here. The archive contains the bootloader, baseband, and the system files.

Install instructions are the usual ADB shenanigans, full details from JBQ himself can be found here.

Good luck! Oh, and if you can't get your Nexus working, I'll be glad to take it off your hands for you.

Dec

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Corporation Scorned: AT&T Responds To The FCC's Merger Report

Posted by Ron Amadeo in AT&T, News, T-Mobile

So yesterday, the FCC released a report detailing its feelings on the AT&T/T-Mobile. The FCC basically called it like it is and said the merger will reduce competition, raise prices, cost jobs, and AT&T will have to build out its network with or without T-Mobile.

Well, AT&T got wind of that report, and they are not happy. Today they responded with all the composure of a rejected middle schooler:

We expected that the AT&T-T-Mobile transaction would receive careful, considered, and fair analysis. Unfortunately, the preliminary FCC Staff Analysis offers none of that. The document is so obviously one-sided that any fair-minded person reading it is left with the clear impression that it is an advocacy piece, and not a considered analysis.

Nov

[Getting To Know Android 4.0, Part 6] The Phone App Gets Lots Of Love

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Features, Getting To Know Android, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0

Last Updated: August 10th, 2012

Welcome to the sixth edition of GTKA4.0! If you are somehow just joining us, where have you been? You've only been missing the most comprehensive coverage of Ice Cream Sandwich on the internet. If you need to catch up, we already covered Gmail, Google Talk, YouTube, Calendar, and People (Contacts).

This article is for all the old school people out there that actually make phone calls with their smartphones. Today we're examining the Dialer.

For no reason other than tradition, here are some completely unenlightening about screens:

This time both versions are from emulators.

Nov

Google Maps Updated To 6.0: Indoor Mapping In Stores, Malls, and Airports; Lots Of UI Changes

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Apps/Games, News

Google Maps just got a huge update. We're now up to 6.0, and tackling the final frontier of mapping. Google is no longer content to just drop you off at the door. Maps will now include *indoor* mapping and positioning in stores, malls, and airports. Wow.

Check out this before and after shot of the Mall of America:

How cool is that? You can now see where everything is located, and switch between floors. You aren't going to get a GPS lock indoors, so the positioning is approximate. They do say they've tweaked the positioning algorithm to help with that, though.

Nov

Hey Designers: "Android Design Preview" Will Mirror A Portion Of Your Computer Screen Over ADB For Live Mockups

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Development, News, Videos

So you're doing a mockup in Photoshop, and you want to see it on your device. You've got to save it, email it to yourself, and open it on your phone, right? Not Anymore. Today, Google - well, Roman Nurik, a guy who works at Google - released "Android Design Preview," a little utility that will mirror your screen over ADB.

The app has a box that matches the resolution of your device, just start it up, stick it the alignment box over your Photoshop mockup, and you have a live preview of your work. Pretty cool.

It's a jar file, so it should work on PC, Mac, and Linux.

Nov

[Getting To Know Android 4.0, Part 5] Everything Changes In Contacts, Even The Name!

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Features, Getting To Know Android, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0

Last Updated: August 10th, 2012

GTKA4.0 is back! (That's right. We're cool enough to abbreviate now.) Welcome to Part 5: Contacts. The Contacts app has seen the biggest change of any app from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich. Everything is different. It's not even called "Contacts" anymore, It prefers to be called the "People" app. We've got a lot to cover.

Unfortunately, unless you have a Nexus device (I don't), it's almost impossible to get a hold of a fully functional, stock Gingerbread contacts app. The closest I can get is a non-syncing emulator, which doesn't have enough options, and the Cyanogenmod 7 contacts, which has way too many options.