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The latest in a string of rumors about the upcoming Wi-Fi-only version of the Motorola XOOM comes from the team at Droid Life, who say that the carrier-free model may be hitting Staples stores on or around April 3. The same folks are also now reporting another leak from Staples which shows that employees will get the slate in their hands to begin training on March 23.
If you have a snazzy new Motorola XOOM (or another Tegra 2 powered tablet) and are just itching for some fun apps to show what your baby can do, you just may have a new game to try in Vendetta Online. Vendetta is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) which will only run on Tegra-powered tablets 7" or larger.
The VoIP company Gizmo5, which was purchased by Google in 2009, is going to be officially ending its service next month (April 3 to be exact). Many Android users who have a setup which utilizes Gizmo5's compatibility with Google Voice to make cheap or free internet calls will need to look elsewhere for cheap VoIP calling.
Apparently the FCC has had a new Motorola phone submitted to it that sounds like it could possibly be the Droid X2. The phone carries the model ID IHDT56MJ1, which is all we have to work with since Motorola apparently requested that the device's name remain anonymous for 180 days (roughly six months for those who had trouble in math). If the conclusion of the period of anonymity coincides with the phone's launch, that would put it at August or September, which sounds reasonable to us for a Droid X2 launch.
I have a Nook Color and I have had loads of fun modding it. From basic rooting to Froyo, CM7, and Honeycomb, there are several options available now for those wanting to transform it from a tablet-esque eReader into a $250 entry level Android tablet. These operations range from simple to somewhat advanced, so I understand that some people are going to be a little intimidated by the prospect of hacking an expensive device. Naturally some might rather ask a more experienced tinkerer to do the job for them, and not risk messing something up. I get that. However, do I think paying upwards of $80 for an SD card that runs the port of the Honeycomb SDK preview is a wise decision? Wow - no way. That is exactly what is happening every day on eBay.
Okay, so maybe this doesn't directly relate to Android, but man, do we think some Android fans are going to like this one. With all respect to Apple, most of us are familiar with their promotional videos which can be a little, let's say, "predictable" at times. Beloved late night host Conan O'Brien created this mock iPad 2 video that... well, let's just let the clip speak for itself:
The Door To More Tablet Apps Is Now Open: Fragments API Is Available For Nearly All Android Versions
A new Application Programming Interface (API) called Fragments has been opened to all 1.6+ versions of Android. If you have no clue what that means, this should have the effect of making many more apps tablet-friendly on tablets and phone-friendly on phones.
HTC took some flak by some during Mobile World Conference for showcasing a 7", single core, Gingerbread running tablet while all the other big dogs were fighting over who has the best 10", dual-core, Honeycomb-running monster. With the tablet market looking more and more like it will soon be the iPad 2 vs. three nearly identical Android competitors, I find HTC's decision to go in an entirely different direction refreshing and was therefore curious about Carrypad's recent hands-on with the slate.
If you are frustrated that you missed the (accidental) $200 off coupon that Motorola temporarily honored for XOOMs last week, we now have something half as good. A coupon code for $100 off ($700 total) is now available to be used at the Motorola online store.
In an attempt to generate extra buzz for using their payment system in Android apps, Paypal has started a contest for developers with a grand prize of $25,000.
It seems like only yesterday we were watching Steve Jobs reveal the second iPad and wondering how Android tablet manufacturers would react (actually, it was yesterday). Now we have news that the Wi-Fi-only version of the Motorola XOOM will be priced at $539 at Sam's Club.
Maybe you can think twice about picking up that new Nintendo 3DS: over a year since development began, the first official release of N64oid, which lets you play classic Nintendo 64 titles on your Android device, is now available in the Market. This is the latest offering from yongzh, the developer behind NESoid, SNESoid, and several other highly-rated emulators for Android.
The General Manager of RBC Capital Markets (a major investment bank based in Canada) sees the global tablet market growing by leaps and bounds over the next few years (no surprise there), but he also foresees Android ultimately wearing the crown as market leader. Take his soothsaying as you wish, but GM Mike Abramsky's predictions carry a lot of weight with investors' bank accounts, so you can bet that his words were chosen very carefully.
Google Maps for Android was updated to version 5.2 today, and the influence of mobile check-in services is becoming more and more apparent with the addition of four social location features.
While most Android users don't likely spend a lot of time thinking about what's going on in RIM's land of Blackberry, it has been revealed that one of the popular smartphones' mainstay features, Blackberry Messenger, will be coming to Android and iOS. The popular chat service known for its speed, conversation threads, and easy PIN contact transfer will most likely arrive later this year.
According to new data released by The Neilsen Company, Android has passed both Blackberry and iOS for smartphone market share among non-prepaid subscribers. At 29%, Android is 2% of ahead of their two main rivals, which are both at 27%.
While we at Android Police don't exactly wait with bated breath to hear what Steve Jobs has to say at Apple announcements like the one for the iPad 2 today, we would be fooling ourselves to pretend that Apple products don't directly affect the market for Android devices. While an Android fan's first reaction to the latest iAnnouncement is often to (understandably) bash the smooth-talking fruit company from Cupertino, I believe that today's events could shake up the tablet market for the better.
It appears that Sprint will be unveiling something for us in Orlando, FL on March 22, as they have issued media invitations for an event that will be "showcasing the latest innovations from Sprint."
Following an eerie silence regarding the Wi-Fi-only version of the Motorola XOOM after the launch of the Verizon model last week, we heard that it would (at some point) sell for £449.9 in the UK. How quickly things change: it now appears, in a new listing on PC World, that the price has been jacked up to £499.99. Pre-orders are now a go at the UK site, and they promise an availability date of "the first week of April."
After the recent arrival of Chomp for Android, yet another Market alternative has popped up. An intriguing new application called [K]apps!, which strives to make app discovery a little easier with the help of social networking, went live on the Market today. According to the developers, the app is "dedicated to the sharing and discovery of Android applications with your contacts." [K]apps! offers a new take on mobile app vending that hopes to make it easier (and possibly more fun) to discover new programs.