honeycomb - 18/37 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jul

[Updated x2: Flashable Zip For Rooted Transformer Added] Download: Netflix 1.3.0 APK - Working On More Devices Than Listed As Supported (Including Honeycomb Tablets)

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

The updated Netflix APK that officially landed in the Android Market today has successfully been extracted and made available for download on "unsupported" devices by XDA member quixin. As you may know, Netflix 1.3.0 is the first version to support Honeycomb devices of any kind thanks to the Lenovo IdeaPad K1. Of course, the K1 has that super-special hardware-based DRM that was assumedly put in place just for Netflix support. Because of this, we wondered if Netflix would require this type of hardware level support in all future devices... but it appears that's not the case. The updated APK should work flawlessly on all Honeycomb devices, and probably most phones, too.

Jul

FriendCaster Tab Gets A Complete Facelift, Brings All New Features

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

Even though FriendCaster Tab was "Honeycomb's first Facebook app," when it initially hit the Market it was, in a word, lackluster. It offered basic access to Facebook, but it was missing quite a few of the most commonly used features.

Since then, the dev has been hard at work completely redesigning the app - and the end result landed in the Market today. The updated app is similar to the phone version, but utilizes Fragments in Honeycomb, and it looks quite good. The new interface reminds me of FriendMe, but after messing around with it for just a few minutes, I think I like FriendCaster Tab better.

Jul

Autodesk Brings SketchBook Pro To Honeycomb, Artistic Abilities Not Included

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

Autodesk is one of the many devs out there that consistently impress me with its high-quality, well-made apps - especially when it comes to Honeycomb. The newest app out of Autodesk's camp, SketchBook Pro, meets - and perhaps surpasses - all of the standards that have been set in my mind for quality development.

SketchBook Pro is a drawing app designed with the professional in mind - and it appears to be quite full-featured. It's designed to be used with a stylus or with your finger, depending on what type of look you're going for.

After watching the video, one of the coolest things about Sketchbook Pro in my opinion is the "mirror" feature, which makes creating images that require precision symmetry extremely easy.

Jul

36 Best New (And 5 WTF) Android Apps And Live Wallpapers From The Last 2 Weeks (7/3/11 - 7/18/11)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News

Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

This post features only apps and live wallpapers - you can find games here and tablet apps here.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here:

Apps

Vellamo Mobile Web Benchmark

Android Police coverage: Qualcomm Releases Vellamo: A New Web Benchmarking App

Vellamo is a new benchmark that finally measures what you actually care about rather than abstract values that are easy to cheat.

Jul

21 Best New Android Games From The Last 2 Weeks (7/2/11 - 7/17/11)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News

Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

This post only features games - apps are coming soon in a separate post and tablet apps were posted earlier today.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here:

Featured Game

Today's game roundup is sponsored by Solitaire Challenge (Online) from Lasting.

Jul

Google Releases Android 3.2 SDK With Compatibility Zoom And Media Sync From SD Cards

Posted by John Thompson in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

Following the Android 3.2 update that began rolling out to Wi-Fi Xoom models a few days ago, Google has now released the Android 3.2 SDK into the wild, adding a number of new features whilst bumping the API level from 12 to 13 following the introduction of some API changes.

The most noticeable changes to Honeycomb in this update include:

Optimizations for a wider range of tablets
Compatibility zoom for fixed size apps, which provides a pixel-scaled alternative to the standard UI stretching for apps that are not designed to run on larger screen sizes
Media sync from SD cards, allowing users to load media directly from an SD card to applications which use them

The new platform can be downloading using the Android SDK Manager, so if you're a developer then get going!

Jul

[Review] ASUS Eee Pad Transformer - A Month With A Tablet In Disguise

Posted by Ian G. Clifton in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer, Reviews, Tablet Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Tablets are rapidly changing the way we approach technology. They give a sense of immediacy and tactile connection that desktops and notebooks can't touch; however, I will be the first to admit that the hype seemed stupid to me. Several coworkers purchased the original iPad on the day it launched and were eager to show them off. "But what can you do with it?" was my question, and there wasn't a good answer. The tablet was not fulfilling any needs that netbooks and laptops could not already cover.

A year later, Honeycomb became available on the Motorola XOOM. The OS was rough around the edges, but it showed a different take on tablets - one that blended the always-connected nature of smartphones with many of the advantages of notebooks.

Jul

VMWare View For Android Arrives On Honeycomb Tablets, Allows You To Work Away From Work

Posted by John Thompson in Applications, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

Have you been tempted by the recent onslaught of Honeycomb tablets entering the market, but forced yourself to hold back due to the lack of virtualization options available on the platform? No, neither have I (held back, that is), but these 'pro' applications always help when using a tablet, right?

VMWare users will be no doubt be delighted to hear about the arrival of VMWare View on the Android Market, which has been designed and developed from the ground up to give Honeycomb users the best possible experience when accessing their virtual Windows desktops on the go.

Currently available from the Market as a free tech preview, the application utilizes the PCoIP protocol so that you can control your computer effectively whether you're on a fast WiFi network or a slower 3G connection, as it adapts the quality of the connection depending on how much bandwidth you have available.

Jul

[Deal Alert] [Updated: It's Back!] Acer Iconia Tab A500 For $385 ($65 Off) From eBay Daily Deals

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Deals, Iconia Tab A500, News

Update: This tablet is gracing the front page of eBay Daily Deals once again, but this time it's a bit more expensive ($5), which is still quite a good deal. Hit the updated source link below to buy.

When it comes to the Android tablet market, pricing is one of the main areas that defines the competition. Acer clearly knew this when pricing its Iconia Tab A500 tablet at $450, but for today, you can score this 10.1 inch Tegra 2 device for the low price of $380 with free shipping from eBay's Daily Deals site.

If you're not familiar with the Iconia A500, here's a quick look at the specs:

10.1 inch 1280x800 LCD display
1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor
1GB RAM
16GB built-in storage
5MP rear camera, 2MP front
Honeycomb

If you have been waiting for the best price to pick up a new tablet, you better jump on this deal - a sub $400 Honeycomb tablet is hard to find.

Jul

ASUS: Transformer Android 3.2 Update In Testing, Will Be Released Soon

Posted by David Ruddock in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

ASUS has just announced via Twitter that they are currently testing Android 3.2 on the Eee Pad Transformer, and that the keyboard super-dock tablet will be receiving the update soon. What does Android 3.2 bring? A slew of bug fixes, mostly - along with compatibility for apps that don't scale properly (called "Zoom Mode") on Honeycomb tablets. Check out our article on Android 3.2 to learn more.