update - 107/129 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Apr

New Version Of Kindle App For Android Plays Nicer With Your Tablet

Posted by Brad Ganley in Applications, Apps/Games

We just got word from Amazon that there is a new version of the Kindle app for Android available that brings numerous optimizations for tablets running Honeycomb, effectively making a Kindle out of your non-Kindle tablet. Here's the full press release:

SEATTLE, April 21, 2011 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Today Amazon announced an update to Kindle for Android that brings new features and adds support for tablet computers running Android’s Honeycomb, including the Motorola Xoom. The latest version of Kindle for Android includes an integrated immersive shopping experience tailored for tablets, a new layout for newspapers and magazines designed for the unique interface of Honeycomb, and dozens of other new enhancements that take advantage of the larger screens. Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for Android includes Amazon's Whispersync technology, which saves and synchronizes a customer's books and bookmarks across their Kindle, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based phones and tablets. Customers can learn more about Kindle for Android at www.amazon.com/kindleforandroid and download the app from the Amazon Appstore for Android or Android Market.

Apr

[Updated: Download Link And Instructions] Just In: Samsung Fascinate ED01 Froyo Update Starts Early, Rolling Out Now

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Fascinate, Froyo 2.2, News, Samsung, Verizon Wireless

What an incredible day for Samsung Fascinate users on Verizon Wireless - earlier this morning, we reported that the coveted Froyo update was finally set to arrive tomorrow, April 21st. Looks like someone at Verizon pulled the trigger a little earlier, as we are seeing multiple reports of the update rolling out as we ~~speak~~ write.

Want some proof? Have a look at the screenshot (that can easily take the top prize in the ugliest Android screen ever contest) our own Justin Case just pulled from his Fascinate:

So, grab your Fascinates and start mashing the Check for Updates button to see if your update is already waiting for you.

Apr

The Wait Is Finally Over For Samsung Fascinate Owners: Froyo Update Is Ready

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Fascinate, Froyo 2.2, News, Verizon Wireless

All that time Fascinate owners spent waiting for Froyo has not been in vain - your day is finally coming. Officially announced by VZW via Twitter, all the frozen goodness that you can handle should start rolling your way first thing tomorrow. Assuming that it's handled the same way that past VZW updates have been, this update should drop in stages, so be sure to leave us a comment when you get yours.

For more info on the goodies that this update will bring, check out the VZW Support Center.

Source: Twitter

Apr

Skype App For Android Updated To 1.0.0.983, Fixes Personal Info Vulnerability And Adds 3G Calling In The U.S.

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Skype released an update to its Android app this morning, remedying the vulnerability which exposed tons of personal info that we revealed last week. Our own Justin Case who originally found the issue has taken a look at the updated version of the app and confirmed that the exploit he developed to demonstrate the vulnerability no longer functions.

Specifically, Skype has changed the permissions of the databases (which contain the personal information) in question. This update will not remedy the vulnerability on the leaked video version of the app, so continued use is at your own risk. Skype will incorporate the fix into the video version of the app when it is officially released.

Apr

Evernote For Android Updated, Tons Of New Features Included

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

If you're like me, you use Evernote a lot. I never know where I'll be or what I'll be doing when I get an idea for a new post, a review, or any other random thought that I feel may be beneficial to my future (that last one doesn't happen too often). For this, I turn to Evernote for Android on a near-daily basis. Of course, it has always been lacking a lot of features that you find in the desktop and web variations of the software - until today.

Evernote has released a huge update to its Android app, adding a solid list of new features.

Apr

LauncherPro v0.8.5 With Skinnable Widgets, Improved Performance, and Reduced Memory Usage Now In The Market

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

Last week, LauncherPro's Federico Carnales launched a beta version of the new LP Plus with skinnable widget support, and this update, tagged 0.8.5, made its way into the Market as of this morning. Skins can be downloaded and installed as regular Android apps from the Market or from 3rd party websites (sorry, AT&T users) and then applied to LauncherPro Plus (you need the Plus edition to have widgets).

Besides skins, the new version brings reduced memory usage, improved scrolling performance, and calendar widget daylight savings bug fixes.

As always, you can grab the latest version from the Market or the official LauncherPro site.

Apr

[Unconfirmed] Is An HSUPA-Enabling Software Update Coming For The Motorola ATRIX?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), Development, Rumors

Last Updated: April 29th, 2011

Last month, AT&T confirmed that an HSUPA-enabling update was in the works for the Motorola ATRIX 4G and was expected to hit sometime in April. Well... April is here and guess what? It looks like they may actually deliver on that promise.

nate2569, a user over at the XDA forums, received not one, but two mysterious updates on his ATRIX yesterday evening. The first one was a software update to bring the system up to version 1.75 and there was some initial confusion, so nate2569 uploaded a picture displaying some of the "About Phone" contents for proof. Have a look:

Notice anything special?

Apr

Surprise, Surprise - Gingerbread Update For Galaxy S "Temporarily Suspended"

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Galaxy S, Gingerbread 2.3, Samsung, Vodafone

Don't tell us you didn't see this one coming: Samsung's Gingerbread update for the Galaxy S has been "temporarily suspended." Great.

This time, the abeyance was actually brought about by Google - apparently, the update includes "an issue," though Vodafone claims that their variant of the device is not affected. Nonetheless, the 2.3 software is no longer available from KIES, and won't be until it is "reinstated" (which will happen "as soon as possible").

In the meantime, well, you can look forward to hearing your Galaxy S-wielding friends bemoan Sammy's unreliable updates... again.

Source: Vodafone Forums via Engadget

Apr

Completely Revamped Speedtest.net 2.0 Android App Now In The Market, Finally Catches Up To Its iOS Counterpart

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

When it comes to testing bandwidth throughput of your Android device, the Speedtest.net app is considered a de facto standard - it's functional, the UI is gorgeous, and there is a good chance they have a server pretty close to your location. I've tried all the speed testing programs in the Market, and always kept coming back to this one. For a long time the app has remained unchanged on the Market, lagging behind its iOS counterpart and its shiny new user interface. Well, no more.

Ookla, the company behind the Speedtest.net app, just dropped version 2.0 into the Market, and I can tell you that their final product is simply gorgeous (especially if you've never seen the iOS version).

Apr

Samsung Galaxy S Gingerbread Source Code Now Available For Download

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Development, Galaxy S, Gingerbread 2.3, News

I'm not sure what has gotten into the folks at Samsung as of late, but they seem to be on top of their game. They dropped the source code for the DROID Charge and Fascinate last week, the Gingerbread update for the Galaxy S started rolling out for European users this weekend, and this morning, the source code for the aforementioned 2.3 update hit the Open Source Developers Center. Ergo, we can almost certainly expect to see some custom Gingerbread ROMs for the Galaxy S in the coming weeks.

To download the source, head over to the Open Source Developers Center, search for "GT-I9000_OpenSource_GB.zip," download, and enjoy.