News - 679/939 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jun

[Update: Now With Check Deposits] Schwab App Released For Android, Easily Manage Your Money And Assets On The Go

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

For those that use the Charles Schwab Corporation for your banking and brokering needs, you've probably gotten frustrated with the lack of a mobile app at some point in the past. Those frustrations can be a thing of the past now, though, as Schwab has released an official app in the Android Market.

With this app you can manage all of your investments and transfer money between accounts, get real time market quotes, and easily trade stocks, mutual funds, and ETF's.

This is just the initial version of the app, though, and it appears that a lot more is on the way in the future, including mobile deposit, streaming quotes, and branch locator.

Jun

NVIDIA: "Tegra Has No Compatibility Issues With LTE At All"

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News

We've all heard the rumors about why the XOOM hasn't gotten its LTE implant yet, and why the Droid Bionic was delayed - and there was a lot of speculation that said it was because of incompatibility between the Tegra 2 chip and Verizon's LTE. NVIDIA has made a statement regarding the matter, and says that is simply not true. See for yourself:

Tegra has no compatibility issues with LTE at all. The Tegra-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE tablet runs on Verizon’s LTE network and is a perfect example of Tegra working fine w/ 4G LTE. Tegra 2 interfaces with many types of modems via standard interfaces, including LTE.

Jun

Sony Ericsson Announces Xperia PLAY Experience Pack: A Dock, Some Cables, And A Few Free Games

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Xperia Play (Zeus, PlayStation Phone)

If you're the proud owner of the recently released Xperia PLAY, then you'll probably welcome what Sony Ericsson announced today via its product blog: the Xperia PLAY Experience Pack. Sounds pretty intense, right? The contents: a multimedia dock, pocket USB cable, "music cable to connect the dock to your audio system," and three free games from Gameloft. Ah, that last part got your attention, yes?

Before I drop the list of games that you can choose from, lets talk about the multimedia dock for a second. First off - I think that every Android phone in existence should have its own multimedia dock, and even though I don't have an Xperia PLAY, this makes me happy for those who do.

Jun

Evolve III Maestro C And Maestro S: Triple-Boot Tablets For Every Type Of On-The-Go Computing

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Maestro C, Maestro S, News

In a world where we carry multiple devices to handle multiple tasks, Aussie manufacturer Evolve III is looking to change the game with its Maestro S and Maestro C tablets. We've all seen dual-boot Windows/Android tablets before, but Evolve III takes it one step further with this dynamic duo and adds Meego to the mix. That's right - a triple-boot setup utilizing Windows 7, Android, and Meego.

In terms of under-the-hood specs, both of these 10.1 inch tablets basically echo one another:

1.5GHz Intel Atom "Oak Trail" processor
2GB DDR2 RAM
32GB SSD (optional 64GB)
2 Full size USB Ports
microSD card slot
HDMI port
1.3MP front facing camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Optional 3G and GPS
Windows 7 Home Premium
Android
Meego

The one downside to both tablets is the screen resolution, as they both run at 1024x600, which is rather small by today's standards.

Jun

[Deal Alert] Viewsonic gTablet Price Hits Rock Bottom: $250 From eBay Daily Deals

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Deals, gTablet (SMB-A1002), News

It looks like eBay's Daily Deals feature may become the go-to source for Android tablet shopping - just last week they had the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi for $100 off, and today, the Viewsonic gTablet has found its way onto the site for a mere $250 with free shipping.

This isn't the first time that the gTablet has made its way into our deals category, either - we've actually featured it a few different times when it was on Woot. This is, however, the lowest price that we've seen this dual-core tablet go for.

A quick spec reminder is probably in order, so here you go:

10.1 inch 1024x600 display
1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor
512MB RAM
16GB storage with microSD card slot
1.3 MP front camera
Android 2.2

Even though it's not rocking Honeycomb, I still say this tablet is absolutely worth $250 - but you better hurry, because this deal can come to a close at any time!

Jun

Editorial: That Verizon Tethering FCC Complaint? It's Not Going To Do Anything, Here's Why

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Carriers, Editorials, News, Verizon Wireless

If you've been watching the blogosphere over the last few days, you might have seen an article or two about a "complaint" filed with the FCC over Verizon's block on tethering applications in the Android Market.

The complainant's argument goes something like this: Verizon purchased the 700MHz spectrum ("block C" of the spectrum) back in 2007, and that spectrum is now used by Verizon for its 4G LTE service. That purchase, ala Google and other net neutrality lobbyists, came with one seemingly large caveat: Verizon (or AT&T, or anyone who bought in that spectrum) could not "deny, limit, or restrict" the phones using that spectrum in particular ways: phones must be carrier unlocked, able to access all parts of the web, and run any software.

Jun

Samsung Exhibits The Exhibit 4G's Source Code, We Try Hard To Not Make a 'Yo Dawg' Joke

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Exhibit 4G, News

Last Updated: November 23rd, 2011

It seems like Samsung was releasing source code on a daily basis there for a while, but it has been relatively quiet over the past couple of weeks in that area. Today, though, the Sammy crew dropped the source code for the upcoming Exhibit 4G, which is set to land on T-Mobile sometime this month.

As it turns out, we just couldn't resist the joke after all.

If you're aching to crack this code open, you can grab it from Samsung's Open Source Developers Center.

Jun

Mugen 4500mAh HTC Thunderbolt Extended Battery - Put A Real Bulge In Your Jeans

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Off-Topic, Videos

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I would love it if my phone had better battery life - in fact, I wouldn't mind it being roughly three times thicker and infinitely more cumbersome to handle, either." Have I got a product for you.

Yes everyone, a 4500mAh extended battery for the Thunderbolt, just what we've all been waiting for - you'll have so much equipment jammed in your pants that Representative Weiner will be jealous.

Hey baby, is that a 4500mAh Mugen Power(R) Extended Battery in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

The folks over at Mugen have introduced yet another one of their signature ridiculously large extended batteries, and they've taken it to the extreme for the famously juice-thirsty Thunderbolt.

Jun

[Pictures] DROID Bionic Will Be Shipping With Android 2.3.4, Has A Gigantic 4.5" Screen

Posted by David Ruddock in Bionic, Gingerbread 2.3, Motorola, News, Rumors, Verizon Wireless

You saw some of the leaked Bionic pictures earlier today, but now thanks to PhoneHK we can give you even more information about the upcoming monster of a Motorola handset. First and foremost, this thing will (at least according to this test unit) be running Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread right out of the gate:

That's a relief. If the Bionic had shipped with Froyo, Motorola might have had a user rebellion on its hands. What other goodies were revealed by the generous leaker about the Bionic?

4.5" qHD display
8MP rear camera, 1080p video recording, plus front-facing camera
WebTop dock accessory
Brand-new BLUR
1750mAh battery (that's large)

You can see some of the new BLUR in action below in various screenshots, including a translucent notification bar and 3D homescreen previews:

Not bad, Motorola, not bad.

Jun

[Video] Gameloft Unveils Its First Unreal Engine Game: March Of Heroes

Posted by David Ruddock in Games, News, Videos

I'll admit, I don't keep up too much on Gameloft's Android offerings, but the developer has received a reputation for releasing some of the higher quality Android games available (just not on the Market).

Their latest offering, whose release date is unknown, is March Of Heroes. What makes March Of Heroes different is that the game has been built on the Unreal Engine, which is a much more configurable and modern engine, and is probably the most advanced game engine on any mobile platform.

We don't have any information on a release date or pricing, but Gameloft generally churns out titles pretty quick, so you probably won't be waiting too long.