News - 828/978 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

Finally - Android 2.2 "Froyo" Update For T-Mobile's Samsung Vibrant To Start Arriving January 21st

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Froyo 2.2, News, Samsung, T-Mobile, Vibrant

In the past few weeks, we've seen multiple accusations portraying Samsung as the bad guy in the Galaxy S Froyo upgrade drama in the U.S. First, there were many delays, followed by the update finally rolling out pretty much everywhere outside the U.S. Then, all anonymous and unconfirmed, an accusation that T-Mo's new Vibrant 4G was the reason for the, possibly indefinite, delay and a report that Samsung charges U.S. carriers for Android updates, later denied by Samsung.

As it turns out, the truth is much less complicated, although we can't say for sure the recent hubbub that undoubtedly did some damage to Samsung's Android reputation didn't accelerate today's events.

Jan

The Beautiful Honeycomb Clock Widget Hits The Market

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Remember the mind-blowing Honeycomb UI that we saw a preview of during CES? Well, the absolutely beautiful clock widget from the update is now available for download. The free version offers the standard blue widget we saw on video, while the $1 paid version offers customizable colors. As our friends at Droid-Life point out, this marks the second app available that provides a taste of Honeycomb - we've been playing with the music player for some time now.

The official feature list:

Features:
- beautifully designed Android 3.0 Honeycomb replica clock
- click to open alarm clock settings(currently stock android only)
- clean futuristic look

Download:

Free: Paid:

[Source: Droid Life]

Jan

Eric Schmidt In HBR: "Preparing For The Big Mobile Revolution"

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Android OS, News, Off-Topic

While only tangentially related to Android, a post on the Harvard Business Review by Eric Schmidt (the CEO of Google, in case you weren't aware) provides a glimpse of what he sees coming in the world of mobile technology. His post isn't especially long, and I'm not too keen on plagiarism, so here are Schmidt's three points:

Focus on developing LTE networks
Using mobile phones for commerce (to transfer money)
Smartphone proliferation - put smartphones in the hands of the poor

While short, it's an interesting piece; certainly worth a read.

[Source: Harvard Business Review]

Jan

Sony Ericsson Has Sold Over 9 Million Android Phones, Despite Fewer Sales Overall

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in News, Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson posted profits of 35 million euros ($47.14 million) in Q4 of 2010, due largely to major downsizing combined with a shift towards Android-based smartphones. Although Sony Ericsson sold fewer phones overall, Android enthusiasts will be happy to hear that they managed to sell over 9 million Android-based Xperia phones, including the X10, X10 Mini, X10 Pro, and X8, since their launch.

In the last year, Sony has made significant changes after reporting losses of 836 million euros in 2009 ($1.13 billion). A total of 4,000 employees were laid off and annual operating costs were reduced by over 880 million euros ($1.19 million).

Jan

Android Lovers, Meet Awesome Custom Boot Animations

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Development, News

XDA member Dysgenic was apparently unsatisfied with his current Android boot animation - so like any good Android lover, he decided to do something about it. The result: an ever-expanding list of absolutely awesome boot animations. Just take a gander at these two (there are currently 8):

Installation is essentially comprised of three basic steps: first, download the animation(s). Second, rename the one you're using "bootanimation.zip." Finally, use ADB to push it and overwrite the existing animation. Alternatively, you can use an app to handle the dirty work.

I've yet to try one myself (although I will later), so I can't speak from experience here, but I'd guess these may not be silky-smooth on lower end hardware (hell, it's giving my netbook a hard time - yay Atom).

Jan

Amazing Android Phone Concept With 3 Flexible AMOLED Screens Blends Reality With Fantasy [Video]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in News, Videos

I have a soft spot for well done demoes, even if they exist only in concept form, and today's design by Kristian Ulrich Larsen fits right into this category (did you really expect anything else from a designer with such an awesome name?).

If you liked Mozilla's Seabird concept, you're going to love the Flip Phone, which features 3 flexible, curved AMOLED screens connected by "soft steel mesh hinges," which allow this device to morph into multiple configurations, each offering something different to its user. It has a keyboard (and a pretty sexy one at that) and a camera. Who needs a dedicated kickstand when it can stand on its own?

Jan

Google Voice Now Supports Mobile Number Porting

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Applications, News

Oh, Google, always so sneaky and humble. This go-round, they've quietly implemented support for mobile number porting into Google Voice, making the service even more convenient.

The process is fairly direct. After entering your mobile number, you agree to the various terms and conditions (it's nice that they list just 6 points that must be checked, rather than a 17-page agreement), and then enter in your account information. Once you've got everything all set, you simply check out, and they take over.

Anyone who's ever ported a number before knows that it's generally a pretty painless process; personally, when I ported my number from Verizon to Sprint, it literally took all of 5 minutes.

Jan

Updated: SwiftKey Releases New Beta With Skins, New Prediction Engine, Bug Fixes, And Other Improvements [Hands-On]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

After weeks of frantic coding, SwiftKey, my favorite smart aftermarket Android keyboard, just released a private beta to all registered VIP forum members. While the beta itself (v1.98.1.172) is private and we can't provide you with a download link, what we can do is list all of the improvements and tease you with some screenshots.

Update: While we can't promise anything, our friendly contact at SwiftKey who I just spoke to indicated that technically if you did apply for the VIP program (i.e. their forum membership) right now, there is a chance you could get approved. Just remember who hooked you up when your fingers are in heaven.

Jan

[Review] Thumb Keyboard Makes Two-Handed Typing A Breeze

Posted by Brad Ganley in App Reviews, Applications, Apps/Games, News, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

If there's one thing an Android power user really appreciates, it's options. I personally enjoy having a myriad of different apps to choose from for a single task so that I can find the one that best suits my needs, one of which is typing.

By now, we all know that there is no shortage of keyboard alternatives for Android users to choose from, but truly great and innovative keyboards can be somewhat hard to come by. If you like typing with two thumbs, though, I think I've found the perfect keyboard for you.

Thumb Keyboard is an input method that, at first, looks a little bit intimidating.

Jan

T-Mobile CLIQ 2 Now Available For $99 On Contract

Posted by Josh Cooter in CLIQ 2, Motorola, News, T-Mobile

If you are in the market for an affordable Android phone, you'll be happy to hear that the new Motorola CLIQ 2 just became available on T-Mobile's site. The device costs just $99.99 on contract and has a $399.99 unsubsidized price tag. Unfortunately, the instant rebate is only going to cover $200, so the other $100 discount will be issued in the form of a prepaid rebate card.

The phone itself is nothing groundbreaking, but it should satisfy the needs of the typical user with its 1GHz processor and unique honeycomb-style keyboard. Hit up the source link for more information and pictures.