News - 835/938 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Nov

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Available Now - $199 On Contract, Four Colors To Choose From

Posted by David Ruddock in myTouch 4G (Glacier), News, T-Mobile, Videos

While we linked a pretty impressive Wirefly deal for pre-ordering the MyTouch 4G a while back, if you didn't take advantage of it, the phone is now available to everyone on T-Mobile's website for $199 after a mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract, new or extended. Presumably the device can be found at your local T-Mobile store as well.

If you're not fond of the contractual ball and chain, the MyTouch 4G will set you back $450 purchased standalone, sans contract. Considering the phone's feature set (4G [well, HSPA+], front facing camera, 720P video capture), this is a pretty competitive off-contract price.

Nov

Google Adds Change Log Field To Android Marketplace App Pages

Posted by Brian O'Toole in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Good news, developers: Google is finally giving you the opportunity to formally submit a description of changes to your app in its latest version. Many devs were doing this in the description field already, but were constrained by the character limit in place. This new option frees up some space in the description for ... well, further description, and is sure to please some application developers out there. No sign of the ability to respond to user comments, though, sorry.

Source: Android Market Help via DroidReign

Nov

First Hints At Gingerbread UI Given By Latest Google Maps Update

Posted by Brian O'Toole in Applications, Gingerbread 2.3, News

Google Maps was updated to version 4.60 last week, and you may not have noticed it on the surface, but contained inside were some interesting resources providing an early glimpse at the style direction Gingerbread is set to take. Freenode IRC member canadiancow rather astutely spotted that there was a folder contained within the 4.60 APK that included icons and styling for API level 9, whilst we're currently on level 8 with Froyo. He changed all references to level 9 down to level 8 and recompiled the APK, and voilà, this is what Maps will look like (on left):

Obviously not a great deal has changed, but we are liking the new styling on the buttons, and the slight-transparency on the pop-up dialog.

Nov

Rumor: T-Mobile G2 Getting WiFi Calling OTA Tomorrow

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in G2 (Vision), HTC, News, T-Mobile

It's always been interesting to me that although the $29.99 Optimus T ships with tethering capabilities, the G2 has no such feature. Of course, it's been rumored several times before that the feature is on its way, but as of today, G2 users are still in the dark.

That may all be changing soon though, as a recent leaked screenshot from TmoNews indicates that an OTA update that will begin rolling out tomorrow and finish its trip on November 8 will not only grant you tethering, but will also bring about WiFi calling. Interestingly enough, T-Mobile seems to be expecting users to discover tethering on their own though, as the screenshot instructs employees to tell customers that T-Mobile does not currently offer a tethering plan.

Nov

Exploit Found Allowing Permanent Deletion Of Files On G2's /system Partition (NAND Memory)

Posted by Brian O'Toole in Desire Z (Vision), G2 (Vision), HTC, News

You're probably aware of one of the slightly more irksome facets of the G2 that is stymying attempts at custom ROMs, namely the locked down /system partition, where the OS is kept. Heretofore it has been impossible to tinker with this internal memory in a permanent fashion. All alterations were reverted on the next boot, leading to solutions like Paul O'Brien's VISIONary soft-root.

Well, Mr. O'Brien isn't the kind of fellow you can restrain with NAND lockdowns, and with a flourish today he unveiled his latest hack. His program, G2 Google Goggles Remover, is a proof of concept which he says will permanently delete the Google Goggles application from your G2.

Nov

HTC Desire HD Receives Its Second OTA Since Launch, Fixing YouTube Bug, Solving Proximity Sensor Woes Too?

Posted by Brian O'Toole in News

Well, let it not be said that HTC are ignoring the hardships of Desire HD early-adopters. Merely a fortnight after its release to retail, the Desire HD is receiving its second over-the-air update. While the first one promised "screen control and photo message compatibility enhancements", that clearly wasn't enough, as today's update once again addresses "screen control" issues whilst also solving a hitch with crashing of the YouTube app.

Those affected by the dreaded proximity sensor issues we previously reported have yet to fully confirm that this latest update fixes the problem once and for all, but the smattering of positive murmurs spread about the XDA-Developers Desire HD sub-forum gives us hope that this may well be the case.

Nov

Samsung Continuum Makes An Appearance On Verizon Webpage, Labelled "Coming Soon"

Posted by Brian O'Toole in Continuum, News, Samsung

Samsung's got an event coming up on November 8th. Some of you out there may be pretty convinced at this stage that we'll be hearing of a phone named something like "In Excess" at this event, but that's all up in the air right now. What is pretty certain, however, is that we'll get an announcement of Samsung's previously-pictured Continuum, a dual-screen take on the Galaxy S line.

Appearing today on verizonwireless.com alongside the Galaxy Tab, the Continuum is encouragingly marked with a Coming Soon tag. This positively certifies the previous leak we saw pointing towards a November 11th release to retail.

Nov

HTC Finally Gives You A Dock For Your EVO

Posted by Brad Ganley in EVO 4G (Supersonic), News, Tips & Tutorials

It's been a while since we've heard about the official HDMI dock for the HTC EVO 4G, but it looks like it's finally landed. You can go to a Sprint store right now and pick one up for $39.99, which is a fair price for an ultra-shiny docking station and a 6-foot HDMI cable.

As with a dock for any other phone, the EVO dock is no exception to the rule of not playing nicely with cases or extended batteries of any sort, provided they add even a millimeter of thickness to the bottom of the phone. Despite the fact that you have to make your phone naked to use it, the dock still definitely looks like a worthwhile purchase to me.

Nov

Samsung Galaxy Tab Gets A Traditional Tear-Down, Grudgingly Reveals Weighty Battery Pack [Video]

Posted by Brian O'Toole in Galaxy Tab, News, Videos

While many of us would be happy to have any kind of Galaxy Tab at all, there's a certain breed who won't rest until they've eviscerated their latest electronic acquisition for the greater good. One such fellow is Finnish mobility blogger JKK at jkkmobile.com, who took it upon himself to dismantle his shiny new tablet and show its insides to all and sundry.

As you can see in the video, the bulkiest component of the Galaxy Tab is easily its battery, with an impressively large 4000 mAh / 14.8 Wh rating. With a pack that is about a third of the entire device's volume, it's no surprise Google's Tim Bray found the battery life more than adequate.

Nov

Motorola Droid 2 Global Details Popping Up All Over Verizon's Site, Still Not Official

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Droid 2 Global, News, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: November 2nd, 2011

The Motorola Droid 2 Global is really turning out to be the worst-kept secret since the Bay of Pigs invasion, isn't it? We've been hearing inklings of it since mid-September, including rumors that the CPU would be clocked at 1.2 GHz.

Now, Droid-Life's legion of tipsters have spotted two more official Verizon documents featuring the Droid 2 Global: a holiday ad featuring the D2G (above), and nothing other than a sheet listing the tech specs.

And quite a nicely-equipped phone it is. Think of it as a beefed up Droid 2, with an alternative color option:

1.2 GHz CPU
3.7" 854x480 screen
5 MP camera with 2 LED flash
8 GB ROM, 8 GB microSD included (16 GB total)
Dark Sapphire or Winter White

Seems a little weird to launch an upgraded product so soon after launching the original, but hey - I suppose they're trying to get a leg up on their competition.