Android Central

Android Central


Screen repair costs, Vigor not cool any more? [From the Forums]

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 03:13 PM PDT

Android Central

We're still rocking and rolling as we've now reached the middle of the week. If you missed any news from today make sure you skip a page or two back to get caught up, or jump on into the Android Central forums for more Android discussion.

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.


Verizon wants to monitor your web habits, if this bothers you -- opt out

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:51 PM PDT

Verizon

Priacy policies. A touchy subject for some and if you're a Verizon customer who is concerned with such things you'll want to make sure you're up-to-date on some new privacy policy changes happening.

Verizon has updated some of their terms this week and those updates, now state that Verizon will use your info for "certain business and marketing reports" and for "making mobile ads you see more relevant."  In other words, Verizon will be tracking URLs of websites you visit and also your device's location data while sharing it with outside companies. Doesn't sound all that great does it?

Verizon does however offer you the option to opt out if you visit their privacy policy page and make some changes. The page has two different places where you can check "Don't use my information" for any or all of your Verizon cell numbers.

Having the option to opt out is great! Having been opted in by default -- not so great. If you're not down with Verizon doing this, then make sure you opt out as soon as possible.

Source: Computer World


Velocity Micro brings 2 affordable Android tablets with the T408 and T410

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 02:34 PM PDT

Velocity Micro T410

Velocity Micro has announced two new Android tablets with features and cost in mind.  Designed to be the "fastest, most feature laden tablets on the market for under $300", the T408 and T410 share a common set of specs, with only the form factor, size, and price differing between the two.  The shared specs are:

  • "Ultra responsive" capacitive touch screens
  • 1GHz Cortex A8 processors
  • Front facing cameras
  • 802.11n Wifi-Fi
  • A premium software suite including full versions of Angry Birds Rio and QuickOffice
  • Content via Amazon Kindle for Android
  • Downloadable Apps from the Amazon Appstore preinstalled - access to thousands of pretested applications
  • A fully licensed version of Adobe Flash Player 10.3
  • Android version 2.3 (Gingerbread)
  • 1-year parts and labor warranty with premium 100% US-based, non-tiered support

The T408 has an 8-inch screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and will retail for $239, while the T410 packs a 10-inch 16:9 aspect ratio screen and retails for $299.  It appears that neither of these tablets will have the Android Market or any of Google's closed source applications, which puts them squarely at odds with the $199 Kindle Fire.  But Velocity Micro does make solid electronic toys, and as they mention, offer up great customer support.  We'll reserve any judgment until we have a closer look.  Both models should be available at major electronics retailers in the US right now.  Hit the break for a video, and for more information head to the Velocity Micro Cruz website.

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Verizon posts Motorola Xoom LTE HLK75D update changelog

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:48 PM PDT

Motorola Xoom LTE HLK75D

If you sent your Motorola Xoom off to get its 4G upgrade, you no doubt noticed the OTA update that was waiting for you when you got it back. You did get it back, right? What that update contained was never really mentioned but Verizon has now posted the changelog:

Device Features

  • Android™ Market has been updated.
  • When toggling between Airplane Mode, you will no longer receive the following error message: “Wrong Operator: SIM card is from an unknown source.”
  • After performing an over-the-air (OTA) update, the Android Market shortcut on the homescreen works correctly.
  • Android Books app has been upgraded.
  • Android Market Terms and Condition text is now easier to read against background color.
  • Android Market app now updates on its own.

Web Browsing

  • Improvements in browser security help to block rogue certificates.
  • Enhancements to the 3G/4G data connection help prevent data stalls.

Nice update overall. I can't speak for how well the web browser is working now but plenty of folks in the forums have been discussing the update so feel free to jump on in there and discuss it further.

Motorola Xoom Forums; Thanks, bigguy_132!

 


HBO Go gets updated with Epic 4G Touch support, here's how to get it working

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:17 PM PDT

HBO Go

HBO Go received an update today that brought bug fixes and support for the Samsung Epic 4G Touch, but many users are finding that the app won't after updating it on their Samsung Galaxy S II, Sprint Epic 4G Touch (love that name!).  That's an easy fix, thanks to Android Central member Murphy5111.  You'll need to clear the application data, which is easy and quick to do:

  • On your homescreen, press the Menu button.
  • Go to Settings, Applications, Manage applications.
  • Scroll down the list until you find the HBO Go app, then press it's entry on the list.
  • Press the "Clear data" button.

You'll have to sign into your cable company account again, since you've manually wiped out the application data, but that's a small price to pay for streaming movies and HBO's programming.  You can find the update in the Android Market, or hit the link after the break.

More: Android Central Epic 4G Touch forums

Thanks everyone who sent this in!


Pantech Pocket hands-on

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 12:29 PM PDT

We broke the mold at CTIA today and got a look at something a bit different than what we're all used to: the Pantech Pocket, announced by AT&T earlier this week. It's a square device, but being a square isn't always that bad. The 4-inch, 600 x 800 display is unique in the Android space and while it certainly won't appeal to everyone, it'll definitely find a niche. Wyatt Whaley, Pantech's VP of Product Marketing, said that the screen design lends itself to a 20 percent improvement in overall application experience, especially in terms of gaming and navigation. Make no mistake about it: the screen is wide and feels jarringly different in your hand, but not in a bad way. 

Pantech has made itself very clear in that the Pocket is a mid-level device and intended for users looking for a different experience. It's got a 1 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB RAM, and 600 MB of internal memory. Together, it adds up to enough of a kick to push the Gingerbread-powered Pocket along, but we doubt it's enough for anything too heavy. During our time with the Pocket we saw a bit of a lag in Pantech's slightly-skinned UI, but nothing that would slow you down too much, and certainly not enough to dismiss the device. We'll go ahead and assume that if you're used to the Galaxies and Droids of the world, the Pocket isn't even on your radar. And it shouldn't be.

Whaley says that Pantech has a strong older-adult market share due to their extensive feature phone offerings, and that the Pocket can certainly be translated to this demographic. He also says that gamers and young women will also enjoy the Pocket for what it is.

Neither AT&T nor Pantech has detailed pricing or an exact release date, but it's safe to assume the Pocket will launch in time for the holidays. Stay tuned here for final word, and enjoy some photos and a hands-on after the break.

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Android App Review: Plasma Sound

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 11:54 AM PDT

YouTube link for mobile viewing

Sometimes I get introduced to some app for which there are no real words to describe it. Plasma Sound easily falls into that category, tripping me out while I was playing with it and making me scratch my head as to how to best explain it.

Plasma Sound is an electronic instrument that responds to touch. The pitch of the sound varies with where your finger is on the screen and you can even cause multiple pitches to ring out because it supports multitouch. The sound it produces is this kind of weird, techno-electronic sound. It's strange but definitely versatile.

There's a settings menu where you can change the kind of waveform your notes will have, and that also affects how the note sounds. From the menu you can also change the highest and lowest pitches on the "board," which will give you a wider or smaller range depending on what you choose. There's also options for things like vibrato and tremolo, although in my experience, I couldn't discern any difference from my tablet's speakers.

There's also a sequencer where you tap squares (that represent pitches) and when the white bar scrolling across the screen passes them, the note plays. With a little bit of experimenting and some creativity, you could definitely create some cool grooves, provided to set the appropriate tempo.

There's a settings menu for the sequencer too that lets you (among other things) pick how big your grid is and set the tempo, giving you total control over your creation. What you can't do, however, is have a note get played on an upbeat, so everything runs the risk of sounding, for lack of a better word, square.

Plasma Sound is completely free and devoid of ads, so if making sweet electronic music from your Android device is something you want to be able to do, grab it from the Market and get to it. While it may seem more of like a toy at first, the developer says he uses this as his instrument in a band, so there's more to it than meets the eye at first pass.

For the budding musicians, there's download links after the break.

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Viber updated to 2.1, brings photo and location sharing and improved voice engine

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 10:50 AM PDT

Viber

Viber has updated their VoIP app to version 2.1, bringing changes that users have been requesting as well as an all new voice engine that will improve call quality over low bandwidth networks.  If you're not familiar with Viber, it's a voice over IP application that lets users make free calls and send texts to each other, on cellular networks or Wifi.  It works really well, and is a great way to manage minutes or text allotments from your carrier.

In addition to the new and improved voice engine, the folks at Viber have also added two things users have been requesting -- picture messaging and location sharing.  These work just like the standard messaging app we're used to, and really make for a great update.  Top it all off with an updated UI, and it's something to have a look at -- grab it after the break, or check the Market for the update. 

Source: Viber


iOS 5 now available, TiPb walks you through it [the competition]

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 10:18 AM PDT

iOS 5

We're an equal opportunity group of people here.  We know that a good many of you are curious exactly what the new iOS 5 update brings to the table -- and we're OK with that.  I was curious myself.  Luckily, Rene Ritchie has answered every question you or I could ever imagine -- and some we couldn't -- in his epic iOS 5 walkthrough. 

If you're curious, stumbled here on accident (stay a while -- you'll like what Android has to offer), or even thinking of picking up an Apple device, you need to have a read.  It's everything you wanted to know about iClouds, Siri, and Google Latitude Find my Friends.  Don't worry, we won't tell anyone. 

Read Rene's awesome iOS 5 walkthrough


AT&T DriveMode now available for Android

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 10:03 AM PDT

We heard a lot about safe driving initiatives during the CTIA keynote and now AT&T has launched their DriveMode service. What started life as an idea submitted to them, AT&T DriveMode was voted one of the top ideas and as such became a reality thanks to the AT&T Innovation Center. So what exactly is DriveMode?

AT&T DriveMode when enabled provides the option to send calls directly to voicemail, and to send an auto-reply to incoming emails. When the app is turned off, user can view the calls, messages and e-mails as they normally would.

DriveMode users can then pick 5 people which can be included on the "Allowed list" to send and receive calls while the app is running. 911 calls can be made and Music and Navigation settings allow one music and one navigation app to run while AT&T DriveMode is enabled.

The ultimate goal here is reduce distractions when driving therefore keeping drivers and pedestrians safe as possible. No message is important enough to lose a life over so if you find yourself tempted -- grab the app from the Android Market. You'll find the full press release and download link past the break.

Source: AT&T

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