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Samsung quietly announces the Conquer 4G

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:36 PM PDT

Samsung Conquer 4G

Ready for a mid range 4G phone on the Sprint network?  If so, it looks like the Samsung Conquer 4G will be right up your alley.  Samsung posted some details about this one on their website today, and it looks to be a solid entry level Android smartphone:

  • 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen
  • 1 GHz CPU
  • 3.2MP rear camera, 1.3MP front facing camera
  • Android 2.3 (without TouchWiz and with Sprint ID)
  • Tri-Band CDMA (including the 800MHz frequencies)

While this one won't be in the same league as phones like the EVO 3D, mostly stock Android and a 4G radio make it something to have a look at.  Nobody has mentioned anything about prices or dates just yet, but we imagine Sprint will have something to say soon.

Source: Samsung via Phonescoop

The HP TouchPad review [the competition]

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:35 PM PDT

HP TouchPad

In just a day or so the HP TouchPad will be available in stores, giving hungry webOS fans something to feast on.  Today, our pal Derek Kessler at PreCentral.net has unleashed his monster TouchPad Review. The specs are right on target with the rest of the tablet market, including Android, and while it may be a little portly at 1.63 pounds, according to the the folks lucky enough to be holding one, it seems solidly built.

I spent a few minutes reading Derek's in-depth two part review at PreCentral, and while not a webOS fan myself, it looks pretty compelling.  It has a few shortcomings, but it also does some things I'd love to see on the Android side -- like the communication with a webOS phone. To wit:

The TouchPad’s not a perfect tablet by any stretch of the imagination. It has its faults, but by and large those are correctable missteps, bugs, or omissions on the software front. While no number of software updates can make the TouchPad thinner, lighter, or sprout a rear-facing camera, the hardware is solid and up to the task of whatever you can throw at it. We didn’t even try to break the TouchPad with a Too Many Cards error – we don’t have the patience to figure out how many apps it takes to reach that 1GB RAM ceiling.

In the end, it looks like everybody but Windows Phone (hi, guys!) is on the right track to provide a great tablet experience to users.  Let's hope they get on board soon.  Get yourself a cold beverage, and check out Derek's review. 

Source: PreCentral part one, part two

500,000 activations daily, GPS icons [From the Forums]

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:19 PM PDT

From the Forums

Half way through the week and we've reached that point again where everyone is excited for the upcoming weekend. We've had plenty of Android news happening all day so be sure to catch on up on things when you get a moment or sign up for our daily newsletter to stay in the loop. If you're looking to be more interactive then the Android Central forums are always open for new discussions:

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

HTC Salsa and ChaCha now available on O2 UK

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:44 PM PDT

HTC Salsa and ChaCha

British network O2 is now offering HTC's new Facebook phones, the ChaCha and Salsa, on-contract and on Pay & Go. The ChaCha can be yours for £209.99 with a PAYG SIM, or for free on contract a number of 18 and 24-month contracts. Free contracts start at £21.50 for 24 months, or £26.50 for 18 months. If you go for a cheaper contract, you'll pay £60 up-front for your ChaCha.

The Salsa will set you back a little more. On Pay & Go, it'll cost you £299.99, and on-contract subsidized prices are a bit higher too. On a 24-month contract, £27 per month will be enough to get you a free Salsa, while the cheapest 18-month contract with a free phone costs £37 per month. Cheaper contracts are available, and you'll pay up to £105 for the phone if you choose one of these.

Hit the source links to view the complete list of O2 tariffs for each phone.

Source: HTC Salsa on O2, HTC ChaCha on O2

Ubuntu on the Galaxy Tab 10.1

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:25 PM PDT

 
Youtube link for mobile viewing

We've seen Ubuntu running on many an Android device, but it's especially interesting when it's on a tablet.  Well, add the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to the list of Android's that are booting up some Linux, as you can see in the video above.  It's not the speediest way to use Ubuntu, because it's not a native install (think of it as a virtual machine), but it's really cool and fun to goof around with -- especially in a room full of iPad users.

The best news is that it's not hard to do at all.  We've been booting Ubuntu on Android devices for a while, so the methods are pretty well figured out, and you can find an easy to follow guide (including all the needed downloads) at the source link if you feel like giving it a spin.  You'll want to dig out a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and you'll have to be rooted, but this is a great project with a useful result -- a full desktop OS on a 10.1 inch screen.  Give it a shot!

Source: GalaxyTabHacks via Android Central forums

Another unannounced Motorola device spotted?

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 01:03 PM PDT

Motorola

Although you can't really tell from the blurry image above -- there is a phone in there and quite frankly we have no idea what, exactly, it is. It's been suggested that it could be an unannounced Motorola device, but it's also been suggested that it could quite possibly be the refreshed Motorola Droid Bionic running a newer version of Motoblur.

And then there are some of us who believe it's a Motorola Droid 3 that was either snapped with a really bad camera or was intentionally blurred out with Photoshop just to make people wonder. If that is in fact the case, then I guess it worked -- because we're wondering.

Source: Popherald

Google Street View updated with new imagery for 13 countries

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 12:30 PM PDT

Cape Agulhas, South Africa

Google has updated the imagery for Street View in 13 of their Street View countries, making for the biggest update of this kind.  Images for places in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom have been updated (I notice Germany is noticeably absent) with new high-res panoramic images.

Street view is fun to play with on a computer or Android device.  The above image is where the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Horn of Africa meet at Cape Agulhas, South Africa.  I'll likely never be able to find the time or money to get there, but I can at least imagine I were there right from my Android phone.  Using Street View is easy as pie.  Make sure you have it installed (we've got a download link after the break), open Google Maps and find a location then zoom in close enough to see its pop-up description.  Then click the arrow on the description and choose Street View.  It's a 360-degree view, so be sure to use your fingers to rotate around, and you can drag your "pin" along roads and paths.  Not every place will have Street View enabled, so move your map pin around a bit until you pick one up.  Google has a few great suggestions (including Cape Agulhas) at the source link, be sure to check them out!

Source: Google Lat-Long blog

Now in stock - HTC EVO 3D cases

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 12:20 PM PDT

EVO 3D cases

Fresh off the truck and into the Android Central Store are a new crop of EVO 3D hard cases.

The Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for the EVO 3D (that's it in the middle above) is a tried and true design, featuring a slim profile, cutouts for all of the buttons and ports. The two-piece snap-on design leaves the screen uncovered, so nothing interferes with the 3D viewing.

The Mobi Products Crystal Case for the EVO 3D (seen at right) offers the same sort of protection, with all the cutouts and snap-on design, in a clear form factor so that your phone still shows all of its design cues.

And the renowned protection from OtterBox is also available for the EVO 3D in a couple of designs. The EVO 3D OtterBox Impact Series case goes beyond the usual skin case with added protection from bumps and shock by adding inner coring to dissipate impact away from the device. The EVO 3D OtterBox Commuter Series case consists of three layers -- a clear protective film, durable silicone mid-layer and a molded one-piece polycarbonate shell -- for the ultimate protection. You have access to all of the side buttons, and silicone plugs give you access to the ports.

All EVO 3D cases | EVO 3D batteries | All EVO 3D accessories

OfficeMax releases first full-service mobile print center application

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 12:11 PM PDT

Android Central

OfficeMax has announced a new Android application that ties directly into all of their printing solutions direct from your device. The app allows you to print documents, images, emails and anything you may have in Google Docs. In addition to all of that, if you've placed previous past Print Center orders you can also access those on the go.

“OfficeMax listened to our ‘road warrior’ customers who need to print on-the-go and often feel their documents are trapped on their phones,” said Jeff Haddon, Mobile Marketing Manager for OfficeMax. “With hundreds of in-store print centers across the country, we designed the Mobile Print Center by OfficeMax app to bring our print services to a mobile audience.”

Mobile print center will also allow you to customize your print orders however you like including paper size, color, binding and more. Plus, if you wish -- you can opt in for text message alerts so that you know when your order has been completed and what the total cost will be. If you're looking for more info, the press release and download link can be found after the break.    

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Hands-on with the Archos 35 Home Connect and Smart Home Phone

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 11:29 AM PDT

 Archos 35 Home Connect

Tablets were the main focus of Archos' recent London press event, but also in attendance were two more unusual Android devices -- the Archos 35 Smart Home Phone and Archos 35 Home Connect, both running Android 2.2 Froyo. The former is exactly what it sounds like -- an old-fashioned home phone based around smartphone hardware and software. The latter is a home entertainment hub, internet radio and media player combined into one device.

Join us after the jump to find out what we thought of both devices, and be sure to check out our coverage of Archos' new G9 series tablets if you haven't already.

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