Android Central |
- Android Central Live Podcast
- Samsung Galaxy Note hands-on
- Samsung Galaxy Nexus hands-on
- Introducing Mobile Nations, our new community network brand!
- Samsung Galaxy Note commercial availability announced, hits European markets first
- Raider in Canada, Pwned by the RAZR! [From the Forums]
- Intel CEO Paul Otellini to give keynote at CES; will we see a new generation of Android hardware?
- Tonight, on the Greatest Android Podcast in the world
- Motorola shipped 4.8 million smartphones, just 100,000 Xoom tablets in Q3
- Carrier IQ named 'company under $100M to watch' -- and users don't even get a thank-you
- Verizon's exclusive Galaxy Nexus exclusive no more?
- Galaxy Nexus hits Europe Nov. 17, elsewhere thereafter
- C Spire's Motorola Milestone X gets its Android 2.3 update, too
- A 'new and improved' Logitech Revue with Android 3.1 and the Market spied at national retailer
- Google+ expands to Gapps
- Android Quick App: Open Sea
- Motorola Droid 4 surfaces ... wait, already?
- HTC Raider shipping now and in store tomorrow at Rogers for $149 with 3-year commitment
- C Spire's Samsung Galaxy S gets its Gingerbread update
- Deal of the Day: Incipio Feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for Samsung Droid Charge
- Google+ tip: Instant upload
- Android Game Mini Review: Word Farm
- Sony buying out Ericsson's share of Sony Ericsson
- Verizon says 'exclusively' for the Galaxy Nexus ... But it's not exactly true
- More clues hinting towards a Google Music store uncovered
- Verizon's Galaxy Nexus sign-up page is live
- Android App Player on BlackBerry - How will it all work?
| Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:45 PM PDT Show starts around 9 p.m. Eastern time (more or less)The Android Central Podcast is recorded live in front of a live studio audience, so you can catch us in the act we discuss the latest in Android news, reviews, rumors and applications, and join in with the chat after the break. Image Uploads: 
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| Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:32 PM PDT Is it a phone? Is it a tablet? As smartphones move to sizes of 4.5 inches and beyond, it's a question we've found ourselves asking more and more. The Samsung Galaxy Note is a new "flagship" product which straddles the line between both categories of device. Technically it's a phone, and you can make calls on it, but the large 5.3-inch 1280x800 display means it's not a million mile away from the Honeycomb-powered Galaxy Tab 7.7 in terms of specs. And the Galaxy Note has another trick up its sleeve, in the form of Samsung's new "S Pen", a pressure-sensitive stylus similar to what we've seen from HTC in the past. Samsung's keen to tout the Galaxy Note as a high-end product for business professionals and creatives alike, and we got to see its note-taking and drawing capabilities at today's Galaxy Note World Tour event. Join us after the jump for a full video run-through of the new features of the Samsung Galaxy Note. We'll be following up with video soon, so keep watching.
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| Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:47 PM PDT Much hay has been made about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the device which just a few weeks ago we were calling the Nexus Prime. If you're new around these parts, this is the big new Android phone for 2011 and at least most of 2012, thanks to it being the first with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and few Android smartphones have had such an insane level of hype to live up to. The Galaxy Nexus is supposed to be the phone that has everything -- a shiny new version of Android, combined with the best internals and display tech Samsung has to offer. Already Internet discussion abounds, splitting hairs over this spec or that, but how does the phone look and feel in person? Is this really a perfect storm of next-generation Android and top-class hardware? Read on to find out.
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| Introducing Mobile Nations, our new community network brand! Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:42 PM PDT Greetings Android Nation! This past summer we soft-launched "Mobile Nations", initially using the name for our cross-site podcast that brings together the heads of state from AndroidCentral, CrackBerry, TiPb, PreCentral and WPCentral for discussion on all things mobile. Today I have the pleasure of more formally introducing Mobile Nations as our new network brand, creating an umbrella under which all of our individual communities stand united. Take note of the new Mobile Nations top bar and footer on this site! Though our history in operating the leading mobile-platform dedicated websites reaches back over a decade to the launch of VisorCentral in 1999, it feels like we are in start-up mode again, making aggressive plans and tackling our to-do lists with gusto. Forum regulars will have already noticed a number of recently introduced feature enhancements and podcast fans are now able to watch replays of their favorite shows in video. Over the weeks and months ahead you'll see us pull the trigger on a number of other Mobile Nations initiatives currently in the works, all aimed at making your experiences on all of our communities even more engaging and fun. Thanks for being part of the journey,
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| Samsung Galaxy Note commercial availability announced, hits European markets first Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:21 PM PDT Back when Samsung unveiled their 5.3-inch, dual-core Galaxy Note with a SuperAMOLED HD display they never mentioned when, exactly anyone would be able to pick one up. Now though, Samsung has finally announced the commercial availability of the Galaxy Note, which will go on sale in European markets starting with Germany on October 29. Launching with Android 2.3 and a 1.4 GHz dual core processor you'll also get a massive 2500 mAh battery to power that 1280x800 SuperAMOLED HD display, HSPA+ data as well as the 8MP rear camera and 2MP front-facing shooter. And we can't forget the S Pen, which is included with the Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Note supports screenshot-taking and annotation across all areas of the UI using the S Pen and its technology, which Samsung will be offering an SDK for eventually. Source: Samsung
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| Raider in Canada, Pwned by the RAZR! [From the Forums] Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:57 PM PDT With all the talk of exclusivity and such, let me just say.. this post is exclusive to Android Central. With that out the way -- plenty of Android news happned already today so make sure you get caught up either here on the blogs or in the exclusive Android Central forums. Also, stay tuned for the Greatest Android Podcast in the world.
If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.
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| Intel CEO Paul Otellini to give keynote at CES; will we see a new generation of Android hardware? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:50 PM PDT It's 50-50 on this one, we suppose, but Intel CEO Paul Otellini will be giving a keynote address on the first afternoon of CES on January 10 in Las Vegas. And it's entirely possible that we'll see some new Android hardware come out of it. You'll recall that Google's Andy Rubin joined Otellini at Intel's developer conference last month to announce that "Combining Android with Intel's low power smartphone roadmap opens up more opportunity for innovation and choice." And that goes from the kernel on up. Needless to say, this won't be a CES to miss, and we'll be there to bring you the whole thing. Source: Press release
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| Tonight, on the Greatest Android Podcast in the world Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:34 PM PDT Hands-on with the Galaxy Nexus, in-app purchases and a bad-ass gameOooooo. You're not going to want to miss this. We just got our mitts on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (and the Galaxy Note, again) and will have some thoughts. Plus our new favorite game -- Wind-up Knight, and whether the use of in-app purchases has soured it for us. So join Phil and the gang -- and, of course, the chat room -- live tonight at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST for the live broadcast. You should be there. You will be there. You must be there. After all, you are what makes it the Greatest Android Podcast in the World. Not at a computer? Pick up the free UStream Viewer from the Android Market [link] and search for Android Central a little before the show (it won't appear until we go live). We'll see you there! AndroidCentral.com/live
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| Motorola shipped 4.8 million smartphones, just 100,000 Xoom tablets in Q3 Posted: 27 Oct 2011 01:55 PM PDT Motorola Mobility just announced its third-quarter 2011 earnings, dropping word that it shipped 4.8 million smartphones for the three months ending Sept. 30. It also said it shipped 100,000 Xoom Honeycomb tablets. By comparison, it shipped 3.8 million smartphones in Q3 2010, The Xoom wasn't available until 2011, but consider that Motorola said it shipped 440,000 of them in the second quarter. That's quite the drop. Moto also give an update regarding its merger with Google, but didn't do much more than just repeat that shareholders will vote on the deal Nov. 17, and that it's all contingent on passing legal muster in the U.S., Europe, Canada, China, Israel, Russia, Taiwan and Turkey, and that the whole deal could be final by the end of 2011, or in early 2012. Motorola's attributing $18 million in expenses to the merger. No conference call this quarter. Too bad. They're usually pretty juicy. Hit the link below for all the financial nitty gritty. Source: Motorola
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| Carrier IQ named 'company under $100M to watch' -- and users don't even get a thank-you Posted: 27 Oct 2011 01:27 PM PDT Market research firm IDC has named Carrier IQ -- a name that provokes a cringe or two -- one of the "companies to watch" for analytics groups under $100 million in revenue. Because it sells away data about your phone use -- telling your carrier what apps you use, how you use them, and when you use them -- we don't like it much around these parts. It's sneaky -- and sneaky is bad. How the whole deal works is that the carriers pay to have an app installed on the shiny new phone you bought, and it runs in the background. The data it sends helps carriers and manufacturers work together to focus improving and innovating the things that folks like you and I use most often. It saves them money, and makes you want to buy their next product by making Sense 4.0 do the things that users often do in a new (and hopefully better) way than Sense 3.0 did. Doesn't sound so bad, does it? Read on. It's not inherently evil, at least on the surface. A carrier eats some of the cost of a phone when they sell it to you subsidized, and users get to enjoy the $200 they saved. But things get a little dicey when you consider who really owns the phone you just paid $299 for and signed two years of your contract life away for at the mall. They tell you up front that they are tracking usage and sending off data about you, but you're not given notice (or a chance to decline) until after the money has been spent. It's like buying a new TV and finding out that Channel 2 has been switched to the Best Buy News Network when you get home and hook it up. You can pack it back up and pay a restocking fee, or shake your head and accept it. Combine all this with the fact that you don't get a break on your monthly bill with most carriers if you opt-out of buying their phones, or that some carriers won't even let you use phones that they don't control, it things take a turn for the worse. And when bugs appear, things turn from worse to FUBAR. Before anyone jumps in and says "justrootyourphone," that's not the solution. My mother can't, won't, and shouldn't have to root the phone to keep her information a little more private and keep others from profiteering from her. And that solution pretty much goes out the window when you consider she has a Nokia feature phone, which you can't just "root" -- yes, this problem goes beyond Android. What to do? Buy an iPhone or a Nexus. Or just accept what's happening and stop feeling indignant about it, because it's not going away any time soon. More: BusinessWire
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| Verizon's exclusive Galaxy Nexus exclusive no more? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:28 PM PDT Seriously, this is the last time we're going to write about this Verizon-Galaxy Nexus exclusivity thing. But it's worth noting that Verizon's removed the "Exclusively from Verizon" line from its little banner image, which really only means that something that wasn't actually exclusive in the first place apparently still isn't exclusive. Make sense? No? Fine. Read this again. Source: Verizon; via Phandroid
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| Galaxy Nexus hits Europe Nov. 17, elsewhere thereafter Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:06 PM PDT We're at Samsung's World Tour event in London, and word just got passed that the Galaxy Nexus will be available on Nov. 17, and acrosst the globe shortly thereafter. It's unclear if that means the U.S. as well, with Verizon's "exclusive" and all. Stay tuned.
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| C Spire's Motorola Milestone X gets its Android 2.3 update, too Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:21 AM PDT If you're making use of a Motorola Milestone X on CSpire we have some good news for you all. Yesterday, the carrier started to roll out an Android 2.3 Gingerbread update to the device which has been long awaited. Most users should get an update notification but if not just go to: Home>Menu> Settings>About Phone>System Updates After that, you should find the update available for download and installation. Once updated, you'll find all the normal Android 2.3 goodies as well, a newer version of Blur. Source: CSpire; Thanks, StromTrooper626!
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| A 'new and improved' Logitech Revue with Android 3.1 and the Market spied at national retailer Posted: 27 Oct 2011 10:43 AM PDT We've seen leaks of Honeycomb for the Logitech Revue, and heard rumors of an inevitable OTA update that will bring the Android Market, but this one takes the cake. An unnamed big-box retailer has received a shipment of Revues with word on the package that they are updated, according to Engadget. We don't have much else here, the tipster wasn't able to verify that the units inside actually were running Android 3.1, but that's a pretty bold statement to make if it's just waiting for the OTA like the rest of us. Anybody out there prowling around their local electronics retailer? Might be a nice way to spend $99 and snatch up some new and improved Googley goodness. Source: Engadget
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| Posted: 27 Oct 2011 10:21 AM PDT Finally, Google has opened up Google+ to Gapps users. That means if your sole Google account (and we do realize there are some of you out there) is run through Google Apps, you can now use that account for Google+. You'll have the same features as everyone else, and the ability to share with everyone on your domain, even if you haven't added them all to a circle. Very cool. Source: Google Enterprise blog
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| Posted: 27 Oct 2011 10:03 AM PDT Who hasn't dreamed of being Moses, parting the Red Sea, right? Just us? No matter. With Open Sea, that's exactly what you do. You're "Mo" (get it?), the "prophetic leader" who "urges people to flee across the sea ... by foot." Gameplay's pretty simple. You've got several sections of sea you need to move out of the way. Tap, and begone! It does get a little trickier, with multiple groups of follwers making the trek, and mummies and other obstacles getting in the way. But you can strike back as well, and hopefully take a little less an 40 years to get things done. Open Sea is available as an abreivated "lite" version or as a 99-cent download. We've got hands-on video and download links to the paid version after the break.
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| Motorola Droid 4 surfaces ... wait, already? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:27 AM PDT It seems like just yesterday the Motorola Droid 3 was released, and now we already are seeing the Motorola Droid 4? Yikes -- released just three months ago, the Motorola Droid 3 brought a larger screen and better keyboard but was lacking LTE out. Looks like that will change with the Droid 4. In addition to the picture the folks at Droid-Life were able to get some specs on the device, and they are as follows:
Non-removable battery, eh? Basically, think Droid RAZR with a keyboard. No word on release date, but it wouldn't surprise us in the least to see Verizon slip this one into its lineup sooner rather than later, especially since it apparently is lurking around a store or two. Source: Droid-Life
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| HTC Raider shipping now and in store tomorrow at Rogers for $149 with 3-year commitment Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:35 AM PDT The HTC Raider can now say goodbye to the rumored tag, and hello to the official device list as Rogers has announced that the device will begin shipping today online, and be available in stores tomorrow. This 4.5-inch qHD super LCD device will run Android 2.3.4 accompanied by an 8MP camera, 1080P video recording and all the other usual Sense goodies. If you have been waiting for an HTC device that can run on Rogers LTE, the HTC Raider may be the right device for you at the price point of only $149 if you sign a three-year deal. Source: Rogers
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| C Spire's Samsung Galaxy S gets its Gingerbread update Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:04 AM PDT If you've got a Samsung Galaxy S on C Spire (nee Cellular South), word is you've got an Android 2.3 update waiting for you via the Kies desktop program. Along with the Gingerbread UI and other usual changes, C Spire's also touting:
Shame you still have to use Kies to update, but, hey, a Gingerbread update is a Gingerbread update, right? Source: C Spire; More: What's new (pdf)
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| Deal of the Day: Incipio Feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for Samsung Droid Charge Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:40 AM PDT
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| Posted: 27 Oct 2011 06:47 AM PDT
A major feature of Google+ is "Instant Upload." That's a sweet little deal that will automatically upload your pictures and video to Picasa (Google's longtime image-sharing service), all without you having to do anything. It's something you'll be asked to set up when you first launch Google+, but it's worth a deeper look.
That brings about the issue in that it's not quite as easy to delete uploaded pictures as we'd like (nor is the selective uploading of batches of images). But as Google+ matures, we only expected it to be better itegrated with the core apps of Android. Other settings of note: You can choose whether to upload while on mobile networks, or Wifi-only, or if you only want to do photos or photos and video, or only while charging.
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| Android Game Mini Review: Word Farm Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:55 AM PDT Word games are always a great way to pass some time along while getting to stimulate your brain a bit in the process. Word Farm is a great free application available in the Android market that allows you to spend countless hours connecting letters to form words. The concept of the game is quite simple, connect the letters on the board to form as many words as possible in the minute time frame that is given. The first few games are quite tough, it is a great challenge to connect the letters and form words, and submit them all while keeping your eye off the timer. After getting the hang of a few games I was moving through them much quicker, the score continued to rise and rise, and before I knew it a whole hour had passed. The game offers in app purchases which allow you to buy various power-ups and other items to help your score rise, and allow you to beat some of your friends in score. For the ever so lovely price of free, there is really no reason to skip out on downloading this game and giving it a shot. So, get to downloading, and be sure to let us know your scores! Hit the break for a few more screen shots and the download links.
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| Sony buying out Ericsson's share of Sony Ericsson Posted: 27 Oct 2011 04:27 AM PDT We've seen this coming for a few weeks now, and today it was announced that after 10 years together and some €1.5 billion in profits, Sony its indeed buying out the Ericsson share in Sony Ericsson. Ericsson confirmed the buyout this morning and will receive a payday of €1.05 billion in return for its half of the partnership. The deal also sees sony receive an IP cross-licensing agreement as well as "five essential patent families." Why, you ask?
Check out the full presser after the break. Source: Sony Ericsson
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| Verizon says 'exclusively' for the Galaxy Nexus ... But it's not exactly true Posted: 26 Oct 2011 08:46 PM PDT So right about now everybody's freaking out over what so many feared -- and what many of us have been saying for quite a while. There's a distinct possibility that Verizon will have some sort of exclusivity on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. First off, it ain't entirely true. There are caveats involved here, folks. But you knew that, because you're smart and you listen to the Greatest Android Pocast in the World and have heard us say this numerous times now and don't freak out when the rest of the world does. Let's break down what a Verizon-exclusive Galaxy Nexus means, in handy list form.
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| More clues hinting towards a Google Music store uncovered Posted: 26 Oct 2011 08:40 PM PDT Grab your phone, make sure you're not signed into your Google account in the browser, and head to music.google.com. You'll see the above, with a big fat (non-working) link to the Android Market's music page (https://market.android.com/music). It doesn't take much imagination to see how this relates to the rumors that Google is planning to open its own music store, and have it tied into your current Google Music Beta account. It's widely believed that Google Music was supposed to launch with such a service, but content deals couldn't be made and those plans were scrapped -- leaving a free storage locker for 20,000 of your own songs you can stream anywhere. The addition of an Amazon-esque music store, tied directly to your existing Google checkout account, sounds like a winner to us. Keep it DRM free, allow me to easily download purchased content to my phone or computer, and you have a customer for life, Google. Source: News on Droid (German); via TechCrunch
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| Verizon's Galaxy Nexus sign-up page is live Posted: 26 Oct 2011 06:12 PM PDT In case the suspense isn't already killing you, Verizon Wireless has launched its sign-up page for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, a sure sign that Android's next poster child is oh-so-close. In exchange for your email address, Verizon promises to keep you up-to-speed on Galaxy Nexus information and offers you one of the first spots in line for the device. Hit the source link to sign up and remember: deep breaths, people. It's coming. Source: Verizon Wireless
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| Android App Player on BlackBerry - How will it all work? Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:25 PM PDT The folks over at CrackBerry have done some investigating in regards to just how Android and Android apps will work on the BlackBerry PlayBook and future BlackBerry smartphones. A few tidbits of info to come out of the Q & A are rather interesting. While most of it is developer related -- there is some info there for users as well. Some examples:
RIM looks to be making an attempt to attract developers to their platform but one has to one wonder if this will back fire? As it is right now, anyone can package up a developers .apk file and install it on their BlackBerry PlayBook -- they just cannot submit it to BlackBerry App World. Will this sort of stuff detract Android developers or is there a slight chance RIM may actually pull in a few developers to their platform because of how easy it appears to be? Hit the source link for the full details. Source: CrackBerry
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