Droid Life

HTC Rep Confirms Thunderbolt March 17 Launch Date? (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:50:01 +0000

Hello, Imran Shahid. You appear to work for HTC as a regional sales manager and have just tweeted some very sweet words. March 17 as a launch day for the Thunderbolt? That is exactly what we wanted to hear from someone who we would assume would have some legitimate knowledge of the situation. Not that this date is new to anyone who has followed our hypebeasted coverage, but we like hearing additional confirmations. Update: Tweet from Imran has already been removed. Whoops! Seriously...someone make it all stop. ~~February 14, 17, 24~~. ~~March 3, 10~~, 17, 18, 21. Cheers @antroyd!

Winamp 1.0 Released on Android: Major UI Changes, Free Music Downloads, and Voice Action Support

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:30:13 +0000

Winamp really whipped the update's a** with this one. Version 1.0 is available for download and in it you'll find a new look for lock, now playing and home screens. They also added support for the "Listen to" Google Voice action, swiping of album art to switch tracks, and a bunch of new languages. Most importantly though, they added a free music streaming and download serice. It looks like these are artists who have happily donated their music, but still, who doesn't love free stuff? Download Link Via: Winamp Blog

How to: Manually Update Motorola XOOM to HRI66 (Android 3.0.1)

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:50:52 +0000

We were just handed the Motorola XOOM update file for HRI66, so let's get you manually updated!

Download Link [Mirror]

Instructions:

*YOU HAVE TO BE ROOTED TO DO THIS. *Huge thanks to @Koush for putting the original instructions together. We just tweaked them slightly to give the adb newbies a chance. Enjoy!

1. Download the .zip file from above and place it in your Android SDK Tools folder. 2. Rename it to update.zip. 3. Open a command prompt from within your SDK Tools folder. 4. Type: adb push update.zip /sdcard/update.zip 5. Type: adb shell 6. Type: su 7. Type: cd /cache 8. Type: mkdir recovery

*You may get a message saying it already exists. This is fine.

9. Type: cd recovery 10. Type: echo '--update_package=CACHE:/recovery/update.zip' > command 11. Type: cat /sdcard/update.zip > update.zip 12. Type: reboot recovery 13. Your XOOM should boot into recovery and update to 3.0.1.

Extra stuff:

How to boot into recovery: 1. Power off XOOM. 2. Power back on and when the "DUAL CORE" screen pops up, tap the volume down button. 3. Use the volume down button until to you see "Android Recovery" displayed. 4. Press the volume up button. 5. A green Android should appear on your screen. 6. Press Power and volume up (in that order) and you will enter recovery. Still no luck on getting the device to accept the update file though. Working on it! How to re-gain root access after the update (if lost): 1. From a command prompt, type the following commands.

adb remount adb shell chmod 4755 /system/bin/su

2. Reboot. Have fun! Update: Koush has posted update instructions that appear to be working for most people. Cheers Legacy!

Swype Beta Updated to Version 2.29.71.20203, Mostly Enhancements and Bug Fixes

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:54:55 +0000

A big ol' Swype Beta update has been released. What's in store? Nothing that you'll notice from afar, but they did toss in a whole bunch of performance enhancements and fix a boatload of bugs. They also added support for a variety of new screen types like the qHD you'll find on the Atrix and BIONIC. Other than that, your overall experience will be the winner here. All of the new dirty details are below.

ALL BUILDS - SWYPE BETA v2.29.71.20203/20186

Announcing BETA support for the following resolutions: qHD, QVGA, WQVGA, WSVGA

Added Dutch, Russian and UK English support [NOTE: Not all devices support all languages. For a table of which screen-sizes support which languages, please click here.]

The Hidden Word Tip window will only appear once, the first time you encounter a hidden word after a new installation. It will never appear again after that.

Contacts, etc, that are automatically added to the user dictionary will now stay deleted when removed by the user

Fixed the gesture to hide the keyboard: Swype from the SWYPE key to the DELETE key

The capitalization gesture will no longer accidentally capitalize the second letter of a word when the trace path goes through that key before exiting the top of the keyboard

Add compression of large languages for Android builds to reduce filesize

Identified and resolved an issue that was causing cumulative loss in recognition accuracy over time

Faster trace path animations

Improved application performance in portrait view

Improved the efficiency of the contact list scanner

Swype key in Spanish now properly brings up Word Choice Window

Fixed a bug with word priorities so words in user dictionary do not always appear first in word choice window

Fixed a bug that prevented the auto-space suppression icon from appearing in some cases

Period and Comma now function properly when tapped in SYM layer

Improved recognition of words when using the capitalization gesture and the second letter is very close the exit-point of the capitalization gesture, e.g. "Well"

Fixed a rare crash when returning from the Language Selector in Settings

Launching voice recognition now draws a UI inside the Swype process instead of launching a new activity

When Android 2.3.3 is detected, double-tap-to-edit is disabled to prevent conflict with Google's double-tap behavior

Decreased the likelihood that a new license will be required after a system update

Fixed a bug where a failure of the system to properly return build properties was crashing Swype

Extended the beta license from 100 days to 120 days after compile

Minor compatibility updates for Android 2.3

Fixed various crashes

Changelog | Additional Info Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Best Buy Starts Reminding Customers About Thunderbolt Pre-orders, Stores Stock Quantities Determined

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:18:05 +0000

Time to fire up the Friday Thunderbolt rumor engine! As you can see from the picture above, Best Buy (after an entire month) is reminding customers via email that they pre-ordered an HTC Thunderbolt. While there is absolutely zero mention of a release date in these emails, the timing fits into the March 17th release date that has been floating around for the last week or so. It's also the first word we've heard from them on the TBolt's status since back in February. And to add to the Best Buy fodder, it sounds like district managers were notified today of their stock quantities for launch. They are expecting enough in stores to match the number of pre-orders accepted plus another 5-10 for walk-ins. No date given, but store orders are usually a good sign. Oh, we also heard that the 18th could be the day, so we've updated the TBolt teaser knockoff below and will add it to our ridiculously long list of dates that will probably all be wrong.

~~February 14, 17, 24~~. ~~March 3, 10~~, 17, 18, 21. Hypebeast baby. Cheers Mark, Dan, D and @Rob_toast!

Playstation Games Headed to Tegra 2 Devices this Year

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:55:44 +0000

The new Tegra Zone app is so awesome that it even breaks news. Through the news reader section of it, we were introduced to word out of Sony's camp that PlayStation games are indeed headed to Android devices (both phones and tablets) running Tegra 2 processors. The plan is to have the first set of games out some time this year through their PlayStation Suite which would include Wild Arms, Cool Boarders 2 and Syphon Filter. Sony is obviously realizing that mobile gaming is making portable gaming devices a lot less attractive these days and has decided to make their massive library available for the first time. Licensing to manufacturers has already begun, which means that developers will be cracking away on your favorite games in no time. Via: Android and Me

Galaxy Tab Price Drops to $199 at Verizon on iPad 2 Launch Day

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:17:02 +0000

We just received word that the wifi-only Galaxy Tab could be launching the first week of April for $399, but the deals don't stop there. Verizon appears to have just lowered their GTab down to the ridiculously low price of $199. Now, obviously that's on a 2-year contract, but man, talk about cheap. Sad thing is, they still probably won't be able to move any even at that price. If there was some sort of guarantee that this puppy would receive Honeycomb (or even Gingerbread for that matter), then maybe you should consider one, but until then...tough call. Cheers Spaniard!

Skyfire Version 4.0 "Pro Edition" on the Way, New Pricing Model and UI Enhancements

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:20:47 +0000

Skyfire version 4.0 which the company is calling their "Pro Edition" should be out in the coming weeks and is expected to be as good as ever. With over 2.5 million downloads of their browser, it looks like the company has decided that it's time to monetize it with some sort of a pricing model. There will also be a new look and a bunch of "killer" features, that we have not yet been informed of. This is an odd press release, I'm not going to lie. I guess this would fall under the "teaser" category? Anyone a big Skyfire user?

Skyfire Preparing Major Update for Their Popular Android Browser with New Features and Pricing Model Skyfire focused on bringing greater personalization and customization to the Android browsing experience. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (March 10th, 2011) – Skyfire, the company that brought you the most innovative smartphone application of 2010, is at it again in 2011. The red-hot Skyfire mobile browser on Android is about to get a whole new look, pricing model and killer features. Skyfire for Android is one of the most popular applications in the Android Marketplace and has seen over 2.5 million downloads since launching in April 2010. The mobile browser was upgraded to critical acclaim in November 2010 with integrated social media and Facebook capabilities. This latest update will continue to build on Skyfire’s strong track record of innovation. The company is expecting to announce Skyfire for Android version 4.0 in the coming weeks. All existing features will remain free to the 2.5 million beta testers across the globe and these users will continue to receive Skyfire’s innovative updates moving forward in gratitude for their help and support in the launch of the product. Download Skyfire 3.0 for Android today: About Skyfire: Skyfire is dedicated to using cloud computing to improve multimedia experiences on mobile phones, and has created the first “Compression as a Service” (CAAS) offering for wireless carriers and device makers. Skyfire’s technology has been visible to consumers through the Skyfire browser app, which has enabled Skyfire to refine its technology with millions of users. The app was named the #2 App of All-Time for Android by TechCrunch, and was the top pick in a PC World September 2010 comparison of all Android browsers. Skyfire won the Best Mobile Application-People’s Voice at the 2009 Webby Awards and was named a Top App of 2009 by the New York Times’ Gadgetwise. Skyfire’s iPhone browser, launched in November 2010, quickly reached the top selling app rank on the Apple App StoreSM, as the first way for iOS users to access videos designed for the Adobe Flash PlayerTM. Skyfire was recently recognized by Light Reading as the #4 StartUp to watch in 2011. Skyfire is based in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. For more information, visit www.skyfire.com, or follow Skyfire on Twitter at twitter.com/skyfire.

WiFi-only Galaxy Tab Launching April 4 for $399?

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:04:39 +0000

One of our posse members was hanging out at a technology fair today and it just so happened to include a Samsung rep who was quick to hand out the flyer above which shows that the wifi-only Galaxy Tab version should be out by April 4. Priced at $399, this seems like a decent deal, but aren't we all positive that it's too late for the GTab at this point? We know that the 3G version was a disaster, haven't heard anything about the 4G version since CES, and with Tegra 2 devices coming out in waves over the next couple of months, I'd say that this version of the GTab will likely be another dust collector. And guaranteed to be if the wifi XOOM is released during that same week. Oh, and talk about Photoshop fail in that picture...yikes. Cheers Keith!

How to: Re-lock the Motorola XOOM Bootloader to Receive Updates (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 07:42:19 +0000

Motorola informed the world last night via Twitter that the first update for the XOOM (HRI66) would start rolling out today, and with this being a developer device, they were also kind enough to release files to get everyone back to stock who had rooted and unlocked. Remember, this update is minor, but it prepares your XOOM for Flash 10.2 which we now know is being released on March 18. Yay Android. Update: It's sounding like you may not need to re-lock or unroot to receive this update. We're on the hunt for confirmation, but would also appreciate any info you all can provide should the update appear on your rooted/unlocked XOOM. Update 2: Instructions for manually updating have been posted. Update 3: Definitely do not need to re-lock anything to update. Instructions are up. Instructions:

*You'll need the Android SDK for this. You should already have it if you unlocked though.

1. Download this file to your computer: HRI39.zip (you may have to register) 2. Extract the contents into your Android SDK Tools folder. 3. Open a command prompt from within your Android SDK Tools folder.

*Make sure nothing is selected and hold SHIFT+Right click – select “Open command window here.”

4. Type: adb reboot bootloader 5. Type: fastboot flash boot boot.img 6. Type: fastboot flash system system.img 7. Type: fastboot flash recovery recovery.img 8. Type: fastboot flash userdata userdata.img 9. Type: fastboot erase cache 10. Type: fastboot oem lock 11. Your XOOM will now re-lock and you should be ready for the update. Thank you Motorola.

Adobe Flash 10.2 Available March 18 for Motorola XOOM Owners

Kellen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 07:27:45 +0000

The first update for the Motorola XOOM started rolling out today and with it comes support for Adobe's Flash 10.2 which we've now learned will be released to the Android Market on March 18. This is big news, especially for all those complaining about the XOOM coming half-baked or not finished. So you all had to wait 3 weeks for it? Everyone going to live? Here are the new capabilities of Flash 10.2:

Hardware accelerated video presentation for H.264 (Android 3.0.1+ only) Flash Player 10.2 leverages the Stage Video rendering pipeline to enable users of Android 3.0 tablets, like the MOTOROLA XOOM™, to enjoy smooth playback of high-definition Flash video content on the web. Users will experience reduced CPU usage and higher frame rates for existing H.264 video content. Deeper integration with the Android browser rendering engine (Android 3.0.1+ only) Deeper integration of Flash Player and the enhanced Android 3.0 browser delivers faster and better rendering of rich, interactive web content resulting in a browsing experience similar to the desktop. Flash Player can now render content as part of the web page along with other components such as HTML, images and gif animation. As a result, users will experience:

Improved scrolling of web pages;

Uncompromised viewing of rich, immersive content in the way intended by the page designer, including support for instances where HTML and other web content is composited over Flash Player rendered content. Flash Player rendered content will continue to be placed in a separate window on top of HTML in the Android 2.2 and 2.3 browsers, as these browsers do not support the new Android 3.0 browser rendering model.

Enhanced performance for the latest smartphones and tablets Experience performance improvements designed to take advantage of the current generation of multi-core, GPU-enabled processors to deliver Flash videos, games and other interactive Web content on the latest smartphones and tablets. For a list of upcoming Flash-enabled devices which show off the latest performance improvements, including the MOTOROLA ATRIX™ 4G, MOTOROLA XOOM™ and LG Optimus 2X, please click here. Automatic soft keyboard support Users of touch screen devices will enjoy a more optimized experience interacting with rich content that requires keyboard input. This feature simplifies the development of multiscreen applications that require keyboard input, making it easier for developers to optimize desktop applications for mobile devices. A new ActionScript API enables developers to automatically launch and display the soft keyboard. In addition to its availability on Android Market, the production GA release of Flash Player 10.2 will also be available pre-installed on many upcoming tablets and smartphones or delivered as an over-the-air (OTA) update to existing devices in market.

Via: Adobe Flash Blog

St. Paddy’s Day Edition of Angry Birds Seasons Released on Android

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:00:10 +0000

Get your green beers ready; the St. Paddy's Day version of Angry Birds Seasons on Android is available now for those of you addicted to pots o' gold, red hair and clovers. This latest seasonal addition introduces 15 new levels that should keep you occupied until next week when Angry Birds Rio is released, alongside a bunch of new levels for regular AB. It's an Angry Birds kind of month! Download Link

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC9SzwBX_DU[/youtube]

Kevin Bacon Returns for an Extended Logitech ReVue Spot, His Charity Also Gets Involved

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:01:52 +0000

When the Logitech Revue and Google TV were just getting their start, a commercial featuring Kevin Bacon as a fan obsessed with Kevin Bacon almost out-shined them both. And today, Logitech and KB returned, only this time with an extended cut of that commercial that also includes a way for people to help support his charity, SixDegrees.org.

Here's how it works: The star of the commercial and biggest Kevin Bacon memorabilia collector of them all, Ivan Cobenk, is putting some of his most-loved items up for sale. Those who watch the video can click on items such as Ivan's special needlepoint project or his Kevin Bacon oil painting and they will be taken directly to eBay to make a bid. All profits go directly to Kevin Bacon's charitable organization, SixDegrees.org, which supports and partners with a number of charitable causes.

So get to watching this hilarious spot, and if you have some extra cash, feel free to click on the variety of random Kevin Bacon swag featured throughout. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPC7qzwxOMg[/youtube]

Breaking: Motorola XOOM Update Rolling Out Tonight, Prepares Device for Adobe Flash 10.2 (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:02:15 +0000

This just went out through the official Motorola Twitter account a few minutes ago. Flash 10.2 is about to be on the way. This first Motorola XOOM update will prepare your device for Flash. Below are the details of the update...

Update: The Motorola Support forums offered this bit of info. Rooted and unlocked devices might need to SBF back to stock tonight...

We are happy to announce that an over-the-air update to the Motorola XOOM software will start rolling out in phases tonight to all Motroola XOOM owners on the Verizon Wireless network. You can receive the update over a 3G or a WiFi connection. If you are not connected via WiFi or 3G, or your Motorola XOOM is off when the notification arrives, you will see the notification when you next connect to a wireless network. If you have unlocked/rooted your Motorola XOOM, you must restore it to the standard software load and relock your device to receive the notification. Owners who have unlocked/rooted can find more information here in the Motorola Xoom unlock / non-standard area of Motorola Owners’ Forums. More information on the contents of the update can be found here.

Update 2: The MotoDev team is putting together the tools and instructions for you to be able to re-lock your device. They are hoping to have them up today and we'll post them as soon as they are live. In the mean time, be sure to register over there. Update 3: We've posted XOOM re-locking instructions. Update 4: There is a strong possibility that you won't have to unroot or re-lock your device to receive this update. We're digging for further confirmation. Developing... Via: Twitter

Weatherbug for Honeycomb Hits Market

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:12:02 +0000

Since Accuweather fails at life as a widget on Android 3.0, it brings us great pleasure to inform you that Weatherbug for Honeycomb has been released and is available for free! It has a widget (small one) that actually works, you can set up multiple cities to track, and the UI is a knock-off of Android 3.0 that we 100% approve of. This is how you do a tablet app. Oh, and you'll also notice a barometer reading because the XOOM has one, unlike some other tablets. Download Link (free) [gallery link="file" orderby="title"] Cheers Kane!

Add March 21st to the HTC Thunderbolt Rumor List

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:44:36 +0000

A few minutes ago, we were having a casual conversation with one of our friends at Verizon and they made mention of a new potential date for the HTC Thunderbolt (Zomg what!). March 21. There were notes in their systems that even mentioned the word "official" when referring to the 21st, but really, who's holding out hope for any of these dates anymore? We should also point out that the 21st is a Monday which is odd, since we know that Verizon launches almost everything on Thursday (except for the iPad 2 because it's special). But to help out this date, our friends at BGR must have had friends reading the same internal screen as they are reporting this same date. Consider yourself hypebeasted. ~~February 14, 17, 24~~. ~~March 3, 10~~, 17, 21. (for those keeping track) Cheers that dude and to Patrick for the photo!

Charts: Rooted or Non-rooted? A Look Back at the Last Year

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:00:20 +0000

If you were hanging out with us on Tuesday, then you probably answered our poll question, "Root or non-rooted?" This is one of those topics we like to cover every 6 months or so to get a good feel for our readership, but with this being the third time we've asked, we wanted to share the results of the last three dating back to April 27th of 2010. Some of you may think we just randomly come up with these polls, but we actually do like to look at the data and this is a good example of that. When this site was just starting to take off back in early 2010, the number of non-rooted users out-numbered those that were willing to risk the life and warranty of their $600 device. This shouldn't shock you, as the Android platform in general was really just taking off at that time. Now though, the numbers are starting to change and it only makes sense. There are hundreds of thousands of experienced users out there willing to help, we have tools to keep you somewhat safe, and our developers have made it too appealing to not consider rooting. This is good stuff. April 27, 2010 - Rooted or Non-rooted?

September 29, 2010 - Rooted or Non-rooted?

March 8, 2011 - Rooted or Non-rooted?

Which phones are our readers rooting?

Talk about a massive change in just under a year's time. Thanks for all of your input everyone!

Random Analyst: Honeycomb was made "by the Geeks, for the Geeks and of the Geeks"

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:19:28 +0000

Industry tech analyst Trip Chowdhry is attempting to make a name for himself this week by publicly trashing on Honeycomb, the world's first real Android tablet operating system. From the sounds of it, Chowdhry received his review unit from Motorola and did not have the brain-power to understand how it works (that unfair to say?). He specifically said that Android 3.0 was made "by the geeks, for the geeks, and of the geeks," and that it had little chance of mass adoption. He pointed to constant crashing, a short battery life, and auto-wrapping of text as being some of its downfalls. Are you laughing yet? I am. So here's the deal. By Chip Chowdhry saying that Honeycomb has little chance of mass adoption, he basically just admitted to the world that he has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to mobile technology. He must not have read the reports from Nielsen and comScore over the last week that showed Android as the leading mobile OS in the entire U.S. over both Blackberry and iOS. What does that mean, Chip? That when you are walking down Wall Street making ridiculous predictions, you will bump into more people with an Android phone than anything else. And by using an Android phone on a daily basis, these people are also learning exactly how it works. And by learning exactly how Android works on their phone, they are also learning how Honeycomb will work on a tablet. You see, Android 3.0 might look different to your below average tech analyst, but it's still Android. It still has an app drawer, notifications, widgets, live wallpapers, customizable this and that, etc. It's just been tweaked slightly to function on a bigger screen. It's time to start giving customers a little credit when it comes to new technologies. We've seen arguments for years now on how customers don't care about processors, RAM or other tech specs and they just want simplicity, but that is so far from the truth these days. This isn't 1995; people are knowledgeable about products because they do their research and ultimately choose the product that best fits their needs. If you don't believe that people care about specs, then why did Apple focus its entire iPad 2 announcement on their new dual-core processor, battery and body thickness, but avoid the amount of RAM and mega-pixels in their cameras? Because they knew they'd get trashed for skimping on them when their competitors are almost overdoing it. In today's tech world, people are a lot smarter than so many of these analysts will give them credit for. Now, this may have started out as "geek" operating system, but it's no longer in that category. Once something becomes the top dog in an industry (which Android did in a ridiculously fast fashion), it no longer is just a niche thing. People already know how Android works and they are obviously in love with it or they wouldn't be purchasing devices in record amounts. The tablet game won't be any different. There will be so many Android tablets on the market in the next 10-12 months with top of the line specs and at a variety of price points, that we'll likely see the same trend we saw with smartphones. It'll be a steep line to the top. Oh and by the way, my XOOM gets 10-12 hours of hard use and days upon days of standby time. Silly tech analysts. And rant over. Via: Forbes

XOOM Accessory Review: Standard Charging Dock

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:49:13 +0000

Finally, the last of the XOOM accessory reviews so that we can get onto the actual device. We've already covered the Bluetooth keyboard and Portfolio/Gel cases, which all received good marks aside from their steep price tags. The last one we'll do is for the standard charging dock, an item that we're having a hard time really getting into. So this standard dock comes in at $49.99 which at first doesn't seem too expensive, but then it shows up and you start wondering exactly what you just paid for. On the back, you get a charging port and an AUX output so that you can hook your XOOM up to your stereo/set of speakers. No HDMI-out with this little guy though. You also can't get to the HDMI port on your device because it's covered up while docked. Basically, you get a dock that charges your XOOM while also allowing it to stand up at a decent angle for viewing and will set you back $50. The AUX output seems like a waste, since the device supports DLNA, although it could come in handy...somewhere...I just don't know where. I like having it as an option to charge my XOOM when it's sitting on my desk, but the viewing angle is a little too steep. Fortunately I have the Bluetooth keyboard or this thing would be really, not-so-awesome. So if you want HDMI-out, then you'll have to step up to the $129 speaker dock, which most of us would struggle to justify as a purchase to anyone. You don't need a dock to hook your XOOM up via HDMI to a TV and you sure don't need a dock with questionable speakers when you can DLNA all of your media right through your home stereo system. This is one of those accessories that I'd probably tell you to pass on, unless of course you have an unlimited supply of cash and just like owning it all. [gallery link="file" orderby="title"]

Download: Liberty UHC – Honeycomb Theme for Liberty ROM 1.5 (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:48:44 +0000

Themer extraordinaire mobile_sensei hit me up on Twitter about an hour ago with this new Honeycomb theme for Liberty ROM 1.5 that he's been working countless hours on. Thing is beautiful, right? He's themed all of the framework, a ton of icons, and most of the stock widgets to give this a really solid Honeycomb feel. Update: We want to add in a notation about the original creator of the majority of the images used in this theme. Haxzamatic started the Honeycomb theming craze and almost any theme you'll see is based off of his original work. This one included. Download: Liberated_UHC.zip (mirror) Quick Instructions: 1. You need to be running Liberty 1.5 on either your DROID X or 2. 2. Download the file from above and drop it on your SD card. 3. Boot into recovery and make a backup of your current setup. 4. When that finishes, "mount system". 5. Then install the Liberated_UHC.zip from the SD card. 6. Enjoy! And if you want the Honeycomb wallpapers, grab them from the market.

Spotlight: Coding Green Robots

Matt Demers — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:16:21 +0000

Though many of us are Android fans, a few of us have taken things a step further and have actually done some coding for the platform. This is all well and good, but what about those of us who wish to learn? As someone's who's in that latter camp (if anything, to learn more about that of which I write), I find that I learn a lot better from videos than reading endless blocks of text. While this is no substitute for a proper programming education, a number of self-education options are available, namely Coding Green Robots. Coding Green Robots is a web series broadcasted biweekly by a couple developers from Toronto, ON. Though only two episodes are available at the moment, they give a run-through of a number of basic concepts that a user would need to know to develop for Android. Included are open-source projects and a number of tutorial notes for users to read and keep around for reference: these are invaluable resources in a quest from programming-illiterate to writing basic apps. They also offer a number of tutorials and a developer discussion section on their website. Again, these sites can't replace a formal programming education, but they can try; I don't see anything wrong with trying to give users who don't have money (or time) to drop on formal courses a taste of what they can experience with Android development. If nothing else, knowing how applications work and are made can give you a greater appreciation for the work that developers put into their creations; knowing a thing or two about the hard work devs do may give you an incentive to to toss them a couple bucks for a premium version of their app. Happy coding!

Coding Green Robots on UStream -- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, but as you can see, he likes to mix things up from time to time. You can find him on Twitter, or contact him via e-mail.

Verizon's Thunderbolt Showcase App Hits Market, Demo SIM Cards Activated Too

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:49:09 +0000

We are currently playing with the HTC Thunderbolt's "device showcase" application that just hit the Android Market courtesy of our friends at Verizon, and for the first time are starting to feel like we are just days away from actually owning one. (Hypebeastin'!) Now, I know that the release of this device has become a complete mess, but seriously, this is a good sign. Why exactly? Well because they plan to install this onto employee phones and demo units of the TBolt, so that they can show the features off to potential customers. This may not be a date, but it's one of those items on the launch date check-off list that can now be crossed off. Speaking of features, Skype with video is no where to be found in any of the demos included in this app. There are mentions of video chatting across the globe, but the term "Skype" is absent the entire time. It's starting to look like an open-ended time frame, just like we reported on back in February. The fact that Skype is still missing from the VZW 4G site is also not helping the situation. Yikes. And moving back on to good news! One of our connects over at Big Red informed us that certain areas were asked to "demo out" 4G SIM cards and submit the SIM IDs to be activated for Thunderbolt demo units today. And when I say "today", I mean that this task was to be completed by the end of the day. Not tomorrow. They also mentioned that when asked to perform this similar task for 4G mobile broadband cards, that they had product within a week. Fun times. OK, enough Tbolt talk for one day. That should feed the trolls for the night. You were getting hungry, weren't you?

Cheers @RYDOG626 and VZW Guy!

HTC Thunderbolt Now Available from Verizon, Says New Customer Flyer

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:38:22 +0000

This is really just one evil tease, but don't blame the messenger on this one. From the photos we just received of new flyers that are arriving at the homes of current VZW customers, you can see that Verizon fully expected their first 4G LTE device, the HTC Thunderbolt to be out by now. Well, at least their "authorized retailers" sure did. I guess maybe it will be out next week? Right. Either that or they must have hired the guy doing Best Buy newspaper ads as their new marketing materials person. One more shot after the break.

And yes, I see that it says "Authorized Wireless Retailer." It's funny, people.

Cheers Rami!

Read It Later Comes to Android

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:57:54 +0000

Read it Later has finally arrived on Android. One of the most popular iOS news apps, RIL made the jump over to the good side today and can "do things its iOS siblings can only dream about" according to its developer. As someone that cruises the internet for the latest and greatest news, I can't even describe to you how amazing this news is. What is Read it Later? Its name really gives it away. Have you ever been floating around the vast wasteland of the blogworld and ran into something you just didn't have time to fully read? Read it Later lets you quickly save that article and then spread it to almost any piece of technology that you own for later viewing. I use a Chrome extension called ChromeItLater that saves articles into my RIL account which is then automatically populated onto any of my devices that have the RIL app installed. It's pretty awesome. Oh, and I should also point out that it integrates into the "share" functionality of almost every single Android browser including the stock and Dolphin.

Download Link ($.99) And feel free to visit the Read it Later site to find extra plugins for your favorite browsers.

Foursquare 3.0 Overhaul Released: New Leaderboards, "Explore" Tab, and Specials

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:03:50 +0000

Social check-in apps are doing their best to take over the universe and whether you are into them or not, it's hard to deny their popularity. Foursquare (personal fav) received an update last night that took it from "This is a fun and addicting little app" to "Damn you! I better go check-in somewhere now!" They introduced new leaderboards that allow you to crush your friends in bar-hopping competitions, an "Explore" tab that can recommend a new sushi joint, and more convenient "specials" searching for your area.

New "Explore" Tab

The suggestions are based on a little bit of everything – the places you’ve been, the places your friends have visited, your loyalty to your favorite places, the categories and types of places you gravitate towards, what’s popular with other users, the day of the week, places with great tips, the time of day, and so on. We’ll even tell you why we think you should visit a certain place (e.g. popular with friends, similar to your favorite spots).

Friend Leaderboards

You’ll see that we’ve replaced our old leaderboard (and its simple points system and Sunday night reset) with a sliding 7-day barometer of you and your friends. Check-ins now trigger points for dozens of different types of actions – everything from discovering new places, trying new types of restaurants, visiting new cities, getting groups together, hanging out with old friends, and a few things you might not expect.

New Specials Info

So, later this week, we’re rolling out six new types of foursquare Specials for merchants. Business will now be able to offer Specials to swarms, groups of friends, regulars, newbies, Mayors, or simply to everyone. And, on the Places screen in the app, you’ll now see a list of all the Specials nearby, so it’s easier to find places that reward foursquare users.

Via: Foursquare Blog

Download: Google Voice for the Motorola XOOM

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:03:47 +0000

The Android community comes through yet again. Actually, I should really change that to say, "XDA comes through again!" For those of you with a Motorola XOOM that have been wanting Google Voice since day 1 and have somehow been living without it, you are now in luck. After some really spotty instructions on how to get it working through a Titanium Backup were released over the weekend that had a 1% success rate, and 110% frustration rate, most of us had given up. And then this morning, member sangreal06 modified a GV apk which works flawlessly and released it to the masses. Download: gv.4.2.13.fixed.apk (mirror) To set up, you'll need to add your XOOM's phone number to your GV account and then walk-through the on-device set up. Via: XDA Forums Cheers @acidone!

LG Revolution Pops Up at FCC, Can it Beat the Thunderbolt to Stores?

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:44:36 +0000

The LG Revolution (LG-VS910) popped up over at the FCC and the rumors are ready to start flying on when we might see this 4G LTE device from Verizon. With so many Thunderbolt "delays," we're wondering if the Revolution and Samsung's 4G device might end up hitting stores first? We generally assume that if a device passes through the FCC, that it will be out soon, but that could mean 2 or 3 months from now. Want a recap of this phone? (Our hands-on) Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz single-core processor, 4.3" screen (not Super AMOLED Plus or Super LCD), HDMI-out, 16GB internal storage, Android 2.2 (mostly stock), and front/back cameras. Not overwhelmingly impressive, right? We really wished they had snuck in a dual-core processor into this phone at the last minute, but that is pretty unlikely. The good news is that it could be the first Android phone with Netflix support!

Via: Wireless Goodness, FCC

OpenFeint and The9 Want More iOS Games on Android, Offer up $100 Million Development Fund

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:22:07 +0000

Our friends over at OpenFeint have some great news for the Android gamers in the building. They just announced a new partnership with The9, a Chinese game developer, to help bring more hot titles from iOS over to Android by funding the porting process. Backed by a $100 million developer fund, these two companies together plan to pick out games that they feel could succeed on Android and will then facilitate the move over. If you are a developer and are interested in having your game backed by one of mobile gaming's best, then hit them up at androidfund@openfeint.com for more info. Full details after the break.

OpenFeint Partners with The9 To Select Game Developers to Move to Android, Backed by $100 Million Fund9
Burlingame, Calif. – March 09, 2011 – OpenFeint, the leading cross platform social gaming network, and The9, an online game operator and developer in China, today announced a new way for top game developers to help fund their move to Android. The initiative is backed by the $100 million Fund9, a Chinese-based mobile internet development fund. OpenFeint and The9 will review and select top games and will fund their port to Android and OpenFeint integration. The companies will also pick select games to expand to China and will facilitate their localization. Games will be chosen based on the quality of the game, past download performance in other app stores, and the strength of the game developer. Interested developers should email androidfund@openfeint.com to express interest and learn more about the opportunity. “We launched on Android to bring gamers great content. We’ve already helped launch 250 great games, but there’s still work to do,” said Eros Resmini, VP of Marketing at OpenFeint. “There’s a treasure trove of great games on iOS waiting for the rest of the world to discover. This fund will help make that possible for indie game developers.” The $100 million Fund9 is a Chinese-based development fund that invests in mobile app, game engine, and platform technology developers around the world. Announced last December, the fund is a collaboration amongThe9, China Rock Capital Management, Chengwei Ventures, and China Renaissance K2 Ventures. “Fund9 is focused on bringing the best mobile apps and platform technologies to China. Our partnership with OpenFeint is a great first step. We are excited to see some great games on Android devices in China soon,” said Chris Shen, Vice President at The9. OpenFeint is the largest cross platform social gaming network with over 68 million players in 4,800 games. Launched just last September on Android, OpenFeint already has spawned several top 10 Android hits, including Fruit Ninja, Super KO Boxing 2, and Flick Kick Field Goal Kickoff. The9, established in 1999 as one of the leading game developers and operators in China, has stepped into the mobile internet field and now working with major telecom carriers and application distribution channels in China with high speed growth. About OpenFeint: OpenFeint is the largest mobile social gaming ecosystem for all app stores and mobile devices, with over 68 million registered users and a presence in over 4,800 games. OpenFeint is backed by Intel Capital and The9. Developers interested in more information about OpenFeint and its leading mobile social gaming technology should visit . About The9: The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY) is an online game operator and developer in China. The9's business is primarily focused on developing and operating high-quality games for online game market. The9 directly, or through affiliates, operates licensed MMORPGs and advanced casual games including Soul of The Ultimate Nation™, Atlantica and Kingdom Heroes 2 Online, as well as its proprietary games World of Fighter and Winning Goal, in mainland China. It has also obtained exclusive licenses to operate other games in mainland China, including Free Realms, Planetside Next and others. In addition, The9 is developing various proprietary games, including Shen Xian Zhuan, FireFall and other MMORPGs and advanced causal games. In 2010, The9 established its Mobile Business Unit and to focus on mobile internet

Privacy Blocker Released on Android, Remove Vulnerable Personal Info from Any Application

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:15:19 +0000

Over the last week or so, I've had the opportunity to test a new app called Privacy Blocker from Xeudoxus, one of the great developers in the Android community. All I can say is, that this app couldn't have come at a better time, especially after that DroidDream malware scare that took the Android world by storm over the last couple of weeks. So what exactly is Privacy Blocker? It's brilliant actually. During a time when so many of us care so much about privacy, this app allows you to control that in ways you never dreamed possible. Privacy Blocker lets you scan your entire app collection to see what kinds of information is being accessed and then fix it from doing so if it looks fishy or simply seems like something unnecessary. You can scan apps individually or batch them and then sit back and watch PB offer you recommendations of items that it stumbled upon. From there, you can tell the app to "fix" anything it found to be a vulnerability. To "fix", PB appears to uninstall the bad app and either re-package or somehow trick the app on a re-install so that the same information is no longer being accessed.

Backups of apps are made to your SD card, it allows advanced users to fully tweak "fix" values, and as an added bonus, has a pretty UI. This is one heck of a security app if you ask me. There are 2 versions available right now: one that allows you to scan only, and another that allows you to scan and fix. Privacy Blocker is the full version of the app that allows you to fix and is available for $1.99 (limited time). Privacy Inspector is the version that only lets you scan, but might be a good starting point for many of you.

Privacy Blocker ($1.99) | Privacy Inspector

Breaking: Original DROID Receiving FRG83G Update Starting Today

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 07:53:22 +0000

Nope, it's not Gingerbread. If you want to get anywhere close to Android 2.3 on your original DROID, then check out this or this. For those of you still running stock software though, an update will start rolling out today that will bring you up to FRG83G and to Android 2.2.2. This is the 3.4MB update that Motorola was testing back in January and now looks to be ready. To check to see if it's available on your phone, head into Settings>About phone>System updates. Changes in FRG83G are below.

And nice Photoshop job there Big Red. Is that Donut?

CM7 RC2 Released for Original DROID as Well

Kellen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 07:37:26 +0000

Yesterday, a new batch of CyanogenMod release candidates went out for devices like the Incredible, but it wasn't until late last night that CM7 RC2 for the original DROID was released. Built from the latest 2.3.3 source with a bunch of classic CM tweaks tossed in, this is your Gingerbread. Well, there are other Android 2.3 ROMs out there, like this one from Pete, but you get what I'm saying. Download links and installation info at the CM forums. Cheers Kempf!

Tuesday Poll: Rooted or Non-rooted?

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:00:04 +0000

Every six months or so we like to run this poll to get an idea as to how many of our readers are living in the land of the superusers. And this time, we're going to do something similar to the poll we ran a few weeks back, when we asked users which ROM they were using. We want to create more of those fancy charts, so along with answering the poll, we also want you to list out the device you are currently running in the comments with your root-status. [poll id="68"]

Verizon's Samsung 4G LTE Device Caught in the Wild, Battery is Not an Issue

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:45:21 +0000

The crew over at Techno Buffalo was fortunate enough to have a friend send in some new pictures of Verizon's Samsung 4G LTE (SCH-i510) device that we were all introduced to at CES. The device appears to be the guy's everyday phone and was definitely up and running on Big Red's LTE network. He mentioned that battery life (1500 mAh) was not an issue at all and was easily getting 8-10 hours per day out of it which is exactly what we wanted to hear. The phone will definitely be loaded up with TouchWiz when it's released (targeted for mid-April), but you won't see much of it in the pictures below since he has LauncherPro installed. So there you go...no battery issues on a 4G LTE phone! (We're lookin' at you HTC.) Oh, he also mentioned the name "Stealth" again which seems to pop up every time this phone is around. As far as I know, that name is just a code name. I'm sort of expecting there to be a surprise when this phone is finally unveiled. Pics after the jump! [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"] Via: Techno Buffalo

XOOM Accessory Review: Portfolio and Protective Gel Cases

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:30:56 +0000

Continuing on with our XOOM accessory reviews before we finalize our actual device review, we've got the Protective Gel and the Portfolio cases to quickly talk about. Protection for your brand new $800 device using some sort of a case seems like a no-brainer, right? And since these are the only two Motorola-branded or approved ones available, they made our list. Are either of them worth their arguably-steep price tags? Let's find out. Portfolio Case

I actually love the Portfolio case. It envelopes your XOOM to give it max protection, but can quickly unfold to provide you with a couple of different viewing angles for desk or lap placements. It comes in standard black, isn't awful to look at, and for the most part gives you access to everything you would need from your device. It also pairs up nicely with the Bluetooth keyboard we reviewed earlier. What do I mean "for the most part" though? Well, for whatever reason, Motorola decided to block the charging port when a XOOM is placed in and folded up. Seriously, there is no way to charge your new tablet unless you completely unfold it from its protection. I've also heard from some owners that the case itself is a little rough on their XOOMs when removing it or unhooking to set at an angle. I haven't had any issues with the plastic leaving marks or damaging mine, but I wouldn't doubt that it could happen. You also cannot dock your device with this case on. At a price of $39.99, do I think you should buy one? Like I said in the opening, I really love this case. The price does seem a little steep, but the build quality on this thing is above almost any case I've used. It's right up there with the Otterboxes and Seidios of the world.

Protective Gel Case

Ahh the cute little gel cases. They come in a variety of colors (pink, black, blue, purple and red), wrap tightly around your XOOM, and provide access to ALL ports. Yep, unlike the Portfolio case, the gel cases actually have an opening at the bottom which gives you access to HDMI, USB, or charging ports. You can also use this with the charging dock. Not a lot of negatives with this one, although the coating on the gel does have a tendency to attract dust, lint, etc. It also doesn't provide screen protection, so you would need a screen protector if that is one of your worries. Other than that, it's a standard gel case with a price tag that seems a little high. $29.99 for a piece of molded rubber? Might want to pass on this one, unless of course you love the pretty colors.

Anyone had issues with either one? Portfolio case doing damage?

Download: Stock Android 2.3.3 for Original DROID (Rooted)

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:30:45 +0000

We made mention of Pete's new Android 2.3.3 ROM (GPA13) for the original DROID yesterday alongside the news that Google Music syncing went live in Gingerbread, but wanted to make sure you all really knew that it was available. This is the latest build in his quest to bring the OG the newest versions of Android currently available. And since we're pretty sure that this phone will never receive an official build, know that this is as close as you'll probably ever get. Download: GPA13DEODEXED.zip For those new to ROMs, be sure to check out our entire guide for rooting your DROID. More info can be found at Pete's site. Follow him on Twitter.

Review: Plug In Launcher

Matt Demers — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:45:00 +0000

Many of us have gone through the stress of disabling the bug where Android will automatically launch a music player when headphones are inserted. For me, it's been especially frustrating to hear the same songs from A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders" in some form of another on repeat. So, naturally, one of the first things I used Titanium Backup for was to remove the Music.apk as a whole. However, what if you wanted to merely control the auto-launch better, instead of disabling it outright? I ran across Plug In Launcher, which gives you that control. It's a very simple app; users are able to assign an application to launch when one of two events happen: when someone plugs something into the headphone jack, or when its plugged into a powered USB port. It doesn't pre-empt the Music.apk bug, though, so you'll have to remove it yourself. And it does what it advertises well; I haven't had any trouble getting it to work in the least. However, what I have had some trouble with is figuring out what to launch. I mean, I don't really have anything that depends on constant phone-to-computer sync, as most of my services (EasySMS, Android Remote Notifier) work when my phone auto-connects to my home wifi. However, this might be useful for something like PDANet, and for those who tether often. Included is the option to have a dialog pop up, which is incredibly useful; sometimes you just want your headphones in to listen to YouTube, and you might not need to tether every time you plug in. Definitely worthwhile. This isn't one of those apps that I can really go in-depth about, but I feel that everyone should have it in their toolkit. It adds some customization that Android is famous for, and makes certain actions a breeze. The question remains, though: what would you launch? Plug In Launcher is a free download. -- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and he's just happy that he doesn't have to mute "Steve Biko (Stir it Up)" in frustration anymore. You can reach him on Twitter or by e-mail; you can also check out his horrible music taste here.

Google Instant Previews Now a Part of the Mobile Searching Experience on Android

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:47:38 +0000

Those fancy little instant previews that show up in PC browser searches on Google are now available through your mobile device too. From any Android 2.2+ device, you can flip through previews of a particular site from your most recent search results by tapping on the little magnifying glass that we've highlighted in the screen shots above. A nice addition to the mobile experience that runs our lives. Video action after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZubLyCg4zms[/youtube] Via: Google Mobile Blog

CyanogenMod 7 Release Candidate 2 Available, DROID Incredible Included

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:50:33 +0000

A new batch of CyanogenMod 7 release candidates went out last night, including one for our brother the DROID Incredible. Should you choose to accept your mission of flashing this latest CM build, your Dinc will be running the most current version of Android that is available, 2.3.3. I'd try to highlight bits of the changelog, but it's extensive. I did notice a "Customizable app launcher on rotary lockscreen" which I'm dying to see and am hoping it's a lot more stable than that GOTO Lockscreen was. And once you are running this, remember that you can start playing with Google Music syncing to the mysterious cloud. Anyone already running this new CM? Head over to the CM Incredible forums for download links. Cheers kly412!

Verizon Working Through LTE Issues, First Phones Before "Second Half of the Year"

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:02:34 +0000

Verizon CTO Tony Melone spoke at Credit Suisse’s Convergence conference this week and answered a few questions about the state of their 4G LTE network and the first handset that many were expecting by now, the HTC Thunderbolt. The responses he gave aren't going to exactly please the heck out of you, but he did stick to their "first half of 2011" timeline that was set back at CES. He also mentioned issues which have been rumored time and time again, claiming that they are "working through" them without getting too specific...

I guess our expectations change, but we had said first half of this year at CES, quite frankly, we think that exceeded people’s expectations. A year ago, people didn’t believe that there would be LTE smartphones in 2011. First half of the year is what we promised, first half of the year is still on track. So we don’t believe there are any new or surprising issues. I think what we’re facing is what you would expect, and that is a new technology, you are working through issues. And we anticipated that, and we are pleased at how we are working through issues. And as I said, you are going to see LTE smartphones on the network as promised, before the first half — before the second half of the year, by the end of the second quarter.

"Before the second half of the year, by the end of the second quarter." Politically correct, I get it. It's still painfully obvious that they tried to push up the date of the Thunderbolt, but the technology just wasn't ready or Best Buy wouldn't have sent out a press release for pre-orders, included the phone in 3 of their weekly ads, and continued to inform customers of new "rumored" dates. Clearly, someone up top got a little ahead of themselves, not understanding that something this new was bound to run into issues and now we are a full month into one of the longest running phone jokes of the last few years. Maybe the luck of the Irish will bring us a treasure. Via: ZDNet Cheers DBEvans!

Angry Birds Seasons St. Patty's Day is on the Way!

Kellen — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:22:20 +0000

Those silly birds found love on Valentine's Day, but that wasn't enough. It looks like they plan to steal back their pot 'o gold from the evil pigs too when an update to Angry Birds Seasons is released within the next few days. A St. Patrick's Day version should be available by...well, you have to assume March 17th, right? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC9SzwBX_DU[/youtube] Via: Twitter Cheers EvantheGamer!

Google Music Mysteriously Syncing to the Cloud on Android 2.3.3 ROMs

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:11:33 +0000

Remember the "Honeycomb" music app that leaked out back in December? You know, the one that included a broken option to "Sync Music"? It's back in the spotlight today and for a good reason. It appears to be finding a way to sync music to a mysterious Google Cloud on devices running Android 2.3.3. This new active syncing was discovered over at XDA through user WhiteWidows who tested out the music app while running the latest CyanogenMod7 2.3.3 build. Just after installing it, he received a permission request from Google Music and started digging deeper to see what was actually happening. Once accepted, and the "Jumper" app that comes with the Honeycomb music app has been configured slightly, your phone will indeed start syncing your music...to somewhere. WhiteWidows went as far as waiting for his entire music collection to sync, then removed his SD card and swapped it out with a blank one to see if he could still play his music. Sure enough, he could. From the cloud. There's no telling where your music is going, but this gives some hope to the idea that Google's Music service is just around the corner. And after all, we are just 2 months from Google I/O, so hopefully the final bugs are being ironed out now and we'll see some sort of epic unveiling on the 10th or 11th. To test it out for yourself, grab either the latest CM7 nightly from ROM Manager or the new Bugless Beast that just came out today and give it a go. After that, re-grab the "Honeycomb" music app here. As you can see from the screenshots above, my original DROID running the new Bugless Beast GPA13 is indeed syncing right now. Via: XDA

Google Voice for Honeycomb is in the Works

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:08:28 +0000

We talked about how the lack of Google Voice support for Honeycomb has been a little frustrating in this post, but we assumed that Google was working on it and would one day bring joy and happiness to our tablet experience. Sure enough, it's now looking like that time could be sooner than expected, according to Zeke over at the Google Support forums.

Hi everyone, Glad to hear from so many Xoom early adopters! As you've noticed, Google Voice isn't available for Honeycomb yet. We're working on it, and I'll update this thread as more info is available. Thanks, -Zeke

Hopefully "we're working on it" means tomorrow. OK, that's a little greedy. Wednesday then? I kid, I kid. Via: Google Support Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Google Maps Navigation Now Automatically Re-routes You Around Bad Traffic

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:34:14 +0000

There is a minor Google Maps (version 5.2.1) update waiting for you in the market if you didn't already notice, and we're thinking it may enable automatic traffic re-routing. The market description doesn't say anything about it, but this latest post from the Google Mobile Blog sure does. As of today, Google Maps Navigation will do its best to take you around bad traffic without asking you to even lift a finger...

You don’t have to do anything to be routed around traffic; just start Navigation like you normally would, either from the Navigation app or from within Google Maps. Before today, Navigation would choose whichever route was fastest, without taking current traffic conditions into account. It would also generate additional alternate directions, such as the shortest route or one that uses highways instead of side roads. Starting today, our routing algorithms will also apply our knowledge of current and historical traffic to select the fastest route from those alternates. That means that Navigation will automatically guide you along the best route given the current traffic conditions.

Gotta love Google. And is it just me, or does that description bring back the surfing scene from Forgetting Sarah Marshall? "Don't do anything." Classic. Via: Google Mobile Blog

No HTC Thunderbolt this Week as Verizon Prepares for the iPad 2 Launch?

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:54:38 +0000

Probably shouldn't mark this Thursday (March 10) on your calendar as the official release date for the HTC Thunderbolt, even though a lot of rumors suggested that it would finally be the day. According to this pretty Verizon chart, it looks like they are throwing all of their time and planning into the iPad 2 launch which we all know is this Friday (March 11). Yep. We'll now set our sites on St. Patty's day which is March 17 (next Thursday). Panda knows all. Cheers money!

How to: Find the Honeycomb Bee Easter Egg "REZZZZZZZ..."

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:33:53 +0000

In case you were bored today, we have a little trick for you to perform on your XOOM. Head into Settings>About tablet and start tapping aimlessly on "Android 3.0." Give it a good 20 or 30 taps and you should see the Honeycomb Bee pop up with the word "REZZZZZZZ..." shortly after. It doesn't do anything else, but we thought it might bring a smile to a few faces on this sunny Monday morning. We've seen this one briefly before from within the SDK, but thought you'd like to know how to replicate it yourself. Cheers @KyleCole90 and @Peteralfonso!

Wave Launcher is the Newest App Switcher on the Block

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:19:14 +0000

The big trend in Android apps these days seems to be all about quick task/app switching from within another app or task. The latest to hit the block is a semi-new one called Wave Launcher, which isn't hiding the fact that it's an idea taken straight from WebOS. Wave Launcher allows you to add 5 of your favorite apps to a "wave" that can be accessed from anywhere using a simple user-defined swiping motion (left, right, or up). I toyed around with it for a few minutes, was able to set it up in about a minute, switched to my favorite apps from a variety of places, and overall, didn't run into anything that irked me. I will say that this category of apps is a crowded one especially with much more advanced options like Swipepad and ClutchPad that we've featured before. Luckily you can set this one up very quickly, so if you decide it's not for you, then you'll be well under the 15-minute refund window. Download Link ($.99)

More on the WiFi-only Motorola XOOM to Staples, Training Starts March 23

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:41:22 +0000

We were tipped earlier to the possibility of the wifi-only Motorola XOOM hitting Staples store shelves by April 3rd, or at least showing up in that day's Sunday ad. Well, we just received a second verbal confirmation plus the screenshot above which talks about training for the device. On March 23rd, employees will begin to receive information for this 3G-less XOOM, helping with the theory that the first week of April is indeed the target for Moto. However, we should point out that the document above does reference a 30-day window for employees to complete training on tablets which could mean that they want everyone ready before they actually start selling them. I guess we'll know in a couple of weeks. On a semi-related note, you'll see that Blackberry Playbook training starts on March 30th. Have to figure that it'll be available shortly thereafter. Cheers ___!

Photile Live Wallpaper is Light Grid with Photos

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:20:21 +0000

It's no secret that we're huge fans of Light Grid Live Wallpaper. In fact, we haven't stopped using it since we wrote about it back in December and don't plan to until something finally tops it. So today, we aren't telling you to ditch it, but just wanted to let you know that the developer behind it has another app that works in a similar fashion. Say "Hello!" to Photile Live Wallpaper. It has the same Light Grid feel, but instead of just using various shapes, sizes and colors, it lets you add one of your own photos to the background which is then transformed by the grid. Free in the market. Download Link

Rumor: WiFi-only Motorola XOOM Headed to Staples April 3? (Updated)

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:55:31 +0000

For the most part, we try to avoid rumors that don't come packed with photo proof, but since we get asked about the wifi-only version of the Motorola XOOM on an hourly basis, we wanted to share the latest info to hit our inbox. After news came out that the wifi-version would be hitting European stores in the first week of April, our friends over at Sam's Club let us know that we could also see it stateside and in their stores for the more-than-acceptable price of $539. We speculated that it could arrive alongside Europe's, and that may actually be the case if the tip we received over the weekend comes true. According to our friends at Staples, the wifi-version of the XOOM should be making an appearance in their April 3rd ad for the first time. No price was revealed at this time, but we do know that their employees are being informed of the release through online training guides. I know it's not much to go on, but I also know how interested you all are in this less expensive, non-3G edition of the first Honeycomb tablet. Update: We just received a second verbal confirmation, plus a screenshot showing that training for the device begins on March 23. Stay close to this post as we dig for additional info... Cheers M!

Download: Xperia Arc Launcher for All Devices

Kellen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:12:01 +0000

If you were up late with us on the west coast last night, then you might have seen our tweets about the Xperia Arc launcher that showed up over at XDA. A better-than-average launcher that allows for some nice customization in the dock (including folders), some sort settings in a transparent drawer, and a really cool preview page of all of your screens' widgets combined. Should work on almost all devices including the DROID franchise (pics taken from my DROID X). And yep, works on all non-rooted devices as well. Download: Arc_Launcher.apk

Via: XDA, (2) Cheers Nathan!

Google Starts Remotely Removing and Fixing Malicious Malware from Affected Devices

Kellen — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:13:33 +0000

There was a lot of talk last week about security on the Android platform after the DroidDream malware scare, but to help ease all of your minds, Google has released a statement detailing all of the steps they are actively taking to make our mobile world a safer place. We should point out that anyone running anything less than Android 2.2.2 was susceptible, so please read the 4 steps below carefully to see what you need to be on the look for.

We removed the malicious applications from Android Market, suspended the associated developer accounts, and contacted law enforcement about the attack.

We are remotely removing the malicious applications from affected devices. This remote application removal feature is one of many security controls the Android team can use to help protect users from malicious applications.

We are pushing an Android Market security update to all affected devices that undoes the exploits to prevent the attacker(s) from accessing any more information from affected devices. If your device has been affected, you will receive an email from android-market-support@google.com over the next 72 hours. You will also receive a notification on your device that “Android Market Security Tool March 2011” has been installed. You may also receive notification(s) on your device that an application has been removed. You are not required to take any action from there; the update will automatically undo the exploit. Within 24 hours of the exploit being undone, you will receive a second email.

We are adding a number of measures to help prevent additional malicious applications using similar exploits from being distributed through Android Market and are working with our partners to provide the fix for the underlying security issues.

And as you can see from our picture above, there is an app in the market that will help remove garbage from affected devices. You don't need to download it though; it's just there so that Google can remotely push it onto devices in need. More info can be found here. Via: Google Mobile Blog

Motorola DROID XOOM Pops Up in Best Buy Buyer's Guide, Too Bad the Name Didn't Stick

Kellen — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:35:01 +0000

We were told that the Motorola XOOM would be DROID-branded back when the device was still vapor, so when a reader sent over this picture from March's BBY Buyer's Guide showing our favorite tag in print, we had to share. It's really too bad that they axed the name at the last minute. We all know that "DROID" is how many refer to all Android phones in general and the term has really helped propel this mobile OS that we love so much to impressive heights. It sure seems to be about brand recognition in this game and using this name would have made it a lot more relatable to your average customers who are probably a little unsure about that $799 price tag. But Motorola likely wanted to spread it around to other carriers at some point, and leaving it off just made it much easier. Or maybe they just didn't want to fork out a bunch of cash to George Lucas? Cheers calum!

Download: Motorola XOOM Stock SBF [HRI39]

Kellen — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:05:01 +0000

Say hello to your Motorola XOOM safety net. Yep, the official stock SBF file is available, but who knows for how long. A friend of ours sent this over last night and since it looks like it has made its way into the open, we better share the goodness before it disappears. Download Link For those not familiar with SBFs, just know that this is a file that will help get you back to stock for that 4G LTE upgrade. It's a good thing to have. Cheers Legion!

Confirmed: Your Unlocked Motorola XOOM Will Be Eligible for the 4G LTE Upgrade

Kellen — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:12:51 +0000

Remember all those ridiculous stories from last week about Motorola XOOMs not being 4G LTE upgradeable if unlocked? You know, the stories that started a firestorm of unwarranted bad press after some random forum member in the Moto support forums that has zero affiliation with Motorola said that rooted devices would not be upgraded? A forum member who admitted just a few posts later that he was just guessing and that no one should take his word for it? Remember those? So silly. Well, guess what? That's 100% not the case and never was. The forum manager reached out to his bosses when that asinine rumor broke out to get the low down on the situation and has returned with information that we assumed was coming. ALL XOOMs, whether they have been unlocked or not, are eligible. However, if you've unlocked it, you will most likely have to relock it in order for the upgrade to go down smoothly (makes sense). You also can't have a custom ROM (not that there are any yet) on your device and will need to have stock software loaded (again, makes sense). And it's sounding like Motorola plans to release instructions on how to get you back to an upgradeable spot, so stay tuned. Oh, we'll also have a guide for you in the very near future too. Everyone happy? Via: Motorola Forums Cheers PaulG1488!

DROID X2 Pops Up at FCC?

Kellen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:15:46 +0000

A sneaky little Motorola "Cellular Phone" showed up at the FCC recently, sporting a CDMA radio which has us thinking Verizon and DROID X2 rather than the DROID BIONIC, since there isn't a mention anywhere of it having an LTE radio. We were originally expecting the DX2 some time in the first half of this year, possibly even in May, but after seeing the 180 day confidentiality letter included in this filing, that might no longer be in the plans. Maybe they'll push it to July to match up with the original DX's launch? And we saw some leaked pictures and specs of this phone a while back that have now gone under a lot of scrutiny, so we're not sure what to think anymore. Dual-core or not? Front camera? Better screen? Any of that true? Anyone even interested? Via: FCC, Phandroid Cheers Stephen!

XOOM Accessory Review: Bluetooth Keyboard

Kellen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:40:40 +0000

So I've picked up a handful of Motorola XOOM accessories over the last week and figured it was time to start reviewing them one by one to help early adopters decide if any of them are worth your hard earned money. The full review of the actual device is still on the way, but to lead up to it, we're going to work through most of these accessories, starting with the Bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard reminds me a lot of a laptop keyboard with it's soft keys and smallish feel, but it definitely comes in handy when you need a full screen and can't handle typing with the on-screen keyboard. And speaking of the on-screen keyboard, I just want to admit up front that I laughed at the original iPad's keyboard and am laughing equally at this one. A full-size on-screen keyboard will never produce consistent or speedy results; I don't care who you are. Moving on... The device itself weighs very little, has a slight hump on the back to give it a semi-ergonomic feel and runs on 2 AA batteries. In the week that I've been running it, I haven't had to replace them, so I'd say that the life seems to be acceptable under fairly-heavy use. There are rubber grippies on the bottom to stop any slippage and it even sits on your lap nicely while couch surfing. My favorite feature of the keyboard has to be the built-on Android keys. You have dedicated buttons that will get you quickly into your contacts, Gmail, browser or back home, plus you also have a series of built-on music controls. You'll get a good chuckle out of the Messaging button though, especially since we know they've removed it from the XOOM. Connecting the keyboard is about as simple as it gets. Pop in the batteries, turn Bluetooth on through the XOOM, "Find nearby devices", press the 1 button on the back of the keyboard, and then connect it on the XOOM once it appears in the list. If you are at a place in Honeycomb where you don't feel like you'll need the physical keyboard, then press the little keyboard icon in the notification tray, and turn it off. If you need it, repeat, and turn it back on. Keyboard switching is one of the best features in Android 3.0.

Overall, this seems like a "must-have" for anyone that plans on doing a ton of typing on their XOOM. As someone that crushes hundreds of emails a day, it has been a life saver. There is no way in hell I could have been this productive while using the on-screen keyboard. For now, I'll call it my current favorite of all the XOOM accessories, but that title is likely going to change when Swiftkey releases their tablet keyboard that allows for thumb-typing. The price is also a little steep at $69.99. If you've got cash to blow, then I'd say grab one; if not, sign up for Swiftkey's beta program and hope they release it soon. (Thumb Keyboard is a nice option as well, but without multi-touch can be painful at times.) [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

The Banned iPad 2 Commercial Revealed, Conan Also Gets in on the Fun

Kellen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:49:54 +0000

It's a pretty slow day in the world of Android, so how about we all take a break and look at some silly iPad 2 spots that are now floating around. Let's try to keep the conversation light today; too much negativity in the house this week. Relax and laugh a little, people...it's just a blog.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvG0fbdMwGc[/youtube]

Conan's take... And a bonus video that is just too funny to pass up on...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWxUE98DsM[/youtube]

Cheers to everyone who sent these!

Best Buy Ad Again Includes HTC Thunderbolt, Still Rockin' $299 Price Tag (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:10:10 +0000

Another week cruised by without the HTC Thunderbolt, but that hasn't stopped Best Buy from printing it over and over again in their weekly ads. The latest gossip on Verizon's first 4G LTE phone suggests that HTC is becoming a little irritated with Big Red over all of these apparent delays and has even threatened to pull all of their ads if the phone isn't announced today! Oh no! We still have no idea what the real cause for them to keep missing rumored dates is, but it doesn't even matter at this point. If the phone finally pops up, someone please let us know. And yeah, $299 still being printed as the contract price. Update: The in-store price on displays is still showing up as $249...(@realdslayton)

Via: Slickdeals Cheers TjEoRnI!

Review: thinksound ts02+mic headphones

Kellen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:55:20 +0000

When you are in the technology business, you get the opportunity to check out a lot of really cool products, but it's not that often that you find one that is also doing its best to make the world a better place. Now before you start dropping, "Shut it treehugger!" comments, hear me out. Just a few days ago, the guys at thinksound said they would be sending over a pair of their ts02+mic headphones that were supposed to be Android-friendly. I really had no idea what to expect. The minute I opened the package though, I instantly got it. Quality materials. Incredible sound. Small eco-footprint. Packaging

The packaging was simple yet stylish and they weren't about to let me get into it without noticing that it was made from recycled materials. In fact, there are at least 4 references to it being eco-friendly. Aside from that though, it's on par with some of the sleekest and most eye appealing I've seen, which includes stuff from the big dogs in the tech industry. In the box, you get a set of headphones, four different ear fittings, a clip, and sweet little cotton pouch to carry it all in. Material Quality

This might sound odd to some, but thinksound actually uses real wood for their headphones which they say creates a more "natural resonance" and obviously facilitates the eco-friendly angle. All I know, is the cherry and silver model they sent is the most beautiful set of headphones I've seen in a while. Simplicity is a good thing when it comes to sound products, plus, anything is better than all white. And I should also point out that they use PVC-free cables. Sound Quality

Ahh the most important piece to a headphone review, "How do they sound?" While I'm no official audio guru, I have nothing but good things to say about the ts02+mic version that I was given. In fact, I'd put these up there with my Solo HD Beats by Dre. "But Kellex, nothing tops Beats!" Seriously, this wood thing they've got going on is truly a work of art. While I'm normally an over-ear headphone guy when at home, I can tell you that these will most definitely be my new gym earbuds thanks to some impressive clarity. Plus, the mic works perfectly with any Android phone and after going through at least a few calls today with it, I had not one complaint from the person on the other line. If you are looking to get a new set of headphones, but also want to know that they came from a company who seems to care about your well-being rather than flash and celebrity names, then add thinksound to your list of companies to check out. The ts02+mic that I have runs $89.99. @thinksound. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Review: WidgetLocker 2.0

Matt Demers — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:54:46 +0000

The lock screen is one of the most important parts of a phone; it allows us to see multiple information sets without unlocking our phone. Most importantly, we can see items in our notification bar and the time; other features include being able to mute/unmute the phone without going into the settings menu. At it's core, this is all very basic functionality. Clearly, Google believes that the functionality we have is enough, and an average user should be able to get by. However, what if we want... more? It's the nature of Android to have a degree of customization over other phones, so why should the lock screen be any different? Enter WidgetLocker. In a sentence, WidgetLocker replaces your lock screen with its own version - one that you can customize. With this customization comes increased functionality; users can add new sliders which accomplish pretty much any task the user can think up, like opening your SMS inbox or opening another app. To someone who likes being able to perform certain actions at a moment's notice, this is invaluable.

The app recently upgraded to version 2.0, which brings a number of improvements. Most notably is the performance fixes and the inclusion of themes, the latter of which makes customization even deeper. One hesitation I had about the old version was its insistence on using the horizontal slider graphics; in this new version, you can skin your unlock bar in horizontal, rotary, Motorola or even iPhone styles. With the new sliders come new icons, and with those new icons come custom notifications through ADWNotifier. However, since I run GO Launcher EX, I didn't get a chance to test functionality. Those using HandCentSMS and ChompSMS have options for pop-ups to appear over the lock screen. This is all a matter of artistic preference, but I'm guessing a lot of people reading this review are more concerned about how it runs. This has always been a bit of a moot point with my reviews, as I'm running a dated phone (overclocked Milestone) which doesn't seem to like running certain apps too well. WidgetLocker is one of them: because that extra layer is always running, sometimes it slows my phone down to a chugging pace. Attempting to utilize the unlock screen before I did an audit of all my apps (and uninstalled a few) commonly led to a ten second gap between when I "unlocked" the phone and when I'd actually get to my home screen. This, sadly, is inexcusable. I'm guessing faster phones (and Gingerbread, since it's been optimized for that distro) will handle WidgetLocker a lot better, but for those without access to cutting-edge hardware, this could be a problem.

Otherwise, my only complaints about the app are few and nitpicky:

Unlocking the phone will play the default Android "unlock noise" about 5-7 times in quick succession. This is only fixed by going into the Android settings and turning it off completely. There's no option to keep the default noise in WidgetLocker settings, so you're stuck with their new sound.
The grid is a little off from where my default slider position is; this is visually annoying after I've been used to something for over a year.
Themes are downloaded by redirecting you to their blog via a browser. This is infuriating, as it makes the task of theming needlessly difficult. Beautiful Widgets does an amazing job of having a user gallery in-app; even GO Launcher runs a custom market search for you.

But really, these are all nitpicky things. The real reason I won't be keeping WidgetLocker on my phone is that I don't use it; my lock screen looks exactly the same as the way I had it before the app. I figure there is nothing on my phone so pressing that I absolutely need to access it before I unlock. I'd rather my phone unlocks in a timely manner all of the time than add a layer that causes it to do otherwise. But maybe I just don't have the creativity. You can find WidgetLocker on the Marketplace for $1.99. --- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy - you can find his work here three times a week. His Twitter is always open, and his e-mail won't kick you out of the bar, either.

Angry Bird Hits 30 Million Download Mark on Android (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:04:01 +0000

Rovio's Peter Vesterbacka is hanging out at GDC (Game Developers Conference) this week and casually tossed out a number related to downloads of Angry Birds on the Android platform. 30 million. Yep, this silly little slingshotting bird game has been gobbled up more than 30 million times by Android folks alone. He also mentioned that 80 percent of those 30 million have downloaded updates to the game which means that people aren't getting sick of it and theories that this would be another fad are looking pretty ridiculous right now. With their Seasons spinoff, and a whole bunch of levels slated to be released this month, we won't be surprised if they come back talkin' 50 millie before long. Update: Conan featured the "world's largest" live-action Angry Birds last night and it seemed fitting to include it in this post...(Cheers Chris!) Via: Joystiq Cheers to everyone who sent this in!

Thursday Poll: Worried About the Android Market and Malware in Apps?

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:51:29 +0000

After yesterday's DroidDream malware story jumped into the tech spotlight, we heard opinions on the situation from a few of our readers, but never really got the feeling that any of you were all that concerned about any of it. Sure, some of the big tech sites jumped on it and made it sound like Android was the worst thing to happen since Paris Hilton's birth, but for the most part, average users seemed to be confident in the Google team and the openness of the market. Is that the case or are you all just not being vocal about it? No better way to let your voice be heard than through one of our polls. So tell us... [poll id="66"]

Save $100 on a Motorola XOOM with this New Coupon Code (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:50:26 +0000

Update: Coupon code no longer works.

Since we already blew up one of Motorola's coupon codes the other day and saved tons of you $200 on your XOOM purchase we were trying to keep this other code a little on the DL to be nice to our friends at the big "M." Well, a few other sites appear to have caught wind of it and we wouldn't want our readers to miss out on anything, so here we go. If anyone is interested in saving $100 on a brand new $799 Moto XOOM without having to sign up for a contract, use the coupon code below. And please, if this thing dies, don't go pissing at Moto as there is a chance that this is secret coupon code. They were already gracious enough to honor all of those 25% off codes. Coupon code: motoxoom Visit the Motorola store and plug that into the coupon code box. Tip: The good news is, we're hearing from readers who have had luck talking Best Buy into price matching for $699. So if you don't feel like waiting for the extra slow 2-day shipping, heading into a BBY might be worth your time.

Nielsen: Young Folks Sure Love Them Some Android Phones

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:19:15 +0000

At this point, it's no secret or surprise that Android is coming out on top of everyone's smartphone OS studies, but in Neilsen's latest, we get to see some interesting stats surrounding the age of those helping to make it the best. Everyone look around the bus and toss a little nod towards that young chap sitting next to you, because according to percentages, he is more likely to have an Android phone than anything else. The youth of the nation (apologies for the semi-P.O.D. reference) are usually some of the first to pick up new and interesting pieces of technology, so to see the numbers leaning Android's way is a pretty good sign. Now, the real story is whether or not those numbers continue to climb throughout the next year, but who's thinking they won't? And in related news, the same study produced the chart below which presents smartphone manufacturer percentages in a very color manner. HTC is somewhat-surprisingly topping the Android charts with Motorola hugging its heals. Funny thing here, is that Samsung spent the last 6 months bragging about their sales numbers yet they are a ridiculously distant 3rd.

Via: Nielsen

DROID Eris Receives Update, Multimedia Bug Fixes and Various Other Enhancements

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:42:16 +0000

Long live the DROID Eris! A 13.3MB update is either available right now or at least will be in the very near future and will bring one of our original family members up to version 2.41.605.6. What's included? A bunch of multimedia bug fixes it looks like. You'll also find better Bluetooth connectivity, Twitter authentication, 2010 Exchange support and a fancy visual voicemail app pre-loaded. More info on the update here. Anyone receive this? Cheers zepfloyd and everyone else!

WiFi-only Motorola XOOM Headed to Sam's Club, Possibly Priced at $539

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:27:43 +0000

Been a lot of talk about a wifi-only Motorola XOOM lately and thanks to our friends at Sam's Club, we think it may be closer than anyone imagined and with a better-than-previously-advertised price tag. According to talk out of their "Year Beginning" meeting, they plan to release the device at $539 which is lower than the $599 price that Moto CEO Sanjay Jha spoke of just two weeks ago. No word yet on an exact date, but with the same version launching in Europe during the first week of April, we're tempted to pencil that in for a U.S. launch. Oh, and you'll get a good laugh out of the pricing sign listed below. Looks like someone was working a little too fast when printing it up and missed a couple of details. More pics after the break! [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"] Cheers mavrick987!

Review: ActionComplete helps you get things done

Matt Demers — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:30:15 +0000

Though there's many ways of organizing your time, the one that nerds seem to be embracing in droves is David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) method. Based on the book of the same name, GTD emphasizes the removal of stress by the use of lists. This seems really simple, but it's not just a matter of listing a project and waiting to cross it off - instead, users are encouraged to list the action that is the next step in moving towards conclusion. Try it yourself: write down a project you have to do in the next little while, then the immediate action that you have to do next.

While doing this example, I felt a little bit of weight lift off me: because I had placed that next step in a list that I could refer to constantly, it wasn't bouncing around in my head. This kept me from wracking my brain trying to remember all the things I need to do and actually got me closer to completing them.

But really, I'm not going to outline the whole method; that's what Allen's book is for. Instead, I'm going to review an app that is built around it and does everything I want in an organization app.

Many Android users will tout Astrid as the big dog to dethrone; this is true, but it lacks something major. Astrid relies completely on the users inputting tasks in-app, or via services which are authorized (Google Tasks, Producteev, Remember the Milk.) The problem with the latter option is while you can use a good ol' keyboard to do heavy typing, not all the fields (particularly the priority tags) carry over as smoothly as hoped. This is the equivalent of finding out that the titles of the songs you downloaded are in the "Artist" field when you put them in iTunes/foobar/Winamp. Annoying.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myfGZdq8G7E[/youtube]

But ActionComplete gets around that by using an Appspot web client that is tied to your Google account. You can add as many projects and tasks as you'd like, then authorize your Google Account on your phone. This then queries the web server and syncs your tasks. The app can be set to sync upon its opening or close, as well as by clicking a refresh icon. Each field syncs up with both the web and app, and I'm extremely happy about that.

ActionComplete can also be set up to give notifications and reminders which carry over to your phone; this is great for when you need a subtle nudge to get that particularly nagging task done. Google Calendar integration is available through a Pro Version of the web interface, which costs about $19.99 per year.

What's most important, however, is the way this runs; I like apps that don't waste my time with needless configuration or tweaking. ActionComplete does that wonderfully, smoothly and with little compatibility issues: there's no client to install! Everything is done either through a web browser or the app. There isn't a lag in sync time (especially with the "sync on open" option selected) and it is extremely easy to sort by labels, tags, places, people or any other criterium you want. No longer will I have to wade through Astrid's unused tags or priorities settings, or try to figure out why Remember the Milk wasn't syncing (turns out Astrid has their own Remember the Milk version to match the latter's EULA.)

The interface is slick and intuitive: even though it's text-on-a-white-background, it's done tastefully and the font isn't ugly. It's easy to read, recognize and figure out exactly what's going on at all times, and that's extremely important for an app that's all about organization.

ActionComplete is free, with ads. There is a "Pro" version that is ad-free, but again, the "Pro" version of the web service will cost you $19.99/year. --- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and needs to make a habit of having this task window open all the time. You can contact him on Twitter, or via e-mail.

HTC Starts Airing Their Own Thunderbolt Commercial, Verizon's Remain Private

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:46:16 +0000

If you've watched even 10 minutes worth of television over the last couple of days, then you probably saw the new HTC Thunderbolt ad that's been running like crazy. And we're not talking about either of those Verizon spots that were pulled like the lightning countdown or rooftop shocker; we're talking about the new ad that's actually from HTC. It doesn't include a release date or anything that could help start up the HYPEBEAST again, but it does have us thinking the phone is closer than ever...for real this time. HTC has been pretty quiet on the Thunderbolt since CES, so by airing this ad over and over again, we're hoping this means we'll see it next week on the 10th. Oh, and did you miss our TBolt rumor of the day from yesterday? Apparently, shipments of the phone will be arriving in stores Sunday-Monday. We'll see! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUe1f84cF1c[/youtube] Cheers that dude!

Google Maps V5.2 Update Brings Places Reviews to Twitter, More Latitude Enhancements

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:37:39 +0000

Nothing better for breakfast than a Google Maps update, is there? (OK maybe this.) Other than that though, how does some additional Latitude enhancements sound? You can now "ping' friends to make them check-in at your local hot spot, search for places from within Latitude, and finally, explore nearby joints. Oh, they also tossed in the ability to post your newest Places reviews to Twitter, so that you can help spread the word on this morning's margaritas. Is it obvious yet that Google is serious about this social check-in service stuff? Sure seems like every update to Maps these days has to do with Places and Latitude. Tough task trying to draw everyone from Foursquare and Facebook. Good luck! Cheers Chris!

Blackberry Messenger Headed to Android, Other Platforms?

Kellen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:54:21 +0000

The boys at BGR, who have a pretty good track record when it comes to Blackberry rumors, dropped some knowledge on a situation that should bring a smile to the faces of all former BBM users. According to their sources, RIM is planning to release a version of Blackberry Messenger (BBM) to other platforms including Android. And if it does, everyone's favorite former messaging app will likely have a pricetag attached to it and might not include all of the fun features that real Blackberry owners enjoy, but it'll still let you all chit chat with each other. Their sources dropped a lot of mights into this story, so we're not sure that this is anywhere close to happening and could just be upper exec talk at this time. Still, it's at least a little titillating. Source: BGR Cheers nathan!

Verizon HTC Merge Clears FCC, No 4G LTE Love to be Found

Kellen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:47:17 +0000

HTC sure wasn't messing around when they finally announced the Merge last week and said it would be here in the Spring. It's only March 2nd and the device's FCC filing has been made available for public consumption including the full Verizon user guide, which is usually a pretty good sign that the phone is ready. Well, we know it's been ready for months, but maybe this time for real. Too bad that a last minute 4G LTE radio was no where to be found though. Anyone willing to pass on the Incredible 2 and go with the Merge instead? Via: FCC, Phonescoop Cheers @reistar83!

WiFi-only Motorola XOOM Headed for April Release?

Kellen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:07:56 +0000

UK retailer PC World announced today that they will be the first to carry the wifi-only Motorola XOOM and are letting people pre-order theirs today for £499.99. They even slapped a "1st week of April" time frame on it which is great news for Euro playaz. What about us though? While Moto CEO Sanjay Jha has been talking about this wifi-only model for weeks, we're still a little surprised that we haven't heard a peep out of a stateside retailer and really have zero idea as to when this mysterious device could show up in the U.S. And not that I'm into offering up advice to corporate execs, but they might want to get on it, especially with the iPad 2 and its various versions including a 16GB ($499) wifi version hitting stores on March 11. Via: PCWorld Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Why the Lack of Google Voice on the XOOM? No Telephony of Course.

Kellen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:26:07 +0000

Opening the new Honeycomb market and searching for "Google Voice" was probably the first thing I did after grabbing my Motorola XOOM last Thursday and it was no where to be found. Not being pleased with this discovery, especially knowing that my XOOM has a Verizon phone number tied to it, I started asking around on Twitter and apparently many of you found out the hard way as well. And don't bother sideloading it either, because it'll force close on you. When asked by one of our readers what the deal was, an Android Market rep had this to say...

Thanks for your note. At this time, the Google Voice app is not compatible with your device because your device lacks the required telephony features.

Now, I totally understand that the device can't make actual phone calls, but the silly little Galaxy Tab had Google Voice support. As far as I know, no one was thinking about making calls on it, but for those of us that use GV to send texts, this was going to huge. Sad, sad story. To keep things positive though, we're going to take his "at this time" comment and claim that we will one day have some sort of Google Voice on Honeycomb. (Fingers firmly crossed.) Cheers Wes!

Chart: iPad 2 vs. Motorola XOOM vs. LG G-Slate vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Kellen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:15:08 +0000

After comparing the original iPad to the Motorola XOOM a few weeks back, we took a lot of heat on how "unfair" it was to do that to a product that was almost a year old. The Apple enthusiasts came in waves and the cries for "Just wait for the iPad2!" rang out through the night. Well peeps, here is your comparison to the newly announced iPad 2...nothing groundbreaking at all here. Straight from their spec sheets. Cheaper price and a thinner body. That's it. We've already seen dual-cameras, dual-core processors and HD recording. What we aren't seeing on this new product though, is 1080p on-device playback, Flash support (hah!), 4G capabilities, or expandable storage. And what's up with that giant bezel? *Note* - HD playback on the XOOM is now questionable. Motodev site lists it as "Max" 1080p, but the regular consumer XOOM page says just 720p.

Seesmic Update Includes Full Facebook Support, New Widgets and Twitlonger

Kellen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:13:43 +0000

Seesmic update! That was a bad joke meaning "big" update...anyways. One of the more popular Twitter clients on Android received a major update today that includes full Facebook support, updated widgets and Twitlonger integration. In Facebook, you can now add multiple accounts, view updates, comment, like, post to your accounts and to the pages you are admin of. With Twitlonger, you can cruise past the 140 character limit, but also set Seesmic to automatically use the lengthening service. And last but not least, widgets are now available for all of the supported services including Facebook, Twitter, Chatter and Google Buzz. Download Link

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uICN0Fk2mw8[/youtube]

Via: Seesmic

DroidDream Malware Enters Official Android Market, Chaos Ensues After Root Exploit Found Embedded

Kellen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:29:24 +0000

Yesterday was a bad day for the Android Market. Popular Redditor lompolo discovered odd duplicates of some very popular apps in the market and decided to download a few to see exactly what the difference was. The news was not pretty, and the guys at Android Police jumped all over it, looking for more. What did they discover? Well, that developer "Myournet" was taking popular apps from the market, repackaging them with malware included, and then republishing them to the market alongside the legitimate version. Included in these new versions was the famous root exploit "rageagainstthecage" (yep, it was rooting devices) and other embedded apks which had the potential to do some serious damage and steal more information than you can imagine...

...it does more than just yank IMEI and IMSI. There’s another APK hidden inside the code, and it steals nearly everything it can: product ID, model, partner (provider?), language, country, and userID. But that’s all child’s play; the true pièce de résistance is that it has the ability to download more code. In other words, there’s no way to know what the app does after it’s installed, and the possibilities are nearly endless.

But that's not all. Android security machine Lookout, stepped into the situation to help ease minds of their customers, but also found two additional developers that were distributing similarly affected apps: Kingmall2010 and we20090202. With these 3 "developers" combined, there were more than 50 apps in the official Android Market that could potentially steal a massive amount of information from your smartphone. Lookout's CTO had this to say on the situation...

DroidDream is packaged inside of seemingly legitimate applications posted to the Android Market in order to trick users into downloading it, a pattern we've seen in other instances of Android malware such as Geinimi and HongTouTou. Unlike previous instances of malware in the wild that were only available in geographically targeted alternative app markets, DroidDream was available in the official Android Market, indicating a growing need for mainstream consumers to be aware of the apps they download and to actively protect their smartphones. Lookout users are protected from all known instances of DroidDream.

All I can say is, know what you are downloading to your phones, people. We've lived in a time filled with shady internet characters for a couple of decades now and you shouldn't be blindly downloading apps from random developers. If you haven't heard of the person listed under the app you are about to download, maybe you should take 30 seconds, read some of the comments, do a quick Google search, and see what you come up with. The first reaction for most people is to blame Google, but that's a little unfair. If you want openness, then you need to educate yourself a little. Or you could all do your best to make the world a better place by stopping your searches for apps titled "Hilton Sex Sound" and "Sexy Girls: Japanese." And lastly, here are the apps you should probably avoid if they ever pop back up in the market...

Full list of infected applications published by “Myournet”: Falling Down Super Guitar Solo Super History Eraser Photo Editor Super Ringtone Maker Super Sex Positions Hot Sexy Videos Chess 下坠滚球_Falldown Hilton Sex Sound Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls Falling Ball Dodge Scientific Calculator Dice Roller 躲避弹球 Advanced Currency Converter App Uninstaller 几何战机_PewPew Funny Paint Spider Man 蜘蛛侠 Full list of infected applications published by “Kingmall2010″: Bowling Time Advanced Barcode Scanner Supre Bluetooth Transfer Task Killer Pro Music Box Sexy Girls: Japanese Sexy Legs Advanced File Manager Magic Strobe Light 致命绝色美腿墨水坦克Panzer Panic 裸奔先生Mr. Runner 软件强力卸载 Advanced App to SD Super Stopwatch & Timer Advanced Compass Leveler Best password safe 掷骰子多彩绘画 Full list of infected apps under the developer name “we20090202″: Finger Race Piano Bubble Shoot Advanced Sound Manager Magic Hypnotic Spiral Funny Face Color Blindness Test Tie a Tie Quick Notes Basketball Shot Now Quick Delete Contacts Omok Five in a Row Super Sexy Ringtones 大家来找茬桌上曲棍球投篮高手

Via: Lookout, Android Police

Samsung SCH-i510 Appears at FCC, How Soon Will We See it?

Kellen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 07:43:39 +0000

The nameless Samsung SCH-i510 wandered its way through the FCC this week sporting CDMA and LTE radios and leaving us hoping for a sooner-than-later release. While it might have been our least favorite of Verizon's 4 LTE devices at CES, we realize we were looking at an unfinished product and are dying to see what they've done since then. The word "Stealth" is floating around as a possible name, but to my knowledge, that is just the codename and there might be a surprise attached to this when it finally launches. Other than that, you'll find a 1GHz single-core processor, HDMI-out, 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus screen, and physical home keys. No idea when it could see the lining of your pocket, but we're pretty sure it'll be just after the Thunderbolt and before the BIONIC. And check out our hands-on with the device here.

Via: FCC, Phandroid

Google Body Available in the Android Market for Honeycomb Tablets (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:36:20 +0000

Remember that Google Body app that was demoed back at the Honeycomb event? It's live in the market for free! You can cruise around the human body, educating yourself on all of the creepy organs that you missed out on while being under the influence in college...or junior high for some of you. The app doesn't have a ton of features that I can see just yet, but by dropping off layers of skin and bones, you can really dig deep into some interesting stuff. Update: It looks like they pulled it. Luckily, I grabbed it just in time. Update 2: And since I grabbed a copy before it was pulled, how about a video walk-through? Update 3: It's back in the market.

(Apologies for the darkness; spur of the moment vid.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZwDGvsbho[/youtube]

Free in the market. Via: Phandroid

Comcast Introduces XFINITY TV App to Android

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:21:13 +0000

Back in December, Comcast released their XFINITY Mobile app which allowed users to access their accounts, check and respond to email, and set up DVRs. Now today, they've introduced the new XFINITY TV app to Android which eventually will allow you to watch On Demand movies and shows directly on your device. I'm still trying to decide why we needed two separate apps, but you've got to like the direction this new one is headed. Aside from the "coming soon" On Demand watching, the app lets you control your DVR, browser/filter TV listings, and even change to a particular channel using your device. Free in the market.

COMCAST BRINGS XFINITY TV APP TO ANDROID-POWERED MOBILE DEVICES Find What to Watch Faster and Easier than Ever Before – Browse On Demand, Change Channels and Program DVRs – Free for Comcast Digital Customers PHILADELPHIA – March 1, 2011 – Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) today announced it has made available its popular Xfinity TV^® app to an even broader audience, officially launching it on Android^™ Market. The Xfinity TV app, which is free to Comcast digital subscribers, enables customers to search and instantly find what to watch among thousands of choices -- including top movies and premium cable shows -- on TV, On Demand, online or on a smartphone. The Xfinity TV app originally debuted on the Apple iOS in November, and since then it has been downloaded more than 1.3 million times. Now, customers with Android-powered mobile devices can also enjoy its many entertainment controls and features, including:

Browse and discover video content from either TV listings or selections from the On Demand library in a rich user interface with colorful poster art and details.

Use it as a TV guide so, in just a few finger taps, users can find what to watch by reviewing their TV listings and change the channel in real time.

Program their DVRs to record TV shows, series and movies so they never miss their favorites.

Sort content based on different filters like HD, New, Networks, or type such as Movies, Kids, or Sports.

Search by keyword or by title A-Z in TV listings or On Demand.

Coming soon, customers will also be able to watch On Demand TV shows, movies and other video content directly on an Android-powered device.

“Android has a passionate, loyal and growing fan base who we believe will enjoy managing their Xfinity TV experience in the palm of their hand,” said Matt Strauss, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Comcast Interactive Media. “This important launch is another key milestone in Comcast’s ongoing effort to provide Xfinity TV service on as many devices as possible including smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs.” Through a series of regular development updates, the Xfinity TV app for Android will continue to expand its features and functionality. Soon, customers will be able to access even morepersonalization features that enable them to create and manage a watchlist, customize their favorite TV listings and receive recommendations, plus other shortcuts and controls. Later this year, Comcast plans to enable live TV streaming in the home, so customers can turn their tablet into an additional TV screen. The Xfinity TV app, along with the Xfinity Mobile app, are both examples of Comcast’s ongoing commitment to deliver more choice and control to its customers through its Xfinity services, which include 100+ HD channels, 50 to 70 foreign-language channels, On Demand video choices increasing to 25,000 and increased broadband speeds of up to 105 Mbps. Xfinity also offers thousands of online entertainment choices (at www.xfinitytv.com) as well as other applications that enable customers to program a DVR from the Internet or a mobile device, and cross-platform features like Caller ID to the TV and PC. To learn more about the Xfinity TV app, please visit www.xfinity.com/tvapp About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.

Verizon CFO: Tiered Data Plans Coming "Mid-summer"

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:12:40 +0000

As you may recall, VZW started answering questions about tiers in the summer of 2010 and even introduced a short-lived $15 version last October that is now gone thanks in part to the i*hone's launch. Before you get too thankful of Apple's baby though, know that it will also be the reason we see much more permanent tiers some time this summer, according to Big Red's CFO who just got done speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference. This news shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but we wanted to point it out as this is the first time we've seen a Verizon exec pin point an actual time frame for deployment. There wasn't a mention of pricing, and we wouldn't expect one this far out from launch, but that shouldn't stop us from wondering how their 4G LTE and 3G plans could differ. We've received word from multiple sources that when the Thunderbolt finally launches, that it will fall in at the $29.99 unlimited plan currently offered to all 3G smartphones. Who knows how long that will last though. And if that does happen, this might be one of the only times we'll actually recommend you sign a 2-year contract to keep from paying out the derrière this summer. Via: BGR, Fierce Wireless

Motorola XOOM Parts Priced Out, Just Slightly More Expensive than the iPad

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:19:32 +0000

It's pretty hard for anyone to argue that the Motorola XOOM is not an incredible product, but that hasn't stopped the onslaught of angry would-be customers over its $799 premium price tag. And thanks to the WSJ, we can see the exact breakdown for the pricing of each component and how it compares similarly to that of the original iPad. The numbers are definitely close even with a bigger/better screen, dual-core processor and 2 different cameras, but it's hard to forget the fact that the iPad2 is going to be announced tomorrow and will have newer parts than the original at roughly the same cost. They'll also likely introduce a cheap WiFi-only version which will appeal and sell to an enormous market, while Sanjay and the boys spend time twiddling their thumbs over when to release theirs. Via: WSJ Cheers timoh!

Cut the Rope for Android Nearing Release, Preview Video Goes Live

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:30:37 +0000

We've been following Cut the Rope since back in October, so when we received this video almost an hour ago now, we seriously popped out of our seats. This is one of those iOS games that has taken the mobile world by storm, but has been absent from the Android platform and that's a damn shame. And I even hate to admit this, but this game is good enough that I actually downloaded it to an iPod Touch, just so that I could spend some quality time with it. Well today, ZeptoLab, released a quick preview video that shows the Android version of the game in action with a note in the description reading "The release date will be announced later." All we can hope for, is a non-Thunderbolt approach to this release and we should have it in no time. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_GFCueQjoQ[/youtube] Cheers to everyone who sent this in!

How to: Bluetooth Tether to Motorola XOOM Using Original DROID

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:32:25 +0000

Yesterday we put together our guide on how to wireless tether your DROID X to your Motorola XOOM, but wanted to make sure we covered all of the original DROID members out there as well. And since the original DROID creates an ad-hoc spot rather than infrastructure like the DX or various other phones, a standard wireless tether won't work, so we have to go with Bluetooth instead. Luckily, the Wireless Tethering app from the market has a Bluetooth option, and that's exactly what we'll be using here. I should also point out that this method does require that you root your original DROID, but for those of you with a DX, D2 or Pro, you can apparently do this without rooting. Instructions:

*Note 1* - This will apparently work on the DROID X, D2 and Pro without having to root.

1. Root your Motorola DROID. [Instructions] 2. Download Wireless Tether from the market and install on your DROID. 3. Open Wireless Tether and switch it to use Bluetooth.

Menu>Settings>Use Bluetooth

4. Exit Wireless Tether. 5. From your XOOM, set your device to Airplane mode. 6. Head into the Bluetooth settings on both your DROID and XOOM and turn it on. 7. Check the box on both to make "Discoverable" and then "Scan for nearby devices." 8. Once both are seen, head back into Wireless Tether and turn it on.

9. From your XOOM tap on "DROID" and "Pair" both devices when prompted.

10. Each device should say "Paired but not connected." 11. From your XOOM, tap on the Wrench icon next to your paired DROID.

12. You should now see a Tethering option. Tap on it.

13. You are now tethered. Enjoy.

Huge hat tip to Nvious1 over at XDA for getting the ball rolling on this guide. Cheers Michael!

Review: Make Your Clock Widget indulges our need to tinker

Matt Demers — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:45:44 +0000

We feature a lot of widget posts here on Droid Life; we believe that part of what makes Android so amazing is the ability to customize your home screen however you want. Sometimes, though, what someone's thrown together isn't enough; you need something a little bit more personal. Make Your Clock Widget is an application currently in beta that allows you to do just that. At face value, it's a very simple do-it-yourself app; from its menus, you can choose different elements of date and time, change their color, add a drop shadow, mess with layering and size, and generally muck about until you create something you're happy with. This is great for fickle types like myself, who need to have things exactly so. Once a clock widget is finished, users will give it a name and save it. They can then share it with friends or allow it to be listed inside the app itself (requires an account sign-up.) Each app shows up under the "Make Your Clock Widget" section of the Android widget select menu, and can be set up to open an application upon clicking: I use mine as a really quick calendar reference tool. Make Your Clock Widget does what it says on the label, and does it well. The app just works, and the only hiccups I had (involving selecting small objects with my fingertip) was ratified by a "list all elements" button, which allows layer selection. Users who want to take a look at a tutorial of how the app works can look at the video below; the developer himself gives a little run-through of all its features. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeTPXX7ZVOQ[/youtube] On a deeper level, though, Make Your Clock Widget is kind of like the Little Big Planet video game franchise: sure, you can spend five minutes to make a simple platforming level, but when you actually put time into your creation, you're rewarded handsomely. As someone who doesn't have any programming experience, I welcome the ability to choose how deep I'd like to go with it. MYC users have taken otherwise mundane objects, like straight line separators, and used them to spoof creases in a folding clock clone, among other things. They've allowed themselves the freedom to experiment with a tool that allows them to be as precise (down to the pixel!) or imprecise as they wish. And really, isn't that what Android's all about? Make Your Clock Widget is free, and in beta. Grab it off the Marketplace. -- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and is happy to be celebrating his one year anniversary writing for the site. You can follow him on Twitter, or send him an e-mail with a cake.

NVIDIA Launches Tegra Zone App to Highlight the Best Games for your Beast Tablet or Phone

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:52:26 +0000

Recently purchased a Motorola XOOM, but aren't exactly sure which games you want to start crushing on with that ridiculously powerful Tegra 2 chip? Don't worry, NVIDIA has you covered with their new app called, TEGRA ZONE. The app has one purpose, and that's to get you in touch with not only the best games on the Android Market, but the ones that can fully utilize all that the Tegra 2 has to offer. When you think of a market that highlights only the best stuff in an amazingly clear way, this is exactly what you probably envisioned.

The app is free to download, brings you reviews and comments, highlights news related to Tegra 2 gaming and most importantly, redirects you back to the original market to finalize your purchases. This is the way app markets should be implemented. Download TEGRA ZONE. Full release, list of games and a bunch of pics after the break.

New Tegra Zone App Is Your Destination for the Best Mobile Games Optimized for Tegra Free App Ties Into Google Android Market, Provides Quick Access to Richest Games for Tegra-Powered Super Phones and Tablets SANTA CLARA, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/01/2011 -- NVIDIAannounced today that the Tegra Zone™ app is now live on the Android Market, providing a one-stop destination for consumers seeking the richest games for their super phone or tablet powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 mobile super chip. The free app delivers a curated selection of Tegra processor-optimized games, as well as professional game reviews, high-res screenshots, HD video trailers, gameplay videos and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Sale and delivery of users' selected games are completed using Google's Android Market. Games on Tegra Zone apps are especially enhanced for Tegra 2 super chip-powered devices, and are more realistic and interactive. Among those selected as launch titles are Dungeon Defenders: First Wave Deluxe HD, the first game available for Android that's built on Unreal Engine 3; Samurai II: Vengeance; and Galaxy on Fire 2 THD. A complete list is provided below. Introduced over the past several months in a variety of super phones and tablets, the Tegra 2 super chip is finding a growing market, particularly among those interested in console-quality gaming on their mobile device. It is built with the world's first mobile dual-core CPU -- which unleashes the best Web experience, with up two-times faster browsing and support for full Adobe® Flash® Player hardware GPU acceleration, plus unprecedented multitasking capabilities. It also includes an NVIDIA GeForce® GPU -- which provides stunningly rich visual experiences and console-quality gaming. Tegra Zone Highlights: The first Tegra super chip-enhanced games include:

Samurai II: Vengeance, by MADFINGER Games: A hack-and-slash action game with stylized manga graphics and quick, bloody gameplay. On par with console 3D brawlers,Samurai II: Vengeance takes advantage of the raw processing power of Tegra 2 with four times more texture resolution on characters, increased geometry for more realism, and completely redesigned knockdown moves.

Dungeon Defenders: First Wave Deluxe HD, by Trendy Entertainment: Combines the depth of strategic gaming with the satisfying action of RPG character building, in a beautifully stylized cartoon fantasy setting. The Tegra-enhanced version includes dynamic lighting schemes and advanced post-processing effects, as well as the same number of maps and game play levels on PC and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) versions. Due to the graphics capabilities of the Tegra 2 processor, players can join in multiplayer, cross-platform games across super phones, tablets, PCs and the PS3.

Galaxy on Fire 2 THD, by Fishlabs: Epic sci-fi adventure with spectacular action, compelling story and a free gameplay unparalleled in depth and complexity, available for the first time on Android. The Tegra super chip-enhanced version renders the action at a consistently smooth frame rate, and includes more detailed spaceships with much higher quality textures.

Backbreaker THD, by Natural Motion: An intense, arcade football experience that looks even better and is more interactive when enhanced on a Tegra 2 processor. This version features high-quality textures on the characters, field and stadium and more rendered content, such as real-time action replay on the "Jumbotron" scoreboard. Also look for realistic shadow effects and dynamic lighting effects such as lens flares.

Fruit Ninja THD, by Halfbrick Studios: A juicy action game with squishy, splatty and satisfying fruit carnage. The Tegra 2 super chip-enhanced version is the definitive version of the best-selling game and adds special graphic detail and effects, including smoother edges on the fruit models, more geometry and realistic shading and lighting.

Vendetta Online, by Guild Software: 3D space combat, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that permits thousands of players to interact as the pilots of spaceships in a vast universe, available for the first time on a mobile device. The Tegra super chip-enhanced version is the first cross-platform space MMO and allows gamers to play against PC players and other mobile players in the same universe.

Monster Madness, by SouthPeak Games: A top-down action/shooting game where players fight off the monster invasion in four-player melee action. This game takes advantage of NVIDIA PhysX® technology for realistic in-game physics effects. The Tegra processor-enhanced version is graphically identical to the console version in every way.

Hardwood Solitaire IV, by Silver Creek Entertainment: A beautiful rendition of 10 classic solitaire games. Ported from the PC and Xbox 360 versions, the Tegra 2 super chip version incorporates real-time lighting and shadows in their game environments and adds new 1080p high-resolution textures for the card faces and backs.

NVIDIA has worked closely with game developers to enhance games for the Tegra 2 super chip, bringing such features as:

More realism: Increased geometry detail, higher resolution textures and complex shaders, lighting, and shadows

More interactivity: Larger number of characters on screen and more instances of independent animations

Extra challenging: Advanced artificial intelligence processing , complex world and player management

Improved game play: More levels to tackle and more equipment for gaming characters to use

Better game play and an enhanced shopping experience

Quotes:

"We're working with game developers and publishers to turbocharge mobile gaming for Android super phones and tablets. Our goal is to bring a console- class gaming experience to super phones and tablets and bring the generation of gaming to the future of mobile devices. Tegra Zone is a free app we've built so gamers can find great games for Tegra in one easy place." - Tony Tamasi, Senior Vice President, Content and Technology at NVIDIA

"Tegra Zone is great for the mobile ecosystem. It's enabling new, optimized software and providing opportunities for developers to create premium content for Android devices." - Ben Barjarin, Principal at Creative Strategies Inc.

"Tegra Zone brings the best Android games to the palm of your hand. Working with NVIDIA, we've broughtSamurai II: Vengeance to Tegra devices, which make its stylized manga graphics, quick, realistic gameplay and screen-popping action come to life." - Marek Rabas, CEO at MADFINGER Games

"Gamers don't have to look any further than Tegra Zone for the best in mobile gaming. The only way to experience the complete Dungeon Defenders adventure is on Tegra-powered devices, which deliver full-blown high-def, Unreal Engine 3-powered graphics and a real-time cross platform online multiplayer experience." - Jeremy Stieglitz, Co-Founder of Trendy Entertainment

"Take one look at Tegra Zone, and you'll see how Android games are stepping it up visually. The Tegra-optimized version of Galaxy on Fire 2 is the ultimate sci-fi gaming benchmark. Plus, it matches the experience on a gaming PC or console." - Michael Schade, CEO of Fishlabs

"Backbreaker Football looks amazing on Tegra super phones and tablets, and it will rock on Tegra Zone. We've pushed the boundaries for visual fidelity, including full self-shadowing on characters -- a first on a mobile device." - Torsten Reil, CEO at Natural Motion Games

"By utilizing the power and finesse of Tegra 2, Fruit Ninja has been developed and polished to an incredible standard of quality. It's allowing us to debut a brand-new version -- Fruit Ninja THD, for Tegra Zone." - Shainiel Deo, CEO at Halfbrick Studios

We've been waiting years for a mobile chip to bring this type of graphics horsepower and potential to mobile gaming. Vendetta Online brings a fast-paced, 3D MMORPG experience to your favorite Tegra-powered device through Tegra Zone." - John Bergman, CEO at Guild Software

"Monster Madness absolutely comes alive on Tegra-powered devices. To get an idea of why Tegra 2 is the new force to be reckoned with in digital gaming, check out the faster frame rate, intuitive touchscreen interface and amazing 3D graphics powered by Unreal Engine 3." - Melanie Mroz, CEO and President at SouthPeak Games

"NVIDIA's put a huge effort into bringing games that look and play better on Tegra 2. All of the flagship versions of our Hardwood games look fantastic and provide a fabulous experience on Tegra 2 devices." - Rich Stewart, CEO at Silver Creek Entertainment

About NVIDIA NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The Company holds more than 1,700 patents worldwide, including ones covering designs and insights that are essential to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com. Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to statements as to: the benefits, features and impact of the Tegra processor, Tegra Zone and NVIDIA GPUs; the market for Tegra 2 super chips; and the effects of the company's patents on modern computing are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of faster or more efficient technology; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including its Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2010. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company's website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances. © 2011 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA and the NVIDIA logo, GeForce, PhysX and Tegra are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Verizon Launches Mega-Sale, $100 OFF of Any DROID (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 06:00:27 +0000

If the HTC Thunderbolt or DROID BIONIC aren't in your future-phone-buying plans, then now would be your best chance to get into one of the current DROID-branded phones from Verizon. Some time over the last couple of days, they launched a mega-sale which lets customers take $100 off of any DROID phone including the DROID X ($49), Incredible (FREE) and DROID 2 Global ($99). You'll have to sign up for a new 2-year contract to get this killer deal and can only buy from their online store, but the free overnight shipping should help ease your mind. Update: As a few people have pointed out, this deal requires an unlimited talk and text plan making it not quite as appealing as originally thought.

Shop. Cheers Kris!

How to: Wireless Tether a Motorola XOOM to a DROID X

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:16:24 +0000

Many of you probably already know how to tether your phone to your brand new Motorola XOOM, but we wanted to make sure that the whole community was covered and whipped up this quick guide. It doesn't get much easier than this, folks. Instructions:

*Note* - If rooting and unlocking the bootloader on your XOOM is something you are not comfortable with, feel free to skip steps 1 and 2. Those were just added as quick reference links for those looking to root their device.

1. (Optional) Unlock the bootloader on your XOOM. [Instructions] 2. (Optional) Root your XOOM. [Instructions] 3. Root your DROID X using z4root. [Instructions] 4. Download Wireless Tether from the market and install it on your DROID X. 5. Open Wireless Tether and tap the green WiFi button to start it.

6. On your XOOM, open up your WiFi settings and look for "AndroidTether."

7. Tap on "AndroidTether" and then tap on "Connect."

8. Watch it connect and enjoy being tethered from your DROID X to your XOOM!

As always, let us know if you run into any problems.

Honeycomb Statue Unveiled at Google HQ

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:39:46 +0000

You knew it was coming. It has finally arrived. Say "Hello!" to the Honeycomb statue.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r5AraA53IY[/youtube]

Via: Twitter, (2), (3)

Cheers Picolas and everyone else!

SPB Mobile Shell 5.0 UI Beta Released, Here is a Quick Look

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:09:05 +0000

Some of you may remember a little product that was introduced back in December called SPB Mobile Shell 5.0? If not, just think of it as a home replacement on UI-enhanced beautification-steroids whose beta testing period finally went live. And with sneaky apks flying around the forum-sphere, we were able to get a hold of it for just enough time to do a quick walk-through. So what do we think about it? It's got potential. You can't deny the fact that they've put a ton of effort into making the UI super smooth, but also very eye appealing. Once you get into "wheel" mode you really get to see the beauty, like how each panel has it's own custom animation. While it didn't like any of my Blur'd phones, it ran just fine on my original DROID because of the stock Android and I'm sure it would just fly on phones with a much more powerful processor. They also allow you to quickly create folders, extend out apps to show more options, and even hide certain things in the bottom tray. It's a unique experience that really can't be described. The one problem I did have with it though, was the fact that it removed the application drawer and instead placed all of my apps into their own separate panels. This just reminded me way too much of iOS, so if they can find a way to include an app drawer, they might really be on to something here. Note: About the beta program...it's closed and we aren't allowed to post up the apk. Video and gallery after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KlULbfUTI8[/youtube]

Motorola CEO: "We will be one of the first to get to gingerbread."

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:17:16 +0000

Just after informing the world that the DROID BIONIC would be receiving the web-top application currently only seen on the Atrix, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha started talking about software upgrades for current devices. He talked about the learning curve that the industry went through last year, but feels confident in their ability to upgrade devices much more quickly now. In fact, he pinpointed June 2010 as the time when they really started to get control of the process and feels like they are one of the best at it now. They were "one of the first to get to Froyo" and "will be one of the first to get to Gingerbread." No timeline was given, but we know that Motorola is currently testing Android 2.3 after seeing the leaked pictures of it running on the DROID X a few weeks back. +1 again for Motorola and their good news today.

Motorola CEO: Web-top App Not Exclusive to Atrix, Headed to High-end phones 2nd Half 2011

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:51:44 +0000

Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha is currently speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference and just dropped some news about the Atrix 4G's web-top application that should make future DROID BIONIC owners happy. He made mention of the web-top application not being an exclusive product to the Atrix and will come to all of their "high-end" devices, hopefully in the 2nd half of 2011. The BIONIC was not announced with web-top accessories at CES due to "timing." Jha pointed out that it wasn't possible to focus on developing web-top for both devices initially and chose the Atrix as the device to launch with it. He also talked about the performance of the web-top accessories that seem to be getting below-average reviews on the Atrix. They are aware that the experience is currently below that of a real desktop, but they feel that it can be brought up to speed in the near future. +1.

Are 4G LTE Versions of the HTC Merge and Incredible 2 in the Works or at Least Being Tested?

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:58:13 +0000

The HTC Merge was re-introduced last week as a 3G CDMA world phone, but after disappearing just as it was supposed to launch in late 2010, rumors popped up that it had been delayed while they dropped a 4G radio into it. But without a mention in the press release on Friday our hopes were a little crushed. That was until we looked a little closer at the screenshots of the phone from Verizon's internal system that snuck out over the weekend. We're now starting to think that there is a chance it and the Incredible 2 might be 4G LTE after all. If you check out the mini-description for the listings of the Merge and Dinc2 in the screen shot above, you can clearly see that there are two versions listed of each phone. There is the standard ADR6325VW/ADR6350VW, but there is also another listing which includes the letters "EHRPD" which just so happens to be the technology used by networks to transition from CDMA to LTE. You'll notice that one of the descriptions also mentions "TRIA" which could easily be taken as "TRIAL", leading us to believe that VZW is at least testing a 4G LTE Merge and Incredible 2. While I am by no means an LTE technology expert, I'm almost 100% positive that eHRPD only has to do with handovers between CDMA and LTE networks and nothing else. So if Verizon is testing the 4G versions of these phones, we have no idea if they'll ever come close to a store shelf, but we can at least cross our fingers for a couple of weeks. To learn all there is to know about eHRPD, check out this and this. Thoughts? Maybe we can convince our LTE Panda friend to stop by and give his opinion on eHRPD. Cheers VZW Tipster!

Motorola XOOM 4G LTE Upgrade Instructions from Verizon

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:12:34 +0000

In approximately 90 days (according to our information), the 4G LTE upgrade for the Motorola XOOM will be ready and that means you'll need to send your device in. In order to make sure that process goes as smoothly as possible, Verizon has posted up instructions to help you get ready and we wanted to make sure you didn't miss them. Step 1: Backup your XOOM This step is simple, but requires you to connect your XOOM to a computer. All you need to know here, is how to access your internal storage from a computer, copy all of the files on it, and move them into a safe spot on your computer's hard drive. This is the same process you would follow if you were backing up your phone's SD card, only the XOOM just has internal storage for now. Step 2: Encrypt and reset your XOOM (optional) Verizon is recommending that you encrypt and also factory reset your device in case it gets lost or something happens to it throughout the upgrade process. Encrypting will take up to an hour, but performing a factory reset to remove all personal info from your device should take no time at all. Step 3: Pack and ship your XOOM to Motorola We received word back at CES that you would have to ship your XOOM back to Motorola in order to be upgraded to 4G, but apparently this was still a surprise to everyone last week. The good news is, that Verizon or Moto will send you a FedEx package to drop your device in for its return. This entire process is 100% free.

Cheers Jared!

New Thunderbolt Software Fix Released, Device is Ready to Go?

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:10:08 +0000

News over the weekend was filled with new HTC Thunderbolt rumors including one claim that the device was really struggling with battery life. A firmware fix was to be released "soon" that would hopefully address the battery/radio problem, and guess what? Our friends over at 911 Sniper leaked one out this morning. I should also point out that this comes on the heels of an industry "friend" who let slip that the phone is actually signed off on now and is ready to be shipped. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean two days from now, but could mean by March 10th like that massively leaked photo seemed to hint at.

Download: PG05IMG

Should be just a few days now. Oh, and let's hope we see those commercials pop back up, only with a date at the end this time instead of "Coming soon!"

Samsung Gem Showing Up at Verizon Stores

Kellen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 06:15:19 +0000

Hey look! It's a cute little Samsung Gem and it just showed up in a Verizon store. This device made its first appearance long ago (like September) and many just assumed that it had been completely cancelled by now. Well, I guess it's back and ready for launch. And that's all we're going to say about a device that misses the minimum spec list on just about anything important in the land of Android. Cheers ____!

Motorola XOOM Overclocked to 1.5GHz, You Need to Check Out These Benchmarks

Kellen — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:51:14 +0000

Well, that sure didn't take long. The Motorola XOOM has been overclocked to 1.5GHz, is apparently pretty stable at that speed, and is pumping out some of the most impressive benchmarks we've ever seen on a tablet or really any device for that matter. And thanks to the amazing members of the XDA forums (coolbho3000), this is something that you can also enjoy right away if you've unlocked and rooted your device. Haven't done either of those yet? Instructions after the break.

Once you've completed both of those, you can follow these steps to overclock:

1. Make sure you've unlocked your Xoom's bootloader for flashing first, then root it. 2. Grab this zip and extract it. (Includes a boot.img with overclocked kernel and corresponding wifi module) 3. Reboot into the bootloader by running: adb reboot bootloader 4. Flash the boot image to your boot partition by running: fastboot flash boot xoom_ocboot.img 5. Push the bcm4329.ko to your /system/lib/modules folder and reboot to re-enable wifi: adb remount adb push bcm4329.ko /system/lib/modules/bcm4329.ko adb reboot 6. Enjoy the new power!

And the video evidence:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLNjHyAi8BI[/youtube]

Via: XDA Cheers Mike!

HTC Thunderbolt Ads Removed from YouTube, New $699 Price, and Delays Now Due to Short Battery Life?

Kellen — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:21:32 +0000

Another wonderful weekend for the HTC Thunderbolt, eh? Let's see if we can sort of summarize everything that just happened in a couple of quick paragraphs since writing about it has become more of a chore than anything. After all, this device is quickly becoming the world's most controversial when it was originally supposed to be a world's first. So let's start with the rumors coming out of the Engadget news room which claim that battery issues are to blame for all of these delays. Apparently, testers are seeing 3 to 4 hours of battery life with the LTE radio turned on and so far no fixes have been successful. There is supposed to be a firmware update coming in the near future and it will address these issues, but who knows how long it'll take to test it and then make it available to end users. This story actually makes a little bit of sense, especially when we look back and see that four different HTC RUU's for the device have leaked out since December. The second bit of news has to do with the TBolt ads which have been live on Verizon's YouTube channel for almost a week now. All of them are now set to private and can no longer be viewed in any capacity including the rooftop spot. We thought that all issues with the device had been figured out once they had 2 different ads running on TV, but now that both have been pulled, it's hard to believe the device is going to be here any time soon. And the last bit of news is pretty random, but actually comes off as positive if it ends up sticking. We had a few tipsters submit the picture you'll see below which is of a shopping cart on HTC's site with the Thunderbolt inside of it. The $699 price is the real story here, especially after seeing $749 from Best Buy over and over again and actually almost had us cracking a miniature smile.

Some day we'll have good news abouts this phone, but it doesn't sound like it will be this week. Cheers Louis, Mike, Cameron, asdf and all others!

Incredible 2 and Merge Pop Up in Verizon System

Kellen — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:22:09 +0000

The HTC Incredible 2 and Merge made a new appearance yesterday in a Verizon internal system leading us to believe that both products could be just weeks away from a release. The Merge was just officially announced yesterday, but the Inc2 is still supposed to be a mystery, although we broke news on its existence a while ago. Time to start looking past the Thunderbolt and on to our next DROID brother which will likely have a much smaller pricetag? Via: Engadget

Motorola XOOM Torn Apart, 4G LTE Upgrade Should Be Super Simple?

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:45:14 +0000

The iFixit crew wasted no time tearing into the Motorola XOOM and confirming that it indeed sports a Tegra 2 along with every other listed spec, but that's not the story here. When we broke news that the the 4G LTE upgrade for the XOOM would take approximately 6 days, the internet caught fire and people seemed genuinely disappointed in the news. While we've known since CES that the device would have to be shipped back to Motorola for the upgrade, most people wondered why it would take almost a week? well, iFixit seems to be wondering the same thing and points out that almost any seasoned tech should be able to perform it...

A seasoned technician can perform this swap in less than 10 minutes. Heck, a donkey could probably pull it off in less than two hours. We have no idea why a customer couldn't just go to a Verizon store and have on-site representatives enable 4G on the spot, just like they're able to transfer mobile contacts and perform other activation procedures.

And who knows, maybe Moto and Verizon will get together and train their crews on how easy it could be to upgrade this little guy. After all, they have about 90 days to get everything in order. Or maybe this was part of their agreement? It wouldn't surprise me if Verizon said, "If you [Motorola] want us to release this device early? Then you are responsible for updating it." Thoughts? Via: iFixit, Daily Tech

And the Slacker Radio Plus Subscription Winners are…

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:30:29 +0000

It's Friday afternoon which means it's time to announce the three winners to our Slacker Radio subscription contest! To recap, we're giving away three 3-month subscriptions to their Plus service and have chosen 2 winners who entered on Twitter and 1 who "liked" our Facebook page.

Twitter winners: @mplacido9 and @Jben13 Facebook winner: Jeffrey L.

Congrats everyone! Winners have been notified. And a big "Thanks!" needs to go out to Slacker for putting up three great prizes! Be sure to check out their free app and regular internet radio service which is available as an app in the market.

Motorola Releases "Unhinged" XOOM Commercial

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:48:59 +0000

Yesterday we went inside the spaceship through the "Vendetta" commercial for the Motorola XOOM and today, Moto is talking about how it could potentially replace your laptop. Not sure if I'd go that far yet, but after having it for 2 days now, I can say that it has "WIN!" written all over it. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_3aQ8AyT7A[/youtube]

How to: Root the Motorola XOOM

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:25:05 +0000

Time to root that brand new Motorola XOOM of yours (Thanks @Koush!). We aren't going to dig into a bunch of background on what "rooting" means, but if you are new, just understand that this will void your warranty just like unlocking the bootloader will. Only proceed if you are willing to accept that fact. *NOTE - If you have the WiFi-only version of the XOOM, you have different instructions. [Here] *BEFORE YOU ROOT, YOU'LL WANT TO UNLOCK THE BOOTLOADER. [Instructions] Instructions: 1. One last reminder. Unlock your bootloader first. [Instructions] 2. Download this file to your computer: xoomroot.zip 3. Extract the contents into your Android SDK Tools folder. 4. Open a command prompt from within your Android SDK Tools folder.

*Make sure nothing is selected and hold SHIFT+Right click – select “Open command window here.”

5. Type: adb reboot bootloader 6. Type: fastboot flash boot rootboot.img 7. Type: fastboot reboot 8. Wait for your device to reboot all the way. 9. Type: adb remount 10. Type: adb push su /system/bin 11. Type: adb shell ln –s /system/bin/su /system/xbin/su 12. Type: adb shell chmod 4755 /system/bin/su 13. And now this next step you have a couple of options.

Option A: Push Superuser.apk in adb. Type: adb push Superuser.apk /system/app Option B: Exit adb and download Superuser app from the market.

14. Enjoy being rooted! All credit to @Koush for this magic. Hat tip to @PeterAlfonso for some 1-on-1 help.

Video: Android Activations Beautifully Visualized, Please Thank the DROID One More Time

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:32:02 +0000

This video has been floating around for a couple of days now, but we've been so caught up HypeBeastin' and in feeding Thunderbolt trolls that we struggled to find time to post it. Well, now is the time. This is a beautiful visualization of Android activations that starts back in October 2008 and takes us all the way up through January 2011. It's also a good reminder that we might not be where we are today if it wasn't for the original DROID and that massive marketing campaign.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqFpq9WXbJo[/youtube]

Cheers to everyone who sent this in over the last week!

HTC Merge Officially Announced, Headed to Carriers Spring 2011

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:44:40 +0000

I hate to say it, but isn't it a little late for this device? The HTC Merge was supposed to be out some time back in November or December, but received the temporary-axe just before launch and we thought it had been lost forever. Then it popped up again in January from one of our Alltel connections who said it should be available within a month, only we're still sitting here without it. And then today, HTC actually announced it as the CDMA-world phone we were expecting, but who's still interested in it? It has a 3.8" screen, is not 4G LTE, does not have a front camera, will more-than-likely include an abundance of Bing, and runs old HTC Sense on Android 2.2. Well, I guess it does have a fancy physical keyboard though. Tough sell especially with the new lineup of DROID devices including the Incredible 2 on the way, plus a handful of 4G LTE devices. Anyone still looking at the Merge as their next phone? Spring 2011. Full presser after the break.

The HTC Merge™ Smartphone Brings Android™ and HTC Sense™ to HTC's First CDMA Android World Phone BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HTC Corp., a global designer of smartphones, today announced that the new HTC Merge smartphone will be made available through multiple North American carriers beginning in spring 2011. The HTC Merge smartphone combines a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard with the power of Android 2.2, the HTC Sense experience, a large 3.8-inch touch-screen display and a 5 megapixel camera to create a complete mobile experience for those looking for a truly complete smartphone. The HTC Merge is also HTC's first Android-based CDMA world phone. "HTC prides itself on creating unique solutions that meet the needs of different customers, and with features like a full keyboard and global 3G roaming, the HTC Merge smartphone is the perfect example of this commitment," said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Americas. "Combining the functionality of Android with the HTC Sense experience, the HTC Merge is the perfect device for those customers who are looking for a reliable mobile experience with the features and functionality of a smartphone, whether it's at home or travelling around the world." Customers will appreciate seamless integration with Exchange ActiveSync, enjoy quick and easy access to Flickr® for sharing and viewing pictures, and find new ways to customize their experience with the Android Market™ with more than 100,000 applications. With a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, customers will be able to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where they are, as well as stay in the loop with Flickr, Facebook® and Twitter™ updates through HTC FriendStream™. In addition, the HTC Merge smartphone has a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash that captures outstanding images, while 3G connectivity makes sharing those special moments with friends and family quick and easy. The HTC Merge smartphone also comes with integrated GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity and even the ability to capture high-definition 720p video. Availability HTC Merge is slated to be available from multiple North American operators beginning in spring 2011. About HTC HTC Corp. (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com. HTC, the HTC logo, FriendStream, HTC Merge, and HTC Sense are the trademarks of HTC Corporation. All other names of companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

How to: Unlock the Motorola XOOM Bootloader

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:00:42 +0000

The Motorola XOOM bootloader has been easily unlocked using "fastboot oem unlock" and thanks to a bit of help from some key players (Koush, Pete, and Charlie) in the Android community, we've put together this simple guide for you. If you run into issues, be sure to drop them in the comments. Instructions:

*Warning 1* - This will void the warranty on your brand new XOOM. It also means that you may not be able to upgrade to 4G LTE, but I can't confirm that. *Warning 2* - This will completely wipe and format your XOOM. Many of you have had yours for a full day now, but it's probably a good idea to do this now than after you've had it for a month. *Note* - This uses adb. If you are into hacking on your Android devices at all, it's time you learn at least some basic commands. Not everything in this world is a 1-click breeze.

1. Get the latest Motorola USB drivers. 2. Get the newest Android SDK and install it.

*They've changed the location of some files from the Tools folder and placed them in Platform Tools. Go into Platform Tools, copy everything, and paste it all in your Tools folder.

3. Open a command prompt from within your Android SDK Tools folder.

*Make sure nothing is selected and hold SHIFT+Right click - select "Open command window here."

4. Type: adb reboot bootloader 5. Your XOOM will reboot into the bootloader showing "Starting Fastboot Protocol Support." 6. Type: fastboot oem unlock 7. Read the warning on your XOOM's screen. 8. You may have to tap Volume Down to switch it to "Accept." 9. Then press Volume Up to actually "Accept." 10. Once you accept, your XOOM will be unlocked and formatted. 11. And now on to rooting instructions: How to: Root the Motorola XOOM. +1 Motorola XOOM.

This Week's Best Buy Add Shows Nothin' but $299 for the Thunderbolt

Kellen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:36:56 +0000

Hopefully you weren't too locked on to the $249 2-year contract price tag that Best Buy was advertising last week for the HTC Thunderbolt because this week they've jumped it up a notch to $299. That would be the same $299 from the Buyer's Guide that we first reported on last weekend and a number I'm sure many of you are not excited about. And now that we know the TBolt is again in this week's BBY ad, we're putting more thought into that March 3rd date rather than the oddly spammed March 10th one that was spread around to every tech site on the planet last night. Something seems too fishy about that one, but hey, who really knows at this point, right? Buddha. Cheers M!

Add March 10th to the List of HTC Thunderbolt Release Dates (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:45:38 +0000

The big rumor running around tech sites today suggested that the HTC Thunderbolt would be out next week on March 3rd or 4th, but the screenshot we just received from our friends at Best Buy suggests that it'll be another week after that. March 10th is apparently the date that BBY is expecting to launch the phone and we're of course skeptical, but at least it's not from a random guy in a forum. Can you all wait another couple of weeks? Update: This document was spammed out to every tech site on the planet last night and as many have pointed out, it looks a little odd to be taken too seriously. What's even whackier, is that the tipster sent us a second email yesterday pointing out the fact that the Best Buy tweet about the 4th had been removed, only we already knew that. Fishy, fishy, fishy. Cheers C!

Tip: Save 25% OFF a $799 Motorola XOOM Without a Contract (That’s $200) (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:45:46 +0000

Update: The coupon code has been fixed at Motorola's site since it was allowing people to order discounted XOOMs when it should have just been discounting accessories. The good news is that Motorola reached out to us to confirm that they will honor all orders placed before the coupon code was pulled. A ton of you received one heck of a deal. Might want to tip your glass to Moto tonight.

_________________________________

This might be the deal of the century right here people. If you want to pick up a Motorola XOOM and pay just $600 for the non-contract version (the $799 version) then follow these steps immediately. This is not a scam, not a joke, but is absolutely the real deal. And if you just purchased one from Best Buy or Verizon, you may want to consider returning it to save yourself a couple hundred bucks. So how is this possible? With the Chad OchoCinco News Network (OCNN) 25% off coupon code of course. If you remember during the Super Bowl, OCNN was giving away 25% off coupon codes for the Motorola store and they aren't expiring until March 15th. And guess what? You can use them on a XOOM. Coupon code is: OCNNSB25 MOTOROLA STORE

Apply that code at checkout and you are golden. I do want to point out that the device is showing currently as "unavailable", so you'll want to continue to watch it hoping that they release more. Oh, and you can apply this to your accessories as well. If for some reason that code is no longer working, try registering at this site for a new one. All credit goes out to XDA member Droid.Modr for this one!

Add March 3rd and 4th to the HTC Thunderbolt Launch Date Rumor List

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:07:14 +0000

Since today is February 24th and the Thunderbolt is still missing, it's time to jump onto a new rumored date that the trolls can flock to the comments over. How does March 3rd or 4th sound? According to a Roseville Best Buy, we could see the device next Thursday or Friday, although it's tough to believe that after having gone through at least 10 other leaks like this from BBY stores. And so you know, the tweet from above has been pulled already. To help their story some though, we have another March 3rd or 4th sighting from a random forum member who supplied pics from a "VIP" event where they were told when they could expect it to be in stores. We have no clue what to believe anymore, so we'll just let you guys have at it. Vapor.

I do want to add the fact that I spoke with a couple people who I would definitely qualify as "in the know" on Verizon happenings and they still had no clue when this thing would drop. And no, I'm not talking about your average VZW rep either. It's sounding to me like Big Red is going week-by-week with this one. Via: Android Police, AC Forums

Clockwork Recovery Says "Hi!" to the Motorola XOOM in Just 2 Hours

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:35:40 +0000

Clockwork Recovery on the Motorola XOOM in 2 hours...we love you Koush. And I say "2 hours" because he was on his way to pick one up 2 hours ago, so really he probably did it in less. Silly. And now we just need root, which we have to assume will happen in the next couple of hours. Maybe.

Motorola XOOM "Vendetta" Commercial is Only Missing the Word "DROID"

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:59:17 +0000

The full XOOM commercial is now available on Verizon's YouTube channel and you'll notice right away that this thing probably had the "DROOOOID" sound bite at the end, but for whatever reason was pulled last minute. We had heard all along that this would be DROID-branded and this commercial speaks to that and also makes us very sad. We love our DROID brand and this would have been the perfect addition to the best lineup of Android phones around. And enough of my complaining; check out the new spot after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxZ6NQnIPkU[/youtube]

A Few Motorola XOOM Purchasing Notes

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:50:00 +0000

Many of you have probably already gone to a Best Buy or Verizon store to pick up your Motorola XOOM, but we wanted to toss out some additional information in case you were on the fence still...

Verizon does NOT require a data package when you purchase a XOOM. Actually, they NEVER did and the reports that they were going to were made up. It was always Best Buy that was requiring this. You can opt-in to a 2-year contract and pay $599 or go without a plan for $799. If you choose to go without a plan, you can then decide at any time to pay for a month-to-month package.
Best Buy has now informed their employees that activations are no longer required. Yep, their mandatory minimum 1-month package is no longer required. (Cheers M!)
More from Best Buy: They released a press note mentioning that they would NOT price match Verizon's $599 2-year contract deal. We are hearing a variety of reports on this deal from readers though.
Edit: Buy Back is not free on XOOM, only phones.
The 4G LTE upgrade site from Verizon is live and you should sign up to be notified when you can get your XOOM upgraded. http://phones.verizonwireless.com/xoom/upgrade/
No, I haven't heard ANYTHING about the wifi-only XOOM.

And here are a couple of the accessories in action...

ROM: Project Elite V5 Released for Original DROID, Brings Lots of Gingerbread

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:59:59 +0000

When Actngrezy and mojo_droid first told me about Project Elite back in December, they still seemed unsure on how the world of DROID gurus would take it. Well, after seeing our State of the DROID ROM-o-sphere, I think it's safe to say that they were happily accepted and according to our audience, are the top OG DROID ROM on the planet. Last night they released Project Elite V5 which is their take on an AOSP Gingerbread ROM, meaning you should probably take a look at this right away if you are still rockin' the original. Download: PEGBv5.zip | Changelog

*FULL WIPE REQUIRED.

Full support and info about PE5 can be found at their site.

Circle Battery Widget Introduces 1% Battery Increments for the DROID X and Other Motorola Phones

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:33:52 +0000

This is going to sound super silly to anyone that doesn't have a Motorola phone, but to those of us that do, this news is monumental. The developer behind Circle Battery Widget somehow figured out a way to get batteries on Moto devices to show up in 1% increments instead of the standard 10% that we've been stuck with for all these months. The app itself is as simple as it gets and is free in the market, so I highly suggest you check it out if you are one of those constant battery checking OCD persons. Oh, and we of course love the fact that it fits into almost all minimalist themes. Download Link (Free) Cheers Luda!

Adobe AIR Update Includes Tablet Support and Better Performance, Where is Flash though?

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:00:50 +0000

There is a big ol' Adobe AIR update in the market and it brings the app some much needed tablet support, but also improves overall performance and GPU-based rendering. Sweet, right? The sad thing is, we're still trying to see where AIR fits into our everyday lives. After being introduced a few months back, I can't say that I've actually used an AIR app since...but maybe that's just a "me" problem. Oh, and where is the Flash 10.2 download! Let's do this Adobe! Cheers Deep!

Motorola XOOM Unboxing – Verizon (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:27:22 +0000

Well, here we go folks. The Motorola XOOM is available, we were handed one while at the Blazers/Lakers game last night, and somehow found a quick 10 minutes at 2:00AM to whip out an unboxing. Apologies for the darkness and raspy voice, but it was one heck of a game. We'll have so much more throughout the day, so keep it here. Added a new unboxing video as that first try was pretty gross... [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLXq55ZyHTk[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRjILYaZBec[/youtube]

Motorola XOOM Live and Available from Verizon (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:06:50 +0000

The Motorola XOOM is finally available from Verizon. You can purchase one right away online or head into a store first thing in the morning to experience the first ever Honeycomb tablet. We've got one in our possession right now and in the 5 minutes we've had to play with it, are super impressed. The screen is beautiful, Honeycomb is a lot more polished than we had imagined, and the build quality is top notch. If you haven't made the decision to purchase one, I highly suggest that you at least sneak into a store and give it a good 15-20 minutes to see if your mind can be changed. We'll be giving it a proper run-through as the day wears on, so keep it close! Update: Here is a quick dark room, late night gallery... [gallery link="file" orderby="title"] Cheers to everyone who sent this in!

Download: Motorola XOOM System Dump

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:10:51 +0000

The Motorola XOOM dump is apparently up and ready thanks to the crew at XDA. Here you all go: xoom_dump.zip Via: XDA Cheers mooneyb!

Gmail Update Available: Gingerbread Users Receive Copy/Paste, Label Colors for Everyone

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:07:14 +0000

A minor Gmail update is waiting for you in the Android Market that brings text copying to Gingerbread users and label color syncing to everyone else. And yeah, that's pretty much it. Go get it now! Market Link.

Official Details of the 4G LTE Upgrade Process for the Motorola XOOM

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:44:39 +0000

For those of you heading into a Best Buy or Verizon store early tomorrow morning to pick up a Motorola XOOM, you are probably wondering how the upgrade process to 4G LTE will work and we have you covered. As expected, the upgrade will be free to everyone and will be available approximately 90 days after launch, so we're looking at May before this thing will be cooking up those 4G speeds. And as we were told by Motorola at CES, you will have to send in your device and will be without it for 6 days while they upgrade the hardware and software. Full details after the break.

This info will all be available tomorrow here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/Xoom4GLTEUpgrade

Wednesday Poll: Motorola XOOM Tomorrow? Waiting for Next Week's iPad2 Announcement?

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:15:49 +0000

In case you had not heard yet, the next version of the i*ad will be announced next Wednesday and talk of it killing the XOOM's chances of success have already begun. Since that's a topic that no one on either side will walk away from feeling clean, we'll avoid it for now and instead switch it up a bit. What we want to know, is how many of you are putting off your purchase of a XOOM tomorrow until you see what Apple has to offer? And let's try to keep it as clean as we can, OK? Hypebeast. [poll id="65"]

Stupid Zombies Brings the Killin' Angry Birds-style

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:30:52 +0000

Our buddy Andrew over at Androinica introduced us to this game yesterday called Stupid Zombies and we haven't been able to put it down. The idea is similar in a way to Angry Birds, but it involves guns, zombies, blood and even more "strategery", which is exactly why we love it. Your goal is to kill off all zombies on each level with as few shots as possible, but you have to utilize angles and bounces, so the game becomes much harder than say, just pulling back on a slingshot and letting a bird fly. You are awarded up to 3 stars for each level, can unlock new ones, and will probably spend countless hours of today trying to beat it as there are 60 to get through in stage 1 alone. It's also free. Download Link

Review: PressReader for Android

Matt Demers — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:45:00 +0000

Though the business of journalism is in flux right now, people are taking chances in order to fix it. Whether it's trying new methods of content delivery, or new methods of payment, the important thing is that people are trying. PressReader is one of those attempts. Essentially, when you pay a subscription to their service, you are free to download newspapers from over 79 countries around the world. These newspapers are updated daily, which means you'll always be up to date; you can download them on a per-issue basis or set up a subscription, so issues are downloaded daily. When you select a paper to read, you are treated to what looks like a scan of that day's issue. You can swipe left and right to change pages, or access a full table of contents from a menu (see above). This makes the experience seem quite authentic; it gives people who enjoy the aesthetic of a newspaper something to enjoy, as well. From there, you click on individual headlines, which will then bring you to a zoomed-in version of the article. This isn't just an enlarged scan; they're a reformatted page (with all the associated media) that allows for easy reading. It's very simple, but it works. There's a lot to like about PressReader; it scrolls through issues extremely fast and works extremely well; the pages of the paper don't look scanned at all. The click-able objects on each page are highlighted with a nice blue color, making it apparent what's interactive. Incomplete columns are presented in their entirety: you don't have to start something on A1 and finish it on A13. It's these little things that make PressReader work; if there were too many screw-ups, it would be very easy to dismiss. There's a glaring problem with it, though. Something too big to ignore. It's the fact that most users who would take the time to download PressReader are not willing to pay for their news. At $29.95 USD per month, the only people I can picture spending money on it would be those of us who read multiple newspapers from around the world daily; in a world of RSS and most papers having the exact same content on their websites for free, paying to read the same thing from a "newspaper" seems a little ludicrous. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj3PhPkoNYc[/youtube] For those not wanting to shell out for an unlimited plan, a "credit" system is in place that allows for users to pay as they go. However, this credit system is at the publisher's pricing: one credit ($.99 each) does not always equal one newspaper. It's actually quite difficult to make the decision to recommend PressReader to you or not. On one hand, the app works amazingly, and there's something about having the whole paper in your hand that makes it all the more better when you find a story you weren't quite looking for - one that your RSS reader might have missed. This application also screams to be used on a tablet, as its touch controls are extremely slick. It lacks the polish of apps specifically made for that paper - you won't find any fancy page-turn animations, slideshows or video content here - but if you're looking to read a paper that doesn't have its own digital edition, this is a good place to find it. On the other hand, that same article is free with a little bit of searching, and having to download and maintain a collection of newspapers isn't always the most efficient way of getting your news. Ultimately, your answer hinges on how much you love the news. Whether or not you're skeptical about the way journalism is headed, give PressReader a try. Its free trial gets you seven free issues, and from there you can decide how much you're willing to pay for your news. --- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy and a journalism student, He would pay for a subscription if he owned a tablet and didn't have to worry about groceries this week. You can find him on Twitter, or his new personal site.

Tip: Switch the Honeycomb Emulator from Tablet to Phone Mode

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:37:59 +0000

I just want to start this off by reminding everyone that Honeycomb is never coming to your smartphone, at least not officially. Even after you read this post and play with a half-baked version that looks like it was made for a phone, know that Google has already told us that we'll be seeing the real thing in Ice Cream (Sandwich?) and that's it. This is really just for the geek in all of us that wants to waste a good 15 or 20 minutes. So yeah...all you have to do is download the new Honeycomb SDK, set up an emulator with a resolution of 400x600 and watch Honeycomb switch over into phone mode. And really, it just ends up looking like Gingerbread, but you will still see the Honeycomb-blue highlights around menus, HC icons, and even those beautiful 3D screen transitions. Have fun! Screenies after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"] Cheers Matt!

Contest: Motorola Giving Away Two Gold XOOMs on Twitter

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:23:07 +0000

Just a couple of hours ago we were talking about the gold Motorola XOOMs that would be going out to Oscar nominees this Sunday and now Moto is giving two people the chance to win one as well. They just announced the simplest contest on Twitter and I highly recommend you jump on this immediately as it ends February 28. Our readers usually come out with something in most of these contests, so let's see if we can do it again. All you have to do is head to this page and retweet. [contest rules] Cheers Mark!

Download: Honeycomb Wallpapers from the Full SDK

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:29:04 +0000

A set of 9 beautiful wallpapers were pulled out of the new Honeycomb SDK last night for everyone to enjoy on their small-screened devices. All are hi-res and at a resolution that should fit on most phones from what we can tell. Can't think of a better way to start a Wednesday than by giving you a little taste of your XOOM before you pick it up tomorrow morning. Download: honeycombfinalwalls.zip Or you can download them individually below...

(Tap on the picture to get to the full version, then long press and "save".)

Via: Android Central

Motorola Handing Out Gold XOOMs at the Oscars

Kellen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:00:57 +0000

If you are living the luxurious life of a Hollywood celebrity and are headed to the Oscars, then feast your eyes on the gold masterpiece pictured above because that will be resting comfortably in your Prada bag come Sunday. Word on the tech streets suggests that hosts and nominees in the Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director categories will be handed one of these special edition Motorola XOOM devices to take home to the kiddies. Tough life. Via: Engadget

Tuesday Poll: Unlocked Bootloader Change Your Opinion of the Motorola XOOM?

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:27:34 +0000

With news breaking this afternoon that the Motorola XOOM's bootloader will be unlockable, we seem to be seeing a change in attitude towards the device on Twitter and through comments. Does this news mean that more of you are inclined to pick up the device this Thursday? Remember, it will still cost you $799 without a contract or $599 with one, but now you'll essentially have complete control over it. [poll id="64"]

Full Android 3.0 Honeycomb SDK is Now Available!

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:21:08 +0000

You are no longer stuck with that janky Android 3.0 preview SDK as of about 10 minutes ago. The full Honeycomb SDK and tools are now available for developers to get cracking on. Just in time for Thursday's Motorola XOOM launch. Oh, and did you hear that the bootloader on the XOOM can be unlocked? Yep, today is officially awesome. Via: Android Developers Blog

Motorola: XOOM Will Have Unlockable/Relockable Bootloader for "Development" (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:58:25 +0000

According to the "official" Motorola Twitter account, the XOOM will come packed with a "unlockable/relockable bootloader" that gives developers access to hardware for development. Yes, you are reading that correctly. I'm actually speechless right now...what exactly does that mean though? Do they have something secret planned to control developer access, but complete limit end user? Will it be similar to the Nexus S method? I have no idea, but the hammering of the account has already begun, so keep it hear as we'll be all over this. Update: Not that this adds anything new to the situation and is the same message tweeted above, but the Moto forums manager confirmed this as well...(Cheers Matthew!)

Greatest news of the week...month...year? Cheers Mark!

Contest: Win a 3-month Slacker Radio Plus Subscription!

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:40 +0000

The kind folks at Slacker reached out to see if we would be interested in hooking up readers with a few 3-month subscriptions to their Plus service, and you know we never turn down an opportunity to feed you guys some free stuff. For those of you not familiar with Slacker Radio, I highly suggest you check out their site and Android app because it's one of, if not the best internet radio services on the planet. You can customize stations using your favorite artists or listen to pre-sets, but most importantly, you can access it all from anywhere including your mobile device and computer. And with the "Plus" subscription you get even more goodies like: unlimited song skipping and song requests, access to song lyrics and no audio or banner ads. Good stuff for sure. So here is the deal! 1. We are giving away three 3-month subscriptions to Slacker Radio Plus. 2. To enter, you have to follow us on Twitter and tweet the following message:

Win a 3-month subscription to Slacker Radio Plus from @droid_life - Details here - http://goo.gl/xGBIx #android #contest

3. For those that hate Twitter, you can "like" us on Facebook to enter. 4. We'll pick the 3 winners on Friday 2/25: 2 from Twitter and 1 from Facebook. 5. We'll inform the winners that same day! Good luck everyone!

Review: PewPew for Android

Matt Demers — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:30:54 +0000

My hatred of touch screen controls is well-known to my editor here at Droid Life. Most of the time Kellex isn't a fan of posting my more vitriolic reviews because games that do touch controls badly are simply bad apps. They fail in their most basic function: to make the game easily playable with minimal frustration.

Every once and awhile, however, I find something that changes my mind: PewPew is one of those games. It takes the winning formula of the Geometry Wars series and mercilessly rips it off; I don't think there's any doubt about that. However, it replicated the dual joystick experience of an Xbox 360 controller quite well through two amazing responsive on-screen control knobs. In short, one control stick moves you, the other tells the game which direction you want to shoot. Sometimes the game is a "rub your stomach while pat your head" conundrum; keeping track of the two is harder than it looks.

On that note, I'd like to give major props to the developer, for he had the foresight to give us the option where we wanted to place the joysticks. This killed one of my greatest complaints dead: I hate not being able to see things because my thumbs are in the way. He also gave us a high score/points system, four different play modes and a method of upgrading/buying new ships. This gives the game a longevity I didn't anticipate - it's always fun trying to beat your new score, or earn the medal for that game type. It doesn't hurt that the game looks amazing and has some killer sound design; it very much fits the same mood that Geometry Wars encapsulated originally.

Complaints are few, but this game is far from flawless. I've had a hell of a time trying to get it working consistently due to a nasty startup freeze where the music plays unimpeded; I'm going to attribute this to my Milestone being overclocked to hell and back. However, this game is relatively simple when it comes to graphics, and if this problem is prevalent on a lot of phones, that's something the developer is going to need to fix ASAP (please comment if you get this error.)

Another problem is more of a design philosophy flaw: sometimes, due to the small nature of my phone's screen, I can't tell what immediate threats to my ship are. This makes things difficult when you're trying to operate touch controls with pinpoint accuracy, and can lead to some pretty stupid deaths. I'm not sure if this game will allow more of a playing area to be revealed with phones that have higher resolution: if so, it would be perfect for a tablet.

You can download PewPew here, from the Android Market. It's free.

-- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and is trying to keep this review under 500 words. How do you like his articles? Long or short? Tell him via e-mail or Twitter, and follow him while you're at it. You can also find him on I Am Android.

Verizon’s Samsung 4G LTE Device Makes Appearance, Receives MAP Designation

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:43:10 +0000

The Samsung 4G LTE device that we got our hands on at CES made a major appearance in Verizon's Info Center just a few minutes ago and is apparently still nameless with only a model number of SCH-i510. It received its "MAP designation" which stands for Minimum Advertised Price and is usually a good sign that the device launch isn't all that far off. We aren't sure exactly what that price will be, but if it follows the Thunderbolt model at all, we should expect it somewhere around the $249 mark on a 2-year contract and hopefully no where near that $749 number.

And if this device is somewhat of a mystery to you, then you may want to check out this comparison chart we did for all of Verizon's 4G LTE devices. The device is rockin' a 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus screen, HDMI-out and 1GHz single-core processor. During CES, it was our least favorite of the four, but now that we're revisiting the pictures of it, we're starting to fall a little in love. That screen is absolutely gorgeous.

After this Thunderbolt fiasco, anyone willing to wait a couple of extra weeks for this phone? There is news that will likely come out in the next couple of weeks that may have you seriously considering it. Wish I could say more...

Cheers ____!

GOTO Lockscreen Has the Potential to be the Best Lockscreen Replacement

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:12:24 +0000

We were turned on to a new lockscreen replacement last night called GOTO LockScreen and damn are we impressed. The actual rotary lock-wheel is polished, lets you jump right into your Gmail/dialer/messaging apps, and even displays a notification count on them. You also get weather, time, battery level, alarm status, and the ability to set up a custom wallpaper. And yes, this is for all users including those non-rooted folks in the wild. The app doesn't allow you add all of the extra sliders that say a WidgetLocker would, but the look is so much more appealing. We're hoping that the developer adds more options in the near future and then this app will be on our phones for a long time. And the good news is that it's on-sale for $1.49, so you might want to give it a quick look. Download Link ($1.49) Cheers person on Twitter that I forgot!

Details Mag Recommends HTC Thunderbolt, Atrix 4G and Nexus S

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:23:34 +0000

In the March edition of Details, they recommended a bunch of phones that don't begin with an "I" and we couldn't help but smile at all of the Android options. Of course, we loved seeing the Thunderbolt, but also took notice that they left out Skype and 8-device hotspot features which we know have been fueling the delay controversy lately. Oh, and another 2-page ad showed up directly after. Just wanted to share...

Question: What is this DROID2 Update?

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:14:50 +0000

This random DROID2 screenshot popped into our inbox last night from a source without a name, and we have no idea what it could be. The screenshot looks fairly legit leading us to believe this popped up erroneously on this person's device, but we can't confirm that without a way to contact them. You can see a mention of version 2.3.20 which is the current Blur for the D2, but that "Delta Package" note is sure something new and interesting. And version 34.0.113 at the top doesn't match up at all to the current naming convention and instead looks a lot closer to the new Blur naming convention you can see in our BIONIC hands-on video. Seriously, I have no idea what this could be, but would love for the sender to let us know if they were able to install it. Of course, it could also be fake. Thoughts anyone?

Motorola XOOM is Officially on for February 24, $799 Full Retail or $599 with 2-year Contract

Kellen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 07:02:02 +0000

Official! Not that any of this news will come as a surprise to anyone, but the Motorola XOOM has been announced by Verizon and will be in stores on February 24. You will have two options if you are interested in having the first Honeycomb tablet: no contract and pay $799 or sign a 2-year contract and pay $599. Hmmm, wonder where that $599 number came from? Oh, from us! In the official press release, there are no mentions of a 1-month data requirement if you choose to buy the XOOM at the full $799 price. We first mentioned that being a Best Buy requirement, just like it was with the Galaxy Tab, and that looks to be the case here as well. And 1 down, 1 Thunderbolt to go.

MOTOROLA XOOM TABLET TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK ON FEB. 24 “Best of Show” Winner at 2011 Consumer Electronics Show Delivers the World’s First True Tablet Experience, With Upgrade to 4G LTE in Q2 BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the Feb. 24, 2011 availability of the innovative new Motorola XOOM^™ tablet, which won the coveted CNET Best of Show award at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show for being “the most potentially disruptive technology.” The first device to run Google’s new Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, the Motorola XOOM will be available for purchase from Verizon Wireless for $599.99 with a new two-year customer agreement or $799.99 without a contract. Wireless 3G data service for the Motorola XOOM will begin at $20 monthly access for 1GB. The Motorola XOOM will be upgradeable to 4G LTE service at no additional charge in the second quarter of 2011. A powerhouse in both software and hardware, the Motorola XOOM is built around a 1GHz dual-core processor and 10.1-inch widescreen HD display. The sleek, stylish design features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD. The Motorola XOOM showcases the innovations of the Honeycomb user experience that improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization, as well as featuring the latest Google^™ Mobile services. The Motorola XOOM also features full support for tabbed browsing and support for the Adobe^® Flash^®Player, available soon as a free download, to enjoy all the video and other rich content available on the Web. For additional information about upgrading their XOOM to 4G LTE, customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/Xoom4GLTEUpgrade starting Thursday, Feb. 24. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. To learn more about Motorola XOOM, visit www.verizonwireless.com/xoom. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. About Motorola Mobility Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility. MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Android and Google are trademarks of Google Inc. All other product and service names are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Motorola Mobility, Inc.

Adobe: Flash 10.2 Headed to Motorola XOOM in a "Few Weeks"

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:16:59 +0000

We thought the world had officially come to an end this morning when Verizon informed us that Flash 10.1 would not be available at launch on the Motorola XOOM, but thanks to Adobe, people can start to breathe again. In a blog post that went up just an hour ago, they announced that Flash 10.2 (instead of 10.1) will be available within a few weeks...

Adobe will offer Flash Player 10.2 preinstalled on some tablets and as an OTA download on others within a few weeks of Android 3 (Honeycomb) devices becoming available, the first of which is expected to be the Motorola Xoom.

While it still won't be pre-installed, and our full web experience will be crippled for a bit, at least we have some sort of idea as to when we can expect an update. A "few weeks" may not be as specific as we'd like, but it sure sounds a lot better than "Spring 2011." Source: Adobe Via: Android Central

Tower Raiders 2 Beta Released to the Public

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:36:13 +0000

Tower Raiders 2, the sequel to one of the most popular Android tower defense games was released today as a beta for the public to test. It's free, includes improved artwork over the original and has new features like hero units, trophies, and other surprises. The "Gold" or full version will apparently have 24 levels (with four difficulty settings each) when it gets released after the Beta period is over in about 3 weeks.

Download Link Cheers John!

Review: Beluga looks to be Android and iOS' BBM

Matt Demers — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:27:21 +0000

Even though Android and iOS have emerged as the preeminent smartphone operating systems, there will always be a one mainstay that refuses to kick the bucket: RIM and their Blackberry OS. There's a big reason why people are still tethered to these phones, even though most new devices by other companies blow them out of the water. It's one little application: BBM.

Blackberry Messenger is important to the brand's survival: it is free phone-to-phone communication tied into a PIN number, rather than a username. More importantly, it's on every Blackberry. This means that there is nothing to bug your friends to install, or more importantly use.

Which is why when cross-platform BBM-alikes get released, like Kik Messenger or the above Beluga, it's almost a lost cause. They (of course) aren't compatible with BBM, nor are they offered on Blackberries at all: RIM, like Apple, is very finicky with apps that "replicate features."

However, the app does what it advertises extremely well: Beluga's interface is sleek on both platforms, and allows users to group their contacts into "pods" which then can be communicated with instantly. You can provide image and location-tagged messages, and members of the pods are updated on-the-fly. It's simple, and works; I had no hiccups testing it.

Beluga also takes some time to try to tackle the user base problem, as well. When you sign up, you are required to tie your account to your phone number. While I was initially apprehensive about this, I realized its greater purpose: automatic contact sharing.

What Beluga does is query your phone book for any numbers that are on the system. When it detects a match, it automatically notifies you that person X is also using Beluga, and vice versa. When I asked a couple of my friends (pictured above) to use the service along with me, there wasn't any questions of what their Beluga username was; as soon as they signed up for the service and their number was entered into the database, my app let me know. I cannot stress how great that is.

However, the reason I won't keep Beluga on my phone is the same reason I won't join Facebook-alternative Diaspora: none of my friends use it, and trying to convince them is not worth the effort.

If I had to convince all the Android and iOS users I know to install an app, coach them on how to use it, then hope they all check it once and awhile, I would have to wonder why I wouldn't just call/SMS them in the first place. I mean, their contacts are already in my phone!

I have the same apprehensions with BBM: I don't understand the appeal of "instant." My friends tell me it's big amongst professionals, where time is money; others tell me it's comforting to know that while texts can be ignored/lost/unread, BBM lets you know that your message has been sent/received.

All I know is that its success is largely because of the fact that everyone uses it, and if a phone would otherwise be cast off if the feature was omitted, then there has to be something to it.

If you have enough people in your network of contacts using Beluga, I'd say go for it; it really is an amazing app. However, if you're like me and only have one or two people that would actually use it, you might find that Beluga's downfall is one that has nothing to do with the way it's coded.

You can download Beluga for Android here.

--- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy and feels it's a bit hypocritical telling people that instant doesn't matter when he's such a Twitter addict. You can give him tips to things you want reviewed by following or e-mailing him.

Verizon Releases New Motorola XOOM Ad, Weird Spaceship Transformation Included

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:46:40 +0000

If the Thunderbolt ad from this morning wasn't enough, then check out the new Motorola XOOM spot that just went live. It's a shortie at only 16 seconds, but it easily crushes that silly Super Bowl spot. Oh, and we'll try not to point out the ironic fact that the video below is only viewable if you have Flash which we know is lacking from the world's first Honeycomb tablet. Enjoy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H86ckBYr3mU[/youtube]

Cheers Timothy!

Potential Motorola XOOM Owners, Here is a Tegra 2 Flash 10.1 File to Try

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:45:44 +0000

By now you've already heard news that the Motorola XOOM won't launch with Flash 10.1 enabled and will instead see it via market download some time this spring? Well, we may have just been handed an .apk that can be tried on Thursday should you be going forward with your purchase to give you a Flash experience right away. A Flash 10.1 version for Tegra 2 devices popped up over at XDA and while it says that it's made for Froyo, we'll be testing it on our XOOM to see if it works. While I can't recommend that you try this because we have no idea what the effects could be, we're just giving it to you as an option. Download: Flash-10.1.120.1.apk (alt link) And remember, you should NOT download Flash from the market once you get your XOOM because it runs on a Tegra 2 processor and is not compatible with 10.1.106.16. Adobe has added notations to the market version to remind you of this...

It SHOULD NOT be installed on devices/tablets with the NVIDIA Tegra 2 super chip including the LG Optimus 2X, Dell Streak 7 and Motorola ATRIX. The pre-installed version of Flash Player is optimized for Tegra 2. Future updates will include these optimizations. If you are unsure as to whether your device includes the NVIDIA Tegra 2, please consult your device owner’s manual.

Cheers @rothnic! Via: XDA Forums

I Am Android Introduced as a Social Network for Enthusiasts

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:53:56 +0000

Moving away from all of the depressing XOOM and Thunderbolt news for a minute, we wanted to make sure that all of the Android enthusiasts in the building knew about a new social network that launched late last week called i am android. Started by one of the rocks to this Android community, Eric Richardson (@richie681), i am android is a great place for addicts to connect with other addicts. The service is free, runs similar to sites like Facebook, but really stands out with its front page chat box. If you ever wanted a place to have quick conversations with others just like you, then this is a great place to start. And of course, you can set up your own page, feature articles from this site (kidding!), post your Android pics, and share them with the community. Sign up now and help this new Android venture succeed! Oh, and be sure to check out the DL page and "friend" us!

Verizon Announces HTC Thunderbolt in New Commercial Without a Date (Updated)

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:41:31 +0000

A new HTC Thunderbolt commercial just popped up on Verizon's YouTube channel as Verizon's announcement for the device. While no date was given, you have to assume it'll be coming any day now or they would have at least slapped a "coming soon" tag onto the end. Maybe they have a dual-marketing plan hashed out for the XOOM and TBolt for this Thursday? Update: At some point in the night, Verizon removed the original spot and replaced it with one that says "Coming Soon" at the end. We have that version below.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBWEFxpA7B0[/youtube]

Cheers @_kazer_!

Verizon Updates VCAST Music on Android, Download Full-track DRM-free Songs for Cheap

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:34:43 +0000

The VCAST Music app from Verizon received a substantial update this morning that delivers full-track songs, ringtones and ringback tones together through one application. You can now purchase full-length DRM-free tracks ranging from 69 cents all the way up to $1.29 and charge them directly to your bill. I gave the app a quick 5-minute walk-through and don't have anything awful to say about it. Many of you aren't fans of VCAST apps, but you can't completely hate on another outlet for DRM-free music purchases that can be stuck right on your VZW bill. And I even found fairly new tracks like the newest from Lupe Fiasco you are seeing above and Dre's "I Need a Dr." Worth a look in my opinion.

MOBILE MUSIC FROM VERIZON WIRELESS DELIVERS A NEW TUNE Updated V CAST Music App Puts Full Songs, Ringtones and Ringback Tones All in One Place for the First Time BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless said today the company has updated its V CAST Music app, enabling Android™ smartphone customers to get and enjoy the music they want easily and at lower prices. For the first time, V CAST Music brings full-track songs, ringtones and ringback tones together in one easy-to-use application. The new version of V CAST Music, available on Android smartphones running Android 2.1 or higher, lets customers purchase full-track songs in high-quality MP3 format without DRM. V CAST Music will now also offer full-track songs for 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29 per song, which can be downloaded over the air to a smartphone, and then easily moved to a computer or other MP3-compatible device using V CAST Media Manager. “Verizon Wireless is taking a leap forward with V CAST Music. We’re bringing the different kinds of music people love to have on their phones together in one, easy-to-use application, making it easy for customers to get what they want at lower prices,” said Greg Haller, vice president, Consumer Solutions for Verizon Wireless. “We’ve added features to V CAST Music that make it simple and more fun to enjoy your favorite music on your phone and with your friends and family.” Using the new V CAST Music, customers will be able to purchase multiple formats of the same song – full track, ringtone and ringback tone – at a discounted price in select bundles. Customers can easily purchase and manage Jukeboxes of ringback tones that will rotate messages so callers hear different tones each time they call. V CAST Music now features a wish list, so customers can indicate what music they would like to purchase in the future, a “recommendations” button so they can send music suggestions to friends and family for them to preview or purchase using the app. V CAST Music comes preloaded on select Android smartphones, and existing customers will be prompted to upgrade the next time they launch the app. Customers that have phones without V CAST Music on the app screen, can download the new version from the Verizon Channel in the Android Martket^™. The app is free to download, but customers must have a data package on their account. Data and usage charges may apply when browsing, previewing and downloading music. For more information on V CAST Music, visit www.verizonwireless.com/music. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go towww.verizonwireless.com. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Twidroyd and UberTwitter Return, Violations Fixed Including a Name Change for One

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:10:16 +0000

If you followed the twidroyd and UberTwitter drama that went down on Friday, then you might like to know that it has all been worked out and both are back on their respective markets. The CEO of UberMedia had this to say about the situation...

1. Twitter said that in UberTwitter and Twidroyd we use a tweet-elongation service named tmi.me that allows people to write more than 140 characters, and that this service may post private messages on a public website. At their request, we have removed this ability. 2. Twitter said that in UberCurrent we change links that are part of an affiliate program to be our own links. We don’t currently do this, but we removed all changing of links to eliminate any possibility of this. 3. Twitter said that they would like us to change the name UberTwitter, and we have changed the name to UberSocial, effective immediately.

Everyone good now? Cheers Lorne!

Verizon's Motorola XOOM Page Updated, February 24th is Launch Day (Updated)

Kellen — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 01:54:00 +0000

Not that this should come as a surprise to anyone, but the Motorola XOOM will launch on Verizon, February 24. The landing page at Big Red's site has been updated as of a few minutes ago showing "AVAILABLE 2/24", so we'll probably wake up in our west coast beds to a shiny little press release. Yah, Thursday! Update: And since I was half asleep at 1:30AM posting this, I completely missed the little note in the bottom right corner of the XOOM page which clearly says "Adobe Flash expected Spring 2011." So no "real" web experience at launch...great. (Cheers Chris!) Update: I tweeted this pic last week which clearly states that Flash will not be available. Sorry folks, you should have known this days before this if I was on top of my game.

Cheers Goran!

HTC Thunderbolt Shows up in Best Buy Buyer's Guide Priced at $299 on 2-year Contract

Kellen — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 02:11:20 +0000

Writing about the Thunderbolt was supposed to be a bundle of joy, but as the weeks have gone on and the bad news continues to pile up (sky-high prices, moved release dates, Skype issues, hotspot issues), it's become increasingly painful. So when we saw tonight that the new Best Buy Buyer's Guide was listing the device at $299 on 2-year contract instead of $249, we're on the verge of giving up on it completely and instead moving on to the next versions of our DROID family members. And who knows, maybe this price is is pre-discount and it'll end up being $249 after all, but that still doesn't help the fact that many of us buy phones at full retail and the $749 mark is well, a giant slap to the face. The sad thing is, we almost predicted this would happen back in January, although we never thought it would get this bad. One more price shot after the break.

Buyer's guide.

Motorola XOOM Pre-order Page Returns to BestBuy.com (Updated)

Kellen — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:35:55 +0000

Well, it's back. BestBuy.com/Xoom has returned and is reminding you that today is the pre-order day for the world's first Honeycomb tablet. This was originally going to happen on the 17th, but a last minute contract reminder from Moto caused BBY to move it to the 20th. No price has been listed yet, but we're still expecting it to come in at $799. The page also looks like it isn't 100% ready for mass-viewing, so we'll be keeping an eye on it to hopefully put some closure to all things XOOM. Update: And as expected, the price is $799. Here is the XOOM page, plus a bunch of accessories.

Update 2: This week's BBY ad is also available now and includes those lovely misspellings.

Cheers Rufo!

Skype No Longer Ready for HTC Thunderbolt Launch?

Kellen — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 14:46:22 +0000

Word started floating around last night that Skype with video might not be ready for launch with the HTC Thunderbolt after all, even though we had a confirmed date of 2/28 from Verizon. This shot from Best Buy definitely tells a different story and one that has more than a few of us concerned. By no means should we take this as meaning that it will never see Skype though, but should instead just assume it'll come later in a software update. Remember, we sat at CES and saw Skype's CEO on stage demoing Skype with video on a Thunderbolt first out of all of the devices. It's also still plastered all over the VZW 4G page and in HTC's new commercial, so again, don't think that the device isn't going to see it some time soon. We know that the device release date was pushed way up and was initially supposed to launch around St. Patty's day which leads us to believe that the technology just isn't ready yet. We'll update this post as we have additional details... Cheers ___!

Motorola XOOM Dummy Units Arrive in Stores

Kellen — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:47:46 +0000

There hasn't been any official word out of Verizon's camp yet, but we're still expecting the Motorola XOOM to drop this Thursday (24th) and with the arrival of dummy units in stores, Big Red will likely spread the news either tomorrow or Monday. Update: Sounds like real units are also in stores. Looks like we're on for this week! Back side after the break!

Cheers ___!

Motorola XOOM will be Available for $599 on Contract at Verizon?

Kellen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:36:38 +0000

We're hearing whispers that Verizon might have just OK'd a subsidized price on the Motorola XOOM for those not interested in purchasing it outright at $799. How does a $599 price point sound with a 2-year contract? We asked what you guys thought on Twitter just a few minutes ago and are seeing lovers and haters of the idea, so feel free to weigh in here. No idea how they would structure this with a data plan, but the idea is at least a little intriguing. And no, I haven't heard anything about a wifi-only version. Oh, and on a semi-related note, we've got word that the Galaxy Tab is about to drop to $299. We'll continue to update this as we have more... Cheers Spaniard!

Friday Poll: Favorite Twitter App on Android?

Kellen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:58:04 +0000

Since Twidroyd just got suspended, we're pretty sure that there are hundreds if not thousands of you out there that need a new app to keep up with us on Twitter. There are a ton of quality options out there, but we know you all have your favorites and we'd love to hear about them. Favorite Twitter app is and why? [poll id="63"]

Twidroyd and UberTwitter get the Axe from Twitter for Policy Violations (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:24:43 +0000

Uh oh. Twitter has found some issues in a variety of apps on Android and decided to suspend them for the time being. Topping the list is twidroyd (UberTwitter for Blackberry), which as you all know, is one of the biggest Twitter apps and has thousands and thousands of users. It's unclear exactly what they've all done to warrant this reaction from Twitter, so we'll hold off from taking sides at this time. The support thread above simply states that they have violated policies, but goes into plenty of indirect points as to why they may have dropped the hammer. Interesting stuff. We always try to recommend that readers go with Hootsuite, Tweetdeck or Seesmic anyway. Here is the support thread. Update: The folks at UberMedia are doing their best to fix this situation. The twidroyd account has tweeting the following message to inform users that they will be back up in no time. But if you want something new anyway, then check out this poll we're running to decide which is the most popular Twitter app on Android.

Anyone a twidroyd or UberTwitter user? Cheers Allen!

Download: Honeycomb Themed LauncherPro by Signals23

Kellen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:07:29 +0000

LauncherPro themer extraordinaire signals23 added a Honeycomb-based option to give you a feel for the look of the newest version of our favorite mobile OS. To get this up and running, be sure to backup your current LP settings, uninstall it, download and install this Honeycomb version, and then restore your settings. Simple right? Download: Honeycomb.apk Support thread at XDA.

Wallpapers, Ringtones and Boot Animation Pulled from Motorola Atrix 4G System Dump

Kellen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:25:28 +0000

Since many of the readers of our little site here are Motorola product owners, I thought I'd point out that the Atrix 4G system dump has found a home on the internet. It's essentially the same version of Blur we all have running on the DROID X, so there isn't a lot of new stuff, but a couple of the wallpapers look different and you can trick everyone into thinking your phone has a dual-core processor by using its new boot animation. Ringtones are included as well. Now, if only that title said BIONIC, right? And not to hate on our cousin from AT&T, but in terms of looks, the BIONIC kills it. Links and boot animation video after the break. Download: Wallpapers | Ringtones| Boot Animation | Full System Dump

Couple of new wallpapers. I think.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR5RVU2J7JI[/youtube]

Via: Phandroid

Video: DROID Incredible Actually Running Honeycomb, New Lock Screen and All

Kellen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:29:04 +0000

A couple of weeks ago we posted a video from the guys over at t3hh4xx0r who had a quick port of Honeycomb running on the Incredible, but most of you noticed it looked nothing like the tablet version we are seeing on the XOOM and second guessed it. Well, they've revisited Android 3.0 and actually got the tablet version up and running on a DI with almost everything working from what I can tell. This is one of those "Holy sh*t that's cool!" things, meaning you shouldn't expect some super polished working port that will forever change the way your DInc works. Just check out the video, high five all of the Android devs you know, and smile on a Friday. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gl_D-NjncY[/youtube] They've also done this for the EVO and HD2 if anyone is interested. Via: t3hh4xx0r

This Weekend's Entire Best Buy Ad is Out, No Changes on Thunderbolt or XOOM Including Spelling Errors

Kellen — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:10:59 +0000

This Sunday's entire Best Buy ad is floating around the interwebs and hasn't changed at all since we showed it to you late last week. The HTC Thunderbolt is still listed at $249 on contract, $749 off, and without a firm release date. The Motorola XOOM on the other hand is still showing at $799 with a 2/24 date which Sanjay Jha confirmed on Wednesday, so again, no surprise there. The funny thing is the fact that those awful spelling errors (activative!) are still included. They've had 2 weeks to update this thing, but decided it wasn't worth the effort I guess. Oh, we're still expecting the pre-order to start on the 20th.

And if for some reason you need the entire ad, you can download it here. Cheers Dave, ckeegan and Evilmunkeh!

ROM: Apex 1.4.0 by Fabolous Released for DROIDX and 2

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:15:10 +0000

One of our favorite developers, Fabolous, released his new Apex 1.4.0 for the DROIDX and DROID2 earlier this week and really polished up the look and feel. He got some help from the Liberty ROM crew to make what was already a good ROM, really great. You'll find a new boot animation, toolbox, current versions of all the core apps, and a bunch of fixes. If you are coming from Apex 1.3 you can probably update straight to this new version, but if you are coming from anything else including Liberty, you'll need to do a full wipe. Download: DROIDX | DROID2 Changelog:

- New Apex Toolbox (Terminal Based) to customize the ROM to the max - New Boot Animation (thanks tntdroid!) - New Background, Ringtone, Notification Tone (change of pace!) - Taller GB Keyboard, same size as MT Keyboard (thanks kejar31!) - Removed Data Throttling (thanks droidxchat for an awesome utility!) - Core Apps all updated to latest versions (Gmail, ADW Launcher, Market, Search, etc.) - Blacked out Google Talk app (ty kejar31!) - Fixed Mms.apk w/ Android 2.3.2 routing fixes (won't send to the wrong person!) - MusicMod back by default, supports lock screen controls (ty kejar31!) - FC @ Startup fixed (no more wait, power, reboot cycle!) - Updated JRummy overclocking script (ty JRummy16!) - Option to install leaked Motorola "Connected Player" in Toolbox - Finally updated the Swype theme to "Blackout" (ty javroch!)

Full support can be found at this thread. DONATE.

TAT Shows Off Blackberry Playbook Apps, Android Users Should be Jealous and Mad.

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:43:56 +0000

TAT (The Astonishing Tribe) is no longer Android-related, but we couldn't help but show you a couple of the new apps they designed for the Blackberry Playbook. As many of you know, RIM bought up TAT before someone in the Android world could and this is what we are now missing out on: full 3D graphics, with multi-multi-multi-touch and that playful style that we enjoyed in this original TAT video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWJG-sB7H4Y[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH7NKhNyygw[/youtube]

Can you imagine the experience they could have given us on say, the Motorola XOOM, Optimus Pad or new Galaxy Tab 10.1? The Android world screwed up by not locking in these guys. Come back to us TAT! Come back! Via: BGR

PlayOn Released on Android, Stream Hulu and Netflix on the Go

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:59:12 +0000

PlayOn finally introduced an Android app which means that the hundreds of thousands of us wanting Hulu in a legitimate fashion can now sleep easier at night. For those of you new to PlayOn, just know that it's a paid subscription software that goes onto your PC, but allows you to stream Hulu, Netflix, and almost any other video site to a variety of wireless media devices like an XBOX360 or PS3. The fact that it now does Android though, is monumental. App is free, subscriptions start at around $39.99 per year, I believe. Download link, promo vid and presser after the break. Download Link

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7ki-XfTv0[/youtube]

Android Gets PlayOn Support and More Video Content Streaming Than Ever Before Seattle - February 17, 2011 - After months of Beta testing, MediaMall Technologies, Inc. today announced that it has officially launched support for Android devices. The free software update and free PlayOn™ Mobile app for Android 2.2 and higher are now available to PlayOn Premium customers, enabling users to stream online video and personal media with Adobe Flash technology from a networked PC to Android mobile devices over 3G or Wi-Fi. PlayOn’s media library contains video content from providers including Hulu (ABC, NBC, Fox, etc.), Amazon VOD, Netflix IQ, TBS, CBS, PBS, the Oprah Winfrey Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Nickelodeon, ESPN3, NFL Rewind, MLB, MTV, VH1, Syfy, Spike, TV.com, The Ultimate Fighter and others. “We’re pleased to add Android to our ever-growing list of compatible devices for streaming online video content,” states Jeff Lawrence, CEO of MediaMall Technologies. “Our goal is to make it easy for everyone to affordably access online video content using the screen of their choice. With support for Xbox 360, PlayStation3, Wii, Google TV, Roku, iOS, and now Android, among a multitude of other DLNA-compliant devices, PlayOn offers the most affordable one-stop solution for accessing online video content on your living room TV and mobile device.” Existing PlayOn Premium customers may download the PlayOn Mobile app for free from the Android Marketplace. Those new to PlayOn can try it out free for 14 days, after which PlayOn and its full library of content, including updates for new channels and supported devices, can be purchased for $39.99 for the first year and $19.99 for each year thereafter. PlayOn Premium customers with Android 2.2+ need just to download the PlayOn Mobile app from the Android Marketplace and initially pair the device over the local Wi-Fi network with the PlayOn media server. The device may then be used to stream online video and personal media content over 3G or Wi-Fi anywhere in the world where you can get a signal. In addition to Android, PlayOn also currently features mobile support for iOS devices including the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. For a full list of content providers and supported hardware platforms, and to try PlayOn for free, please visit: http://www.PlayOn.tv.

Cheers Pepe and Jason!

Thunderbolt Delayed! Here we go again...

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:40:26 +0000

Reports all over the place today suggest that the Thunderbolt has been pushed past the 24th launch date and now landing on either the 28th or some time in March. And that's really all we have to say...just wanted to make sure we kept you all in the loop with us being such a "HypeBeast" and all. Cheers Justin and Jason!

Thursday Poll: Does MotoBlur affect your decision to buy a Motorola device?

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:10:51 +0000

Mentioning the word "MotoBlur" usually sparks a conversation that should be kept hidden from most children, but today we've decided to revisit the subject with a more direct and constructive approach. One of our readers suggested this poll and we want you to really take the time to answer it and provide meaningful feedback in the comments. Let's all do our best to avoid the all-out trashing we've seen in the past, and instead focus on giving the folks at Motorola feedback that they could potentially use in their Android skin. If you like it, we'd love to hear why. If you don't like it, tell Moto how they can improve it. And if that means saying "get rid of it forever", that's fine, but say that directly without the extra garbage. Sound good? [poll id="62"] Cheers EC8CH!

Clutch Pad Makes Advanced Task Switching Incredibly Simple

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:01:54 +0000

Everyone say "Hi!" to a task switching app that we've been following from day one, Clutch Pad. Actually, we saw the first pre-alpha of this before it even had a name and basically had one function, so to see that it has grown into an extremely polished task/favorite app-switching beast, brings a giant smile to our faces. Made by Steve Albright, whom you may know as one of the themers behind xScope, Clutch Pad has become a standard on all of my devices. This is a great choice for those of you not interested in having another space hog on one of your home screens, but want control from everywhere. So how does it work?

Surface button: The driver behind CP is the surface button which you can see in the left side of all of my screenshots above. It's that little half circle attached to the left wall about halfway up. You can tap on it, swipe in various directions on it, and even long press on it to make it complete tasks.
Events: These are the tasks you want to accomplish while using Clutch Pad. If you want to bring up your favorite apps, you can set up a "swipe left" on it. If you want to tap on the surface button to bring up all recent tasks, that's another event. Stuck in your browser and want your app tray? Then set up a down swipe that will bring up your home launcher.
Visual tweaks: You can place the surface button wherever you'd like, customize the look of it entirely, and even change the color of it.

It's hard to really describe how impressive this app has become, so really, I'll just suggest you at least give it a try. It's sort of like Swipepad meets CircleLauncher, but in a sleaker and sneaker fashion. Download Link ($1.99)

Video: Movie Studio for Honeycomb Demoed at MWC

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:20:46 +0000

When Eric Schmidt stood on stage earlier in the week with one of his posse members for a walk-through demo their new Movie Studio app, we nabbed as many pictures as we could to give you guys the first gallery of it. And now, as MWC winds down, the crew over at Frandroid seems to have found some alone time in the Android area with nothing but a XOOM and a video camera. The results...this 8 minute in-depth look at this fantastic new Honeycomb movie editor. Oh, we should probably mention that it's all in French.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPjCwH-ZIu0[/youtube]

Via: Phandroid, Frandroid

Download: Motorola XOOM User Guide - Verizon

Kellen — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:45:01 +0000

If you haven't learned all there is to know about the Motorola XOOM by now, then you are in luck. Below, we have the entire XOOM user guide for you to browse through before next Thursday when you'll finally be enjoying your new Honeycomb tablet. It's a pretty standard UG, but I wanted to point out that I'm not seeing a mention of a required data plan anywhere and am starting to think that will be part of the Best Buy deal and not at actual Verizon stores. BBY requires a similar 1-month data subscription with the Galaxy Tab, but VZW never has, so we'll see. Link after the break! Download: XOOM_Manual.pdf

DROID Incredible Sees CM7 Release Candidate

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:39:05 +0000

Anyone with a DROID Incredible feel like running Android 2.3.2 (Gingerbread)? Then you may want to check out the CyanogenMod 7 Release Candidate that appears to have been released yesterday. As you all know, the CM team works ridiculously hard to bring you the newest versions of Android long before you'll ever see them from a carrier or manufacturer. And remember, this is as stock as it gets. Full support and download links at the CM forums. Changelog. Cheers kly412!

XOOM Pre-sale at Best Buy Moved to February 20? (Confirmed)

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:00:36 +0000

Last week, our friends at Best Buy told us that a pre-sale for the Motorola XOOM would begin on February 17th and when the landing page for it accidentally went live a few days later confirming that, most of us had already scheduled our Thursday trip to a store. Well hold on to those car keys, folks. We're hearing now that the pre-sale may have been moved to the 20th to comply with some sort of Motorola request. Update: We've just received confirmation from Best Buy that the XOOM pre-sale has been pushed to the 20th. You should also know that you won't be able to re-activate the data package on this device whenever you like at no cost. An activation charge will be enforced each time you re-activate.

Cheers that dude and ____!

More XOOM and Thunderbolt Ads Pop Up in Esquire, Popular Science and Popular Mechanics

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:59:48 +0000

March's magazines started showing up on doorsteps today and inside, our readers are finding all sorts of Thunderbolt and XOOM ads. We found some earlier in the day from the SI Swimsuit Issue, but now we have more from Esquire, Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. I'm sure you can find more in Rolling Stone and a variety of other publications, so feel free to post those in the comments should you run into them. No dates given on any of them. Announcement, please. I'd really like for next Thursday to be epic. [gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="4" orderby="title"] Cheers MJ, @slyty71, and @sam_thomas!

Thunderbolt and Motorola XOOM Ads Enjoy Time in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:23:55 +0000

One of the difficult parts of this job is doing things like heading to the local market to pick up the brand new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and ~~fondle it~~ flip through it while looking for ads for the latest pieces of technology. And sure enough, we were able to accomplish this difficult task which turned out to be a great success! Like it wasn't going to be anyway... The Motorola XOOM found itself in a full page ad which we deemed far too removed from Irina Shayk, but the Thunderbolt sure opened up in a 2-page spread somewhere near Peter Island and Brooklyn Decker's section. Neither ad includes a release date, but we're still holding out for the 24th. And now you have an excuse to go buy this issue. (Like you needed one?) Tbolt spot after the break.

And if you don't feel like picking up the actual magazine to view the ladies, SI's site is ready.

Google Music Coming in Honeycomb According to Motorola CEO

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:33:56 +0000

Motorola CEO already confirmed pricing for the XOOM today and gave us word on pricing for a wifi-only version, but he isn't stopping there. During his time at MWC, he also let slip some tidbits about the upcoming music service from Google that will compete with Apple's iTunes. While it's no secret that Google Music has been in the works, this is one of the first times we've heard anyone with any sort of voice actually make reference to it. Jha also made it sound as if Honeycomb would be the first version of Android to take advantage of this new service...

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Jha said: "If you look at Google Mobile services [via Android] today, there's a video service, there's a music service – that is, there will be a music service." He added that the value of the upgrade to the Android system, known as "Honeycomb", which will power the forthcoming Motorola Xoom tablet is that "it adds video services and music services".

I don't know about the majority of folks out there, but to me, this is huge news. There is nothing more frustrating than having yo download songs in iTunes and then transfer them over to my device. Having the ability to handle all of your multimedia needs on a phone and/or tablet is one of the key ingredients that have been missing from Android since the beginning. We've seen bits and pieces of a Honeycomb music player that hinted at streaming or syncing of music, so here's to hoping for a Google I/O unveiling. Did I mention we'll be there? Your thoughts? Via: Android Community, Guardian

MapQuest Android App Released, Free Voice-guided Turn-by-turn Navigation Included

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:05:41 +0000

And MapQuest officially enters the Android navigation arena. Can it compete with Google Maps? Eh, probably not, but it still looks like a great app. Unlike other navigation options, MapQuest is offering theirs up for free and includes voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and a bunch of other goodies. Seriously, if GMaps disappeared from existence, we'd fall back on this one.

Voice-guided/Turn-by-turn Navigation: Your phone tells you where and when to make a turn
Voice Search: Drivers can speak a destination for directions
Map Toolbar: Easily find restaurants, coffee shops, gas stations and parking with one click
Walking & Driving Directions: Recommends the best route and the map rotates based on orientation of travel
Live Traffic Flow/Incidents: Extensive coverage updated every 5 minutes

You can use this Download Link to grab the app, but we recommend that you watch the video below since it's clear that they spent some serious bro-time on it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnRx3M5SabM[/youtube]

Via: MapQuest

Game Gripper Introduces Bluetooth Version for Touchscreen Devices

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:50:08 +0000

A bluetooth Game Gripper is on the way! That's right touchscreen-only fanatics, you will soon be able to enjoy the gamepad-esque add-on to your device that will take your emulator gaming to a whole new level. Since the introduction of the GG back in April, we've seen variations for every phone with a physical keyboard, but now the creators are looking to make it big. They've opened up a KickStarter page to help out with initial funding, and to see if this is a product that anyone is actually interested in. If this is something you'd love to own, then I suggest you let them know. Video demo after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw0LXyvHHXw[/youtube] Via: Phandroid

Motorola CEO Confirms $799 Pricing of XOOM, $600 for WiFi-only Version

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:45:31 +0000

If the half dozen reports we've had that the Motorola XOOM would come in at $799 weren't enough, then maybe word from Moto's CEO Sanjay Jha will stick. Jha confirmed to Reuters that they plan to sell the device unsubsidized for $799 at Verizon and that a wifi-only version is also in the works and will retail for $600. Well, then. No mention of availability on the wifi-only version or if it would even come to the U.S., but with him placing a dollar value you on it, we have to assume it'll be soon, right? Everyone happy? Via: Reuters Cheers Josh and Muddy B00ts!

Wednesday Poll: Adjust Tablet Plans After NVIDIA's Quad-core Announcement?

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:25:34 +0000

NVIDIA shocked the mobile world yesterday when they announced that their new "Kal-el" quad-core processor could possibly ship in tablets by August and in phones by the end of 2011. This move was completely unexpected, but also a little odd especially with so few products on the market running their current processor, the Tegra 2. We couldn't help but think about reconsidering our plans to buy not only a XOOM, but even a DROID BIONIC. Both are going to be impressive devices, but if there is a chance you could own a quad-core device by Fall, would you be willing to wait? And as far as phones go, who wants to be locked into a contract when we could have a quad-core device in 10 months? [poll id="61"]

DROID X "Old Version" Appears in Verizon Accounts, What Does it Mean?

Kellen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:25:36 +0000

The words "Motorola DROID X Old Version" are now appearing online in Verizon accounts across the country, leaving many of you wondering if this could have something to do with the DROID X2's imminent release. Sorry folks, but I think it actually has something to do with that pricing change from yesterday. If you happened to return to our post about the DX's price drop to $149, you might have noticed an "Update 2" which talks about a change from the 16GB SD card that original adopters enjoyed to the measly 2GB card that is now included. Normally when a significant change like this happens to a device, a brand new SKU is introduced to inventory systems which we're thinking has prompted the distinction for "old version" and new version. Of course, I could be totally wrong and this could have something to do with the DX2, but I'm sort of doubting it. Cheers Evan and zepfloyd!

Add February 21st to the HTC Thunderbolt Rumor List

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:59:22 +0000

We had been hearing all day from a variety of sources that February 21 had popped up as a possibility for the HTC Thunderbolt to hit stores and then this screenshot from a Best Buy system appeared up over at Android Forums adding to that idea. At this point, I almost don't care anymore and seriously cringe every time a screenshot like this pops up, but also don't want you guys to be surprised if one of these dates ends up sticking. We're continuing to stand by our original date of February 24th, although you have to admit that launching both the TBolt and XOOM on that day seems like a little much. Again, this is just silly talk at this point and we should know some time this week...maybe.

Cheers @Tech_Addiction!

NVIDIA Introduces World's First Quad-core Mobile Processor, Headed for Tablets by August

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:26:39 +0000

Seriously, you can forget about what Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are doing with their mobile processors, as we just received word from NVIDIA that they have quad-cores already in sampling and will more than likely be in tablets by August and then in phones by the end of 2011. Codenamed Project Kal-el, the world's first quad-core mobile processor includes a 12-core NVIDIA GPU, can do extreme HD at a resolution of 2560x1600 and puts out 5X the performance of current Tegra 2 devices. Ridiculous, right? Well, to make sure that everyone around the globe believes their August timeline, they busted out a working version for a select group of press at MWC for demos where they showed off a bunch of unreleased games and then destroyed a Core 2 Duo in a benchmark test.

Now, we thought they had leaped ahead of everyone with their Tegra 2, but that was only the beginning according to the roadmap they've released along with this quad-core news. NVIDIA plans to release a new Tegra every year through at least 2014 with the final version (Stark) performing 100x better than anything currently on the market. The mobile world has officially changed.

And I've now retracted my "Holy Sh*t!" from yesterday's Snapdragon post and will gladly place it where it belongs, with the folks at NVIDIA. Huge +1 for this news.

Thoughts?

Motorola Denies Windows Phone Because it's a "Closed Platform" - Wait What?

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:10:25 +0000

When asked why Motorola would not be partnering up with Microsoft to release a series of Windows Phone 7 devices, they had this to say...

Motorola was also worried about using an OS like Windows Phone that is not open source. "We would like an opportunity to create unique value and we don't feel we could with a closed platform," she said. Going with Windows Phone would create a scenario where the only value Motorola could offer was commoditized hardware, she said.

And now feel free to express yourself... Via: PC World Cheers Picolas!

Chart: Motorola XOOM vs. LG Optimus Pad vs. Samsung Tab 10.1 vs. HTC Flyer

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:28:56 +0000

Mobile World Congress introduced us to 3 brand spankin' new Android tablets to battle it out with the Motorola XOOM for top dog in 2011. We saw the LG Optimus Pad (G-Slate), the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and most recently, the HTC Flyer. All of them look like incredible products that come off as being very similar, but once you dig down deep, you realize they all have tweaks here or there that make them slightly different. The XOOM is the first and on Verizon's 4G network, the LG is all about 3D, the new Galaxy Tab is lightweight and stylish, and the Flyer took a different 7" approach, but has a new Scribe technology. Our comparison chart is after the break.

Note 1 - The HTC Flyer will be upgraded to Honeycomb at some point, but it will launch with Gingerbread.

Note 2 - Apologies for missing fields; we used what the companies have made available.

Note 3 - XOOM release date is for the U.S. All others are non-U.S. at this time.

DROID X Drops to $149 on Verizon Site, the End is Near? (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:59:18 +0000

The DROID X appears to have welcomed in a $50 price drop to $149 online which is usually a good sign that the device is about to hit "end of life" status. We know the DROID X2 is right around the corner and step 1 towards device re-hash usually starts with pricing adjustments. We'll hold off from doing a formal eulogy until we actually see a DX2 announcement, but if you feel like expressing your feelings for this device, now would be a good time to start preparing them. Here are a couple examples of previous pricing adjustments:

Original DROID discounted to $149 on 6/11/10 - DROID X released 1 month later on 7/15.
DROID 2 price drops to $149 on 11/1/10 - DROID 2 Global released 11/29.

And on a related note, if you try to find the DX on Verizon's normal site, you won't. As of right now, you can only access the phone by starting at droiddoes.com and then redirecting to their new and incredibly slow Flash site. Update 1: Phone is back on VZW's regular site. Nice to know they read this blog of ours. Update 2: A 16GB SD card is no longer included with the phone. You only get a 2GB now. (Cheers ac666!) Cheers Alex and @KeithBlak!

Eric Schmidt: Next Version of Android will "Combine" Honeycomb and Gingerbread

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:45:08 +0000

During his keynote speech today at MWC, Eric Schmidt helped clarify what the future version of Android will end up being. There has been a lot of talk on whether or not Honeycomb would be available to phones or if the version to follow Gingerbread would simply pull certain parts out of its tablet brother. According to Schmidt, they will essentially be "combined"...

"We have OS called Gingerbread for phones, we have an OS being previewed now for tablets called Honeycomb. You can imagine the follow up will start with an I, be named after dessert, and will combine these two."

We heard rumors back in January that this version of Android would be called "Ice Cream Sandwich", but only the "i" part was confirmed today. So what should we expect? The polish and feel of Honeycomb but on a smaller scale? Will this just mean that phones and tablets can use apps without error? Hopefully we find out at Google I/O in May. Oh, and did I mention we'll be there covering the whole thing?

HTC Announces the Incredible S for Europe, is it the Incredible 2?

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:53:30 +0000

We were hoping that right after HTC's event at MWC late last night, Verizon would have dropped some Thunderbolt news on us, but instead we were left with a device called the Incredible S that may be the Incredible 2. The name "Incredible" and the contoured back obviously lead us to believe that this could be one of our next DROID family members, but the fact that it was only announced for Europe and Asia at this time has us holding back a little. The specs do match up to what we've been told previously with the 4" screen, single-core 1GHz processor, and same 8MP camera, so it's got to be our guy, right? The device will run 2.2 when it launches, but HTC is assuring everyone that it will see Gingerbread immediately after. From the picture, you can see that it also appears to be running the new HTC Sense 2.1 which has some really nice improvements even over the 2.0 that will come on the TBolt. It has a front facing camera, 768MB of RAM and is definitely just a 3G device. Note: Let's hope I'm wrong on this, but I have this really bad feeling that all non-4G LTE phones on Verizon will be stripped of their front-facing cameras. Hopefully this one sticks in the U.S. version, but the DROID X2 not having one is a bad sign. And if I am wrong, then what the hell is Moto thinking by leaving one out? Phone overview and specs. Thoughts?

Google Introduces Movie Studio on Android for Honeycomb, Here are the First Pictures

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:17:36 +0000

Eric Schmidt is on stage at MWC right now and just walked through a demo of a new app built specifically for Honeycomb and tablets called Movie Studio. The app allows you to edit an entire movie just as you would on a PC in an above-average editing program. You can add transitions, move around slides, include a music track, export it in a variety of formats and of course, share it with friends. Check out the gallery after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4"]

HTC Thunderbolt Landing Page Goes Live, Storm Commercial Returns in English

Kellen — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:34:09 +0000

1 Mississippi. 2 Mississippi. We're getting close people. An official landing page for the HTC Thunderbolt went up late last night and no longer redirects you to Verizon's 4G LTE page. You can also sign-up through this new page to receive email alerts when there is additional news on the phone, but you know we'll have it before then, right? (Kidding! Sort of.) Oh, and that sneaky little storm commercial with the girl counting the time between lightning strikes? It's back...in English.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9h_Klwueks[/youtube]

Cheers dbgoolsby, DBEvans and everyone else!

Early MWC Recap: LG and Samsung Announce Tablets and a Handful of Smartphones

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:02:52 +0000

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is in full swing and we've been covering the bits and pieces of it that we felt fit this blog, but wanted to point out the stuff we've also picked up over at Android Life. A bunch of new devices have been announced so far from Samsung and LG, including a couple you won't want to miss.

Samsung Galaxy S II: 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus screen, Gingerbread, 8MP rear camera, incredibly thin and a brand new version of TouchWiz. Hopefully it sees an update past Android 2.3.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1: Basically the same tablet as the XOOM, but with an 8MP camera and a fancier looking backside. We're not even sure if it has an HDMI-out port.
LG Optimus 3D: Probably the most impressive smartphone we've seen so far. Dual-core OMAP processor and can record and play back 3D video fairly flawlessly without glasses. If this actually lands in the U.S., you should consider it.
LG Optimus Pad: Is the G-Slate that's headed to T-Mobile and records in 3D and can play it back, although you need glasses to view it. Comes in at 8.9", but has all of the other specs you'd expect in a Tegra 2 tablet these days.
Xperia PLAY is Official and Headed to Verizon: The "Playstation Phone" is official and should be landing on Verizon in the Spring which we're thinking means March, but could slip to a much later month.
Qualcomm's Quad-core Snapdragon Processor: Each core can be clocked at 2.5GHz. Enough said.
Qualcomm and Netflix: First Android phones to see the Netflix app will be Snapdragon phones. Thunderbolt and LG Revolution are almost a lock for initial rollout.
WiFi-only Motorola XOOM: Not coming to the U.S., but once it hits Europe, you may want to order one if the international shipping doesn't break your bank.
The Evolution of MotoBlur: Blur is getting better, but we won't know if it's actually any good until the BIONIC is out and we get some real time with it.

And that's it so far. I believe HTC has an event planned for tonight, so maybe the Thunderbolt announcement will come shortly thereafter. Keep it close as we'll have the biggest stories right here and at Android Life if they aren't VZW-related.

HTC Thunderbolt Ads Take Over the Internet, Announcement Finally Coming?

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:25:47 +0000

It was hard to float around the internet today and not see HTC Thunderbolt ads EVERYWHERE. In fact, if you head over to CNN.com, you'll see the most impressive of them all which is a drop-down interactive flash ad that lets you walk through all of the big features in the device like Skype mobile with video and its 4G LTE powers. So where is that announcement again? I think we've all pretty much accepted the fact that the 24th of this month is the launch date (with a possibility for the 17th), but why the hold up from Verizon? If HTC has purchased what appears to be one heck of an ad campaign that started today, why can't we just do this already. The i*hone 4 is old news Big Red; it's time to move past 2010 and in to 2011. Cheers to everyone who sent this in!

Review: Sleep-As-An-Droid visualizes your sleep

Matt Demers — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:00:36 +0000

Sleep and I rarely get along well. I'm a long-standing insomniac with morning classes, and this usually results in me being pretty dead on my feet. My alarm clock is situated across the room to prevent me from hitting "Snooze" so easily, but this too seems to be of little consequence. Android's decided to help me out, though, with an app called "Sleep as an Droid." Grammatically-incorrect title aside, it's a very robust alarm clock and sleep tracker: there's a number of features that set it apart from the stock clock, and make it worth looking at if you're interested in the way you sleep. Most prominently featured is the sleep tracker: each night, before sleeping, you can put the app into a mode that reads from your phone's gyroscope. You'll then lay your phone on your mattress and begin to sleep. The app will then track your movements in the night and plot them on a nice graph for you to see: times of inactive movement are referred to as "deep sleep" (or rapid-eye-movement cycles) as opposed to times when you're more active. Settings within your alarm configuration make it possible for you to be woken up during a period of light sleep, making it easier to get out of bed. Upon waking up (to a pre-set alarm or otherwise), one is asked to rate that night's sleep on a five-star scale, and add any comments if they wish: I'm usually quite groggy, and usually don't bother typing anything out. Doing this on subsequent nights can yield interesting results, though. One can see comparisons of nights across a span of time, and measure exactly how much sleep they've gotten. An "ideal sleep range" can be set (measured in hours) within the preferences menu so the app can tell you your cumulative sleep debt. If you have an alarm set, the app will also notify you when it's time to go to bed in order to get those 8 hours you've been craving. This app is useful for data freaks like myself who enjoy seeing things visualized: it's interesting to see nights where I sleep quite soundly, but end up feeling like garbage in the morning regardless. There's also a function to use the phone's microphone as an anti-snoring monitor, but I haven't explored that yet: as I leave my computer running during the night, I don't want it setting the vibrating "snore alarm" off prematurely. Other than that, it's a fairly competent alarm clock. You can set music on your SD card as a wake-up call, but it requires an outside file viewer (Handcent SMS works, weirdly) to choose which song you'd like. Fine-tuning options like requiring a math question to turn off the alarm helps with snooze button abusers like myself. I've been using this app for a couple weeks now, and the screenshot above shows roughly one of those weeks; these data points can be posted to Facebook from the app itself, but I doubt even my friends are that curious about my sleep patterns. Give it a try and see what your sleep schedule's like: I doubt too many Droid Life readers are 4 A.M. night hawks like myself. Sleep as an Droid is available for free as a two week trial. It'll cost you $1.35 for an unlock key after that. --- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and would love to get back to a normal sleep schedule. The Internet makes that hard sometimes. You can find him on Twitter and get ahold of him via e-mail.

Qualcomm Introduces 2.5GHz Quad-core Mobile Processors, Holy Sh*t!

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:05:15 +0000

Not a type-o or exaggeration in that title. Qualcomm actually did announce today at MWC that they have quad-core (APQ8064) Snapdragon processors in the works that can run at 2.5GHz on each core. 2.5GHz. Per. Core. Four of them. They will also offer single (MSM8930) and dual-core (MSM8960) variants, but the whole family apparently delivers 150% higher overall performance and 65% lower power consumption than currently available ARM-based cores. Talk about ridiculous. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here. We won't see any of these in devices for a while (possible a year) with the dual-core going into sampling in the next couple of months and the single and quad-cores not until 2012, Still, feel free to start dreaming of what we can do with that kind of power. Some nice stuff coming out of the Qualcomm camp including news that devices with their processors will be the first to see the Netflix Android app.

Qualcomm Announces Next-generation Snapdragon Mobile Chipset Family Mobile Technology Leader Debuting New Quad-, Dual- and Single-core Snapdragon Chipsets with a new CPU Architecture BARCELONA, SPAIN – February 14, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced its next mobile processor architecture for the Snapdragon family. The new processor micro-architecture, code-named Krait, in the next-generation Snapdragon will redefine performance for the industry, offering speeds of up to 2.5GHz per core and delivering 150 percent higher overall performance, as well as 65 percent lower power than currently available ARM-based CPU cores. These chipsets will be available in single-, dual- and quad-core versions and include a new Adreno® GPU series with up to four 3D cores, and integrated multi-mode LTE modem. The latest family of Snapdragon chipsets will include the single-core MSM8930™, the dual-core MSM8960™ and the quad-core APQ8064™. All chipsets in the family will integrate a quad-combo of connectivity solutions — WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and FM — and include support for near field communication (NFC), as well as stereoscopic 3D (S3D) video and photo capture and playback. Support for every major operating system, across all tiers of products, comes standard on all Snapdragon chipsets. The software compatible chipset family will share the same 28nm technology and new, purpose-built CPUs and GPUs for the best mobile performance at the lowest power consumption. The latest Adreno GPUs will also be included in the family, allowing developers to continue to utilize high-performance Adreno graphics capabilities to drive spectacular gaming and user experiences across all device tiers. The Adreno GPU has the largest mobile graphics ecosystems with hundreds of games for Android, Windows Phone 7 Xbox gaming, and PlayStation Certified gaming. At the high end, the Adreno 320 quad-core GPU will deliver up to 15 times the performance of the original Adreno to drive the latest games and S3D video on larger-screen devices. Adreno 320 delivers similar graphics performance to today’s latest game consoles, but for mobile devices. In addition, the chipset family will support 3D and S3D games, capture and playback of S3D photos and videos, and output in full HD to a 1080P flat panel display over HDMI. “Just as the original Snapdragon revolutionized smartphones with the first 1GHz processor, these new generations of Snapdragon will revolutionize the next wave of mobile entertainment and computing,” said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president for Qualcomm. “We believe we have an incredible lineup of chips and software, representing a single platform that OEMs can utilize to create new devices ranging from mass market smartphones with integrated LTE, to tablets, to next generation computing and entertainment devices.” The single-core MSM8930 is the world’s first single-chip solution with an integrated LTE modem designed to take LTE to mass market smartphones. It will include the new Adreno 305 GPU which delivers more than six times the performance of the original Adreno. The dual-core MSM8960 is the world’s first dual-core solution with an integrated multi-mode 3G/LTE modem and was designed to meet the requirements of multi-tasking smartphones and tablets. It will include dual asynchronous CPU cores which can be independently controlled for maximum efficiency. The MSM8960 will also support dual-channel LP DDR memory and will feature the Adreno 225 GPU which delivers eight times the performance of the original Adreno. The quad-core APQ8064 will be designed to meet the performance requirements of the next generation of computing and entertainment devices while minimizing power consumption. As with the Snapdragon dual-core, the APQ8064 will include four asynchronous CPU cores which can be independently controlled for maximum efficiency. The Adreno 320 quad-core GPU debuts in the APQ8064 processor where it enables console-quality gaming and renders rich user interfaces. The APQ8064 will also include a variety of features that make it a compelling processing solution for use in mobile entertainment and computing devices, including support for both PC and LP DDR memory, serial and PCIe interfaces, and multiple USB ports. The APQ8064 will also seamlessly integrate with Qualcomm 3G and LTE MDM™ modems and modules, giving OEMs a flexible and cost-efficient platform that can meet all of their design configuration needs and help reduce time to market. Samples of the MSM8960 are anticipated to be available in Q2 2011 and samples of the MSM8930 and APQ8064 are anticipated to be available in early 2012. For more information about the Snapdragon processor’s next-generation CPU architecture, the first quad-core CPU and GPU features, and to see many of the top new devices powered by Snapdragon processors, please visit us during the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2010 (Booth 8B53, Hall 8), Feb. 14-17 in Barcelona or visit www.qualcomm.com/snapdragon. About Qualcomm Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web: www.qualcomm.com Corporate Blog: www.qualcomm.com/blog Twitter: www.twitter.com/qualcomm Facebook: www.facebook.com/qualcomm Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company’s ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of APQ8064, MSM8960 and MSM8930 components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which the Snapdragon platform is adopted, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2010, and most recent Form 10-Q.

Download New LauncherPro Themes: BLURPS, Clouds, and Metro

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:30:21 +0000

Our man signals23 over at XDA has been busy updating all of the LauncherPro Plus themes that have now become so famous. And actually, he's released a whole set of new themes that we weren't aware of and wanted to make sure you all checked them out. He's calling them Metro, Clouds and BLURPS and are seriously works of LP art. You'll find multiple colors that are all based off of the latest version of LauncherPro and work incredibly well with a variety of themes. Show signals23 some love. METRO: Download CLOUDS: Download BLURPS: Blue | Red | Grey | Green Instructions: 1. Backup your current LP settings. Preferences>Backup homescreens & settings. 2. Uninstall LauncherPro. 3. Download a themed version from above. 4. When it finishes, tap on the download and click "Install." 5. When installation is complete, restore your previous settings. Preferences>Restore backup. 6. Enjoy! The rest of the themes can be found over at XDA. Cheers Picolas!

Netflix on Android Confirmed for Snapdragon Phones First

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:20:07 +0000

Qualcomm happened to mention to our friends over at Android and Me during CES that the Netflix app would be coming to Android phones running their Snapdragon processors first due to their grasp on security and today, they confirmed it at MWC. We had seen a random video of an LG Revolution running the Netflix app back at CES and since that device runs on a Snapdragon, it is no longer surprising. No word at all on when phones with Tegra 2's or other processors might see streaming movie goodness, but I'm sure they are working a hard as they can do get it done. So yeah, that means no Netflix any time soon on your XOOM. And maybe HTC has something up their tablet sleeve for their event tonight? Not that you needed one, but I guess this gives you another reason to consider the Thunderbolt. It's almost guaranteed to have Netflix support before anyone else in the Android game.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Platform to Help Enable Instant Streaming from Netflix on Android Devices Fulfills Netflix Security Requirements Necessary to Bring Netflix Application to Snapdragon-enabled Android Devices BARCELONA, SPAIN – February 14, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today announced that future Android devices powered by the Snapdragon™ platform will have access to instant streaming of TV shows and movies from Netflix. “We’re excited about this collaborative effort to help bring the Netflix application to Android devices running on the Snapdragon platform,” said Liat Ben-Zur, senior director of software strategy and ecosystems for Qualcomm. “Qualcomm is in a unique position to help bring the most optimized and advanced Android apps to market through working closely with the strong ecosystem of Snapdragon developers like Netflix.” Snapdragon processors are designed to deliver dynamic performance and media protection features in a turnkey package, allowing the devices they power to more easily pass through the approval process required for Netflix certification. Additionally, Netflix video decoding is handled by highly efficient dedicated hardware, extending battery life and improving picture quality. “We’re pleased to expand our mobile offering by providing our members an app for TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix to Snapdragon-enabled Android devices,” said Bill Holmes, Netflix vice president of Business Development. “Qualcomm’s expertise in mobile hardware/software integration and their collaboration in the consumer electronics space makes them the perfect fit in bringing Netflix to a range of Android handsets and tablets.” Qualcomm will demonstrate the Netflix application for at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress in the Company’s exhibit, located in Exhibit Hall 8, #8B53. About Qualcomm Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web: www.qualcomm.com Corporate Blog: www.qualcomm.com/blog Twitter: www.twitter.com/qualcomm Facebook: www.facebook.com/qualcomm Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company’s ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of Snapdragon components on a timely and profitable basis, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2010, and most recent Form 10-Q.

Motorola Announces WiFi-only Version of XOOM...for Europe

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:43:01 +0000

And just like we saw with the Milestone and a few other Motorola devices, it has been announced that the XOOM will head to Europe in Q2 of 2011. Normally we avoid anything not in the U.S., but there is a piece to this announcement that I'm assuming will interest many of you. Remember all that talk last week of a WiFi-only version? Well, that news was true, but we have no idea if it'll ever grace our shores. For whatever reason (money), major Android tablet makers aren't willing to sell WiFi-only versions here in the U.S. just yet. Look at the Galaxy Tab that was announced at CES...anyone heard from that little guy in a while? Oh, a new promo video without the "3G upgradeable to 4G!" comment has been uploaded.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI1qwLtTukw[/youtube]

Anyone have the will-power to hold out for this version?

Just as Expected, Best Buy Extends Free Buy Back Program for Smartphones to February 26

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:52:49 +0000

If you read our site religiously, then you already knew that the Buy Back program from Best Buy was going to be extended until February 26th, but that news has now been announced by the company. We wrote up an example situation for the program at this post, but also wanted to toss out a new idea. We've heard rumors of a possible $615 full retail price at Verizon stores for the HTC Thunderbolt, so it may be worth your time to have Best Buy price match that, and then get yourself into the Buy Back program for free in case you decide a BIONIC is your next best friend. Just something to think about.

Words With Friends Released on Android

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:28:03 +0000

The Scrabble-esque multi-player word game from Zynga aka Words With Friends, is now available on Android. We had heard is was going to be out on Friday from an anonymous source, and sure enough, they were almost right. The game is free and can be played against any one of your friends, including those unfortunate ones that forked out cash for a device that just landed on Verizon, is almost a year old and will be replaced in June. We've already jumped into a random game to begin the DL domination. Download Link Cheers Tony!

Archives: DROID BIONIC Intro Video from Motorola's 2011 CES Event

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:09:23 +0000

Over the weekend, we were digging through our camera and found a bunch of left over clips from CES that we had somehow forgotten about and have now uploaded them all to our YouTube account. You'll see videos like Motorola's XOOM intro, Verizon's 4G LTE wrap-up, and a quick teaser for the Optimus 2X. The star though, is the one we've posted for you below that was the introduction video for the DROID BIONIC at Motorola's event. With so much talk recently about the Thunderbolt, we thought it was time to remind everyone that our dual-core family member should be here in just 3-4 months. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5XkOA4qfZc[/youtube]

Motorola Gives us the "Evolution of MotoBlur"

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:47:52 +0000

Motorola announced the newest version of MotoBlur today and while they didn't provide a set of pictures, we're assuming it's the new skin we saw on the DROID BIONIC at CES in our hands-on and through those leaked shots of Gingerbread on the DROID X. The new Blur, from our time with it, is the best we've seen yet although we won't know if it'll be widely accepted by most until we spend some serious time with it. In this new version, we get a new music player which is the same one that leaked out a few weeks back, Aloqa's location-based services, and a connected gallery to make your pictures and videos as social as they can be. Again, we'll hold off on our thoughts for this new Blur until we get some real hands-on time with it and will instead leave you to do what you do best in the comments.

Get Your Head In The Cloud Motorola Mobility’s MOTOBLUR™, the software solution that delivers all of your most relevant content right to your homescreen, has undergone several enhancements to keep users even more connected to what is going on in their lives. The latest version of MOTOBLUR now includes enhanced location, messaging, music and gallery features, while continuing to sync your favorite content, deliver it to your home screen and integrate it throughout the entire phone so you can communicate any way you like. With MOTOBLUR, all your favorite friends’ feeds, messages and media are organized and streamed to new 3D dashboards, so you can focus on what people have to say – not how that say it. Discover the World Around You Motorola Mobility has integrated the Aloqa™ open, location-triggered mobile push platform into the MOTOBLUR experience. Aloqa’s technologies and services utilize a user’s context, including location, identity and social relationships, to proactively inform them of places, events, bargains and other opportunities that may be of interest to them. For example, if Aloqa’s software recognizes the user is in a certain region, it will provide alerts on top events of the day or special offers from leading discounters in the vicinity. Music is Now Social MOTOBLUR’s new Connected Music service makes sharing and buying music-related content more seamless than ever. Consumers can follow what friends are listening to through last.fm, get recommendations on new songs with Rovi and purchase them immediately through Amazon. And, while songs are playing, TuneWiki streams lyrics so users can sing along without missing a beat. Your Social Network’s Photos and Videos Living in Harmony MOTOBLUR’s new Connected Gallery service brings photos and videos on your phone together with you and your friends’ online albums from Facebook^®, Flickr^™, Photobucket^®, Picasa^™ and more. Users get pushed updates when new media is uploaded or friends comment on your online media. Locate and Access Your Device from Anywhere The redesigned MOTOBLUR Owners Portal enables you to locate and erase your mobile device remotely if it gets lost or stolen. It also backs up your contacts, account settings and phone configurations, allowing for easy setup on any new MOTOBLUR-enabled mobile device. In addition, it allows a user to upload contacts from other sources (PCs, older phones) and sync them to a MOTOBLUR phone. Availability MOTOBLUR-enabled applications Connected Galley, Aloqa, and later, Connected Music, will be available as upgrades to recently announced devices, including ATRIX™ 4G and CLIQ 2™. Devices enabled with the full suite of enhanced MOTOBLUR applications are expected to ship in the coming months.

Google Introduces Androidify, "Make Android Your Own" by Turning it into You

Kellen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:54:50 +0000

One of the most entertaining Android apps that I can recall in a long time is now available to everyone on the market, and it's called Androidify. Ever wanted to know what you would look like as Andy the Android? That's exactly what you get to find out with Androidify. You can turn yourself or your entire contact list into our favorite robot and share those creations with the world. Download Link And speaking of sharing, feel free to drop yourself in the comments! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irH3OSOskcE[/youtube] Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Official: Sony Xperia PLAY Headed to Verizon Spring 2011

Kellen — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:37:53 +0000

Time to welcome in a new member to the already impressive Android collection on Verizon, the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY aka the Playstation Phone. Murmurs of the device possibly hitting Big Red started last week and today, it became official in an announcement at MWC in Barcelona. The PLAY will come to VZW first out of all the U.S. carriers and should be here some time in the spring, which means it'll be battling it out with new versions of our beloved DROID franchise like the DROID X2. Loading up with Gingerbread (Android 2.3), a slideout gaming keyboard, 4" screen, 5MP camera, 1GHz processor, and a GPU capable of producing 60 FPS, this could be one heck of a fun toy. What do you guys think? Who's ready for some serious gaming? Full gallery, press release and specs after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Game On. Sony Ericsson Brings Highly Anticipated Xperia™ Play To The Verizon Wireless Network • Xperia(TM) PLAY is the world’s first PlayStation(TM) certified smartphone • Powered by the latest version of the Android(TM) platform (Gingerbread version 2.3) • Xperia(TM) PLAY will be available in the United States in the Spring 2011 • More than 50 top game titles available at launch ATLANTA, GA — Are Americans ready to play? Sony Ericsson and Verizon Wireless think so. Sony Ericsson today announced that its new Xperia™ PLAY, the world’s first PlayStation™ certified smartphone, will be available on the Verizon Wireless Network in the Spring 2011. “This spring, expect to see a lot of people with their heads down and thumbs up,” said Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson. “Xperia™ PLAY combined with the power of the Verizon network gives you everything you need in a smartphone and the one thing you want – the ultimate gaming experience.” Xperia™ PLAY is powered by the latest version of the Android platform (Gingerbread version 2.3) – and is PlayStation-certified, which ensures an optimized gaming experience featuring content from the PlayStation Suite. Xperia™ PLAY will provide a best-in-class gaming experience right out of the box with many of the most popular games pre-loaded, including Asphalt Adrenaline 6, Bruce Lee, Star Battalion, The Sims 3, and Tetris. More than 50 additional titles from top franchises at leading game publishers will be available for purchase at launch. “Working with Sony Ericsson to bring the world’s first PlayStation-certified smartphone to the nation’s most reliable network builds on our commitment to deliver the best mobile gaming and entertainment experience to our customers,” said Jeff Dietel, vice president-marketing for Verizon Wireless. According to the Entertainment Software Association’s 2010 consumer survey, in the United States:

67 percent of households play computer or video games

42 percent of heads of households report they play games on wireless devices, up from 20 percent in 2002

The average game player age is 34 and 40 percent of game players are women

Facebook users can enter the First2Play contest and could be one of the first 10 people to get the Xperia™ PLAY by visitingwww.facebook.com/SEUSA. Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY Key Features:

PlayStation certified gaming experience

Latest version of the Android platform (Gingerbread version 2.3)

60fps play-back enabled through the Snapdragon 1Ghz process, optimized with enhanced graphical processor unit the Adreno 205

Dedicated gaming controls for real console quality game play, including four-way directional keys, recognizable ABCD keys with PlayStation iconography, left/right shoulder keys and two analog touch inputs for joystick action

4-inch brilliant multi-touch display

5.0 megapixel camera

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2011 The Liquid Identity logo and Xperia are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at:www.sonyericsson.com/cws/common/legal/disclaimer. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. All terms are subject to change without prior notice. Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, SE-221 88 Lund, Sweden. Printed in January 2011, R1A About Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson established in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations in all major markets. Our vision is to become the industry leader in Communication Entertainment; where new styles of communicating through the internet and social media, become entertainment. Sony Ericsson offers exciting consumer experiences through phones, accessories, content and applications. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visitwww.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library atwww.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Official Specs:

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY Camera

5.1 megapixel camera

Auto focus

Flash / Photo light

Geo tagging

Image stabiliser

Send to web

Touch focus

Video light

Video recording

Video blogging

Music

Album art

Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)

Google™ Music Player

Music tones (MP3/AAC)

PlayNow™ service*

Sony Ericsson Music player

Stereo speakers

TrackID™ music recognition application

Internet

Android Market™*

Bookmarks

Google™ search*

Google™ Voice Search*

Pan & zoom

Web browser (Webkit)

Communication

Call list

Conference calls

Facebook™ application (from Android Market™)

Google™ Talk*

Noise Shield

Polyphonic ringtones

Speakerphone

Sony Ericsson Timescape™***

Twitter™ application (from Android Market™)

Vibrating alert

Messaging

Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)

Conversations

Email

Google Mail™*

Instant messaging

Picture messaging (MMS)

Predictive text input

Sound recorder

Text messaging (SMS)

Design

Auto rotate

Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key)

Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)

Picture wallpaper

Touchscreen

Wallpaper animation

Entertainment

3D games

Dedicated gaming keys

Flash Lite™

Gesture gaming

Motion gaming

Video streaming

YouTube™

Organiser

Alarm clock

Calculator

Calendar

Document editors

Document readers

E-Manual

Flight mode

Google Calendar™

Google Gallery 3D™

Infinite button

Phone book

Set-up Wizard

Widget manager

Connectivity

3.5 mm audio jack

aGPS

Bluetooth™ technology

DLNA Certified

Google Latitude™

Google Location Service

Google Maps™ with Street View

Media Transfer Protocol support

Micro USB Connector

Modem

Synchronisation via Facebook™**

Synchronisation via Google Sync™

Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®

Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync

USB 2.0 high speed support

Wi-Fi™

Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality

* The service is not available in all markets. ** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device. Google™ services* * These services may not be available in every market Android Market™ Client

Gmail™

Google Calendar™

Google Gallery 3D™

Google Latitude™

Google Maps™ with Street View

Google Media Uploader

Google Music Player™

Google Phone-top Search

Google Search widget

Google Sync™

Google Talk™

Google Voice Search

Set-up Wizard

YouTube™

Screen

16,777,216 colour TFT

Capacitive multi-touch

4 inches

480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA)

In-Box:

Xperia™ PLAY

Battery

Stereo portable handsfree

8GB microSD™ memory card

Charger

Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer

User documentation

Facts

Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm

Weight: 175 grams

Phone memory: 400 MB

Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32 GB

Memory card included: 8GB microSD™

Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7

Talk time and networks Networks

Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*

Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*

Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*

Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*

Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*

Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*

Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*

MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*

Networks

UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100

GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900

UMTS HSPA 900, 2100

GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900

CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO

Colour

Black

White

Additional Motorola XOOM Pricing Details, Thunderbolt at Best Buy Date

Kellen — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:28:38 +0000

As you all know by now, a Motorola XOOM landing page popped up late last night showing a $1199 causing one of the biggest internet outrages we've seen in quite some time. We tried to make it clear that the price would not be $1199 and would indeed end up at $799 for launch just as all of the flyers we've seen hinted at, but that doesn't appear to be enough for everyone. Well so you know, we've been told from our friends at Best Buy that all of the training guides mention $799 meaning $1199 is no where to be found. It's not going to be $1200, people. We also just heard that there will be a $35 activation fee to go along with the first month $20 data package in order to activate WiFi. I know that will probably anger you even more, but almost all new devices have an activation fee of that amount. It's up to you to try to negotiate that down or out. Oh, and if you didn't notice, the XOOM page on Best Buy's site is now gone and likely won't show back up until that February 17 pre-order date we broke news about on Friday. Moving on to the Thunderbolt. I know that many of you are wondering if you can pick-up your pre-ordered phone tomorrow at Best Buy, and according to the memo below, that won't be happening. The phone isn't slated to drop until the 24th, and BBY is now telling their employees that the launch date is "TBD", so don't plan on making a trip to your local store in the morning.

We'll more than likely have more info for you very soon, so stay close. Cheers that dude!

DROID X2 Pictures and Specs Surface: Dual-core Processor, 1GB RAM, and qHD Screen Included

Kellen — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 09:39:04 +0000

We first reported that the 2011 DROID line-up would include a freshly upgraded DROID X2 powered by a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, but now we have a set of pictures and additional specs to confirm all of that. Site The Mobi Zone snagged an entire gallery of shots of the upcoming DX2 and you'll notice right away that it looks no different than the original. In fact, the only difference we're seeing is the removal of a dedicated camera button. The phone won't have a front facing camera, but will have that dual-core power, 1GB RAM, qHD screen and the new Blur that we've seen on the BIONIC. It looks like a beast, but the lack of a front camera is a little frustrating. I guess Verizon won't be including them in any of their non-4G phones? And how could this phone have more RAM than the BIONIC? Other specs:

NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor
1GB RAM
QHD LCD Display - 540 x 960 Resolution (Same as Motorola Bionic)
3G Only - No LTE/4G
8MP Rear Facing Camera (No Front Cam)
Froyo (Android 2.2) - Could get Gingerbread (Adnroid 2.3) before launch
New Moto Blur (Same as Droid Bionic)
FM Radio
Locked/Encrypted BootLoader
Launch in Q2 of 2011
No Hardware Camera button

Full gallery after the break. Update: We were asked by the source to remove the pics. Sorry folks! Via: The Mobi Zone

Motorola XOOM Pre-Order Page Goes Up at Best Buy with $1199 Price Tag (Updated)

Kellen — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 08:52:12 +0000

The Motorola XOOM site has gone live at BestBuy.com/Xoom and the world has officially come to an end, or at least that's what my inbox is telling me. The device is showing a price of $1199 and as far as I know, it's not a mistake, at least for now. Our sources at BBY have been telling us this number for a week now, but we've avoided it as the price likely won't be anywhere near its 24th launch date. Update: BestBuy.com/Xoom is now a dead page. Whoops! You might remember the $799 price we confirmed through next Sunday's ad? As far as we know, that's the price you'll pay if this is to be your next tablet and if not, well, we aren't going there because $1199 is not happening. We're hearing that the $1199 price is sort of the non-data price, but it's hard to tell since the new landing page also mentions the "1 month data activation required."

In related news, the pre-order starts on Thursday just like we said it would. Of course, we better see that old $799 price return in a hurry or I doubt any of us will be taking advantage. Trust me though, this will not be the price you pay on the 24th. (God, I hope not anyway.) Cheers to everyone who sent this in!

Review: Shift does platforming with a touchscreen right

Matt Demers — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:00:17 +0000

If you're familiar with my game reviews, you'll know that I'm not a fan of anything that tries to make precision movements with on-screen buttons work. They tend to be ill-advised affairs, and a frustrating time for all. Something about buttons that aren't quite 100% responsive and tricky movements just makes my skin crawl; it's like trying to play Tetris on the highest level when your flip button has a random 1-3 delay. You never know when your actions are going to be performed the way you want, and that makes for a bad gaming experience. Shift adds something else into an otherwise bad formula: it's a port of an iOS game, which in turn is a port of a flash game. I'm not going to hate it on principle alone (there's been some pretty great iOS ports to Android), but it makes me wary. Something as intricate as a platformer needs attention to detail, not a "rush it out to as many platforms as possible" attitude. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvBKNCqodDI[/youtube] Shift is a cross between the video game Portal and an otherwise normal 2D platformer: you are a test subject working your way through a number of obstacle chambers. Your objective is to gather keys in each level to eventually progress to the end door. The game has standard controls: move left and right, and jump. However, there's something unique added into the mix that fits with the game's black-and-white color scheme: players are able to "shift" between the black and white sections of the level. Shifting at the bottom of a pit will flip the level and put you on top of a hill of the opposite color. It's with this mechanic in mind that you need to complete the levels. Some are timed, others just puzzling - either way, I'll have to praise the developers for creativity. Also worthy of praise is the control scheme: I played an early version where there were four buttons: one each for left and right, and a button above them for a diagonal jump. If you had your finger on the "go left" button, you were expected to slide your finger up to the "up and to the left" button to jump. This worked horribly, as sometimes the game wouldn't recognize your combination and it would kill your momentum before a jump: this is suicide in a precision-based platformer. However, the last update changed this. Instead of four buttons, there were two: go left, and go right. Holding down one of them would change the other button to a "jump" button, fixing the above problem (see the above video). Good work, developers. Gold star. I rarely mention this is game reviews due to lack of any good examples, but the music in Shift is sublime. They fully embrace the noir aesthetics and give us an amazing detective jazz soundtrack to go along with our escapades. I fully expect for the rain to start pouring any second and enhance the mood. It's not all good, however. Shift is the first free game that's added video ads to their roulette: every 2-3 levels of the free version, you'll be treated to the same ad, which is mercifully skippable. This is kind of disrupting, and I'm not a big fan of the practice; I mean, it's fine if you want to subsidize giving out a free app, but don't ruin the game experience by taking us out of it to watch something by Swiffer. It's like if every game's loading screen was replaced with a Burger King ad: how would that effect my immersion in Mass Effect? Ultimately, it's up to the user to decide what they want to put up with. I still recommend Shift as a game: the free version is ad-supported and has a limited amount of levels, while the paid version ($1.99) has 40 and is ad-free. Download the free version or the paid version here. [note: I realize the above video is for the iOS version; this was the only gameplay video I could find. Thanks.] --- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and enjoys nothing more than putting on some Coltrane and Rainymood.com. Definitely makes work go by faster. Check it out! You can find him on Twitter, or reach him via e-mail.

Review: Runik brings tile matching madness to Android

Matt Demers — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 11:00:49 +0000

I'm a big fan of puzzle games on my phone for two reasons: usually they're quite easy to pick up, and they tend to be easy on my aging Droid's poor processor. Accessibility is key for Android games, and puzzlers seem to be one of the few genres that can benefit from touchscreen controls. Runik's a great example; this new game comes to us from team SoFresh and has the distinction of being a purely Android game. I give this props because there seems to be way too many "port of an iOS" titles these days. Runik's simple: it throws a "match 3 or more" formula at you, which is extremely easy to pick up. Players start with a full board of runes and match until no combinations remain. The only thing shifting the tiles is the force of gravity, so it pays to think steps ahead before you break especially big chains. Once combinations are exhausted, the leftovers turn to stone; any tiles cleared next to these stone pieces, however, become active again. If played unwisely, this can lead to a very limited playing space. Play continues until there are literally no more moves, but I haven't reached this yet. As you clear runes of a color, meters at the bottom for each color fill. When topped up, they provide a score bonus for that color, and when activated, clear all the tiles of that type. This leads to a very strategic usage: you don't want to waste that score bonus with few tiles on the field. Controls are simple: click to match. Not much to say there. However, it can be a little annoying to have to wait for the gravity effect of falling blocks to finish before making your next match. The graphics are great and sound is a generic "calming puzzle music" soundtrack, but they both do their jobs extremely well; I could play a puzzler of giant pixels and a MIDI loop in the background if the gameplay is addicting and functional. There are achievements and profiling supported through ScoreLoop, but I don't really bother with these things. It's enough to have to register with OpenFeint for some titles in order to stop prompts; I'm not going to sign up if it's non-intrusive, like Runik. I'm going to give props for not shoving it down our throats, though. Runik is free and ad-supported, so I definitely recommend it. So far, this is SoFresh's first offering to the Android field, and I hope it won't be their last. Download Runik here. -- Matt Demers is Droid Life's App guy, and would love a good port to Tetris Attack, or Pokemon Puzzle League. Those games were legit. You can find him on Twitter, or contact him through his Droid Life e-mail.

Another HTC Thunderbolt RUU Pops Up Just Before Launch (Version 1.10.605.3)

Kellen — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:39:56 +0000

It looks like the final RUU for the HTC Thunderbolt has been leaked just 12 days before the phone is supposed to hit stores. We've seen at least two of these since the phone was announced at CES (here and here), so you might as well grab this one for your collection. Oh, if you missed our news on pricing from yesterday, you can check it out here.

RUU | PG05IMG

Via: 911 Sniper

Best Buy Will Hold a Pre-sale for the Motorola XOOM Starting February 17th

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:02:21 +0000

Best Buy is really starting to gear up for the launch of the Motorola XOOM. We received confirmation earlier that it will be priced at $799 and that at least a 1-month data plan will be required to unlock WiFi on it, but that's not all. For those of you wishing to lock one down prior to its February 24th launch date, you are in luck. BBY is prepping a pre-sale which starts next week on the 17th we are being told. Units should arrive in store by the 20th, but obviously you won't be able to pick them up then. Cheers ____!

Widget: BobClockD3 brings the sexy

Matt Demers — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:15:03 +0000

Earlier I had some people over on my RedWall review ask me what clock widget app I was using, so I thought I'd oblige that. This awesome clock is called the BobClockD3, and it comes to us from the fine people over at the XDA forums. The widget draws inspiration from the Korean-made Cowon D3 media player, which features a clock very similar to this one. It's available for free through a number of download links on the forum post. The one I'm personally using is a modified version of the original from user "lesa0208," which has a number of color options available. However, you can only install one color at a time. The .rar of the .apks can be found here (mirror for non-XDA members). Happy customizing! --- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and enjoys not having the top two rows of his home screen taken up by Beautiful Widgets. You can find him on Twitter or by e-mail.

Official Sports Illustrated App Available on Android, Tablet Version Too

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:29:07 +0000

If you are a Sports Illustrated subscriber then you may want to head to the Android Market now and download the official app that launched today. Both digital and print subscribers should have access to it, but those would be the only people. Magazines still have to make money, folks. There are tablet and phone versions and we've got the links to both of them below.

Download Link | For Tablets

Cheers everyone!

Confirmed: Motorola XOOM is $799 at Best Buy, 1-Month Data Package Required to Unlock WiFi

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:17:51 +0000

In next Sunday's Best Buy ad (February 20th), we already found out that the HTC Thunderbolt would be $249 on 2-year contract and $749 at full retail, but what about the Motorola XOOM? We had seen a price of $799 a couple of weeks back and also heard that a 1-month data subscription would be required to unlock WiFi on the device. Well peeps, we've confirmed both of those. The price is indeed $799 at BBY and you'll have to grab at a data plan for the first month in order to unlock WiFi. We're assuming that you can cancel immediately after and enjoy the device with just WiFi, but you'll shell out an extra $20 on day 1. Oh, and Best Buy definitely expects to sell it on the 24th. Note: So that everyone is clear, this is the ad that comes out on the 20th. You won't see it in tomorrow's newspaper. Cheers ____!

Confirmed: HTC Thunderbolt is $249 on 2-year Contract, $749 Full Retail at Best Buy

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:49:17 +0000

Well check "pricing" off the list of things we wanted confirmed for the HTC Thunderbolt. Best Buy plans on selling the device for $249 on new 2-year contract, a price we had heard before, but are seeing officially for the first time in next Sunday's ad (Feb. 20th). Oh, and a full price of $749 is also confirmed. Yikes.

We have a Motorola XOOM pricing confirmation as well. Note: So that everyone is clear, this is the ad that comes out on the 20th. You won't see it in tomorrow's newspaper. Cheers ____!

Charts: The State of the DROID ROM-o-sphere

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:23:16 +0000

On Tuesday we asked our readers which ROM they were currently running on their rooted device and almost 800 people responded. The number of ROMs mentioned blew minds yet also introduced many of you to something you may have never heard of; it was a great success. The information though, while amazing to look at, quickly became a little overwhelming as the numbers piled up and we were left wondering what to do with it all. And then one of our readers (@HeliosAI) approached us, asking to take on the task of sifting through each comment, sorting them all by ROM and device, and then displaying them in a set of beautiful graphs. Ever wanted to know what the most popular ROM was for the original DROID, DROID X, DROID 2, Incredible or Galaxy S? We have them for you below. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="rand"] *ROMs that fall under "Other":

OG Droid: Gimpsource [2] MetiCkMod [2] FroyoMod [1] Froyo Kangerade [1] C-ROM [1]
Droid X: Runic Blurry [1] Rumm Rx [1] Modified Blur [1]
Droid Incredible: Ultimate Droid [1] Uncommon Sense [1] Super Z Enhanced [1] Redemptive Rom [1] Redemptive REVOlution [1] Magnolia [1] Warm two point two [1] Warm Z two point two [1] Carbonite Sense [1] IncRom [1]

Now before you all say it, we understand that we could have also asked people to display if they were "unrooted and stock", but that wasn't the poll. This is just a fun way to look at the variety of ROMs that are out in the wild. Enjoy! Everyone drop a huge "Thanks!" to Jon for putting these together. And feel free to check out his blog Binary-Impact to show your support.

Review: RedWall makes social wallpapering a breeze

Matt Demers — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:30:29 +0000

If you're like me, you prefer that your Android looks as stylish as it works. Besides skinning your home replacement app or customizing your boot animation, there's something even more rudimentary that can shift the whole motif of your phone: your wallpaper. Unfortunately, all wallpapers aren't created equal: a user usually has to properly re-size an image to their phone's specific resolution, transfer it to an SD card then crop it from within the phone. This, however, excludes the monumentous task of finding wallpapers that aren't crap in the first place. I've found an app called RedWall that eliminates some of these frustrations. Reddit is a portmanteau of the words "Reddit" and "wallpaper." In simplest terms, it scrapes a certain Reddit sub-board (/r/redwall) for images and allows you to set them as your phone background; images are downloaded, cropped and set in one swift motion. The backgrounds I've tried both look great and are sized appropriately; I haven't had to worry about jagged pixels or misshapen images. This is a giant plus in my book, since there's less work to do to get something great. Perhaps what's most interesting about this app is that the wallpapers shown are influenced by the Reddit voting mechanics. Top "day", "week" and "month" sortings show what's been voted on the most in those time periods; if you have a Reddit account, you can go to the board and contribute yourself. So I'd recommend getting RedWall (it's free, with ads) and try out a few of their offerings. There's an extremely good chance you'll find something you like. Reddit is good like that. Download RedWall here [Note: in the screenshot above, the "grey stairs" icons are replaced by image previews once they've loaded. I snapped my screenshot a little too quick. Also, the wallpaper I'm using is called "Coloured Pipes"] -- Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and would like to pay his respects to Brian Jacques, the author of the lovely Redwall books. Rest in peace, Brian. You can find Matt on Twitter, or e-mail him.

Gameloft Valentine's Sale: 60% Off All HD Android Games (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:45:47 +0000

Gameloft just dropped us a note about their Valentine's sale that will run from today through the 15th and gives you access to their catalog of HD games on Android for less than half the price. Yep, a 60% off sale for the next 4 days on games like Spiderman and Modern Combat. While you are out waiting in line to buy your chick some expensive flowers, buy yourself something too. Update: Our Gameloft contact assures us the sale is 60% even with the site only saying 50%. Update 2: As many of you noticed, the games are appearing at full price. I've reached out for additional details. Update 3: I was able to access the games for $1.99 on my DROID X by going to gameloft.com from a PC browser and then sending the game to my device via text message. Try that for now. Here are some of the titles available:

Spiderman Total Mayhem GT Racing Oregon Trail Splinter Cell Conviction Modern Combat Sandstorm UNO Gangstar West Coast Hustle Shrek Kart Let’s Golf 2 Dungeon Hunter

Visit the Gameloft Store to take advantage.

Need Cash for a Thunderbolt? Sell Your DROID Through eBay's New Instant Sale

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:12:34 +0000

This email landed in my inbox yesterday and I wasn't really sure what to do with it. Apparently, eBay is doing some extra promoting of their new "Instant Sale" where they are looking to get you out of your current phone in exchange for cash so you can buy something new. The promo has i*hone on Verizon written all over it and is likely the reason they are spreading the word on it, but we all know you'd use the cash for a Thunderbolt, right? All you have to do is head to the Instant Sale page, pick your current device and the condition it's in, and an amount is spit out. From there, you can accept instant offers from resellers, print out a free shipping label and then welcome in cash to your Paypal account. Some of the offers I'm seeing:

DROID X - $200
DROID 2 - $181
DROID 1 - $162
DROID Incredible - $180
DROID Pro - $161
DROID 2 Global - $183
DROID Eris - $103

As far as I can tell, this thing is legit, but it is eBay. Anyone actually tried this? Cheers Nick!

Download: Stock Android 2.3.2 for Original DROID by Peter Alfonso

Kellen — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 07:41:31 +0000

Original DROID users, it's time to get your Gingerbread on and you can thank our friend Peter Alfonso for it. With most of us accepting the fact that the OG will never see an official Android 2.3 build from Moto, Pete has taken it upon himself to make sure you get damn close. His newest ROM is a stock AOSP 2.3.2 build which is about as new as you'll see, but the plans are for this to be updated as Google updates, meaning you'll definitely see 2.3.3 the minute it's available. And when I say "stock" I'm not messing around. Sure, he tweaked some things here and there to give you a great experience, but on the outside, it will look just like an official update that you have received OTA. Stock launcher, ringtones, wallpaper, boot animation and neural network live paper are all included, so this won't feel like a "custom" ROM, but that's the point. The goal is for this to become a way to keep the hundreds of thousands of OG users running the latest Android build. You'll notice in the filename below a "GPA10" which is the start of his naming convention. As you see that number continue to rise, that will likely mean that you need to update to the latest build. And if you don't want that 100% stock feel, don't worry as he'll be adding features to Bugless Beast. Thanks Pete! Download: GPA10DEODEXED.zip Flash to your phone just as you would any other ROM. Please make a backup! Additional details and support can be found at Pete's site.

Android Collectible Stars in Big Bang Theory

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:22:19 +0000

If anyone watched the Big Bang Theory tonight, you probably saw our little green friend appear in an extended video chatting scene, planted firmly on Sheldon's desk as he video chatted with some chick. I know it's not a "DROID", but still fun to see, especially on the day when the mainstream media tried their hardest to make it sound like that other phone's availability on Verizon mattered. Cheers Jamie!

Verizon Giving Away $200 Gift Cards Every Hour Today

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:21:25 +0000

We found this tip snuggled in the forums and had to share with everyone. Verizon is giving away a $200 gift card every hour today to celebrate the launch of a certain phone. That doesn't mean that Android users aren't welcome though. In fact, Android owners winning gift cards from an i*hone-inspired event has "WIN" written all over it.

Enter here.

HTC Thunderbolt Launch Switches Back to Our Original Date of February 24th? Silly.

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:52:35 +0000

Everything we've been told over the last month or so has suggested that the HTC Thunderbolt would be out in the last week of February on the 24th. So when we see that a rogue Verizon insider is spreading news to 4 or 5 tech sites claiming that this will be the official date, we won't be surprised nor should you be if it comes true. Let's break this all down for you:

We bring up the idea that the end of February makes the most sense.
It's confirmed by multiple sources.
February 24th is specifically confirmed by multiple sources.
We walk-through a possible timeline which includes a 14-day post-i*hone date of the 24th.
Best Buy surprises everyone with a pre-order beginning Feb. 6th; Verizon won't comment.
Best Buy gives mixed message to customers on a pickup date, price, etc.
Best Buy releases official announcement, doesn't mention date.
We receive word that the TBolt has been delayed; 14th is no where to be mentioned.
Minutes later, a TBolt teaser ad is removed from YouTube.
Thunderbolt passes through the FCC.
We receive word that Skype will be live on the 28th.
We hear last night and again today that the 24th is still the day.

Can we wait another 2 weeks? Of course we can. People shouldn't be worried about the date anymore anyway and should instead be focused on this price point that seems to be the hot topic today. And now we'll sit back and wait for that press release tomorrow, so we can show off our true telepathic powers. Kidding!

Silver Motorola XOOM in Action, WiFi-only and GSM Versions Confirmed?

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:11:52 +0000

A WiFi-only Motorola XOOM may have passed through the FCC yesterday sparking a bunch of speculation as to when or if we'd ever actually see it. And then yesterday, Middle Eastern tech site TBreak released a full 10-minute video walk-through on a silver version, claiming throughout that Motorola had confirmed that both GSM and WiFi-only models would definitely be on the way. Check out the silver back and video after the break. Via: TBreak, Phandroid

Twitter 2.0 for Android Now Available

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:05:16 +0000

The new Twitter 2.0 is available in the market if anyone is interested. It's the exact same version we saw previewed this morning, meaning nothing will surprise you, but that shouldn't stop you from giving it a good run-through. Speed and UI enhancements were raved about earlier and that's definitely the case here. This new version is fast, is much easier to navigate around, and should be an option for those of you currently using something like Seesmic. Download Link Cheers @antovolk and TPV!

Yelp for Android Updated, Make OpenTable Reservations Without Leaving the App

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:51:45 +0000

Yelp on Android has an update available that brings it into baller status. You can now book reservations to all of your favorite high roller restaurants from the Yelp app using OpenTable, only you don't have to switch out of the app to do so. It pulls all of the info from your Yelp account and populates it into the reservation screen to make life really simple. Anyone down for a steak tonight? Download Link Cheers imran!

Interested in Paying $749 Full Retail for a Thunderbolt?

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:35:43 +0000

We've been ignoring this story all day while holding out hope that it's just a placeholder price and would be changed come actual release, but we thought it should be at least mentioned to you all now. Our peeps deep inside the ropes at Best Buy are showing that a $749 full retail price for the HTC Thunderbolt is currently all up in the joint. Could be final, could be vapor, could be evil, could be nothing to worry about. We won't know until the phone is announced. Our buddies at Droid Attic and Android Police have the screenshots to prove it.

Speechless. Yep, I am. As someone that only buys phones at full retail to avoid being locked into a contract, this is not exactly getting me excited about the new wave of 4G LTE devices. A little LTE radio really adds $150 in value to a phone? I'll stop my personal comments there until we know if this is true or not.

And hopefully we find out something else after the i*hone lines die down, because man, they were crazy this morning!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUaFywhywjA[/youtube]

Official Redbox App Lands on Android, Reserve Movies from Anywhere

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:01:38 +0000

While we're doing our best to avoid all talk of Thunderbolt pricing for the next few minutes, how about some news of an official Redbox app on Android for movie fanatics? It dropped onto the market last night and is as expected, available for free. You can browse movies, see if they are available at any of your closest locations, and then reserve them. All it takes is a Redbox account and the power is yours. Download Link

Spacetime Studios Introduces Blackstar, A 3D Sci-Fi MMO for Android

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:40:57 +0000

You may know Spacetime Studios from their previous MMO release on Android, Pocket Legends? Well, they are gearing up for a second release titled Blackstar which is a 3D Sci-Fi MMO offering that is expected to bring "a level of polish and content never before seen on mobile." Pretty bold statement for a game that seems to have just barely gotten off the ground and isn't expected to see the market until Q2 2011. This is Spacetime though, and they definitely delivered with P-Legends, so we have no doubts that this game will also be a success. Here are some the expected features:

3D, real-time, persistent MMO

Exciting sci-fi theme with futuristic human and alien races locked in a story-driven struggle for dominance

Three character classes at launch with fully customizable skills and appearances

Thousands of items and equipment such as holograms, dust cannons, and more

Robust social features such as chat and friend lists

Countless hours of worldwide, multiplayer, open-world gameplay

Playable via Wi-Fi, Edge, 3G or 4G connections on most Android or Apple mobile devices

Anticipated rating of 9+ for the following: Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence

Check out a screenshot after the break.

More information can be found at Blackstar.com.

And on a random note, for anyone familiar with Whitefish, MT, the name "Blackstar" might have you dreaming of beer.

Fascinate Froyo EB01 Leaks for Rooted Users

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:30:12 +0000

The Fascinate Froyo build EB01 that we outed on Twitter last week and with a full gallery earlier this week, has made its way into XDA and is available to those of you that are rooted and antsy. The package comes with busybox and root, but other than that hasn't been touched or tweaked. TouchWiz, bloatware and everything else that the official build has are included. Instructions and download links here. Cheers Stephen!

Sonos Announces Android App to Control Your Wireless Home Music System

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:27:47 +0000

If you are a music lover and happen to own a Sonos wireless music player like the S5, then news of a controller app for your Android device should make your day. Sonos produces award winning wireless music systems for your home and their new app will allow you to control it from anywhere in your house using your phone. The app brings you access to internet radio stations, services like Pandora or Spotify, and of course, lets you stream your entire music library. The app will be officially announced next week at MWC and available for free in the Android Market by late March. A video intro is waiting for you after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trp7DhBbNUM[/youtube]

Android 2.3.3 Brings the Full NFC Experience

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:05:57 +0000

When the Nexus S and NFC (Near Field Communications) were introduced just a couple of months ago, the tools available for developers to use to implement this technology was lacking to say the least. Then yesterday happened, and the Android team released 2.3.3 which adds all new NFC capabilities for devs such as a read/write API, more advancing dispatching to give additional control to apps when an NFC tag is present, and limited peer-to-peer NFC device support. Android 2.3.3 will be made available to devices that have previously shipped with 2.3, which means the Nexus S is it? Weird. So we should see a ton of new NFC-capable apps, right? Well, we would need to see NFC chips in a lot more devices first. This is a good start though! Via: Android Developers

Twitter 2.0 for Android on the Way, Speed and UI Changes the Focus

Kellen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:43:31 +0000

The crew over at Everything Android got a hold of what they are calling Twitter 2.0 for Android and popped out a video to show all of the newness. In this version, it seems as if speed was a major focus, but they also changed up the layout and functionality for users quite a bit. I'll be the first to admit that I have used the official Twitter app for all of 30 seconds and am forever attached to Hootsuite, so I'll have to leave it up to you guys to tell me if it's awesome. No word on a release; video after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTlqa-p6yGw[/youtube] Via: Everything Android

Thunderbolt 4G Hotspot Delivers 5 or 8 Connections? HTC Seems Confused.

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:18:17 +0000

We are as bored as you are with this HTC Thunderbolt delay, so we'll attempt to change it up and bring a little humor to the situation. We know that marketing materials and dummy units are arriving in stores right now, but this specific flyer gave us a good laugh. The device will be the first to act as a mobile hotspot on Verizon's 4G LTE network, providing connections for up to 8 devices...err...is it 5 devices? We definitely know that the number is 8, but HTC's element seems to disagree and mentions that it will deliver the "power of 4G to five different devices." Silly HTC. Blame the marketing department for the delay! And actually on a more serious note, we are hearing from VZW insiders that the delay is more than likely due to the hotspot functionality not working correctly. When we broke the news on a push back, the 4G hotspot was also mentioned as no longer being on schedule and is the reason that the 14th will likely be missed. Cheers C!

Verizon Completes World's First VoLTE Call Using an LG Revolution

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:46:46 +0000

Verizon just completed the world's first Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) call, a 33 second long conversation between their director and manager of technology using an LG Revolution. Word got out yesterday that they would be demoing this new VoLTE service at MWC, but the brilliant idea of testing it out before getting on stage must have crossed someone's mind. The press release states that the service will be optimized during 2011 and available some time in 2012, although earlier reports said the Revo would have it working by launch this summer. Either way, the service will allow for amazing call quality and super fast simultaneous voice and data. Nice work Verizon. Presser after the break.

VERIZON WIRELESS ANNOUNCES WORLD’S FIRST SUCCESSFUL VOICE OVER LTE CALL ON A COMMERCIAL LTE NETWORK BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone has confirmed that the company’s technologists placed a live, IMS-based VoLTE (Voice over LTE) call over its commercial network on Wednesday morning. This takes VoLTE calling from a lab environment to a commercial network for the first time anywhere on the globe. The initial call was placed at 9:54 a.m. ET Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 by Balaji Raghavachari, manager of technology for Verizon Wireless, using a LG Revolution 4G smartphone. The call originated at Verizon headquarters in Basking Ridge, N.J. and was received by Sanyogita Shamsunder, director of technology for Verizon Wireless, who was also on a LG Revolution 4G smartphone in Basking Ridge. The initial call was 33 seconds in duration. During additional calls made that morning, the technologists were able to browse the Web and use other data services while participating in voice calls. Melone said, “Today is another proof point that the LTE ecosystem is alive, healthy and thriving. VoLTE will quickly become the global standard for delivering voice over LTE networks.” “The GSMA launched a voice over LTE initiative a year ago with the aim of driving a single, industry-wide solution for voice and messaging services via IP,” said Alex Sinclair, chief technology officer at the GSMA. “We commend Verizon Wireless for helping to make this a reality by conducting the world’s first voice call over a commercial LTE network. The progress made by the GSMA, its members, and in particular Verizon Wireless, to enable this functionality will play a crucial role in driving strong momentum and vast economies of scale for LTE all over the world.” Subsequent test calls lasted more than 10 minutes. Technologists browsed the Web, participated in chats and downloaded applications from the Android Market™ while on a voice call. The LG Revolution smartphones were running on the Android 2.2 platform. Verizon Wireless plans to enhance VoLTE with rich communications services and optimize performance on its commercial 4G LTE network during 2011. Commercial services are expected to be available in 2012. Verizon will showcase IMS-based VoLTE calls over a demonstration network in its booth (Hall 8, stall 8C55) at GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, next week. For more information about LTE, visit www.verizonwireless.com/LTE. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Sentio UI Steps Into the Home Replacement Arena, We Approve and Want More

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:07:31 +0000

It's been a while since we last had a new home replacement pop up to drool over, but fortunately for all of you, one landed in our inbox this morning from someone you may recognize. Anyone recall the name REALigion from the DarkEdge days? Well, he's reappeared with a new goal of making an installable UI for every single "powerful" Android device on the market, including tablets. Say hello to Sentio UI. As you may have expected, the Sentio project is far from being complete, but that's exactly the point of this post. Ethan (REALigion) has asked us to help spread the word on this new project and to get some public feedback from all of our readers. You could play a big part in the future of this new UI, so make sure to let him know what you think in the comments. Some important notes:

It will be months before anything is actually shown
It *should* be available to NON-ROOT users on the Market
There will be tiered payment plans including a limited Free version
There are several wonderful features planned
Since it's non-root, it should be compatible with almost any powerful Android device - INCLUDING tablets

Pricing for the final project would likely be tiered, starting with free and paid versions, but could allow users to move up to a subscription service if they want that much control. The Sentio UI mockup:

2011 DROID Lineup Makes Another Rumor Mill Appearance

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:17:58 +0000

A bunch of information from our friends at Phandroid popped up late last night having to do with the DROID lineup of 2011 and it all helps confirm the stuff we told you about back in January. We first reported news that Incredible 2, DROID X2 and DROID 3 were all in the works, but we followed that up just a day later with news that the Inc2 would be a global device. We also received word that the DX2 could end up with a Tegra 2 in it and that one of the new DROIDs might be our next stock Google device. You've got to admit that seeing all of this information again is exciting to say the least. Here are some extra tidbits that came out of this new report:

Incredible 2: Will launch with a white back and silver rim, similar to what you are seeing in the photo above. Codename "Vevo" is something to look out for.
DROID 3: Bigger 4" qHD screen and a Q2 release.
Samsung Stealth: Might be the name of Samsung's 4G LTE device.

So not a ton of new stuff, but again, nice to see a confirmation on our earlier report. I will say that it would surprise me if Stealth ends up being the final name for the Samsung device. As far as I know, that has been the code name for quite some time and am expecting a last minute surprise with that device. And just to recap the stuff we've heard:

DROID X2: Possibly dual-core and was scheduled for May.
Incredible 2: Was scheduled for March.
DROID BIONIC: Was scheduled for May.

As soon as we have more, we'll be sure to let you know! Via: Phandroid, (2)

Did a WiFi-only Motorola XOOM Pass Through the FCC Today?

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:22:39 +0000

Oh my. If this is what we think it is, then all I want to see is cheering and drunken chants of joy in the comments. A "wireless tablet" with Motorola branding just snuck through the FCC today and as you can see above, is 100% focused on Bluetooth and WiFi which is leading us to believe that a WiFi-only Motorola XOOM is on the way. The guys at Wireless Goodness first spotted the filing, but we dug even deeper and noticed that the confidentiality request expires in 180 days.

To put that into perspective, the Thunderbolt filing we talked about this morning had a similar 180 day request that expires on March 31, 2011. And if we were to go off of that example, are we thinking this WiFi-only XOOM could be here within the next 2 months? Possibly. We don't know when the start date is for that request, so it's impossible to tell. This could also just be one huge pile of nothing, although its FCC number differs from the XOOM that passed through earlier in the week that.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Source: FCC Via: Wireless Goodness

Cheers ckeegan!

Skype Mobile with Video Set to Launch February 28th, Still Coming as a Market Update

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:08:52 +0000

I know I said February 27th last night, but the date for Skype Mobile with Video to go live for the HTC Thunderbolt is actually the 28th. We first reported back in January, that the video chatting service would not be live on the TBolt at launch, but would instead come as an update later on through the Android Market. That news hasn't changed, we just now know exactly when it'll be available. We've also received a comparison chart of the different versions of Skype from our friends at Verizon that highlights some of the new features we can expect once our new 4G LTE devices launch. The first thing that stuck out to me was the fact that Skype Mobile with Video will be baked into your phone's address book, giving you quick access to video calls with your friends. It will also allow you to make video calls to other 4G LTE devices, PCs, and to Skype-capable TVs. And of course, you can make calls over 4G, 3G, 1X and WiFi which as we all know, is something a certain other phone can't do. Is Skype still to blame for the delay of the TBolt? After seeing this firm date, I would say, "No." Now if only Verizon would stop teasing us on Twitter and bring us this goodness. Chart after the break.

Cheers money!

HTC Thunderbolt Clears FCC, Can We Announce it Now?

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:57:53 +0000

When it comes to FCC reports, we aren't about to start acting like experts, but if we're reading this correctly, the HTC Thunderbolt cleared on 2/7/11 with a final report possibly sneaking through just yesterday. Could this be the reason that Verizon is holding up the launch and has been doing their best to not announce anything? Anyone want to put money on a February 11 announcement? Source: FCC Cheers @rusty_richards!

Is the Sony Xperia PLAY Headed to Verizon? (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:56:05 +0000

According to a chart that went live at Wirefly's site on February 3rd, the Sony Xperia PLAY is headed to Verizon. Yep, this would be the Playstation phone that we've been covering over at Android Life, but was kept far from the pages of DL since we assumed it wouldn't come anywhere near Big Red. The PLAY hasn't been announced on a carrier yet, but could be on Sunday in a press event that kicks off just before MWC. I guess we'll know at that time if that chart needs to see some quick editing. And I have to admit that seeing this phone on Verizon would shock the heck out of me. Update: As expected, Wirefly has now changed the carrier to "To be determined." Need a few specs? How does a 4" LCD screen, Gingerbread, 5MP camera and the ultimate gaming slide-out keyboard sound? Anyone interested? The PLAY's Super Bowl ad featuring Andy and his creepy thumbs after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4lxuoGgbxs[/youtube] Via: Wirefly, PhoneArena Cheers Jason!

Tuesday Poll: Current Custom ROM is?

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:07:59 +0000

It's time to take a break from this insane Thunderbolt mess and talk about something fun, the current devices that we are all hopefully still in love with. As you can maybe imagine, it's become difficult to cover the plethora of ROMs for the DROID franchise these days, so in order to stay up to date on them, a reader of ours suggested that we start asking everyone what they are currently running from time to time. We loved the idea so much that we're already asking just one day later.

So...what custom ROM are you currently using?

To make this simple, follow a format similar to this:

DROID X: Liberty ROM 1.5, [any additional details such as overclocking, special apps, launchers, etc.]

Got it? Cheers Mike, for the idea!

New HTC Ad Features Video Chatting on Thunderbolt, Skype Mobile to Blame for Delay?

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:39:06 +0000

HTC released an ad today talking about all of the innovations we see through their line of smartphones and the one that we can't seem to get away from, the Thunderbolt, has a starring role. When the phone appears at the 23 second mark, video chatting through Skype Mobile is the highlight and one of the major selling features that Verizon couldn't stop talking about when announcing it at CES. It definitely looks amazing, but is it also the reason for an apparent delay?

Our inboxes started filling up this afternoon with rumors suggesting exactly that. We first reported on Skype Mobile missing the phone's launch (here and here), but are now hearing that VZW may be holding everything back while they wait for it to be ready. If you look at the TBolt's HTC and Verizon pages, they are clearly selling the heck out of Skype, but we should remind you all that there wasn't a working version anywhere at CES that we could find. And it wouldn't make a ton of sense to release a phone with one of its top 5 selling features inactive, especially with word that 4G mobile hotspot could be on hold as well.

This is all definitely rumor, but after seeing Amazon getting rid of a release date, Verizon removing the Tbolt teaser ad, and Best Buy continuing on without zero knowledge of price or official availability, we're not sure when we'll see this phone. Oh, and our friendly industry Panda has made reference to the phone being pushed way up and is not surprised to see everything getting a little crazy. And here is that new HTC commercial...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md52PdldJ1U[/youtube]

Cheers Brian!

Thunderbolt Teaser Ad Goes "Private", HTC Teases February 14th on Twitter

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:14:25 +0000

Remember that super intense HTC Thunderbolt teaser ad that Verizon released yesterday in Spanish? We hoped you enjoyed it, as it's no longer available and we'll simply tie that into the news we received about the device being delayed with no ETA. The odd thing here is the fact that the official Verizon Twitter account was raving about the commercial this morning and even reminded users that an English version was supposed to be on the way. As you can see from the screenshot I just grabbed of that tweet below, the video is definitely gone...

And in probably unrelated news with bad timing, HTC tweeted this message within the past hour...

If you check out their Facebook page, we're pretty sure they are referring to Mobile World Congress which starts on February 14th, but it's just too odd that the 14th was also the day we were expecting the Thunderbolt to land. And maybe they'll come out and announce the TBolt's availability at MWC, although we'll admit that doing so in Spain for a phone that's strictly meant for the U.S. would be a little whacky. Incredible 2 then?

Weirdest week ever.

Cheers @rusty_richards!

Video: Unboxing the HTC Thunderbolt - Wirefly

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:24:12 +0000

An unofficial unboxing of a "pre-production" HTC Thunderbolt popped up over at Wirefly's blog and gives you a look at the "production" packaging plus a walk-through of the outside of the device. Nothing you haven't seen from us already except for the box it comes in, which even I'll admit is pretty spicy and well done. I should warn you though, that while watching this, you'll be forced to hear Verizon's new network referred to as "LTE 4G", will think a 32GB pre-installed SD card has cured the incurable, and that a kickstand is something that no one expected to see on this device. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraU4akIokU[/youtube] Via: Wirefly

LG Revolution is Verizon's First to do Voice Over LTE, Demoed Next Week at MWC

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 11:24:15 +0000

The current setup for Verizon's 4G LTE network lets users make calls on 3G and use data on 4G, but all that is about to change. Big Red, according to reports, is readying a demo for next week at MWC using the LG Revolution that will show off Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) for the first time. VoLTE will allow 4G phones to finally make calls and conduct video chats over the "web" which should results in higher quality conversations. This technology is essentially the future of cell networks. And since the Revolution will be the demo unit, it's expected to be the first 4G LTE device to utilize the technology and should be available some time in the first half of this year. We got our hands on it at CES and thought it was a solid device, but without a Tegra 2 powering it, it's hard to think that many will skip the BIONIC for it. Via: CNN, Phandroid

Thunderbolt Dummy Units Arrive in Stores Showing 2/14 Date

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:32:44 +0000

According to some of our VZW friends, the Thunderbolt has been bumped from its 2/14 launch date, but that hasn't stopped all of their marketing materials from arriving stores. All TBolt related materials including dummy units were supposed to be on hand this week, so we now have proof that dates can actually be met without delays. (Yes, that was a cheap shot.) Oh, and it's fitting that the date on these units happily says "Mon, Feb 14."

Cheers @rusty_richards and @V3RDICT!

Thunderbolt Launch Delayed by Verizon, 4G Mobile Hotspot as Well?

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:24:29 +0000

Uh oh. Has the HTC Thunderbolt been delayed? According to this news we just received from some friends of ours, it has. The really troubling part is the "No ETA at this time" note, but we're hoping it won't be delayed for long especially with all of the marketing materials for the device arriving on time. I guess now we know why VZW sent out this interesting little tweet yesterday morning. Could this delay have something to do with the fact that 4G mobile hotspot won't be working? We reported on the absence of mobile hotspot on the TBolt numerous times, but were told it had been cleared up and would be ready for launch. Maybe we're back to that February 24th date? Oh, and we're trying to ignore the part about the delay of the XOOM's creative and assume it's on track. Note: Amazon has also removed the 2/14 date from their listing. Cheers S!

Mobile Gmail Receives Priority Inbox Support

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:10:05 +0000

Priority Inbox in Gmail is nothing new to Android users since it was introduced into the native app back in December, but for some reason if that app were to ever go down, you'll have peace of mind knowing that the browser version is equally as good. Simply visit mail.google.com from your phone's browser and start enjoying a feature that has quickly become our favorite. Available to anyone running Android 1.5+. Silly. Via: Google Mobile Blog

Ooh! HTC Thunderbolt Launching on the 14th According to Amazon (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:16:45 +0000

Come on Verizon...We know that Best Buy is the "exclusive" retailer of the Thunderbolt and that Amazon is ready to ship these at some ridiculously low price starting February 14th, so can we do this? We've seen the teaser in Spanish and know that you have an English version on the way, but we don't need it, we already translated the current version and understand the point you are making. A.N.N.O.U.N.C.E. It. Update: Amazon has pulled the 2/14 date just as we broke the news on a possible launch delay:

Cheers Ryan and everyone else! And @rusty_richards for the update!

How to use your desktop as a SMS workstation [without Google Voice]

Matt Demers — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 07:42:57 +0000

I've been running into a certain phone-related problem with alarming frequency lately: I come home from class and throw all my gear down in a pile at the foot of my bed. As a result, my phone remains hidden in my jacket's pocket or inside my bag, and I will miss SMS notifications until either my phone dies or I finally notice something is awry. A simple answer to this would be to simple clean up my room, but I've found a more Android solution. I've fixed this problem with a two applications that are free to the market and work quite well. With them, I've found a way to be notified of and answer SMS from the comfort of my browser window. [Author's Note: The comments for this article overwhelmingly tell me that Google Voice is a simpler option for what I'm about to describe. However, for those of you who do not have GVoice service (like myself, in Canada,) this is a viable alternative] The two applications are EasySMS and Android Remote Notifier. Both are free and run as services in the background of Android. EasySMS works with your home WiFi network to provide the browser interface. As long as your PC is connected to the same router as your phone, you can navigate to the IP address of your Android device and view your messages. They are synced from your phone, meaning you can see all the texts you've made in the past. Even cooler is that when you send texts, those are synced as well; you don't lose texts in your history. Since EasySMS relies on your browser, it doesn't have anything to install on your actual computer; everything is run by Android. This is a plus, as there's no compatibility issues. A donate version exists as well, which lets the service automatically start when your phone connects to a specific SSID. This means when I get home and my phone automatically connects to my WiFi, the service starts without my prompt. The donate version also lets your SMS feed updates continually, as opposed to you manually refreshing the browser window. But what about those of us who don't want to donate for this version? Or how about those of us who want something with a little more "oomph" to those desktop notifications? Android Remote Notifier (ARN) is the answer to that. Unlike EasySMS, this service requires an install on the computer side to communicate with the phone. It's its own program, but works on the same principle; if your phone is on the same network as your computer, the service will communicate between the two. Also available are UPnP and Bluetooth connections, but I find that WiFi is easiest; I don't have a Bluetooth dongle on my PC, and I find messing around with those ports are tricky. Through the computer-side program, one can set up whether they want ARN to use the system's default notification bubbles, or the much more visually-appealing Growl system. ARN is available for all systems (Linux, Windows, Mac), but I set my configuration up with Growl for Windows. It's relatively simple to pair the services:

Open Growl Preferences
Go to the "Security" tab
Uncheck "Tequire password for LAN apps and check "Allow network notifications"
Go to the "Applications" tab. "Android Notifier" should show up here
Send a test ping from the Android app to confirm that it works, which shows up like this:

In the end, I have a system that does the following:

When I return to my house after a long day, both applications realize that I am "home" based on the fact that I have automatically connected to my WiFi
The apps then start running their services
When a text is received, ARN notifies my computer. I get a nice text balloon in the corner of my screen summarizing who sent it and the contents of the message.
I then switch over to my EasySMS pinned tab to view/reply to the message. Texts are threaded and sync to my phone, allowing me to read them later if I so choose

This has numerous advantages. Besides being able to type text messages with an actual keyboard, I can keep the EasySMS tab pinned in Google Chrome, preventing it from closing. This process also allows me to plug in my phone when I get home and forget about it, unless someone decides to call me; I'm kept in the loop, while avoiding the wrath of people waiting hours for a simple reply. -- Matt Demers is a Toronto writer, and Droid Life's app guy. You can find him on Twitter, or e-mail him through his Droid Life e-mail.

Last.fm No Longer Free Starting February 15th, Offers Users FREE 3-month Subscription

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:43:48 +0000

Starting February 15th, Last.fm will no longer be a free service for Android and iOS users. The app will become ad-free, but you'll be required to pay for a monthly subscription if you are in the US and plan to continue using it. They are offering up long-time users free 3-month subscriptions for now as you can see from the email below, but the rest of you will be paying $3.00 per month from what we've gathered. More info on Last.fm changes here. Letter to users after the break.

Dear XXXXXX, We want to share with you an important update about our radio service: From February 15 you will need to be a subscriber to listen to Last.fm Radio stations on devices, including your Last.fm Android app. No other features are affected by this change. In taking this decision, we have given a lot of thought to how this impacts some of our early adopters and long-time users like you. We truly appreciate what you have meant to our growth and success, and offer you the following as a token of our thanks; A free 3 month subscription to Last.fm This will start automatically on February 15th 2011. As a result you will continue to be able to use Last.fm as you do today until the end of your subscription. If you'd like to see the other benefits of your free subscription, please visit the subscription page. We appreciate you may have questions about this announcement, so visit our blog to read more about these changes and offer feedback. We value your support and hope you continue to enjoy using Last.fm. You can visit your profile at http://www.last.fm/user/xxxxxx – Team Last.fm

Cheers Steven!

Best Buy Announces Retail Exclusivity with HTC Thunderbolt, Forgets Launch Date

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:54:24 +0000

Well we're getting closer to an official launch for the HTC Thunderbolt. Best Buy just announced that they are the exclusive retail partner for the device, but forgot to mention the most important thing...an actual date. They did toss out a "launch in mid-February" note, but that's not making anyone who already put down $50 on a pre-order any happier. Note: After reading the comments, I should probably clarify what "exclusive" means in this situation. This doesn't mean that Verizon won't be selling it, it just means that you likely won't see the phone in Radio Shack or Walmart. All Verizon stores will still be selling it like crazy. Your turn Verizon! BBY presser after the break.

Best Buy® Announces National Retail Exclusive and Pre-Sale Availability of the HTC ThunderBolt HTC ThunderBolt is the nation’s first 4G LTE smart phone MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 7, 2011 – Best Buy today announced the immediate pre-sale availability of the HTC ThunderBolt at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores nationwide. The HTC ThunderBolt, which will launch in mid-February as a national retail exclusive for Best Buy, is the first smart phone on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. “The HTC ThunderBolt is a groundbreaking smart phone and Best Buy couldn’t think of a better way to kick off 2011 than by offering it as a national retail exclusive to our customers,” said Scott Anderson, head of merchandising for Best Buy Mobile. “We have worked hard to provide our customers with a great selection of smart phones which now includes the HTC ThunderBolt, both versions of the iPhone 4, Samsung Nexus S, HTC EVO™ 4G and many more options.” The HTC ThunderBolt offers a rich web browsing experience and the ability for users to easily generate and share their own video experiences. Other key features of the HTC ThunderBolt include the ability to:

Download a song in less than 4 seconds

Download 20 photos in a minute

Stream TV shows from your computer

Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving customers’ experience, including Walk Out Working, Upgrade Checker, Happy24, Buy Back and a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their device. About Best Buy Mobile Best Buy Mobile was founded in 2006 with a goal of changing the way consumers shop for and purchase mobile phones in America. Today, Best Buy Mobile is in every Best Buy store and also has 158 Best Buy Mobile specialty stores around the country. Best Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere. Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends to help customers get the most of their mobile phones. For more information about Best Buy Mobile, visit www.bestbuy.com/mobile or www.bestbuymobile.com. About Best Buy Co., Inc. With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way Best Buy does business. In fiscal 2010, Best Buy donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where their employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

Best Buy Tweets the 14th for the Thunderbolt, Verizon Remains Silent

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:32:45 +0000

Another Best Buy store has mentioned February 14th as the official date for the HTC Thunderbolt, but Verizon still remains silent. In the tweet you are seeing above, a New Jersey BBY is reminding folks that they can come into stores now to pre-order and expect to see the phone by next Monday, the day it is "due to be released." We'd love to tell you that if you drop $50 on it now or did over the weekend that you'll see it on the 14th especially with this sweet new Thunderbolt commercial in the wild, but something just doesn't feel right after seeing this tweet from VZW earlier...

Silliest phone announcement ever. For real.

Cheers Fredy!

TI to Transform Mobile Devices with Multi-core OMAP 5, Two Cores Clocked up to 2GHz Each

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:43:52 +0000

At first, this news about Texas Instruments' new OMAP 5 may come across as too little too late when you look at what NVIDIA and Qualcomm are doing in the mobile processing game, but then you read the stat sheet and realize they still have a chance. Their new multi-core OMAP 5 will sport two ARM Cortex-A15 cores that can each be clocked up to 2Ghz, but will also have two separate Cortex-M4 cores for offloading real-time processing from the Cortex-A15 cores to "improve low-level control and responsiveness." They expect to see 3x the overall performance and a 5x graphics improvement as compared to their OMAP 4, but with a 60 percent power reduction. Talk about a beast. The OMAP 5 will start sampling in the second half of 2011 and could be in devices by the second half of 2012. We're still a ways out here, but that won't stop us from drooling a little. Features list after the break.

Via: PR Newswire

New HTC Thunderbolt Ad Has Us Counting Lightning Flashes to a Release Date

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:01:12 +0000

Now this is a great commercial. This new HTC Thunderbolt spot just went live on Verizon's YouTube channel and is the ultimate teaser for the carrier's first 4G LTE device. You see beautiful lightning, hear intense thunder, and a girl counting the distance between strikes in Spanish. Yep, we're getting close and will now expect to see a press release today. Maybe. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyG5UmvHlBQ[/youtube] Cheers Zach!

Samsung Fascinate Android 2.2 EB01 Gallery

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:50:23 +0000

We received word from one of our Verizon friends late last week suggesting that the official Froyo (Android 2.2) build for the Samsung Fascinate is not version DL30 that was leaked out last week, but will instead be build EB01. As many of you are aware, DL30 was quite the buggy mess, but that's not what we're hearing that with this new version which we're hoping means it'll be out fairly soon. You'll see in our gallery that all of the bloatware that you love so much is in tact and Bing is definitely still the default search app. The good news is that you can all finally download the Google Search and Voice Action app to counteract it. Changelog and a whole bunch of screenshots after the break. Here is the changelog:

1. Updated to support the Google Froyo 2.2 software 2. Added support for SMS Delivery acknowledgement 3. Addressed an issue seen in some cases were users would lose their data connection and have to either power cycle or turn on and off airplane mode to recover 4. A UI change was made to correct the spelling of “Dialled Calls” in the dialer app. 5. Addressed an issue where the speaker button was not working when connected to a Bluetooth device. 6. A software change was made to enhance the reliability of the syncing of IMAP and POP 3 e-mails accounts 7. You can now move messages between folders in the exchange mail client 8. Addressed an issue found when connected to the car dock and you turn off the back light the connection defaults to the speakerphone when you turn the back light back on 9. Addressed a “force close” error message seen when you select “delete all” in your sent or trash folders in your exchange e-mail account 10. You can now save a contact you found using a Global Address Look up. 11. Addressed an issue found when using Bing Voice search causing the device to give the error message “thinking” and “make sure you are connected to a network and try again”. 12. When using the Voice Command application it will not display duplicate names and numbers for the same contact that was found from multiple sources. 13. Addressed an issue when using the Desktop dock which in some cases was causing the idle screen image to appear to be burned into the screen 14. The color scheme in the calendar has been changed 15. Enhancements were made to improve the update consistency of the feeds and widgets 16. Protected Media licenses are now stored on the memory card so if the device is factory reset these protected content licenses will not be lost 17. The Swype application will no longer capitalize letters inappropriately

The gallery: [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"] And yes, it was rooted using current methods.

Angry Birds Seasons Update Brings in Valentine's Edition with 15 New Levels

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:50:15 +0000

Rovio told us that the Valentine's Edition of Angry Birds Seasons would be out today and they weren't messing around. The update for the holiday-inspired Angry Birds went live in the market within the last 10 minutes and includes 15 new levels, 3 unlockables and some special golden eggs. Go grab it! Download Link [gallery link="file" order="DESC" orderby="title"] Cheers John and Bob!

Android 2.4 is Also Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich to be 3.1?

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:36:42 +0000

Viewsonic has a couple of Android tablets available now, but apparently they aren't selling enough as they've decided to start leaking information about upcoming Android OS releases in order to generate some buzz about their new line of products. (Was that unfair?) Anyways, an insider with the tablet company went through an entire Q&A session with Pocket-Lint over the weekend, dropping all sorts of Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich details.

What did they say? Well, that Android 2.3 is essentially a dead OS as Google has decided to carry over the name Gingerbread to version 2.4. Supposedly, Android 2.4 only has one major update and that's the addition of support for dual-core apps that were made initially for Honeycomb. If true, I would say it probably also brings support for the wave of dual-core phones that are about to hit the market starting in March, like the Atrix 4G. This insider also claims that this is the reason we haven't heard reports from any carrier or manufacturer as to when devices would start seeing updates to 2.3.

Oh, and Android 3.1 will now be called Ice Cream (Sandwich).

Via: Pocket-Lint

Best Buy Ad Pegs Motorola XOOM at $799, Locked WiFi is the Real Story Though

Kellen — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:33:23 +0000

News broke yesterday after the Motorola XOOM Super Bowl ad aired that the device would come to Best Buy at a price of $799 and people started freaking. Let me just say that you've all known the price was going to be $799 for weeks now and that's not the full story here. We can debate all day on whether or not that price is too high, but what really has people up in arms is the little note under the picture of the XOOM that reads "To activative WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of 1 month data subscription is required." And yes, it actually says "activative" instead of activate. So what that means, is in order to buy a Motorola XOOM from Best Buy and presumably Verizon, you will have to pay for at least 1 month of their 3G tablet data plans which start at $20 per month. Now, before you throw something at your screen, understand that they do the exact same thing with the iPad, only they make you take a MiFi unit with you. While $20 doesn't completely anger me, it just comes off a little greedy. OK, more than a little. We'll be digging for more, but as of now, this supposed Best Buy ad with numerous grammatical errors is what we have to go on. Update: As our buddy @richie681 points out, that line about it requiring a plan to unlock WiFi, could easily be another error and should have been replaced with "3G." Makes a lot more sense and is not out of the realm of possibility especially after seeing the other half-dozen mistakes on this sheet. But again, Verizon does require a MiFi bundle with the iPad. And your thoughts? Via: Engadget

Video: Full Motorola XOOM Super Bowl Ad

Kellen — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:37:13 +0000

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BPFODsob1I[/youtube]

Thoughts?

Angry Birds Valentine's Edition Available Monday?

Kellen — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 13:05:13 +0000

Not a bad weekend for Angry Birds, I'd say. First we had the release of 30 new western-themed levels in the regular AB game and now we've got the Valentine's Edition of Angry Birds Seasons coming out on Monday (according to Rovio). Oh, and let's not forget about the secret Rio level that can be unlocked using a code seen during the Super Bowl in just a couple of hours. Cheers Mike!

Angry Birds Secrets: Mighty Eagle and Rio Golden Egg

Kellen — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 10:12:05 +0000

The Angry Birds update that was released on Friday night might have introduced a new western episode plus 30 new levels, but some of the images one of our readers found are the real story here. After cruising around the guts of the app, we can see that the Mighty Eagle is locked inside alongside a special Rio golden egg. We know that a secret Rio level will be unlocked with a code shown at the Super Bowl today, so this has to be how they'll do it. The Mighty Eagle on the other hand, is the level skipping add-on that is not yet available on Android, but is on other platforms. Does this mean that in-app purchases will allow the Eagle the fly sooner than we thought? Maybe. Of course, this all could mean nothing since we're seeing icons for Nokia's Ovi Store, and the Mighty Eagle pics could have to do with that. Another interesting note, is the fact that all of the files are dated February 11. We'll let you decide what that means. Cheers Stephen!

Video: Honeycomb Boot Animation on the Motorola XOOM

Kellen — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 10:00:09 +0000

Been wondering what the Motorola XOOM looks like when Honeycomb boots up on it? Check out the video after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LJrgSC6uh0[/youtube] Via: TechCrunch Cheers ckeegan and kj!

Angry Birds Receives Update, New Ham 'em High Episode and 30 Additional Levels

Kellen — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 09:00:48 +0000

If you want, you can probably kill a good 3-4 hours of time before your Super Bowl party with the Angry Birds update that came out late Friday night. The new western-themed Ham 'em High episode brings us 30 new levels, but also lets lower end devices toggle the level of graphics that are displayed. Another solid update to a game that just keeps growing by the day. Oh, Rovio also wanted to remind everyone to pay attention during SB XLV for an unlock code to a new level that we previewed just the other day.

I know the answer to this, but has anyone beat all 30 new levels yet?

Pre-order a Thunderbolt Today, Leave the Store Without a Confirmed Pick-up Date

Kellen — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 08:30:33 +0000

I feel like I should apologize for all of the talk about the release date of a single phone, but it's the first 4G LTE device from Verizon, is a beast, and can't be helped. So what's new? Well, the screenshot above confirms that the pre-order starts today and mentions the 14th as being the launch date, except that same date is followed by the words "date is subject to change." Comforting. Anyone up for dropping $50 on a phone with an open-ended date for pick-up? Maybe a Super Bowl announcement is coming? The situation is beyond silly at this point. Cheers Fajnor92!

HTC Thunderbolt Goes Live on Best Buy Site, Without a Firm Release Date

Kellen — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:42:53 +0000

It looks like the pre-order for the HTC Thunderbolt is all set for February 6th if you've got an extra $50 laying around. The intro page for the device on Best Buy's site is live, but we still don't have an official release date. We're assuming it's the 14th which our friends at Phandroid first brought up long ago, but the 24th or 11th could be options. Not sure why the secrecy or why they can't pick a time and let the world know, but the phone will be here in the next couple of weeks for sure.

The ad we saw from BGR is also out...

And one more shot...

Cheers Justin!

New Verizon Store Giving Away HTC Thunderbolt on February 12th in Grand Opening

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:01:05 +0000

If you live anywhere near Northampton, MA, then you may want to plan a trip to a new Verizon retailer that's throwing a grand opening party on February 12th. Why? Because they are giving away a brand new HTC Thunderbolt and letting the lucky soul who wins it walk out of the store with it that very same day. "But, but, I thought it wasn't coming out until the 14th?" So did we, but they are giving one away anyway. Oh and for confirmation, we called the store, played really dumb, and were told that 1 person is guaranteed to walk out of the store that day with the device in hand. We also asked really inquisitively if the device would actually be out and available to purchase by then and were told that it won't be officially released at that time. Fun, fun. Here is the store info. Cheers Zach!

Friday Poll: Super Bowl XLV, Who You Got?

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:39:00 +0000

This has nothing to do with Android and I don't care. It's Super Bowl time, people. While many of us will be keeping our eyes glued to our HD screens during breaks so that we don't miss the new Motorola XOOM and Angry Birds ads, we also can't forget about the game itself. One of our readers who won a trip to Super Bowl XLV is already there waving his Terrible Towel with his son, but what about the rest of you? Cheese or steel? Rogers or Big Ben? [poll id="60"]

uTorrent Remote App Hits Android Market, Manage Your Downloads from Afar

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:56:31 +0000

It's hard to write this article with a straight face since we all know how the world of torrents work, but for those of you into the scene, you should enjoy hearing that BitTorrent has released a new app called uTorrent Remote. The app allows you to remotely access your uTorrent 3.0 Alpha account and add, remove, start and stop torrents from anywhere. I'll admit that I'm a huge fan of uTorrent...wait, can I say that publicly? If you aren't sure what a torrent is, I'll have to refer you on to our friend, Google Search. Download

Google I/O Tickets Go On-Sale Monday.

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 12:00:12 +0000

The Google event of the year is going down on May 10-11 and if you are any sort of a developer, you won't want to miss it. Registration for I/O opens up on Monday (February 7) and the tickets will probably sell out within minutes, so you may want to start warming up those credit cards now. Here are ticket prices:

Early Bird Price (until 4/16/11) $450

List Price (starting 4/17/11) $550

Academia (student, faculty) $150

BootCamp +$100 (all registration types)

Last year we saw the first bits and pieces of the web-based Android Market, Google Music, a ton of Froyo stuff and was basically the event of the summer. This year it could get even nuttier. Honeycomb and a variety of tablets will be in the hands of end-users, Android 2.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) could make an appearance, and then there is always the chance that Google will dish out some freebies to those in attendance. A must-attend event. More info can be found here.

Angry Birds Secret Super Bowl Level Revealed, Valentine's Edition Too

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:28:04 +0000

Whether you like it or not, Angry Birds is here to stay and to tell you the truth, it might just be getting started. A new version of the game called Angry Birds Rio which includes 45 new levels should be here in March, but before that we'll be enjoying another 15 or so levels on a Valentine's edition. See what I mean about "just getting started?" And actually, before that we'll be unlocking the level that you are seeing pictured above using a code found during this Sunday's Super Bowl XLV. As you can see, the blocks spell out the word "Rio" so we're thinking it'll be unveiling during a preview for the 20th Century Fox movie, also called "Rio." Oh, and what about that Valentine's edition? Some screenshots of this new version popped up over at AllThingsD and will be available some time around the 14th through the Angry Birds Seasons game you probably still have installed on your device. Check them out below...

Via: AllThingsD, Entertainment Weekly, Phandroid, Droid Gamers

Motorola Teases XOOM Super Bowl Spot, Takes More Shots at Apple and Their 1984 Ad

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:53:14 +0000

Motorola just sent us a 15-second teaser for their upcoming Super Bowl XLV ad and as expected, aims right at Apple and the Macintosh spot they ran in 1984. Filled with white earbuds and emotionless hoodied crowds, only one man stands out and he obviously happens to be holding a XOOM symbolizing a tablet to create a better world - and a new day with optimism, openness, freedom and empowerment. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFVa8r0UWsI[/youtube] And here is the 1984 Macintosh ad to help you understand what Motorola is hinting at. I'm not sure we really need to say it, do we? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8[/youtube] The full 60 second version of the ad will show during the 2nd quarter of the game.

Infographic: Blackberry Playbook vs. Dell Streak 7 vs. Apple iPad vs. Motorola XOOM

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:07:59 +0000

We already ran our own comparison chart for the iPad and the Motorola XOOM which was a big hit with Apple kiddies, but the crew over at Skattertech has taken it a step further by tossing in Blackberry's Playbook and the Dell Streak 7. This infographic follows the same flow that we saw with their comparison of the BIONIC, Thunderbolt and i*hone, so please enjoy.

Nice work Motorola XOOM, you managed just 2 X's while certain other tablets gobbled up 21.

"ZOMG, just wait for the errPad twofer!" -Anonymous

Source: Skattertech

Buy and Sell Android Devices on Swappa, Rooted Phones Accepted

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:56:23 +0000

If you are trying to figure out where that extra cash is going to come from so that you can buy an HTC Thunderbolt, then maybe Swappa is your answer. Swappa is a semi-new service that allows users to buy and sell their "gently" abused Android devices. They only accept fully functional devices with good ESNs and that aren't cracked or damaged in any way, but they also want you to know that this service is nothing like eBay. This is a straight up, buy it now type of thing. What makes Swappa worth writing about though? Because they won't discriminate against your fully rooted and ROM'd device. In fact, they expect you to include info about your custom ROM, hacked device status, and tweaks in the description so that buyers can find the device of their dreams. Nice. Anyone used Swappa yet? Via: Lifehacker Cheers Rick!

DROID Incredible Makes Brief Gas Station Appearance on The Office

Kellen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:10:55 +0000

An unmarked DROID Incredible made a quick appearance on The Office last night and we couldn't let it go un-posted. If you jump to the 7:00 mark in the video below, you can see our family member in action from a gas station. Cheers Mike and Chris!

Best Buy Facebook Says February 24th for Motorola XOOM, HTC Thunderbolt on the 14th

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:51:49 +0000

Did the Grand Rapids Best Buy Facebook page just out the Motorola XOOM and HTC Thunderbolt release dates? Maybe. According to a post that just went live on their page, the XOOM will be available on February 24th and the Thunderbolt on the 14th. If these dates stand, we couldn't be happier because now we can stop wasting our time with ridiculously long timelines like this one. How long before that post is removed? And does this mean we'll get announcements from Verizon tomorrow? Please. Cheers Mr Snrub!

Thunderbolt Pre-sale Ending February 23 at Best Buy?

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:06:35 +0000

Best Buy is doing whatever they can to throw us off of the release date trail for the HTC Thunderbolt, and even I'll admit that they have done a pretty good job so far. Rumors and screenshots from our friends on the inside have been bouncing all over the place, but in the end we always seem to come back to a couple of specific dates: February 14 and 24. We've stood by word that the 24th will indeed be the day that the phone hits store shelves and if we look at this latest shot showing that the pre-sale for it ends on 2/23/2011, we're sticking with that idea. To give you a little background on the shots above, BBY60LD is the internal code name for the Thunderbolt and SKU 1974324 matches the pre-sale number we saw in the new BBY ad from this morning. So when we see 2/23 and that SKU, we can only assume 2/24 should be the day, right? Here is our proposed timeline of events for the TBolt:

Friday, February 11: Verizon will announce a release date of February 24. As you all know, February 10 is the day that the i*hone hits VZW stores, so a day after announcement could easily happen. I can't imagine that they would announce a new phone of this magnitude any time before the i*hone is in the hands of customers, meaning I'm doubting that it'll happen on February 6 as many are speculating. Also on the 11th, Best Buy will announce that they will be selling the phone (possibly exclusively) with a pre-sale starting February 14.
Monday, February 14th: Pre-sale goes live for Best Buy and will run for 10 days until February 23.
Thursday, February 24th: Pre-sale at Best Buy ends; TBolt goes on sale at all Verizon and BBY stores. This is also exactly 14 days after the i*hone has been in the hands of customers which means they cannot return them under the new return policy. VZW also loves Thursdays. Lastly, we begin our new lives with the first 4G LTE device.

And of course, I could be 100% wrong and would gladly accept the TBolt to land in my hands on February 14 which is 10 days sooner than we're expecting. Cheers J!

Is Best Buy Hinting at $29.99 4G LTE Plans for Verizon? (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:33:51 +0000

Two of our sources mentioned to us yesterday that there was a strong possibility of Verizon launching their first 4G LTE device, the HTC Thunderbolt, with a $29.99 unlimited data plan. It almost seems hard to believe, but with only a few cities ready to take advantage of VZW's new network, it could easily be an introductory rate that would change as rollout to additional markets begins or so Verizon can see how much data their first set of 4G customers are consuming. No matter what, we'd be more than happy to pay the same price for 4G data as we are currently for 3G. And to help aid the idea that we could be paying just $29.99 to start, one of our readers was cruising through Best Buy's mobile phone plan page and noticed that same price and the fact that they are now listing it with both 3G and 4G under Verizon for network speeds. Obviously we could be jumping at nothing here, but they only mention that their smartphones will require a $29.99 data plan while Sprint on the other hand, makes it clear that 4G speeds come at a premium. We're hoping to know more by next week with a possible Thunderbolt announcement. Update: And just after I hit publish, we received confirmation from a 3rd source that we will indeed see $29.99 prices for 4G plans initially. Fingers crossed, people. Cheers DJCyph!

Winamp for Android Promo Video Tops Them All

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:29:19 +0000

I'm not sure this new Winamp promo video even needs any of my commentary. Just watch it even if you are using a product that currently rhymes with Schmi-schmoonz. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd1Hf4D4Lrk[/youtube] "You are liking music?" And someone make that tune into a ringtone. Via: Tim Bray, DroidDog

Chart: Motorola XOOM vs. LG G-Slate

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:04:18 +0000

Just before Google's Honeycomb event kicked off, LG and T-Mobile made sure that world knew about their upcoming tablet release known as the G-Slate. Their goal was to remind everyone that even though the Android team decided to develop 3.0 on the XOOM, that we shouldn't forget about the rest of the competitors that will likely make their way onto the market within the first half of 2011. The LG G-Slate is easily comparable to the XOOM and some would say that it edges it with the fact that it can record 1080p 3D video and then let you watch it. The screen size may be slightly smaller, but the rest of the known specs all match up perfectly. We'll be interested to see how much RAM makes the final build and also if it will allow for additional storage, but so far, this looks like another winner. No idea on pricing, but it's definitely headed to T-Mobile's "4G" network.

Best Buy’s Buy Back Program Will be FREE for Mobile Phones February 6 through 26

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:32:51 +0000

Best Buy is officially launching their Buy Back program with an ad during the 3rd quarter of this Sunday's Super Bowl. The ad will feature a bunch of big stars like Justin Bieber and the Osbournes, but that won't be what you take away from it according to our sources over at BBY. To kick off this new program, they plan on offering up the service for free to customers during a 3-week promotional push. Yep, you read that right. If you buy a mobile phone anywhere from February 6th through the 26th, you can opt-in to the Buy Back program for free, saving you the $60 fee that normally accompanies phones over $350 and $40 on phones below $350. The deal isn't just for phones though, and will be free for anyone purchasing laptops, netbooks, tablets or TVs as well, but only from the 6th through the 12th. And if you already purchased a new phone with the Buy Back program, they'll price match you as long as it's within the return period. Maybe we should all be buying our Thunderbolts from Best Buy after all? Our take on the Buy Back program can be found here. Cheers Viper!

Dallas Radio Station Giving Away 4 Motorola XOOMs, 1 Day Left to Enter

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:24:55 +0000

If you live in the Dallas area, you should probably jump on this opportunity immediately. Local station 105.3 is giving away 4 Motorola XOOMs, but the entry deadline is tomorrow at midnight meaning time is critical. They have partnered up with the Ochocinco News Network and Motorola to hand out the first Honeycomb tablet which they are valuing at $500. Interesting. I should also point out that this radio station's contest rules refer to a 14-day window for picking up your prize...that help narrow down a release date? Enter the contest here. Cheers ckeegan!

Liberty ROM 1.5 Released for DROID X/2

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:51:21 +0000

I've been running Liberty ROM 1.0 since day one, so when JRummy, Kejar and the boys dropped 1.5 last night our week became instantly awesome. They've added the ability to overclock through the toolbox, fixed all bugs, and removed even more Blur. This version is as clean as it gets, so jump on it now DX users. Oh, you can finally have that new Liberty wallpaper that I've been sporting for the last couple of weeks courtesy of davekover. Download DROID X: LibertyX-1.5.zip (alt link) Download DROID 2: Liberty2-1.5.zip (alt link) Instructions:

*Wiping data/cache recommended even if coming from 1.0.

1. You obviously have to be rooted. (Instructions) 2. You need to have Koush’s Bootstrap Recovery. 3. Open the DX Bootstrap and “boostrap” the recovery. 4. When that finishes, “reboot recovery.” 5. Once your phone boots to Clockwork Recovery, scroll down to “backup and restore.” 6. Choose “backup” to make a clean backup of your phone. 7. After that choose “wipe data/factory reset” to wipe your phone. 8. When that finishes choose “install zip from SD card.” 9. Then “choose zip from SD card” and find the LibertyX-1.5.zip, select it and hit “yes.” 10. Your phone will apply the ROM. When it finishes, reboot and enjoy! Donate to to Team Liberty. Full support thread can be found here if you need it. Cheers DJ, Brian and Chris!

Liquid Gingerbread 1.0 Released for Original DROID

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:08:48 +0000

If you are still rocking that OG DROID and want to get as close to Gingerbread as you possibly can, then I suggest you check out Liquid's new Gingerbread 1.0 release. Built from CM and Google source, this has all of the goodies to make your phone actually feel like it's running an official Android 2.3 build. It comes with a stock kernel that can be clocked up to 1.0GHz, but don't worry, there are plenty of others out there if you really need to go higher. Liquid ROMs have been some of the best for the DROID since the beginning and it doesn't appear as if their team is slowing down any time soon. Definitely give this one a shot. Download: LGBV1.0.zip Instructions:

*ORIGINAL DROID ONLY.

1. Download the file from above and slap in on your SD card 2. Create a backup in recovery or in ROM Manager 3. Boot into recovery. 4. Select "wipe data/factory reset". 5. Go into the "partitions menu". 6. Format "Boot". 7. Format "System". 8. Go back to the main screen. 9. Install zip from sdcard. 10. Choose zip from sdcard. 11. Navigate to where you have stored the zip file and select it. 12. Choose "yes", let it install and enjoy! Donate to Liquid. Full support thread can be found here if you need it. Cheers Geoff!

More Verizon Policy Changes, Reducing Data Speeds for "Extraordinary" Customers

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:21:22 +0000

The policy changes just keep stacking up for Verizon and I think most of us our assuming it has to do with that other phone that just went on pre-order today. After changing the upgrade, return, rebate, and equipment coverage policies, VZW is also ready to start corralling "extraordinary" data users. What exactly is an "extraordinary" data user? Someone that falls within the top 5% of users of course...

Verizon Wireless strives to provide customers the best experience when using our network, a shared resource among tens of millions of customers. To help achieve this, if you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of Verizon Wireless data users we may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically for the remainder of your then current and immediately following billing cycle to ensure high quality network performance for other users at locations and times of peak demand. Our proactive management of the Verizon Wireless network is designed to ensure that the remaining 95% of data customers aren't negatively affected by the inordinate data consumption of just a few users.

So for those of you cheapies out there tethering instead of paying for a real internet connection, get ready to be turtle-ized. You can check out the new VZWoptimization document here. Via: BGR

Samsung Fascinate Update EA28 is Ready, Probably Fixes Emergency Call Bug

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:17:09 +0000

Another Samsung Fascinate update is ready to be released from Verizon just 3 weeks after the last one which brought riots to the streets of the interwebs over a little emergency call bug. The PDF for the update looks a little spicier than the last at least, but if you take the time to read what is included, you'll realize it's exactly the same as DL09. It's got to be a fixer for that bug, right? Let's hope so, we don't want anyone having to waste time creating "proof" videos, do we? More info.

Get Ready to Pre-order Your HTC Thunderbolt at Best Buy

Kellen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:54:27 +0000

The release date for the HTC Thunderbolt is the silliest thing in mobile these days. The device is ready, has been previewed by every tech site on the planet (our hands-on gallery and video), and has absolutely zero secrets except for when it will actually be released to the world. Will it be the 14th or the 24th? We still have no idea, but we do know that Best Buy is prepping to take pre-orders for it that will cost you $50 according to their new ad. Of course, this news is also coupled with a "coming soon" tag which shouldn't surprise anyone at this point. We'll stick with our theory that pre-orders start on the 14th and the phone actually hitting stores on the 24th. How else can we use both dates? Via: BGR

Missed the Live Stream of Google's Honeycomb Event? Watch the Replay!

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:18:31 +0000

If you were unable to watch the live stream of Google's Honeycomb event today, then you'll be happy to hear that the entire 55 minute session has been uploaded to their YouTube channel. This is one of the best walk-throughs you'll see for Android 3.0 on the Motorola XOOM, and is definitely worth an hour of your time. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfJuigJebRg[/youtube]

Wednesday Poll: Thoughts on Honeycomb and the XOOM after today?

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:07:28 +0000

What a day, what a day. We spent almost the entire time talking Honeycomb and the Motorola XOOM, so how are we feeling about both now? The Honeycomb event definitely impressed the heck out of me and I can't wait to finally pick up a XOOM once it has been released, but what about the rest of you? In our poll last Friday, a ton of you said "Yes" to buying one, more of you said "No" , and a couple thousand were still on the fence. Have you changed your minds now? Our coverage of the event can be found here. [poll id="59"]

New Android Market Walk-through - Gallery

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:04:00 +0000

Now that the web-based Android Market is up and ready for consumption, we wanted to do a quick walk-through to show you how this new invention works. This is an add-on that many of us have been patiently waiting for, so let's see how it handles. Purchasing a new app:

Finding an app is fairly simple with this new web-based market using the search bar up in the top left corner. Obviously we have these capabilities on our phones, but for those of us that sit in front of a computer all day, this is so much nicer. You also have to love the fact that everything is laid out for you on one giant screen. You can view the version number, see the app size, ratings, screenshots and when it was last updated all from one spot. And if you have multiple devices like I do, then you'll instantly become obsessed with the fact that you can specify which device you'd like to install your app to.

Once you find your app and decide to purchase it, the on-screen prompts act much like mobile market does. First, you accept the terms and permissions, and then finalize your purchase using the same card that is set up on your Google Checkout account. The great thing here, is that you aren't actually taken to a separate Google Checkout site which seems to be the case in the mobile version. The process happens on one screen and one screen only.

After completing the checkout process, the new market notifies you that your app will be sent to your phone and downloaded. While it seems to be taking a bit longer than usual right now because of the flood of users testing it, I will say that I had zero issues and it happened instantly when the market first went live. I've also pictured the screen which asks you which device to install your app to. Lovin' it.

Settings pages:

Here we have pictured the "Orders" and "Settings" pages which detail your recent app installs and purchases, plus a list out all of your available devices to install apps to.

App pages:

We are loving the new app-specific pages in the market. You can see every single detail about the app your are thinking of installing on your phone in one place. The layout here is well thought out and helps you decide quickly if this is the app for you. They've also included handy tabs to get you to comments, update info and the permissions list.

You guys running into anything else in the market? New tips and tricks?

Swiftkey Releases Tablet-specific Keyboard, Redesigned for Big-Screened Thumb Typing

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:35:39 +0000

As many of you know, we're big fans of Swiftkey, so after hearing the news that they have a tablet-specific version ready to rock when the Motorola XOOM is released we couldn't help but jump for jelly beans. You can see from the shot above that it's not your normal keyboard layout and has actually be redesigned to make typing easier using your thumbs. The normal Android keyboard on a 10" screen is almost impossible to use, so we should all thank Swiftkey for their innovation and for thinking about the well-being of us. Video and presser after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byH4ZS9WOyk[/youtube]

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- A new app designed to offer a major productivity boost to typing on tablet devices, SwiftKey Tablet™, was unveiled Wednesday at Google’s global headquarters in California. The app, created by developers TouchType, has been designed in partnership with Google and Motorola to coincide with the launch of the world’s first Android™ Honeycomb tablet, the Motorola Xoom™. It makes typing on tablet devices easier and faster by offering intelligent next-word prediction that is personalized to your writing style. The app, powered by TouchType’s patent-pending Fluency Prediction Engine, employs a holographic thumb-optimized keyboard skin, designed specifically for Android Honeycomb. This marriage of elegant design with incredible back-end power gives users a novel, exciting and fast way to type on a Honeycomb tablet. TouchType co-founder and CTO, Dr Ben Medlock, said: “SwiftKey Tablet™ has all the power of our next generation Fluency™ prediction engine, integrated with a completely redesigned interface, optimized for Honeycomb.” “To look at, this is a really exciting product - and once you try it, you’ll be blown away. We’ve worked closely with Google to make sure SwiftKey Tablet™ utilizes the power and flexibility of the new Honeycomb OS, and we believe that it really enhances the experience.” Fluency™ applies patent-pending AI technology to predict around a third of words before a single character is entered. This is boosted by learning algorithms that observe how you write your email, blog, Facebook and Twitter updates, and these continually adjust as you type to become more accurate. The new Honeycomb app builds on a very successful launch of SwiftKey™, originally designed for smartphones. SwiftKey™ quickly became the top keyboard on the Android™ Market after launch in summer 2010, with over 700,000 downloads in its first six months, and a very positive reaction from both users and the technology press. The app is currently available for a limited sale price of $1.99 on the Android Market. SwiftKey Tablet™ will be on show at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 14-18. General SwiftKey features: - Unique next-word prediction engine based on word context - Rapid and comprehensive learning of individual writing style - Up to 50% greater text entry efficiency than oth market solutions - A third of next words predicted without any character input - Relevant, personalized predictions - 14 languages supported, with ability to predict in two languages simultaneously: English (US), English (UK), Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (PT), Portuguese (BR), Spanish, Swedish - Multiple keyboard layouts supported: QWERTY English, QWERTY International, QWERTY Danish, QWERTY Norwegian, QWERTY Swedish, AZERTY, QZERTY and QWERTZ - HD skin with sharp graphics and font on all screen sizes - Advanced error correction designed for small mobile keyboards - Inline spelling and grammar correction - Automatic accent insertion (for non-English character entry) - Voice dictation support for English, Spanish, French, German and Italian - Multi-touch support

Verizon 4G LTE Data Plans to Launch at $29.99?

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:13:21 +0000

I know all of the news today has been about the new Android Market and Honeycomb, but we've received some other info that may make your life even more amazing should you be looking to get into a new 4G LTE device from Verizon. According to word from our friends at Big Red, they will initially launch their 4G LTE unlimited data plan at $29.99, which is the same as the current 3G plan. Chances are that it will change once they go completely nationwide, but the rumored plan right now is for the price to remain at $29.99. We had actually heard this tip last week, but were waiting for a second confirmation which came just minutes ago. Obviously these numbers can change at any time, but we still wanted to relay info on to you that we feel has come from a reliable source. I should also point out that we've heard that the data plan could be $29.99 plus a $15 add-on for 4G data, so let's not get too crazy yet. Be sure to send those happy thoughts towards that $29.99 price though. And on a related note, let's talk about the HTC Thunderbolt again. Our sources continue to tell us that February 24th is the day even with rumors of the 14th getting a ton of play. I'll just toss this idea out there to maybe help clarify the situation. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that February 14th ends up being the pre-order day with the 24th being the day it actually hits store shelves. Any takers on that? Cheers A!

Google Releases New Browser-based Android Market (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:39:11 +0000

Yep, just as we expected, Google just announced their new browser-based Android Market. You can check it out at http://market.android.com/, but may run into issues signing it. Hopefully it all gets fixed after the Honeycomb event is over with. We'll be keeping an eye on it... Update: All issues are fixed! Log in and start enjoying the new market!

Google's Honeycomb Event Starts at 10AM PST, Live Coverage...

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:54:10 +0000

Wanted to make sure you are all aware that the Honeycomb event starts in about an hour at 10AM PST. Watch it live: http://www.youtube.com/android 9:55AM: We're just a couple of minutes away from the magic! If you can't watch the live stream, then keep it here as we'll be updating like crazy. 10:00AM: And we're ready...

10:03AM: Andy Rubin on stage and he just confirmed that Android Market news is coming. http://market.android.com is already redirecting to android.com, so we're thinking it's time for a real market. In-browser!

10:05AM: Hugo Barra on stage now talking about Honeycomb of course. He's going to walk through all of its features.

10:08AM: Widgets are the star of the show with Honeycomb. Multi-touch allows you to use multiple scrollable widgets at the same time.

10:09AM: Notifications revamped in 3.0. They are non-intrusive, but also can be deeply customized by developers like controlling music right from the notification bar.

10:10AM: Showed off Fruit Ninja and how it wasn't built for Honeycomb, but looks and plays amazing without being tweaked. Also, you'll notice the notification bar is available at all times.

10:13AM: Time to talk about performance. 1 line of code to current apps by developers can add hardware acceleration. They've also added an amazing animation framework and a new graphics engine called Renderscript. Just showed a demo of Renderscript in action through a book on Honeycomb. Turning pages looks flawless and smooth.

10:17AM: Check out the new music app...

10:18AM: And a new app called Google Body. "Google Maps for the human body."

10:20AM: Media capabilities time. Camera, video chatting...

10:24AM: New CNN app built for Honeycomb. You can report live news from anywhere.

10:32AM: It's time to talk about the new Market and cloud services.

10:34AM: The new Android Market just went live. http://market.android.com/. Pausing live coverage to go play with new market!

10:44AM: And we're back. Time to talk about new ways to purchase apps. Buyer currency supports is on the way. Users will be able to set up how they want currencies to be displayed in the market.

10:45AM: In-app purchases announced. Devs can now sell goods within apps. Could be used to buy new levels, virtual currencies, to unlock features, etc.

10:47AM: Google has been working with a few select developers to get in-app purchases up. Disney is one of the first and will have 3 apps soon.

10:53AM: Cee-Lo just called in on Gtalk and announced new album. We were hoping that meant Google Music was going to be announced, but that wasn't the case.

10:55AM: And that's a wrap. Time to head in to the new market and play around.

...

Verizon Rebate Policy Changes Go Into Effect, No Need to Worry

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:40:37 +0000

When Verizon informed us that their rebate policy was changing and that top tier devices would no longer have $100 mail-in-rebates, but devices under $149 still would, a lot of people were concerned at what that actually meant. We were then provided with the list of rebate and non-rebate devices over the weekend, except the pricing situation was still up in the air for the top dogs. Well, as you can see from the shot above, the DROID X which used to be a $299 plus $100 MIB device, is now just listed at $199, which is great news. You no longer have instant discounts or mail-in-rebates for these top tier devices and we couldn't be happier. For the rest of the devices falling under the $149 mark, they'll look just like they used to...

Everyone breathing again?

HTC Thunderbolt Release "Sooner than we expected!"

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:35:11 +0000

The release date for the HTC Thunderbolt has been a talking point on this site for weeks now and we almost can't take it anymore. Thankfully it's February and we know it should be here at some point this month, with rumors suggesting it could be here around the 14th or the 24th. The 14th however, is starting to look mighty tasty after seeing the tweet that @VerizonWireless sent out which we've posted for you above. It's odd to see them talking about the i*hone and Thunderbolt in the same sentence, but hey, there's a first for everything. Let's just hope "sooner than we expected" means in 2 weeks, so that we can all get a new phone already. It's been a long time since we've had a new and shiny device to play with... Cheers everyone!

Google Talk Video Chatting for Android (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:33:38 +0000

Update: Ignore my sleepiness. Video chatting on GTalk was definitely all over the Honeycomb preview video. We just got extra excited when we saw it in a press release. Now we'll set our sites on it coming to Gingerbread. Move along! LG and T-Mobile slipped up a little bit in their press release for the G-Slate by giving away the fact that Honeycomb will definitely allow for video chatting through Google Talk. We know that Google's Honeycomb event today is going to feature additional details for their tablet OS that we had yet to see, but this was something that had only been rumored up to this point. Here is the piece from their presser:

With the front-facing camera, customers can video chat with friends and family over T-Mobile’s network or Wi-Fi with Google Talk™.

This was a feature we were crossing our fingers for, and thanks to LG, we can relax. Now, back to focusing our good thoughts on a new browser-based market and Google Music. Make sure to be here around 10AM for coverage!

Tuesday Poll: What do you want to see at Google’s Honeycomb event tomorrow?

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:25:37 +0000

Google's event tomorrow promises to be something you won't want to miss and will feature the official unveiling of Honeycomb, but that's not all we're expecting. In the press invite they also mention "Android eco-system news" which we are starting to think means Google Music or a browser-based Android Market will be included. Both would mean some pretty major things for the platform, so be sure to keep your fingers crossed. Which possible announcement are you most looking forward to? And don't forget, the event starts at 10AM PST. [poll id="58"]

New Firefox for Android is Fastest Version Yet, Now Offers Over 200+ Add-ons

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:24:29 +0000

Firefox for Android received a shiny new update today that might actually be worth your time. According to its makers, this is the fastest version yet and crushes the stock Android browser in every single speed test. It also supports Firefox Sync, the Awesome screen, and includes over 200 add-ons just like the desktop version. I'm actually really liking this latest build, but the fact that it still lacks Flash support is killing me. Fancy new video walk-through after the break. Via: Mozilla Blog

Chad Ochocinco Brings his Motorola XOOM onto the NFL Network (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:37:12 +0000

Chad Ochocinco is running around like crazy at the Super Bowl right now promoting his Ochocinco News Network, and just so happened to pop up on the NFL Network with his Motorola XOOM. As far as I know, he didn't show it off or anything, but he did have it sitting by his side during his entire segment. And I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll see the device over the next few days. One more close up after the break.

Update: Both Chad and Gerald McCoy jumped on air and brought their XOOMs with them. McCoy was actually rocking a shirt that said "OCNN: Powered by Motorola XOOM" which was pretty cool. Picture of it below. Video of each segment: Chad | Gerald (Cheers ckeegan!)

Cheers Tom!

Nielsen: Android, Blackberry and iPhone End 2010 Tied for Mobile Market Share

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:42:34 +0000

Talk about painting a vivid picture with a simple graph. At the end of 2010, Blackberry, Android and iOS all took up the exact same amount of the market for mobile operating systems. What's fascinating, is the fact that Android started the year at just 8% and in 12 months almost eclipsed them all. Obviously we'll see them jump past the other two once January's numbers come out, but man, talk about total market domination almost over night. The i*hone heading to Verizon will give iOS a good spark in February and March, but with 300,000+ Android phones being activated each day, there really isn't anyone that can compete with them at this point. Just look at the graph below and you'll understand what I mean by that.

The gap between "recent acquirers" is so huge now that a single device on any carrier will not be enough to make up the difference. Apple fans will argue that the VZW version will harm Android's growth, but only a fool would actually believe that. There are too many great Android options from each carrier available right now and also on the way that will help this juggernaut continue to crush the competition.

Source: Nielsen

Froyo for Samsung Fascinate Released for Rooted Users (DL30)

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:58:33 +0000

Not "DROID" or 4G-related, but being Verizon news and of this magnitude, we couldn't pass it up. To our readers rocking a Samsung Fascinate, you will be more than thrilled to learn that an official Froyo ROM has been released and is untouched, well aside from root being added. The build is DL30, includes all bloatware, bugs, and is available for you to finally use if your Fascinate is rooted. Thanks to punk.kaos over at XDA, this is seriously as official as it gets. He left everything intact to give you an idea as to what the official build will look like from Verizon, which means he will not be providing much support for it. Oh, we're also hearing that Bing is gone, so please verify that if you've already flashed this.

Instructions and files can be found here.

Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Please Welcome in the New Droid Life Logos...

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:52:18 +0000

I just have to start this off by thanking everyone for all of the ridiculously amazing submissions. We had over 125 logos entered into this contest and the decision to choose a winner was more difficult than I had ever imagined. It was obvious from the beginning that you all understood the look we were going for without even giving you many instructions, so I want to applaud all of your efforts. We easily have the most talented group of Android enthusiasts on the planet. Amazing work everyone.

And with that said, we were unable to pick just 1 winner. As you can see above, we have two logos on display and have chosen them as co-winners! One is a fun, 3D, in-your-face Android beast, while the other fits perfectly into our obsession with all things minimalist. They might be on complete opposite ends of the logo spectrum, but they are both in a weird way, exactly what we were looking for.

Everyone give a solid fist bump to Christopher (left logo) and Wayne (right logo)!

The original prizes were an Android mini-collectible and an ezeStand, but to let them know how much we love and appreciate their work, we've decided to toss in some cash as well. Great stuff you guys!

So going forward, you'll see a lot of testing of both logos as we decide how best to implement them.

What do you guys think?

Google Maps 5.1.0 Update Available, Allows for Auto Check-in and Friend Notification (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:25:25 +0000

A new Google Maps update is available for everyone, bringing you up to version 5.1.0 that includes a bunch of Latitude check-in features. Users will now enjoy the ability to check-in to places using Latitude, let their friends know, and then have their phone automatically check them out once they leave. If you are a location-based app dork like myself this is pretty cool news, but for the rest of you, just update and move along. Update: More info is now available at the Google Mobile blog. Video preview below. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVLsRo7-3Lk[/youtube] Cheers Deep and Shurikenv!

Rumor: Google Preparing to Launch Browser-based Android Market Tomorrow

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:10:52 +0000

We saw a glimpse of a browser-based Android Market last May, but according to new rumor from our friends over at Android and Me, tomorrow could be the day we see it go live for everyone. Well, we're hoping that it is at least announced so that we can start marking our calendars for a release. If you aren't familiar with this concept, you'll want to check out the video we have after the break from last year's Google I/O which featured full demos of this market in action along with a music service that could be bundled into tomorrow's announcements. The new market will allow you to install free or purchased apps from your browser and have them installed directly on your phone wirelessly. Unlike some other mobile operating systems, you won't need a cable to make this happen. The music service, if made available, will likely just be a part of the market.

New Android Market:

New Google Music service:

To see the new browser-based market in action, skip to the 1:30 mark of this video. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8unC9bA4O8[/youtube] Source: Android and Me

DROID X Makes Lengthy "Lie to Me" Appearance

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:36:10 +0000

It has been a while since a DROID family member made any sort of new appearance, but last night on Fox's Lie to Me, we were treated to almost two full minutes of DROID X action. I'm not about to admit to know what's going on, but will instead refer you to Hulu to watch for yourselves. Oh, and one more pic after the break.

Cheers Shawn and John!

Motorola XOOM Release Confirmed for February 17? OCNN Says So.

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 07:48:29 +0000

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Gerald McCoy has joined Chad Ochocino and Motorola at this year's Super Bowl to provide sporadic news from a player's perspective through the OCNN. He and Chad have been tweeting over the last couple of hours about the Motorola XOOM, but the latest from McCoy suggests that it will be out in two weeks. Earlier reports pointed at February 17th and that would put us just over two weeks out and on a Thursday which we know Verizon loves. This could also mean February 14th, but we'll just assume it'll be here some time in that second week of the month. And again, you'll want to follow these guys on Twitter over the next few days:

How can you not be excited to at least play with this device for a bit?

Ochocinco News Network Returns for Super Bowl XLV, Chad Flashes his Motorola XOOM

Kellen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 07:39:18 +0000

Chad Ochocinco and his News Network are back and doing their thing with Motorola for Super Bowl XLV only this time with a XOOM in hand. Some of you may remember his first attempt to cover last year's big game alongside a couple of other players as "media" members? Yeah it wasn't much to follow, but knowing he has a Motorola XOOM with him, we're expecting to see plenty of it especially with a big Super Bowl ad in the works for Moto. He has asked Darrelle Revis and Gerald McCoy to help him out, so you'll want to follow them for the next few days on Twitter if you want to spot random XOOM notes.

Ochocinco News Network | Chad on Twitter

And how about that XOOM Super Bowl teaser one more time?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndhuEUX1kIU[/youtube]

Cheers Adam and Andrew!

Monday Poll: The Most Important Smartphone Feature Today is...

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:50:55 +0000

We're about to enter a period in smartphone technology where minimum specs are going to become more important than ever. There are so many quality options currently on and headed to the market that it has become difficult to decide which phone should be the next to grace the lining of your jean pockets. We see a lot of conversation over whether or not this AMOLED screen is better than that qHD screen and if this single-core processor can compete with that dual-core version. There are few phones out there that seem to completely satisfy every single one of your needs, but which one ultimately leads you to a decision? [poll id="57"]

R2-D2 DROID 2 Now Available for $99, the Force is Not Strong with this One

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:14:38 +0000

Poor special edition R2-D2 DROID 2. It's now available for $99 after instant discount and having started it's short life at $249. The device was supposed to sell out in minutes and even had parties thrown in its honor, but that apparently wasn't enough to move the "limited" numbers available. Anyone interested? Via: BGR, Verizon

Download: LG Optimus 2X Live Wallpapers, Stock Wallpapers, and Ringtones

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:40:13 +0000

The LG Optimus 2X has found its way into the hands of a few developers which means that all of its goodies are being stripped out and redistributed for the rest of us to enjoy. If you aren't sure what the Optimus 2X is, just know that it is the world's first Tegra 2 phone made by LG and so far has not been announced for any U.S. carrier. It's a beast of a phone, has a ton of cool stuff packed into it, and thanks to XDA member GHOST99K, we can install it all. Live Wallpapers:

Bubbles (Wouldn't work for me, did for others.) (alt link)
Christmas Snow City (alt link)
Fireworks (alt link)
Water Drops (alt link)

Stock Wallpapers (23 total): Optimus2x_wallpapers.zip (alt link)

Ringtones and Notifications: Optimus2x_ringtones.zip (alt link) The live wallpapers are installable apk files and should work on any phone running 2.1 or higher. The wallpapers and ringtones on the other hand, will need to be unzipped and dropped on your phone before you can enjoy. Via: XDA Developers Cheers Picolas!

Verizon Quickly Changes Mind, Thunderbolt will have Mobile Hotspot at Launch

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:03:09 +0000

We received information from Verizon over the weekend suggesting that the HTC Thunderbolt would launch without the ability to act as a mobile hotspot for up to 8 devices, but boy can things change quickly. As of this morning, VZW seems to have flipped their stance on hotspot availability and are now welcoming in the feature, which is great news for anyone hoping to pick up the device. No word on if this was a technical issue or a company ruling, but we're glad to see it back. And to see how the TBolt stacks up against the rest of the smartphone big dogs including the EVO and i*hone 4, check out these comparison charts. Via: Engadget

Motorola XOOM Super Bowl Ad is Live (Updated)

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:16:18 +0000

Did the Super Bowl ad for the Motorola XOOM just pop up on YouTube? It sure looks that way. The ad is as expected, directed at the iPad and how it's time for people to have choices. Specs are splashed across the screen and a slogan of "It's time to live a free life" is introduced, but no actual pictures of the XOOM can be found. I'm actually not a fan of the ad, but we're thinking it'll be in 3D if shown at the Super Bowl. It has all of those in-your-face flying graphics to appeal to the new wave of television viewers, but still, we better see more on game day than this. Update: We should point out that this is likely just a teaser and not the ad we'll see on Sunday. Oh and maybe we just missed this, but the XOOM's site seems to be extra spicy these days. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndhuEUX1kIU[/youtube]

Video: HTC Thunderbolt Unboxing and Quick Walk-through

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:49:12 +0000

A brave soul took to YouTube over the weekend to release an unofficial unboxing and quick walk-through of the HTC Thunderbolt. We're calling this "unofficial" because it is definitely not coming out of retail packaging and could be from a tester or someone else deep in the pre-release phone ranks. He even mentions the fact that the phone is running an older version of the final software we'll see in the next couple of weeks, so let's not get too crazy about it. In the video though, you'll basically just see a re-hash of what we did at CES, but he does touch on the fact that Skype video chatting will be built into Sense, which could be the reason it's delayed. The rest is stuff we've seen in our crystal clear hands-on video and gallery, so overall, this video should just help you realize how amazing it will be once it hits store shelves. The guy makes reference to it crushing the DROID BIONIC in benchmarks, but again, we've heard rumors that the CES versions of that phone were not utilizing dual-cores, so take that as non-sense for now. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Mx-nkvQUA[/youtube] Cheers Brian!

Verizon Compares HTC Thunderbolt to iPhone 4 and EVO, Confirms Lack of Mobile Hotspot and Skype at Launch

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:15:41 +0000

We've been doing a lot of comparison charts lately (like this one and this one), but we're apparently not alone. Verizon is also doing their own set of comparison charts for the new HTC Thunderbolt which we're all expecting to see some time in February. With the TBolt looking like it'll be the first 4G LTE device on Verizon, they've taken the opportunity to compare it to the rest of the big time devices available internally and externally including the i*hone 4 and EVO 4G. While we already know that the TBolt is an amazing device (hands-on gallery and video) this chart also confirms our report from the weekend that the TBolt will launch without mobile hotspot and Skype Mobile being active. We're sure that both will be available shortly after, but just wanted to make sure you were all aware. Verizon is also reminding everyone that there are alternatives in the market like Qik and Fring.

Cheers ____!

Gingerbread for the DROID X Arrives, Reminds us of the DROID BIONIC

Kellen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 07:30:48 +0000

Our buddies over at MyDroidWorld got a hold of something that should excite all of the DROID X readers in the world. Who's ready for Gingerbread (Android 2.3) with the brand new version of Blur that we showed you all at CES? I know, I know, you all hate MotoBlur. But try your hardest to at least attempt to trust me when I say that the new version that was featured on the DROID BIONIC, was actually not bad. It no longer looks like it was made for toddlers, has some really nice new shortcuts within apps/menus, and will likely be a strong competitor with HTC's Sense for best skin. We've dropped our BIONIC video walk-through below to give you some live action of the new Blur, but be sure to follow that up with the gallery directly after to see actual Gingerbread DX shots. And now we'll all attempt to wait patiently for MDW to release a build to rooted users. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5397-WhEwY[/youtube] [gallery link="file" columns="4"] Via: MyDroidWorld

DROID BIONIC Also Makes Amazon Debut at $149?

Kellen — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:13:00 +0000

Seems a little early for the DROID BIONIC to be making appearances on Amazon since we aren't expecting it until May/June, but that's what one of our readers stumbled across late last night. The price initially popped up at $149 which matches up exactly to the Atrix page we saw last week, only it is long gone now, so we can't really dig into it for more information. Obviously the price could change over the next few months and that number could also just be a place-holder, but how does $150 sound if you were to choose the Amazon route? Sounds like a steal to me. Cheers Droidaholic!

HTC Thunderbolt Won't Launch with Skype Video Chatting and Mobile Hotspot Active

Kellen — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:30:48 +0000

The good news is that the HTC Thunderbolt will be one of the first devices on Verizon's new 4G LTE network to utilize Skype's new video chatting feature and also act as a mobile hotspot for up to 8-devices. The bad news is that it won't have either at launch according to information we just received from Verizon. As you can see in the shots above, the hotspot feature will be unavailable initially which means we have no idea when it'll be ready. Skype's video chatting on the other hand will look like it's pre-installed on the device with a placeholder icon, but users will have to wait to be notified before they can actually access it via download from the market. We're not sure if both apps that control these features aren't ready, or if we should pull out the i*hone theory that we've been working on for a couple of days now. Any chance you'd buy an argument that certain features would be held back as to not compete with Apple's phone that is scheduled to come out just 2 weeks before the Thunderbolt? We're not usually one for conspiracy garbage, but the shot above also mentions again that the TBolt does simultaneous data and voice over 3G, but that reps should not be using it as a selling point. Maybe it's just all one big coincidence. We should make it clear that if you are due for an upgrade that none of this news should be holding you back from purchasing one. The Thunderbolt is going to be one of the best devices on Verizon for a long time and these features will all be there within no time, we'll just assume they had a couple of setbacks. Cheers ___!

Verizon is Dropping Prices on Equipment Protection Plans

Kellen — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 11:50:00 +0000

Verizon is apparently on quite the policy changing mission these days. First we had news of their upgrade policy, then it was return changes, rebate removals, and now this. As of February 1st, equipment protection plans will be changing and in a good way from what we're seeing. Total Equipment Coveage (TEC) will be dropping from $7.99 down to $6.99, plus Wireless Phone Protection (WPP) will now be $5.18, which is down from $6.00. Their tablet plans appear to be unchanged even with the Motorola XOOM on the way, but for those of us looking to grab a Thunderbolt, this is good news. Verizon also plans to hold an "open enrollment" of sorts for those already locked into one of these plans. A timeline for that event will be communicated at a later date. Cheers V!

Verizon's New Rebate and Non-Rebate Device List

Kellen — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:52:25 +0000

Yesterday our sources tipped us off to some rebate changes going on at Verizon and late last night we received there new list of affected devices. Most of the reps we've talked to are as confused as all of you on how this new pricing will work, but this at least gives you a look at how each device is being handled. We have to assume that devices like the DROID X will come in at a $199 price point rather than the $299 price it is currently listed at or they likely won't sell a single one. We'll have 100% confirmation on Monday, so keep it here. Cheers ____!

Angry Birds Rio Headed to Android in March, Will Contain 45 New Levels

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:30:06 +0000

Look, I love Angry Birds as much as anyone, but a motion picture based off of the game? Seems like a little much, only that's exactly what the plan is from Rovio and 20th Century Fox. Fortunately for all of us, this movie means that a new game called Angry Birds Rio is on the way and will include 45 new levels plus a bunch of regular updates. The game is expected to be available on multiple platforms including Android some time in March. Anyone had enough AB or did this just make your weekend? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7gIpfrQdAI[/youtube]

Google Will Unveil Honeycomb with In-depth Look on February 2

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:28:26 +0000

If you were unimpressed with the preview SDK for Honeycomb that Google released this week, then try your best to look past it and on to February 2 where they will officially unveil Android 3.0 to the world. An event has been announced that will include an "in-depth" look at Honeycomb plus other ecosystem news and some hands-on time for those in attendance. The great news, is that you can all watch it as well at: http://www.youtube.com/android To hold you over until then, be sure to check out our 52-picture gallery of it. Via: Engadget

Friday Poll: Ready to Buy a Motorola XOOM?

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:47:58 +0000

For some reason, we haven't actually asked this question and maybe it's because we're still waiting for final pricing details, but I'm dying to know how many of our readers are actually ready to jump into the tablet game and buy a Motorola XOOM. Pictures we have suggest that the price will land at $799 on launch, although there are rumors floating around which hint at a subsidized price of around $499. This is supposed to be the first legitimate competitor to you-know-who and after getting our hands all over Honeycomb through the SDK preview, we can't wait to pick one up. What about you? [poll id="56"]

Video: DROID Incredible Gets a Taste of Honeycomb

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:35:32 +0000

Yep, someone actually took the Honeycomb SDK preview and ported it over to one of our family members, the DROID Incredible. Obviously nothing works here, but the idea of it is just too much to pass up on. You really won't see anything special out of this as the Honeycomb launcher will not work correctly, so just take this as us giving the developer community a thumbs up for being awesome. Can't wait until next Wednesday when we're hoping the full SDK will be released. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNOQFXDN9-8[/youtube] Via: T3HH4XX0R Cheers Stephen!

According to Verizon's Numbers, They Are Still Way Ahead of AT&T in Customers

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:33:57 +0000

There were a lot of reports coming out across the interwebs this week (a story we avoided) suggesting that AT&T had somehow eclipsed Verizon as the number 1 carrier in the U.S. and Big Red is not about to let anyone think they aren't ruling the air (see what I did there?). According to the info we've just received, it appears as if earlier reports were comparing the wrong sets of numbers. If we look at the shots above, you can see that Verizon has 102.2 million customers (including all connections) which is almost 7 million ahead of AT&T at 95.5 million. They also want to make sure everyone sees their postpaid net adds for Q4 at 872,000 which is more than double AT&T's. And now that we've cleared that up, can we get back into drooling over the Thunderbolt which should be here in less than a month?

HTC Thunderbolt Appears Locked into February 24 Date, 14 Days After the iPhone

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:21:31 +0000

We're hearing from our peeps that February 24th will be the day the HTC Thunderbolt is released and prices will look as follows: $249 on 2-year contract, $329 on 1-year contract and $599 full retail. That's only part of the story here though. We are pointing out the "14 days after the iPhone" thing because that is the exact number of days that Verizon is giving customers to return their current device under a new return policy. Customers choosing the i*hone on the 10th and finding out 14 days later that the TBolt can do things like data and voice simultaneously over 3G, will be out luck and stuck. This idea that their first 4G LTE device can do data/voice over 3G is huge news, and while we know Verizon will be keeping it secret, we'll be all over it. Of course, that's not the only reason the Thunderbolt crushes Apple's current phone, but we've already touched on that in our comparison chart. Oh, and we should point out that the 24th matches up perfectly to our report on the 18th that the device would launch in the last week of February. Cheers that dude!

Verizon Ditches Rebates on Smartphones $150 and Above

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:56:32 +0000

We're hearing word out of Verizon's camp today that after changing their upgrade and return policies, they also plan on shaking things up in the rebate game. Now before anyone gets their underoos in a twist, think about what this means. You can't tell me that any of you actually enjoyed the rebate process? In fact, I know that I have asked reps for years now if they can just hack off the rebate instantly so that I don't have to deal with them. Under the new rebate policy, all phones $150 and above will no longer have mail-in-rebates, but devices under $150 could still see them. So instead of walking into a store and seeing a DROID X at $299 plus $100 MIR, you'll now just see the device at $199. Pretty good news if you ask me. We know that the reps we've talked to are excited about it. These changes go live on January 31. Cheers Spaniard!

Time and Date Contrast Live Wallpaper is Your 3D Clock Replacement

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:30:23 +0000

Time and Date Contrast Live Wallpaper just took over my homescreen. The idea for this clock seems so simple, but that might just be why I'm loving it so much. I had actually started working on this post last night, but was treated to an update this morning that gives you the ability customize the top and bottom colors to match your current theme which was request #1 from us. Aside from the colors, the beauty here is really the action between the time and date, which you'll see when sliding from screen-to-screen giving it an almost 3D feel. Not bad for a free clock option that doesn't take up any widget space. Oh, and the developer is just getting started, so we'll likely see font options, clock/date options, and who knows what else. Might want to get in early on this one.

Download Link

Cheers Shane!

Beautiful Widgets Receives Update, Introduces New SuperClock and Hi-res Skins

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:16:48 +0000

Just yesterday we revisited Beautiful Widgets with some new skins and today a major update popped up for it. I suggest you take a look at the changelog above which talks about a new "SuperClock", battery meters, re-written live wallpaper, hi-res everything, and a bunch of fixes. It also introduced a fairly new UI for setting up your clocks which should make life easier for the novice user out there. We are seeing one major problem though, and that's the idea that all of the previously made skins will no longer work with these "SuperClocks". Let's hope for everyone's sake that current skins will be easy to port over or this update may be a giant failure. Grab it from the market now.

Download Link

Cheers Jason and James!

Facebook Update on Android Adds “Deals”

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:30:29 +0000

An update for the Android Facebook app hit late last night and for some reason seems to be confusing everyone. The update included "Deals" which is really just an addition to the "Places" tab that we were introduced to a couple of months back. In order to see what deals are near you, you open up the Places tab, tap on "Check In" and start browsing locations in your area. As you cruise through listings, ifyou notice a little yellow notepad looking icon then that means there is a deal there. Download it now from the market.

VZ Navigator Version X Headed to Select Verizon Android Phones (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:00:31 +0000

This interesting video popped up on Verizon's YouTube channel yesterday starring a new VZ Navigator product that they are calling Version X. No date or price was given for it, but it's definitely trying to compete with Google Maps and every other big time navigation product. We're not sure if it actually can compete, especially knowing that Google Maps can be downloaded onto any device for free and is always seeing significant updates, but we'll applaud them for trying. It'll be interesting to see what price point Verizon comes in at with this one. We should point out that the video only shows the DROID X and Incredible running the software, but we'll try to hold off from determining that it won't see any other devices. And we've listed out a majority of the features in this new product below, although you'll want to watch the video to get the full experience. Carriers obviously feel like they can make money off of these products, but to die-hards like us, this just seems like a giant waste of money, doesn't it? Your thoughts? Update: And the press release is now available with the last bit of details including price and availability. The service will cost $9.99 per month, $4.99 for weekly usage or $2.99 for a one-day/24-hour use. It will be available to only the DROID X, Incredible and Samsung Fascinate. You can download the latest version of VZ Navigator in the market right now if you have one of those 3 and it should include all of the features for "Version X."

Virtual City Driving: Enhanced reality driving with 3D buildings and graphics.
Smart Start: Turn-by-turn directions from start, even inside a parking garage.
Know Your "Where" Using Satellite Maps: Satellite views that move with you as you travel.
Local Search with Bing: Search, find and navigate to millions of places, right from your phone
Because You're Always Mobile: Weather, gas, movies and local info around you is in real time.
With VZ Navigator Smart Routes: Pick how you want to go - bike, walk, car or truck.
Find Your Way Around Traffic: Traffic updates every 60 seconds from 1.8 billion probes.
Check Out the Big Picture: Get a snapshot of your entire trip.
Share Your "Where": Place messages and Facebook status updates from within.
VZNavigator.com: Plan trips online and send them to your phone.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRV8-u7adeQ[/youtube]

Original DROID Update in the Works, It's not Gingerbread

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:58:46 +0000

Motorola is preparing a "small software update" for the original DROID that will go out to a select number of users in their Feedback Network over the next day or so. The update is definitely not Gingerbread (Android 2.3) or they wouldn't be classifying it as "small."

Hi. We’ve learned recently that the original Droid will soon get a small software update. A limited number of owners will receive the update as part of a pre-launch “soak” test before it’s more widely released. This has become standard practice, so we can observe for a few days to make sure there are no hidden problems before wide release. There is a window of opportunity to be included in the pre-launch soak if you like. We would appreciate it if you would, and then provide us with some brief feedback on the update. Simply take this very short registration survey to sign up. Unfortunately, we have to provide a list very soon, so please take the survey right away if you are interested. There are a limited – but generous -- number of slots available. (If you now own a different Motorola phone and wish to update your Motorola Feedback Network information, please click here.) Thanks for your participation in the Motorola Feedback Network. - Matt Motorola Owners' Forums Motorola Feedback Network

We're guessing it'll be 2.2.2 which is the same update the Nexus One saw just last week. So if you are a part of the Moto Feedback Network, start checking your inboxes for instructions and be sure to let the rest of us know how it goes. After it passes all of the tests, and we're it will, it will probably spread to the masses on Verizon within the next 2 weeks. Cheers M!

Thursday Poll: DROID Incredible 2, DROID X2 or DROID 3?

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:08:23 +0000

We first reported the news that Verizon had plans for follow-up devices to its entire DROID lineup which would include the Incredible 2, DROID X2, and DROID 3. The news was exactly what we needed to hear after seeing only 1 DROID-branded phone at CES, but it also means it's time we ask users for their opinions on the 2011 versions of our favorite family. The picture above could possibly be the Incredible 2 and looks amazing, but there is also that new DX2 on the way which could come equipped with a dual-core processor and qHD screen. And of course, we also can't forget about the OG's 3rd brother, the DROID 3 which is a complete surprise at this point. So tell us, which of these devices has you most excited? Or are you just waiting for 4G LTE? We know it's early for a poll like this, but we also know that you have strong opinions on your current devices that could reflect on future purchases. [poll id="55"]

Slow Growth in Android App Sales Triggers Major Changes, Paypal VP Heads to Google

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:00:36 +0000

Google’s Android platform manager Eric Chu had a chance to chat with the folks at the Inside Social Apps conference on Tuesday and made it very clear that they are not satisfied right now with the performance of the paid app market on Android. In fact, he even rattled off a list of changes that will take place over the next few months to help developers succeed on this platform. While they are activating hundreds of thousands of phones each day, they want this platform to succeed in other key areas, most importantly, through a market.

The list topper and one that we'll likely see very soon is an in-app payment system which means that developers will be able to include add-ons to their apps that users can purchase. Not only will this help increase revenues for the devs, but it's also a way to bring additional features to users who need some new spice in their applications.

The second step will be to offer carrier billing to more than just AT&T. The plan is to give users the opportunity to add application charges straight to their bill, which in theory, increases app purchases. This method is apparently very expensive and time consuming, but Chu made it clear that they are working on it.

There is a team at Google dedicated to making apps easier to find. They are also in charge of weeding out the bad apps, but moving the best stuff forward will likely help out the entire market. We all know how difficult it can be to find new and useful apps, so this is great news for everyone.

Here's to hoping that these changes are almost ready to go. We've seen a nice spike in quality apps over the last couple of months, but we also want the developers behind these apps to feel welcomed and to be rewarded for their outstanding work. And on a now-related note, a VP of mobile at Paypal has decided to brings his talents to the Google side of the world. His role with Paypal was to help bring them up to speed on all things mobile, so he seems like a great choice to help lead a new payment system for our favorite mobile OS. This could mean that an option to buy apps using Paypal is out, but we'd rather have a native Google option anyway, right? Via: Forbes, GigaOM Cheers Andrew!

Droid Life Reader Headed to Super Bowl XLV, Wins Verizon's Extreme NFL Experience Contest

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:02:25 +0000

This story is just too cool not to share with everyone. Do you all remember Verizon's Extreme NFL Experience contest that we wrote about back in November? You know, the one that would send 2 people to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas for 4 nights, give them round trip tickets, game tickets, ground transportation, $250 in spending cash and a bunch of swag? A Droid Life reader won it! David from Pittsburgh texted from his Droid just as the contest had asked and will now take his son down to Texas to enjoy this year's Super Bowl. Fitting that they are from Pittsburgh and that they are huge sports fans, right? Congrats guys! And have a blast! And to brag for just a moment, that puts the Droid Life winner total up to at least 7 or 8 I think. We've had multiple Droid X scavenger hunt winners, multiple R2-D2 hunt winners, a Galaxy Tab contest winner, an awards show winner, and now this. I guess reading DL pays off?

Download: Honeycomb SDK (Android 3.0) System Dump

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:00:01 +0000

The Android 3.0 Preview SDK system dump just popped into our inbox thanks to Mr. Peter Alfonso and we thought you might like to dig around in it for a couple of minutes. The file is 64.7 MB and contains all of the apps, framework, and goodies you've seen from the 52-picture gallery we posted this morning. Download: honeycombsdkdump.zip Oh, and if you want a couple of wallpapers from the dump, then we've added them below. You can thank Matt R. for these.

Netflix Android App Headed to Qualcomm Snapdragon Phones First?

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:33:09 +0000

The Netflix app has been in the works on Android for what seems like an eternity, but according to a Qualcomm rep we may actually be closer to a release than most of us had expected. Our buddy Taylor over at Android and Me had the opportunity to hit up one of the processor gurus while at CES and the topic of Netflix came up. This insider mentioned that Qualcomm is pushing to have the app released on their phones running Snapdragon processors first because of their sophisticated security measures...

“We have been working with Netflix to bring their service for the first time to Android phones. Because of our ability to have very sophisticated SecureMSM and all kinds of layers of security we have been able to get Netflix approval. We meet all of the very stringent security requirements of the studios and we have been working with an OEM to have Netflix come pre-loaded.”

Since we had seen the app running on an LG Revolution which has a Snapdragon processor, we could see the app in a matter of weeks. Why so soon? Well because the HTC Thunderbolt is also a Snapdragon phone and should be here some time in February. Who's ready for 4G LTE streamed movies? Source: Android and Me

Download: Curved Collection Beautiful Widgets Skins for Liberty and Gingerbread ROMs

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:23:21 +0000

We haven't talked much about Beautiful Widgets lately, but after receiving this new set of skins from reader Nicholas, we're back on the bandwagon. For those of you looking to add some extra spice to that Liberty or Gingerbread ROM of yours, these should fit in nicely. Oh, and these will all be included in the BW download list in the next week or so if you don't want to do this all manually, but we wanted to get them to you early. Download: Curved_Collection.zip (alt link) Instructions: 1. Download the file from above to your PC or SD card. 2. Unzip the files and place them in your Beautiful Widgets skins folder.

/data/beautifulwidgets/skins

3. Run Beautiful Widgets and choose your favorite skin! And a big "Thanks!" again to Nicholas for sending these over!

Official Honeycomb Logo Spotted in SDK

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:45:47 +0000

We spent last night enjoying the Honeycomb SDK preview and snapping these 52 pictures of it, but somehow missed the friendly little bee you are seeing above which most would describe as the official logo for Android 3.0. Apparently he was hidden deep inside, but not for long as he appears to have taken over the interwebs this morning. What do you think? Now, if only we can see the giant statue of him on Google's lawn. Maybe when the full SDK is released? Via: Phandroid

52 High Quality Pictures of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:00:10 +0000

Last night we had the chance to spend a significant amount of time with the new Android 3.0 SDK preview and decided to grab as many screenshots as possible so that the rest of you can experience Honeycomb in a much less stressful scenario. I say "stressful" only because this SDK is about as slow and buggy as it gets. It was created to help developers see what tweaks are needed to get their apps up and running, so we didn't expect all that much from it and just went in with an open mind. We actually came out with a ton of good shots and one heck of a preview for this new version of Android that we hope you'll enjoy. Check out all 52 pictures of Honeycomb after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4"]

New HTC Verizon Device Appears, Is it a Tablet or the Incredible 2?

Kellen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:19:22 +0000

What on Earth is that? One of the new buttonless HTC devices headed to Verizon has found a home on the internet, only we have no idea what it is. The fact that it's buttonless suggests that it could be one of their mini-tablets and will run Honeycomb, but since we know the Incredible 2 is in the works, we're starting to wonder if this is it. We had heard that the Inc2 would be a bigger screened version of the old one and since this mysterious device is sitting next to an old Incredible, maybe this is actually it? Oh and when you see the back plate after the break, you'll really jump on this notion.

So, what are you thinking right now? Via: Mobile01, Engadget

CONTEST: Design Our New Logo, Win an Android Collectible and an ezeStand XL!

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:40:04 +0000

Back in June, we ran a contest that asked our readers to put their graphics on-display by creating the next Droid Life logo. We received a ton of submissions, picked 12 finalists, and allowed you to vote on your favorite. When we tallied up all of the votes, we were left with a fine logo, but now we're ready for something new. It's 2011 and we have a big year ahead, so let's start it off with a brand new look! How will the contest work? 1. Design a new logo that you think we can use as our avatar, Facebook, and Twitter picture. 2. The dimensions of the it are simple yet important. Please submit 512x512 logos only. 3. We need the logo to include our color scheme which is essentially: black, pink, grey and white. 4. Once created, upload it to your favorite hosting site and paste it in the comments below. 5. We'll allow logos to be submitted for the next 6 days (until 1/31). 6. On 1/31, we'll take all of the submissions and decide as a team who wins. 7. A winner will be picked on February 1st and announced on the site. What do you win for creating our next logo? Since we love to give away goodies on this site, we thought we package up a couple of items for the winning logo designer. How does a brand new and unopened Android mini-collectible plus an ezeStand XL sound? All you have to do is create a logo that drives us wild and both items are yours! Tip: Our font is BN 3rd Place. Everyone ready? Let's see what you can do!

Motorola XOOM Confirmed for "End of February" Release, DROID BIONIC in Q2 (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:15:09 +0000

We're listening in to Motorola's earnings call right now and CEO Sanjay Jha just confirmed that the Motorola XOOM will definitely be out in February. At first he said "end of February" but he's come back on now to confirm that it will definitely be in February which could mean middle of the month. The device as expected, will ship as a 3G device, but will be upgradeable to 4G LTE shortly there after. We thought we heard March, but it could have been May.

Update 3:31PM: Sanjay was asked about gross margins for tablets and how subsidized pricing would work with them and his answer wasn't straight-forward as you can imagine. He actually wouldn't confirm either way if there will be subsidy with the XOOM, but did bring up some variables they look at in the tablet market which you'll find interesting. He made reference to 3G/4G vs wifi-only tablets and also different sized tablets including 7" and 10" variants. We may be jumping at nothing here, but it sure sounded like wifi-only and 7" tablets are in their plans.

Update 3:41PM: Asked about future plans for Blur and they are as expected, still using it. They think it helps them understand their consumers and what they want, which means they don't read this blog nearly enough!

Note: I should also point out that Sanjay confirmed Q2 for the DROID BIONIC and the 4G LTE XOOM which puts them in play some time before July. Our May date is looking good so far.

If you are interested in their earnings numbers, you can check the press release here.

We should point out that their Q1 2011 numbers show that they are bracing for the i*hone landing on Verizon. Without a major release in early Q1, they are expecting to see losses of anywhere from .09 to .21 cents per share and a $26 to $62 million net loss. The XOOM will likely help keep that number closer to the $26 million mark and then carry them through Q2 alongside the Atrix 4G.

Motorola: "There are no overheating issues" with the BIONIC or Atrix 4G

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:46:42 +0000

After the Atrix/BIONIC power issues story spread like the ridiculous wildfire that it was this morning, Motorola has reached out to us to confirm that neither device suffers from "overheating issues." Both products will "ship as scheduled." And of course, we asked to hear what that schedule may be and heard what we already knew: Q1 for Atrix and no date yet for the BIONIC. While they are in crisis-control mode right now, we shouldn't even care if the devices actually do have power issues at this point. As we wrote earlier, these are the next major devices from Motorola that will take them through most of the year, and we'd all be foolish to think they would release them with any "unfixable" issues. The devices will launch in the next couple of months, will be beastly, and we'll all look back and laugh at the silly forum fodder. More on the DROID BIONIC.

HTC Thunderbolt Can Handle Data and Voice Over 3G, Why Not Announce it?

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:06:43 +0000

When we broke the news that Thunderbolt training had started today, we were also tipped to the possibility that the phone could handle voice and data while on 3G. As you all know, Verizon CDMA network was incapable of producing this in the past, but apparently they figured out a way with this new 4G device. Our buddies over at Phandroid received additional confirmation that this is indeed the case. If you can't see past their watermark, the statement is below:

There is functionality in the Thunderbolt that allows simultaneous voice and data while on the VZW 3G network, however, we cannot promise the experience will be one that is consistent with our brand. As a result, do not reference this functionality as a benefit during your conversations with customers.

Apparently HTC has found the breakthrough of the last 5 years for Verizon and yet they want everyone to remain silent on the matter. But why keep it a secret? We can't help but toss this out there...can anyone think of one major reason as to why Verizon wouldn't want their sales staff out on the floor announcing that the Thunderbolt can do voice and data at the same time? This is HUGE news if you think about it. AT&T constructed an entire ad campaign about their network's voice/data capabilities in comparison to Verizon's. And now they've figured it out, but want to keep it a secret? I wonder if it has anything to do with that other phone that comes out on February 10th and the fact that it is unable to perform such a task. Can you imagine all the i*hone users returning to VZW stores asking why that "DROID" phone can do something theirs can't? Epic. So...who's changed their mind and now wants a Thunderbolt? Source: Phandroid

Android 3.0 Platform Highlights Released: Includes Enhancements to UI, Multi-core Processor Support and 3D Graphics (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:38:35 +0000

Google just released the Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) platform highlights which includes a ton of pictures of their new baby. We've broken down the highlights below, but be sure to check out the entire gallery they've supplied at the bottom as well.

New UI:

System Bar, for global status and notifications: This is like the notification bar we are used to on Android today, only it has been moved to the bottom of the screen. You'll receive notifications there, but it will also house the navigation buttons now.
Action Bar, for application control: Your new in-app notification bar. This will display at the top and allow you to access additional options for that specific app.
Customizable Home screens: You get 5 homescreens that are as customizable as ever. They've enhanced the setup though and made it easier to navigate.
Recent Apps, for easy visual multitasking: You can access your most recent apps just as you do now, only you'll get previews of those apps and in whatever state you last left them.

Updated set of standard apps:

Browser: This thing has been completely re-done. New tabbed browsing, incognito mode and bookmarks presentation are all included. You can also sync your bookmarks with your current Chrome account and enjoy a better experience on non-mobile sites.
Camera and Gallery: Redesigned to take advantage of the larger screen. You have even quicker access to thumbnails and all of your camera settings.
Contacts: A new two-pane UI is introduced with contact information presented in a card-like fashion.
Email: Also viewed in two-pane mode, includes new widget and allows you to select multiple emails which can be affected using the Action Bar.

Redesigned Keyboard:

Keyboard: Keys have been reshaped and repositioned to make typing easier and faster. They've also added a new Tab key.
Improved text selection, copy and paste: You can copy text from almost anywhere now with a simple long press on a word. You can then adjust the area to select as much text as you'd like, then use the Action Bar to copy, paste, etc.

High-performance 2D and 3D graphics:

Honeycomb now includes hardware-accelerated 2D graphics plus a Renderscript 3D graphics engine. You will see a giant boost in graphics performance, plus developers can create 3D scenes and so much more.

Support for multicore processor architectures:

You knew this was coming. Multi-core processors are supported which is exactly why the XOOM has a dual-core Tegra 2 from NVIDIA. Beast-mode.

New UI Framework for creating great tablet apps:

Widgets: Widgets will play a major role in Honeycomb. In fact, Google has made so made changes to their approach to widgets that developers would be fools not to take advantage.
Action Bar (again): The Action Bar allows the developer to expose extra features for the users of their apps. They can give quick access to widgets, navigation, contextual options, etc.
Richer Notifications: Notifications will have much more important information than they have in the past.

Enhancements for enterprise:

Can support new types of policies, including policies for encrypted storage, password expiration, password history, and password complex characters required.

Oh, they've also released a new API for Android 3.0 so that developers can make sure their apps will work once the Motorola XOOM is released. Here are some notes from that announcement:

UI framework for creating great apps for larger screen devices: Developers can use a new UI components, new themes, richer widgets and notifications, drag and drop, and other new features to create rich and engaging apps for users on larger screen devices. High-performance 2D and 3D graphics: A new property-based animation framework lets developers add great visual effects to their apps. A built-in GL renderer lets developers request hardware-acceleration of common 2D rendering operations in their apps, across the entire app or only in specific activities or views. For adding rich 3D scenes, developers take advantage of a new 3D graphics engine called Renderscript. Support for multicore processor architectures: Android 3.0 is optimized to run on either single- or dual-core processors, so that applications run with the best possible performance. Rich multimedia: New multimedia features such as HTTP Live streaming support, a pluggable DRM framework, and easy media file transfer through MTP/PTP, give developers new ways to bring rich content to users. New types of connectivity: New APIs for Bluetooth A2DP and HSP let applications offer audio streaming and headset control. Support for Bluetooth insecure socket connection lets applications connect to simple devices that may not have a user interface. Enhancements for enterprise: New administrative policies, such as for encrypted storage and password expiration, help enterprise administrators manage devices more effectively.

And since they've provided it to us again, how about another look at that Honeycomb preview video: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPUGNCIozp0[/youtube] [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Rumor: DROID BIONIC and Atrix Suffering from Power Management Issues

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:51:30 +0000

We had heard about power issues with the DROID BIONIC essentially on the day we returned from CES, but brushed them off as the units we used were clearly no where near finalized. In fact, we were told that we might not see the device in the first half of 2011 because of these issues, but again, pushed our worries aside hoping that Moto would take action. And then this week, those rumors became more visible over at Howard Forums through a couple of "trusted" members. The first post by xbernaut that started this whole debacle...

If your really posting from a bionic I feel so sorry for you.that POS is so far from usable in any way shape or form.I bet that if it even makes it to shelves it will be through a bribe.the Etna and its twin for att both have a major unfixable flaw that will plaque it forever.too bad as I like it's concept.its basically a ggalaxyS with motos XOOMs guts.almost exact!.I been using them as door stops since they are far from ready to be used daily.too bad I couldn't hand them out as hockey pucks. If it was given the proper dev time then I would feel differently.but knowing it'll be rushed makes it a pass and wait for the droid X refresh or the Droid3.good luck with that sig of yours.

After pages worth of worried posts, we get another post, this time from CellZealot whom you may know from the various DROID and DROID X software leaks that we've all enjoyed...

The problem has to do with the PMU and causes a variety of issues including severe overheating even while at idle, power fluctuations affecting RF performance and cold boot issues. These things were told to me by someone who is testing the devices. I have no hands on experience myself. If you want to believe me that's fine...if not...that's fine too. I have no intention of disclosing or discussing anything about my sources. Satisfying people's curiosity on internet forums is utterly worthless compared to their trust and my continued ability to have access to them. If the reasons why aren't plainly obvious to you then I needn't bother explaining...sorry.

Seven hours later, CellZealot returns to clarify...

I asked if the PMU was a discreet component on the board like with the original Droid(actually a dual PMIC solution) which controls both the AP(Applications Processor) and BP(Baseband Processor), he said "Yes both". I responded that that was bad because it meant that this could be laid directly at the feet of Moto because they selected that component as opposed to it having been an integrated chipset problem. He said "Yup!".

And finally, a response to CellZealot from Winston25 who is apparently deep inside Motorola...

I expect that PMU issue will be solved, shortly. This week. Maybe even today. (and don't ask me to say more) kbman (CellZealot), I don't know who your source is but I am impressed. That is some very deep level information.

Again, we avoided this story for weeks, but with an apparent confirmation that this problem will be fixed from someone we're believing to be on the inside, we can all try to relax. There is no way in hell that Motorola would let these two devices, which will carry them through 2011, contain a serious and "unfixable" power issue. The Atrix is scheduled for a March release, so we have to assume they are confident enough in the product they have. It's their new flagship device. While we love a good rumor, this is one that does nothing but unnecessary damage. Anyone worried?

HTC Thunderbolt Training at Verizon Starts Today (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:26:00 +0000

Verizon started training their employees today (yesterday at some stores) on the HTC Thunderbolt and from the sounds of it, things are still on track for mid-February. HTC reps still aren't ready to confirm a date yet, but they were willing to mention next month as the current target. They also got up in front of the VZW reps and demoed simultaneous data/voice on their 4G LTE network, which our guys can't stop talking about. And reps were allowed plenty of hands-on time with the device, which means we're getting that much closer. February is 5 days away. Update: Our guy says that somehow during the demo, data/voice was done simultaneously over 3G as well. We were skeptical at first to believe it, but Phandroid received a similar tip that it may be some new type of radio. If that's the case, AT&T may be ridiculously screwed as that was one of their last arguments for keeping i*hone users. Cheers Spaniard!

DROID X2 Running Under Codename "Daytona"?

Kellen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:34:53 +0000

Last week, our sources tipped us to the proposed roadmap for the DROID brand for the first half of 2011 and it included the new version of the DROID X, which we've been told will simply be called the DROID X2. A couple of days later, we were also told that the device would end up having a Tegra 2 dual-core clocked at 1GHz, could be out by May and will not a 4G LTE device. Actually, that was the second time we had been told it would not be 4G. And today, a report dropped out of HotHardware confirming all of this, well except for the 4G part. According to their sources, the DROID X2 is currently floating around VZW or Moto headquarters as the "Daytona" and will indeed have a dual-core processor, new qHD screen, and the same battery as the original DX. They aren't willing to completely drop the 4G tag from it yet, but we're pretty sure you can forget about those speeds on this phone. The device will also have the same HDMI-out, micro-USB, and 8MP camera. Time to start digging around for Motorola Daytona references. Via: Android and Me Source: HotHardware

In Depth: GO Launcher EX

Matt Demers — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:00:44 +0000

In my 11 months here at Droid Life, it's become apparent that most of our community use one of two different home replacement tools: LauncherPro or ADW Launcher. It's gotten to the point that these tools are deemed essential to Android users because of the additions they bring to an otherwise boring Android home screen. That one row of buttons adds a lot of functionality and saves a lot of space; something that's precious on a stock 4x4 grid. Naturally, when a new home replacement comes along, it's easy to dismiss it. How could it even come close to the "big two?" However, I urge you to read on: GO Launcher is no half-assed effort. I was originally going to write this article about GO Launcher, which comes to us from the aptly-named GO Development team. However, in the time it took to plan things, a new version of the launcher came out, titled GO Launcher EX. The EX version comes with some performance upgrades, theme support and some changes to how the app was structured: I'll be taking a look at each in my review.

Hilarious mistranslations aside...

From the get-go, GO Launcher seems similar to LauncherPro and ADW; it adds the familiar dock to the bottom of your Android home screen that is both customizable and scrollable. You can have up to 3 rows of docks, which you move through by gesture-flicking left or right. I've turned this off, as I prefer a dock that stays constant. Each dock icon can be customized with themed icons, or default ones. Furthermore, each button can be assigned a gesture command, as well. This is activated by swiping in any direction with your finger starting on the button. It's a bit unintuitive at first, but it works. I can't imagine it working in a moving situation, though, as sometimes my hands aren't the most steady things in the world. Also developed by the team is a separate app for notifying users of how many missed calls/texts/Gmail they've missed, right in the dock. The reason for the separation is that some people didn't appreciate an app that looked into their call/text history. This function works fine, but sadly it doesn't seem to co-operate with Handcent SMS; it works with the stock messaging app just fine. However, when you open the app drawer, something is glaringly different; the background is solid, the waterfall animations of other launchers is not present, and there are two new tabs along the top: "Recent" and "Running". These two tabs do exactly what you'd think: they list apps you've recently opened, and apps that are running, respectively. The latter acts as a task killer/applications manager hybrid. Clicking on apps in this screen opens a pop-up asking you to choose "Close", "Lock", "Goto" or "Info"; while the first two's functions are evident (killing the task or keeping it from closing, respectively), the latter two are interesting additions. "Goto" opens the app, while "Info" opens its page in your phone's Settings > Applications menu. I find this extremely useful for when I want to move apps from my SD card and back, or just want to check up on things.

This functionality is on top of the ability to long-press on apps in the normal app drawer and uninstall them directly from there. After some haptic feedback, little red "X" hovers over every uninstallable app, and clicking on it once takes you directly to the uninstall page. As someone who used "Quick Uninstall" before it merged with Atrackdog, I cannot love this enough. Simple and no-frills. Apps can be sorted by name or installation date - newest first or last. This is a nice feature, but between sortings it defaults back to "newest last"; every time I install a new app, I need to re-sort. Upgliding on any home screen brings you into a robust editing mode: you can customize order and number of home screens simply by dragging and dropping, or clicking on buttons. It also shows a live preview of screens, so when you're thinking about order, you don't need to keep a note of which is which. Apps are selected in a unique way with GO: instead of dragging icons around, you have the option of long-pressing on one to bring up a menu. One can delete icons without having to drag them to a garbage bin (though the option still exists.) Icons can be renamed, which is a big plus: I don't like apps without proper punctuation (I'm looking at you, "reddit is fun.") Apps are brought from drawer to home screen by long-pressing on an icon and then dragging into a "move to screen" area at the bottom. After that, you can drag it to one of the screen previews from before, so you know where it'll fit in.

However, this brings me to my one problem with GO Launcher. When your screens are full, that app will not drop. This makes sense, except when there's a folder I want to throw my app in. Because trying to move an app from screen to screen brings up that darned preview window, I can't even throw it on an empty home spot somewhere else and then drag it sideways. Instead, I must make sure that there's a blank spot to drag icons from the drawer to, then from there, I can put it in the folder I want. You would be surprised how quickly this gets annoying. The phone sports a nice themeing system, which actually got me to use themes on my launcher. Each theme (installed separately through the market) comes with a wallpaper, icon and dock set. Some, like the "original" theme I'm using in my screenshots, alter app icons significantly, while the "default" theme leaves them alone. I'm going to dock some points from GO because I'd prefer they use the Beautiful Widgets "in-app" system of downloading skins instead of the market method: this tends to clutter search results quite fast. What's important is that the theming is not difficult to use and that it doesn't disrupt the normal operation of the launcher. That's GO's strength as a whole, actually: it just works. I haven't had it crash in the approximate month I've used it, nor have I had any major tech-related screw-ups. I've never had to kill its process to resolve a freeze, or had the screens lock up while switching back and forth. I honestly can't say the same for when I've used ADW or LauncherPro. That could be a result of a number of different factors: I've used LauncherPro, Helix and ADW on different combinations of unrooted and rooted, along with updated ROMs. Any of those things could have triggered my problems. However, what I know now is that minus that one annoying issue with the folders, GO's earned its spot on my phone. Download:

Link to APK --- Matt Demers is a Toronto writer who doesn't understand why everyone needs like 10 home screens; he's whittled his down to one. If you've liked what you've read, follow him on Twitter.

Tuesday Poll: Does 3D Technology in Smartphones Interest You?

Kellen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:56:47 +0000

It has basically been confirmed that LG will release some sort of 3D smartphone product at MWC in February, but we're still trying to figure out if we care. Obviously 3D technology in cameras and displays is going to be the next fad, so are you interested? NVIDIA is almost ready to launch their Tegra 2 that was built specifically for 3D displays which means phones with the technology are right around the corner. Are you ready for 3D fun in your smartphone? Do you care if your phone has 3D features? Still waiting to see how it'll play out? Let us know! [poll id="54"]

NVIDIA Prepares Launch of 3D 1.2GHz and Quad-core 1.5GHz Tegra Processors

Kellen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:24:08 +0000

We're still waiting for the first Tegra 2 dual-core smartphone to become available, but that hasn't stopped NVIDIA from preparing their next generation of chips. If this leaked roadmap is correct, we should start preparing for a new Tegra 2 every couple of months with the first being one that will support 3D displays and can be clocked at 1.2GHz. With all of the talk about LG and the possibility of them launching the first 3D phone at MWC, we could be seeing these much sooner than any anticipated. And let's not forget that NVIDIA announced LG's Optimus 2X as the "world's first" Tegra 2 phone, so we won't be surprised at all if they get the first 3D one. The roadmap doesn't stop there though. How does a quad-core Tegra 3 clocked at 1.5GHz sound? Remarkable right? Well what if we told you that devices could start seeing these processors in the Fall of this year? Your mind is probably blown now, so we'll give you a minute to let that settle. The smartphone world is evolving more quickly than I think any of us had ever imagined. We just spent a week at CES watching companies rave about their new Tegra 2 devices, but we had no idea that we'd all be moving past it in such a hurry. Can you imagine the power of a quad-core Android phone? Source: TechEye Via: Android and Me

The Limited Edition Droid Life Hoodie Winner is...

Kellen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:56:57 +0000

It's time to announce another contest winner here at Droid Life! In just one day we had over 900 entries which blows my mind. We can't thank you all enough for the massive amount of support. This community just keeps getting better by the day and it has been a pleasure to watch it grow from day 1. So what was up for grabs? A limited edition Droid Life hoodie with special pink branding. This is as "limited" as it gets and will likely never be available for mass consumption. Luckily, we have a few, so maybe someone else will have a chance to win one later on. For now though, we've got one winner...

@Maizekidstill81

Congrats Dave! We've already reached out to him and are in the process of getting his info. Stay tuned though, we have so much stuff to give away right now that you won't want to miss it. Thanks again everyone.

Google I/O Site is Live, Honeycomb and Google TV Apps Sessions Listed

Kellen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:53:45 +0000

Last year's Google I/O was an epic event that featured the first signs of Gingerbread, Honeycomb, a music service and a browser-based Android app market. While the last two in that list weren't released for public consumption, we're fully expecting to see them at this year's I/O. And speaking of this year's event, the official landing page for it has gone live with a cute little countdown. Registration isn't open yet, but it should be on February 7th. We'll do our best to be in attendance this year for the 2 keynotes, and after looking at the list of sessions already on the site, we have an idea as to the direction they may be headed:

Building Web Apps for Google TV
Building Android Apps for Google TV
Designing and Implementing Android UIs for Phones and Tablets
Honeycomb Highlights

Sound like a good lineup so far? Google TV market on the way plus a bunch of tablet talk is exactly what we were hoping for. Can't wait to see what the Android team has up their sleeves too; this is going to be a can't-miss event. Oh, and we should point out that attendees all received an HTC EVO last year. XOOMs this year? And here is last year's day 2 keynote for your viewing pleasure. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3U2GXhz44[/youtube]

Google Voice Number Porting is Official, Here is a Video Explanation

Kellen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:20:31 +0000

Google Voice number porting isn't exactly new, we wrote about it 5 days ago, but today it became a little more official. The Google team even tossed together a quick little video to help get your number ported over and service back up and running. We'd like to remind you all though, that by porting over your number, you'll be cancelling your contract with your current carrier. This could result in some unwanted fees, so proceed with caution. Most of you will want to wait until your contract is up before going this route. If you want to have your same phone number forever though, this is something to consider. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdQmGLjvMGo[/youtube] Via: Google Voice Blog

HTC Flyer Tablet Specs Released?

Kellen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:23:50 +0000

The first rumor for the HTC Flyer pegged it as a Gingerbread (Android 2.3) tablet that is upgradeable to Honeycomb and is currently scheduled to see the light of day in March. Last night though, some specs snuck onto the interwebs, leaving us well, a little disappointed. As more information comes out, the Flyer is looking more and more like the next Galaxy Tab rather than a competitor to the Motorola XOOM. Specs:

Android 2.3
7" display (1024x600 resolution)
Snapdragon processor (MSM8255)
HDMI-out
4G LTE
1.3MP front camera
5MP back camera
Skype pre-installed

Thoughts on that? We're thinking it could be headed to Verizon with that LTE radio and Skype app pre-installed, but we're not sure how it can even think about going toe-to-toe with Moto's tablet. The source of this info also said that it'll be running a special version of Sense, which we're assuming is the new Sensation that HTC asked to trademark last week. They are also expecting a 10" tablet at some point as well. Possibly the Scribe? Is this your next tablet? Via: amobil.no

HTC Thunderbolt Accessories Headed to Best Buy on February 19

Kellen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:45:52 +0000

All talk these days seems to be about the Motorola XOOM, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten about Verizon's first 4G LTE device, the HTC Thunderbolt. According to some new info we've received from our friends at Best Buy, it looks like they plan on having accessories for the TBolt in stock on 2/19 which puts the release date still on schedule for the last week of the month just like our sources have been telling us. Normally when accessories become available at BB, the device they are paired with comes out a few days later. Yep, we're back into phone mode again. Can February get here any faster?

Verizon Possibly Axing $15 Data Plan

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:07:18 +0000

I guess that $15 per month data package didn't quite sell the way Verizon had hoped if we are to believe the screenshot above. We aren't all that surprised at this little guy going away though, since the 150MB it provided users with was pretty unrealistic from day 1. With the way we all crush data these days, you could eclipse 150MB by watching a single high-quality video on YouTube in about 3 minutes. Oh, and we're not covering the fact that the plans above reference "3G Smartphones." They've said that since at least October. Obviously Big Red is preparing separate data plans for their 4G LTE phones like the HTC Thunderbolt, but this shouldn't surprise anyone. Current plans pictured below.

Via: Engadget

Droid Life IRC Network is Live, App Available in the Market

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:25:36 +0000

Having a Live Support channel is something that I myself and the rest of the Droid Life family take pride in. We have a phenomenal team of knowledgeable users in there who provide help 365 days out of the year. And when there isn't help to be given out, it's just a nice place to sit and chat about practically anything. I always said that I wished there was that kind of support when I first rooted my phone. As of late, we have taken extra initiative to deliver something that can't be found anywhere else. I am pleased to announce that we now have a full-time dedicated Droid Life Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network! And alongside this announcement I'd also like to inform everyone that the Droid Life IRC app is available in the market to give you access to live support from anywhere. The app is based off of YAAIC (Yet Another Android IRC Client), is 100% free with zero ads, and allows you to quickly connect to the DL network in case you run into any issue, even while on the go. So if you are in need of some help, or just want to chat about Android in general, come on in and say what's up! We are happy to announce that we will be hosting #Fascinate, #Epic, #Phoenix, and #ModADroid-Galaxy-Tablet! And if you would like to switch your channel over to the new network, then please let us know. Our new server is:

irc.droid-life.com

And for the security conscious folks, you can connect via SSL on ports 9001 - 9003 and 9999. A huge thanks goes out to Speels and DarkwingDuck for setting this all up! And to Rob0rz for the app!

Download Link

-Timotato

Howard Stern Considers Switching to Android, Told to Wait for HTC Merge

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:17:20 +0000

Howard Stern recently made his way onto the Android platform through the Sirius app, but if you listened to today's show, then you'll know he's also considering switching to a phone running our favorite OS. The 10-minute clip below is Howard's conversation with Gary Dell'Abate (who recently made the jump to Android) and his initial impressions for the "DROID" he just picked up. What's funny though, is the fact that one of his listeners who is some sort of a phone tester, apparently told him to wait for the HTC Merge to come out before switching over from a Blackberry. Yeah, the Merge, the same phone that we've been told was cancelled on Verizon and is now headed to Alltel. Clip is NSFW, but you should know that since it's Howard. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiDN4KpqWpc[/youtube] Cheers Ruben!

Google Weather Becomes More "Fun" in Mobile Browser

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Google announced earlier today that cloud printing was coming to your mobile browser, but apparently they didn't want to stop there. Just a couple of hours later, they informed the world that the weather experience in Google Search would be much more appealing and interactive. All you have to do is search "weather" from google.com on your phone's browser and you'll be enjoying hour-by-hour temperatures in no time. A fancy little scroll bar is now included to give you all of the weather prep you'll ever need. Fun! Via: Google Mobile Blog

Been Wondering Where the HTC Merge Went? Over to Alltel.

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:55:55 +0000

If you've been wondering what happened to the HTC Merge, we may have just found out. After reportedly being shelved by Verizon, the device is now on its way to Alltel and if it passes some final tests, could be available in the next month or so. It's a little disappointing to think that this device may never see a Big Red logo, but at least now we know that someone will get to punch that beautiful keyboard. To recap the the life of the Merge as we know it, how about some bullet points?

First appearance, looking like a fantastic global device.
We give you more pictures of it.
We leak the user guide.
Supposed to be released on November 11.
Rumored to be delayed for an LTE radio.
Appears on Verizon's site briefly.
Disappears and is no where to be seen at CES.
Now headed to Alltel.

And to add to this news, we've also learned that Alltel will be getting the DROID X. Testing has completed on the device and it should be available very soon. Wonder if this will be the 1.2GHz version that went to China? Probably not. Gotta give up to Alltel though for upping the ante on their Android line. Cheers Stephen!

Flash Player for Android Updated to Version 10.1.106.16

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:39:39 +0000

Another minor update just hit the Flash Player 10.1 on Android bringing us all to version 10.1.106.16. A "recent change" list and blog post from Adobe aren't available yet, so we'll just have to sit tight and see what's going on here. Maybe a fix for the XOOM? OK, that was a reach. Cheers @mtkregs!

Google Cloud Printing Coming to Android in Next Couple of Days

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:40:55 +0000

Google Docs and the mobile browser version of Gmail will see an update allowing for cloud printing in the next couple of days. This new option lets you print documents or emails from just about anywhere as long as your printer is hooked up to Google Cloud Print. To check for the option on your phone, open up a Google doc or a Gmail message from within your browser and hit the drop-down menu to see if you have a choice to "Print." According to the Google Mobile Blog, the feature will be available on "most" Android phones running 2.1 and up. Update: We're hearing from a lot of you that the option is already available. Yay! Cheers Michael!

CONTEST: Win a Limited Edition Droid Life Hoodie!

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:00:50 +0000

Back in December, a limited edition Droid Life hoodie went on sale for 3 days only and we know that many of you missed out on the opportunity to grab one. Well guess what? We happen to have an extra special version that you won't find anywhere and are willing to give it away today! You'll notice in the picture above that the DL logo is in our custom pink, which wasn't the case on the limited edition version. The winner of today's hoodie will have something that very few people will ever have the pleasuring of caressing. And here's how you can win it! 1. Follow us on Twitter. 2. Tweet the following message:

Follow @droid_life to win a special edition hoodie! - http://goo.gl/TavGp #android #contest

3. And feel free to "like" us on Facebook as well. We'll choose the winner tomorrow, contact them via Twitter and let them pick the size. Good luck!

ADW EX Updated, Now Supports Custom Docks

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:45:08 +0000

An update for ADW EX is available and brings a feature that many of you have been waiting for, support for custom docks. Some additional tweaks were also added that allow even more customization, but the docks are the star of the show this time. In fact, a small catalog of docks was included which you can see pictured above. It's hard to think that this home replacement could get any better, but I'm sure it will. To access the custom docks: Menu>ADW Settings>UI Settings>Main Dock>Dock Background Full changelog below.

Recent changes: -Reorderable main menu can disable elements and reorder by drag and drop(ADWSettings/General behavior/System settings) -Added transparency support for the 4D drawer (yes, it's choppier, I told you) -Support for custom images for dock and hidden dockbar -Added a small catalog of dock pictures -Option to change app drawer icons text color -Menu/Lock now locks app drawer too -Fixed old style previews when statusbar was hidden. -Fixed fancy backgrounds transparency issues -Fixes more "ForceCloses"

Download Link

Download: New Motorola Music Player, Your New Best Friend for Media

Kellen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 07:30:22 +0000

A new music player from Motorola made it's way onto XDA this weekend courtesy of member phoezies, that we're super excited about. While we're still not sure exactly where it came from, it's possible that it came from either the new Blur found on the BIONIC, but is more likely from the CLIQ 2. Talk about the ultimate media player though. Not only does it control your entire music library, it also has FM radio and SHOUTcast capabilities, lets you play videos and search YouTube, brings TuneWiki into the fun, and even lets you identify songs using SoundHound. Highly recommended. Download: Motorola Music Player 1.0.179.apk To install, download the file from above to your phone, tap on it when it's finished, and install. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"] Cheers Steve!

Motorola XOOM Might Not Be $699 After All, $799 Price is Back

Kellen — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 17:17:50 +0000

I may have to stop posting until I get some actual good news, but wanted to keep you all up-to-date on this Motorola XOOM pricing situation. We original heard from our sources that it would land on Verizon at $799 and then today we saw a lower $699 price appear at Best Buy. Well, as always, we dug deeper and hit up our friends at BB who ran a price verification on the XOOM. The results? It looks like we're back at $799 for now. We'll just continue to ~~assume~~ hope that this price won't make launch day and that we'll see it with a rebate or lower contract price. You have all weighed in with your thoughts on this device, so we'll try not to fuel the fire too much more, unless of course you want to see the chart we made comparing the XOOM to the iPad. It's been a big hit with the other team. (Lighten up, people!) Cheers that dude!

Comparison Chart: Motorola XOOM vs. iPad (Updated)

Kellen — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 10:52:12 +0000

Update: To those of you heading here looking for iPad 2 comparison, check out our new chart! The price of the Motorola XOOM has been quite the topic of discussion over the last couple of days so we thought we'd drop some additional information into the conversation. Here is a comparison chart of the XOOM ($699) to the 32GB 3G iPad ($729). Yes, we actually compared it to the version of the iPad that matches up closest rather than to the $499 Wi-Fi-only model that so many keep referring to. This battle isn't even close. Chart after the break.

Looks like a steal to me. And yes, consumers do care about tech specs.

Update: Why would we not compare this to the iPad? It's the leading tablet on the market. Normally when you do comparisons, you find the top product on the market and see how yours stacks up. Some of you people are silly. When the iPad2 comes out, we'll make another chart. We'll also do charts for the G-Slate, the Toshiba Tab and the Galaxy Tab 2. Chill.

Motorola XOOM Priced at $699 through Best Buy without Contract

Kellen — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:52:35 +0000

How does $699 sound for the first Honeycomb tablet on the planet? According to Best Buy, that's exactly what they plan on selling the 3G/Wi-Fi Motorola XOOM for without a contract. And for those that seem to think this is too much, the 32GB iPad sells for $729, and doesn't have cameras, a dual-core processor, and runs a blown up phone OS. The price point is probably right where it should be. If you want a tablet for $400, you'll have to consider other options like those from ViewSonic. Of course, we could still see a 2-year contract option with Verizon that would bring the price down further. Oh, and we're still on pace for a February 17 launch. Via: Droid Attic

Motorola XOOM Available at Best Buy on February 17?

Kellen — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:38:07 +0000

When our sources informed us of Motorola XOOM pricing yesterday afternoon, we were left without an actual launch date, but assumed it was still on track for mid-February. And today, a screenshot out of some sort of Best Buy internal system popped up showing a target date of February 17, which is about as good of a time as anyone could predict. The 17th is a Thursday, and I think we all know how Verizon feels about Thursdays. We had been hearing Valentine's Day, so maybe we'll get a pre-sale on that day? As always, we'll be digging for further confirmation. Via: Engadget

CircleLauncher Updated to Include Transparent Icons, Tons of Enhancements

Kellen — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:25:27 +0000

Ask devs for features and you shall receive. Since the launch of our new favorite app CircleLauncher, we've seen a couple of minor updates, but today's is exactly what we've been waiting for. You now have the option to pick transparent-colored icons which makes the homescreen-sticklers in the world like us, very happy. You can also configure the blur and dim levels, customize text, and navigate your sorted app list much easier. Oh, happy day.

Download Link

Eric Schmidt is Beyond Rich, Files to Sell 5.9% of His Google Stock Valued at $329 Million

Kellen — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:15:12 +0000

This is completely non-Android related, but stories like these are something to marvel at. As many of you know by now, Eric Schmidt stepped aside as Google CEO to take on a new roll with the company as Executive Chairman and to let co-founder Larry Page give head honcho status a shot. The man led the search engine giant through the last decade, making it one of the most recognizable names in the entire world in a variety of fields. He has done a hell of a job, which has now become even more obvious after hearing about his decision to sell off some of his stock. This week, Schmidt filed for permission to sell about 5.9% of his Google stock which adds up to about 534,000 shares carrying a value of roughly $329 million. Talk about a chunk of change right? Except the mind-boggling part isn't that number, but the fact that he still owns another 8.6 million shares which if you do the math on, makes him well, insanely wealthy. Actually, "insanely" doesn't even do it justice. Again, I know this isn't Android-related, but when you see numbers like this that are so difficult to comprehend, it was tough to pass up on. And I apologize if that ruined your weekend. Anyone want to start up a search engine company? Via: Bloomberg, TheDroidGuy

HTC's Tablet UI Will be Known as "Sensation"?

Kellen — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:22:20 +0000

According to a trademark filed over in Europe on the 19th, HTC is looking to take control of the words "HTC Sensation" leading many to believe that this will be the name for their tablet skin. "Sensation" could work. We all know that HTC's custom UI for their phones goes by the name "Sense" so why not bring in a new off-shoot for their line of tablets that are expected to be here in the first half of 2011? Here is a clip from the filing...

Mobile phones, smartphones, wireless phones, wireless devices, portable computers and personal digital assistants, computer hardware and software for mobile, portable and wireless devices; user interface software; computer hardware and software for user interfacing, telecommunications and telecommunications services; computer hardware and software for transmitting and receiving voice, image, data, audio, video and multimedia content; wireless modems; headsets, headsets with wireless transmission function, connection cables, cradles, mounts, face plates, batteries, power adaptors, chargers, cases, in-vehicle chargers, in-vehicle holders, remote controls, keyboards, microphones, loudspeakers, leather pouches for mobile phones.

What's interesting, is the fact that I'm OK with seeing this filing and have no problem with HTC wanting to put a skin on their tablets. Sense UI is about as polished as it gets, and in some cases actually enhances their devices. While we know that instant pain is initiated at the mention of Motorola's Blur, we actually don't mind Sense. Image after the break.

Via: AndroidOS.in Cheers Picolas!

Friday Poll: Thoughts on Initial Motorola XOOM and Thunderbolt Pricing?

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:07:02 +0000

Initial Motorola XOOM pricing has snuck out of Verizon's camp showing that the device could launch at an unsubsidized price of $799 with the HTC Thunderbolt right behind it at a subsidized price of $250. So far, we're hearing nothing but disappointment on the XOOM's price, but as always, wanted to get your thoughts into a poll to make your voice even more visible. First up is the XOOM and then the TBolt... [poll id="52"] [poll id="53"]

Motorola XOOM Will Most Definitely Not Have Blur, It's a "Google Experience Device" (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:33:52 +0000

For some reason, and I'm not even sure where this came from, but word started spreading across the interwebs that the Motorola XOOM could potentially see MotoBlur at some point down the road. Again, no idea how this absurd and vicious rumor got started, but Moto has reached out to our friends at Phandroid to clear the whole mess up. The device is a "Google Experience Device" and will not be bogged down with some silly skin. They have no plans to put MotoBlur on it. Come on people, you are better than that. Update: It looks like Motorola can't decide what it wants to do. In an interview with CNET, Moto's director of Android product management said that MotoBlur will indeed be coming to the device at some point via software update. All I can say, is that it better be a couple of widgets or apps and that's it. People are already unhappy with early price points, so slapping Blur on top of it might screw things up royally. And now that we have 15 different reports on this story, expect a more official response from Moto any minute. Source: Phandroid

HTC Thunderbolt Will Launch at $250, Motorola XOOM at $799?

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:19:31 +0000

Well at exactly 12:58PM we received a tip that at launch, the Motorola XOOM would be introduced at $799 with the HTC Thunderbolt coming in at $250. The prices weren't surprising and fit exactly what we had imagined, but were hesitant to go with it. And then, pictures providing visual evidence popped up confirming our tip. So here we go with the first glimpse into Verizon's 4G LTE pricing model. We're assuming that the XOOM price is unsubsidized, but who knows if it ever will be subsidized? Remember Verizon's pricing model for the Galaxy Tab? Would any of you be willing to pay $800 to have the best tablet on the planet? Looks a little steep, but this is supposed to be a game-changer. And the Thunderbolt at $250 (which we're assuming is subsidized)? We brought up the topic last week to see if you all would be ready to pay more than the usual $199 for these new 4G LTE devices, and your responses were all over the place. Seeing it now, in the flesh, how do you feel?

Rumors: DROID X2 Will be Dual-Core, Incredible 2 Global?

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:32:10 +0000

Fresh off of our news yesterday that Verizon is planning to release updated versions of the DROID X, DROID 2 and Incredible, we've received some additional tips that could really spice things up. I do want to make sure you all understand that these should be taken as "rumor" for now since details on phone releases change on a daily basis with carriers, but we thought these were juicy enough to share.

DROID X2 is rumored to be a Tegra 2 dual-core device. We had heard it was going to be clocked at 1GHz and were initially a little disappointed, but after hearing from one of our guys that it could be dual-core, that speed no longer bothered us and actually made sense. It also will not be 4G just as we figured. A current Verizon timeline has it slated for a May release.

The Incredible 2 could wind up as a global device. I'm not hearing any signs that it will just be a re-hashed version of the supposedly-cancelled Merge, but another bigger-screened Incredible (4") with a new radio. Current Verizon timeline suggests a March release date. Seems early? I thought so too.

And lastly, we're hearing May for the DROID BIONIC.

Again, all rumors for now, but we just like to share the latest info from our guys on the inside. Thoughts?

Honeycomb is a Tablet OS "Right Now."

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:57:49 +0000

This debate will probably never end, but as of yesterday, Google's Director of Engineering of Android said that as of "right now" Honeycomb is a tablet operating system. He also went on to say that the Android team took the opportunity to really enhance the UI with this build and they hope to someday unite their smartphone and tablet OS's, but would give no timeline as to when that might happen. We already know Gingerbread has some UI tweaks, but from the sounds of that, we won't even see the beauty of 3.0 on Android 2.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) either. But does that even matter? Do we really want a tablet UI on a phone? We've already gone through the "it's just a big smartphone" talk from every anti-Android talking head on the planet because of the Galaxy Tab, so I'd much rather keep these separate. Sure, I'd love for Android to get prettier, but it appears to be heading in that direction already with Gingerbread. I'm sure the Android team will continue to enhance the experience without forcing these two OS's into one. I also wanted to point out this quote that we're hoping every phone manufacturers reads over and over and over again...

I think that coming together is a good idea. What we're trying to do here is make a base platform that's so good, that others only need to add native elements in their core areas. We wanted to make the whole UI better - it shouldn't be necessary to customise the texting widget with the Honeycomb UI.

We need Android big wigs to come out and say this on a daily basis if we're ever going to get rid of those despicable custom skins on top of Android. We know that manufacturers think they add value to their product, but if you ask any enthusiast, they are doing nothing but harm and are also delaying updates. And to see the Honeycomb demo from CES, we've pasted the video for you one more time... [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YiXlkiq8Y0[/youtube] Via: TechRadar

Angry Birds Valentine's Edition is in the Works

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:14:08 +0000

If you've been waiting impatiently for an update to Angry Birds after the holiday edition, then smile because your wait may almost be over. A Valentine's Edition looks to be in the works according to a puff piece done by Deutsche Welle on the new addiction that is mobile gaming. If you zoom ahead to the 4:22 mark in the video below, you'll see a couple of quick shots of the new pink levels that are of course, filled with heart objects. Cute. Oh, there is no mention of it actually coming to Android, we're just assuming. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY5itbK9Ai0[/youtube] Via: Pocket Lint, Android Community

Motorola Messenger Coming with New Blur, BBM for Android?

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:41:23 +0000

One of our amazing readers just pointed out the fact that there was an app called "Motorola Messenger" loaded onto the DROID BIONIC that we totally missed during our short-but-awesome time with the device at CES. Although we didn't actually open it, we're hoping that this is a Blackberry Messenger-styled app for Motorola devices. BBM has been one of the most missed apps for anyone switching over to Android, so it's about time that one of the manufacturers attempted something like this. Of course the problem here is that it will likely only work with Moto devices, which means no chit-chatting with the Incredible friends. Check out the 28 second mark of our hands-on to see it. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5397-WhEwY[/youtube] Oh, and you can also see it quickly during our hands-on with the GIANT BIONIC. Cheers AntDG!

Rocket Bunnies Update Doubles Number of Levels, Adds New Enemies and Collectible Hats

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:00:58 +0000

Rocket Bunnies was already one of our all time favorite games, but after hearing from the guys over at Defiant Development that the new update doubled the number of levels, added new enemies and obstacles, and more collectible hats, we were even more in love. Apparently RB is now on over 400,000 Android handsets, so to give back to the community, they decided to drop this massive update. It's a fantastic game that is as addicting as any out there. If you haven't seen Rocket Bunnies before, check out the video preview after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0fuRys9plo[/youtube]

Download Link

And a cheers to @aczm1988 for the tip yesterday!

Original DROID Stars in Scream 4

Kellen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:30:35 +0000

This isn't a complete joke, although we couldn't help but laugh the entire time we watched it. We're talking about the trailer for Scream 4...speechless, right? They are actually remaking the movie AGAIN, featuring almost the exact same cast of characters that managed to run and scream their way through enough bad reviews to warrant some sort of cult status. There is one bright spot though, and that would be the star of the film. At least that's what we're calling him...the OG DROID. At some point in the movie, he makes an appearance although it looks like it might be right before someone dies. Sad. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTID_e9Pxdc[/youtube] Via: AndroidGuys

CVPCS: A Letter to My Followers

Tim — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:38 +0000

I remember the first time I flashed Sapphire on my DROID. I at that point had basically tried everything out there. I could name them all but you get my point. I ran Sapphire for five minutes and immediately messaged my colleagues (Kellex and Picolas) and just started ranting on how I knew I had found the next big thing. Since then a lot has happened to my friend, cvpcs. His popularity in the community has grown immensely, and his reputation as a ROM Developer has become unbeatable. A class act, he is always friendly and approachable. One of the coolest guys I've had the honor of even interviewing for Droid-Life. So it's with honor that we can bring you this special message from Austen about the end of GEM ROMs, and the beginning of his new work with the CyanogenMod Team. Read cvpcs' letter after the jump.

As one era comes to a close another is just beginning! So many of you have probably heard by now through twitter or the grapevine that I will be halting my work on GEM in order to pursue a new position as a developer for CyanogenMod. Since I first told this to people I have gotten mixed reviews as to whether or not people feel this is for the better, and I just wanted to clear the air, give my reasons, and just lay down everything that brought this about. First of all, I wanted to address my reasoning for moving to CM. It was a hard decision and as much as I know people think it came out of the blue, I was honestly thinking about it for about a month now. At present I was developing for five devices (Droid1, DroidX, Droid2, Incredible, and Evo), one of which I didn't even have. Most developers will tell you that they don't like to maintain more than two devices, as it becomes quite a chore. It was becoming so much work that I wasn't even getting time to visit with my friends and family anymore, as every moment I took off from developing meant that everything ground to a halt. The problem being that after almost a year at the helm of GEM, I was still (for all intents and purposes) a solitary developer. This put an immense amount of stress on me to make things work in a timely manner, as well as to add new features. Every day I would go to the bug tracker, and for every bug/feature I fixed or implemented five more would pop up in its place. It was becoming so daunting that I didn't even look forward to doing it anymore, and that was when the red flag shot up. I have always said that Android Development is a hobby, and as a hobby it should be fun. If it's not fun then you shouldn't do it. For anyone out there who thinks that it is for the money (as far as donations are concerned) it is a lie. To give an example, I began working on GEM in March of 2010, and from then to now we have made approximately $1600 in donations. If you consider that I spent roughly three hours a day every week within that time period, with the exception of my three month hiatus from September to November 2010, that totals roughly 33 weeks, which comes to 693 hours, and therefore approximately $2.30/hr. But add into the mix that all of the donations went to purchase devices for development as well as web hosting (there were never any actual payouts to team members in the form of cash), and it becomes easy to see why this is a job that you need to have a passion for to keep working on it. It is for that reason that I decided that I needed to find a way to bring the "fun" back into the equation. After thinking long and hard about it I decided that I wanted to join the CM team so that I could not only add my skills to the mix to further improve their OS, but as part of their team I no longer would be under the immense amount of stress that I was under with GEM, and will have comrades to assist me if I need it. The whole prospect is very exciting for me and I hope that people will continue to like the work that I do. I also wanted to clear up something. I have gotten some feedback that people are upset that CM "swallowed up" another independent developer. It should be noted that not once when I was working on GEM did CM contact me about joining them. This was entirely my decision and they simply welcomed me into the fold, which I appreciate immensely. They are an awesome team and I can't wait to add to that. So I know that many of you will be sad that GEM is no more, and a part of me is as well. But I don't like to see it as GEM dying, so much as the best parts of GEM assimilating into the best of CM and producing a truly epic result that will help the vendors out there take notice of what an amazing product this community can turn out. Now that all of the explanation of my reasons is out of the way, what can you expect moving forward? Well, I have officially signed on to maintain CM7 on the Droid (OG Droid for some, though I prefer just Droid). I will also be doing general work within the CM repo tree, one of the first of which will be to add the scrollable Notification Power Widget from GEM into CM. I also will be looking into porting CM7 over to the DX/D2, but I don't want to lay down anything concrete on those fronts yet, since I haven't even begun working on it and therefore don't know exactly what to expect, but just know that it'll be looked at in the coming weeks. The existing GEM source will remain online at my github (github.com/cvpcs), and the wiki will remain online as well but will eventually be moved back to my private server at www.cvpcs.org. All of my work was open source so people are free to take it and build upon it if they wish. I will also be maintaining my IRC chat on freenode at #cvpcs, so if you have any questions you can usually find me there. I thank everyone who supported my work and am extremely appreciative of all of the positive feedback I received. I hope everyone is as excited about this as I am, and for those who aren't, I hope I can change your mind! -cvpcs

I speak for the entire Droid-Life community in wishing cvpcs the best of luck for 2011 and his continued work on the Android platform. Without the hard work and dedication of Developers like him, I have no idea where this community would be. A big "Thank You" and congratulations are in order! We'll be seeing you around cvpcs! And please believe, we'll continue to cover his work and be sure to have the heads up on releases! -Tim-o-tato Be sure to stay up to date with everything he is doing on his Twitter!

Motorola XOOM Keyboard Available February 14th on Amazon, Launch Day?

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:54:07 +0000

How does February 14th sound as a launch day for the Motorola XOOM? According to Amazon, a bluetooth keyboard made for our first Honeycomb tablet will be "in stock" on Valentine's Day which has us jumping to the hopeful conclusion that it'll be in our hands at that same time. We should also point out that our friends over at Phandroid were tipped to the same date, which is the kick off for MWC (Mobile World Congress). While this keyboard is not an "official" accessory, we're still willing to talk about it because the XOOM is just that awesome. To put that into perspective, V-Day is only 3 weeks away. Cheers Jonathan!

Thursday Poll: Current Android App Obsession is?

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:10:27 +0000

I know we're only 3 weeks into 2011, but we always like to see the current trends in Android apps and have to ask this question. We have introduced each other to a ton of great apps recently, but need to know, which app are you currently obsessing over? Still loving ADW EX? What about Jet Car Stunts or that Honeycomb music player? For me, it's CircleLauncher. I can't get enough of this app. It has completely weened me off of the magic that is the scrollable dock in LauncherPro. I now have one button that does it all.

So tell us, your current app obsession is?

Verizon is "Concerned" with FCC Net Neutrality Order, Files Appeal

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:44:53 +0000

We're not about to start tossing out reasons as to why Verizon is appealing the net neutrality order set by the FCC, as their press release on the matter doesn't say much, however, we are wondering exactly what they should be "concerned" about, and have a bad feeling it has to do with controlling wireless networks. You may remember all of the flack they caught after announcing a proposal of sorts with Google back in August that would be pitched to the FCC in hopes of swaying a final decision? You may also remember that one of the major points of their deal was to have wireless networks excluded from any provision? Well, the FCC included wireless networks in their final order, leading us to...again, we're not tossing out random reasons as to why, instead are just going through this weird thought process of ours. Your thoughts? Via: Engadget

Google Voice Now Allows Phone Number Porting

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:52:48 +0000

We don't know how long this will last or to how many users this option was made available, but Google Voice is currently allowing people to port over their phone numbers into their system. What exactly does that mean? That you can take your current phone number from say AT&T, port it into Google Voice, change to Verizon, forward the number they give you to Google Voice, and never have to tell your friends that you have a new number because it has been ported. You can essentially "own" your phone number for the rest of your life. In order to do this, you will have to pay a one-time $20 fee, but more importantly, may face termination fees from your current carrier. I wouldn't suggest that any of you do this right now, but instead wait until your contract is up. At that time, it may be a good idea so that you can lock in your number forever, but again, NOT in the middle of a contract. We're seeing rumors suggesting that the option may have disappeared, but as you can see from the screenshot I just took 5 minutes ago, it is definitely still live. If you are a Google Voice customer, then head into your account, choose Settings>Voice Settings>Change/Port to get started. Cheers Mike!

Larry Page Takes Over as Google CEO, Eric Schmidt Moves to Executive Chairman

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:24:12 +0000

Google just got done announcing that they made billions of dollars in Q4 of 2010, but that's not the news that anyone will be talking about for the next couple of days. Alongside their earnings report, they also informed the world that they would be switching things up at the top. Eric Schmidt, who has led the company for the past decade, will be moving into a new role as the Executive Chairman, while co-founder Larry page will take over his CEO duties starting April 4. Here are the quotes from the announcement:

From Eric Schmidt: "We've been talking about how best to simplify our management structure and speed up decision making for a long time. By clarifying our individual roles we'll create clearer responsibility and accountability at the top of the company. In my clear opinion, Larry is ready to lead and I'm excited about working with both him and Sergey for a long time to come." From Larry Page: "Eric has clearly done an outstanding job leading Google for the last decade. The results speak for themselves. There is no other CEO in the world that could have kept such headstrong founders so deeply involved and still run the business so brilliantly. Eric is a tremendous leader and I have learned innumerable lessons from him. His advice and efforts will be invaluable to me as I start in this new role. Google still has such incredible opportunity--we are only at the beginning and I can't wait to get started."

What does this mean for Android? Probably nothing. It'll still be the focus of a ton of Google's efforts. Source: Google

LauncherPro Update is Live, Screen Transitions Included (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:10:05 +0000

Just as we said this morning, a LauncherPro update including fancy screen transitions would be out this week and sure enough, it's ready and in the market. We're installing ours now, so keep close to this post as we'll have more... Update 1: To access these new screen transitions head to Menu>Preferences>Homescreen Settings.

Update 2: I attempted to show off each transition using ShootMe's new screencasting feature, but it just can't keep up. It at least shows you how to set up your phone to have transitions though. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5joMJebjNqI[/youtube] Update 3: So now the debate continues...ADW EX or LauncherPro? Cheers BMac!

Video: Motorola XOOM Gets Real Hands-on by ZDNet

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:05:51 +0000

Everyone at CES saw plenty of the Motorola XOOM, but few had the chance to actually get their hands on and do anything other than watch pre-loaded demo videos with it. Even our hands-on with it was more of a hands-on from a distance take. Of course, there was the full 10 minute demonstration at the Verizon keynote, but again, no one in the media really had an opportunity, that is until now. The folks over at ZDNet were hanging out at a VZW 4G LTE luncheon yesterday and snuck in a solid minute's worth of video with a rep before being reprimanded. Damn this thing is pretty. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHMk1HvUS-4[/youtube] Source: ZDNet Cheers ckeegan!

BREAKING: DROID X2, DROID 3 and Incredible 2 All in the Works, Stock Experience Coming

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:16:34 +0000

Last week, after Verizon announced a partnership with Apple, we asked the question, "Is the DROID brand done for?" And while most of you were on-board with the fact that this line of phones is just getting its feet wet, especially with the DROID BIONIC on the way, we were worried about the lack of other potential DROID branded phones since the tag has seemingly been pulled from the XOOM. And then this week we heard other news from more than one source. In 2011, we can expect updated versions of the entire DROID lineup. Yep, we'll see a DROID X2, DROID 3 and Incredible 2. At this time we don't have details or specs for any of them, but do know that they are appearing on internal Verizon timelines and could be out sooner than you may be imagining. I'm doubting that they'll be 4G devices since Verizon already has four beasts in the works, plus you have to remember that not everyone will have 4G service until 2013, but that won't hold them back from being great. And to add to that news, we are under the impression that at least one of them will be a stock Android device. Murmurs of such things have been spreading around the interwebs over the last few weeks, but the acknowledgement from Motorola yesterday that they are willing to work with developers, plus this tweet (Cheers Matt!) from a certain industry friend, leads us to believe that there is still hope. We should also point out that this topic over at Moto's Get Satisfaction page (Cheers Geran!) which refers to unlocking the DROID X's bootloader has been flagged as "implemented" by the company. Update: A few users have suggested timelines for the release of these devices and if we base them off of last year, it could look similar to this:

DROID Incredible 2 - April/May
DROID X2 - July
DROID 3 - August

Is that enough good news for the week? Time to start speculating on the upgraded specs we'll see with these new family members. And I'm officially having a great day.

Another New HTC Thunderbolt RUU (1.07.605.3) is Available

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:26:16 +0000

I think we're up to 3 leaked RUUs for the HTC Thunderbolt now, aren't we? From site 911HTC, we have version 1.07.605.3 for those of you in the RUU cracking business to play with. Hopefully this means we are just preparing for that last week of February launch.

RUU 1.07.605.3 | PG05IMG

Source: 911HTC

Video: B**** I Got An Android Part 2 [Still NSFW]

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:14:15 +0000

Oh yes, we have a part 2. Production value up a little, ADW shout-out, 2.2 Samsung controversy covered, random chip eating added, broken i*hone 4 photos and no more stack of 20s. Again, this is definitely Not Safe For Work, but worth a good laugh to get your Thursday going. And we promise, this is the last one. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGohPp3FSeM[/youtube] Cheers Tagruato!

LauncherPro Updates in the Works: Screen Transitions this Week, Gmail Widget Next

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:48:00 +0000

Anyone ready for a LauncherPro update? Been a while right? With Fede currently hacking away at his full re-write, he still wanted to feed his followers and will in fact do that this week and next. We've received word that he'll first be dropping an update on us all this week (today or tomorrow?) that will include fancy screen transitions, which we have to assume will be similar to those seen on ADW EX. He'll then follow that up with an update that we wish was available from day one for Plus users: a Gmail widget. Yep, you read that right. LauncherPro Plus users should have a Gmail widget to enjoy some time next week. Happy? All credit to Tato for the scoop.

Fruit Ninja Updated, Arcade Mode is Live!

Kellen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:53:48 +0000

We've been waiting for "Arcade" mode on Fruit Ninja for months now and today, it went live in the Android market. For those of you with the game already installed, all you have to do is manually update it and your entire day will be complete. This new mode gives you power-ups through bananas like frenzy, double-points, and freeze to make the game even more addicting. In fact, they teased us with "Arcade" mode from day 1 on Android and has been the single thing keeping me from obsessing over it...I guess now my life is complete? Here is the old trailer for "Arcade" mode: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROag7hqCc18[/youtube] Download Link Cheers James!

Motorola Clarifies Stance on Bootloaders, Looks to Partner With Developers?

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:01:47 +0000

By now, many of you have seen the recommendation that a Motorola YouTube admin made to a user who inquired about using a custom ROM on a future device. Well, the idea of buying "elsewhere" didn't sit nicely with one of Droid Life's readers, prompting them to head over to Moto's Facebook page to see if they would be willing to clarify this wild YouTuber's remarks. Sure enough, they did.

Motorola - We apologize for the feedback we provided regarding our bootloader policy. The response does not reflect the views of Motorola. We are working closely with our partners to offer a bootloader solution that will enable developers to use our devices as a development platform while still protecting our users' interests. More detailed information will follow as we get closer to availability.

This doesn't exactly scream, "We're unlocking this puppy!" but it does interest the heck out of us. A "development platform" could mean a variety of things and we're not exactly holding out hope that we'll see the freedom that we all enjoyed with the OG DROID, however this is a much more acceptable tone. We'll be all eyes and ears when that detailed information is finally released. Cheers sc4fpse!

Don't Believe Everything You Read, Android Users are as Current as iPhone Users

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:48:23 +0000

On Monday, an article came out of TechCrunch comparing the OS update statuses for both i*hone and Android users, making them look worlds apart and actually, a little silly. According to iOS developer stats, almost 90% (89.73% to be exact) of users are on the current version which they describe as 4.X. The article then goes on to claim that Android users would be lucky to ever see the most current OS version (Android 2.3) seeing as only 0.4% are on it at this time. Sounds bad right? Except that there is one major flaw with that argument and it has to do with that ".X". If we look at the iOS developer stats, they are taking every single version of iOS 4 and combining them into one percentage, meaning 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, etc. are all wrapped up into the same little package. But for Android, we're not allowed to do that? Because if we do combine 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, that puts Android users at 87.4% and only 2% behind iOS users in the "current" category. Silly TechCrunch. Via: TechCrunch, Fortune, TheDroidGuy

And the Command One Bluetooth Winners are...

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:58:09 +0000

On Monday we reviewed the Command One bluetooth headset and then followed it up with a contest to give 2 of them away to reward our amazing Droid Life community members for all their awesomeness. Each Command One headset is valued at $129, so as you can imagine, they garnered quite a bit of attention. In fact, we had well over 1,000 entries to the contest in less than 2 days which is remarkable and can't thank you enough for all the support.

And with that said, the winners are...

@crackerjack06 @zclintz

Congrats guys! You have both been DM'd on Twitter, so be sure to check your inboxes and follow the directions that we've provided. Again, another thanks to Motorola for supplying the prizes, even if they hate your custom ROM, they have still been big supporters of this site and we appreciate that. Oh, we also have a lot of additional things to give away, so stay tuned for our next contest which could be up by the end of the week!

Verizon Preparing Advertising and Signage for Both Thunderbolt and XOOM

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:12:53 +0000

According to our sources and the shot above, Verizon is readying their in-store marketing push for the HTC Thunderbolt and Motorola XOOM. Both will apparently have a variety of posters, window clings, etc., but more importantly are looking like they will launch around the same time. We received word yesterday that the TBolt is currently scheduled for a "last week of February" launch, but rumors suggest that the XOOM could be even earlier. Also featured is another shot and confirmation of the XOOM's model of MOTMZ600 which we first uncovered back in August. We're getting closer to some monumental releases for Android, and even with that bootloader story floating around about Motorola, you can't deny that the XOOM is the tablet to have. Cheers ____!

Motorola Tells Customer to "Buy Elsewhere" if They Want Custom ROMs

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:09:10 +0000

Wow. We know that Motorola has taken a strong stance against rooting and custom ROMs, but a remark that popped up this week from their YouTube account manager is somewhat shocking. When the subject of avoiding the new Atrix 4G because of a potentially locked bootloader was brought up in the comments of one of their new ads, the response generated was not exactly positive and basically told anyone who is wanting to feel like the real owner of their device, to look "elsewhere."

@tdcrooks if you want to do custom roms, then buy elsewhere, we'll continue with our strategy that is working thanks. - motorola 2 days ago

Seriously, that's how you represent yourself to current customers? I understand that they have sold a bajillion phones over the last year, but man, this isn't exactly the stuff we like to see from a company that thanks to an open mobile OS, has risen from the dead. As one of the biggest Moto supporters on the planet, but also one that loves freedom, this sucks. The Atrix and BIONIC are amazing devices and I'll likely have at least one of them, but comments like these make it even easier to start focusing on the un-locked love that is HTC. And here is the video since we haven't posted it at either site... [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4gpOQDcn7c[/youtube] Thoughts anyone? Does a "locked" phone really matter to you? Source: YouTube Via: Android Central

ShootMe Sees Major Update, Screencasting Added? (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:06:53 +0000

Yeah, this is awesome. We love taking screenshots and we also love ShootMe, so when we saw that there was an update available today that changed the UI and added the ability to "screencast", we were super excited. Thanks to Tato tipping me to this early this morning, I've been sort of absorbed in figuring out how it works. Unfortunately, it appears to be the most finicky of options ever. Update 1: When you get your the Reject/Accept screen, you'll hit menu and choose "Preferences." From there, you can choose the Screencast option which should start the minute you click "Hide". Once you are finished, the app is taking up to 10 minutes before the screencast you just made becomes available for viewing. At least on my DX anyway. Finicky, but cool. Update 2: Demo added. For those of you running into issues with the screencasts showing up in your gallery, I suggest switching ShootMe back to regular "shake" mode and then taking a screenshot. This seems to free up and prompt the app to release screencasts. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At1PMZgzBtI[/youtube] Rooted users only. Go grab it from the market now.

Download Link

Honeycomb Clock Widget Lands on Android Market

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:55:22 +0000

We're still at least a month away from getting our hands on anything Honeycomb-related, but app developers are doing their best to give you a taste of it now. An imitation clock has been released into the market that looks just like the version we saw during Verizon's CES keynote, which to this day, is the only live walk-through of Android 3.0. Of course, you can also download that "Honeycomb" music player which for whatever reason, sparked a bunch of "exclusives" last week even though the app has been out and over-analyzed for at least 3 weeks now. So if you want a clock to bring you closer to the real deal, then check out 3.0 Honeycomb Clock that has both lite and paid versions. In the "lite" you get the blue clock that we've seen in action and in the paid version (~$1.00) you get multiple colors including the yellow version pictured above.

Download Link

Cheers Thomas!

Review: RealPlayer for Android

Matt Demers — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:21:17 +0000

If you've been using computers awhile, you can probably remember RealAudio Player, an early audio player that had the capability to stream over the Internet. The original program came out in 1995, with a later version bundled with Microsoft's Windows 98 operating system. Many a fond memory were spent trying to delete it from my system because I would rather use Winamp which didn't have pop-ups. So, ironically, 2011 rolls around and RealNetworks Inc., RealAudio (Now RealPlayer) have released an Android app that is looking to make its mark in the media player market. I was sent a nice e-mail proclaiming that the beta of the app "received more than one thousand pieces of feedback from users, both positive and constructive," and that the newest update would be "based entirely on user feedback." This got me curious. I mean, if enough people say something's crap, maybe it will get fixed, right? At this point in the review I'm going to stop cracking jokes at RealPlayer. While they've made some stinkers in the past, I'm going to give them credit where credit is due: their app is not horrible. I would even go so far to say it is good: not amazing, and not likely to unseat Winamp as the media player du jour. However, its simplicity does have an appeal: as a guy who doesn't use his Android phone as a media player that often, RealPlayer seems to be a bit of step up from the default apps. Within it, you've got a music and video player along with an added photo viewer; all are very basic and rudimentary. They do their jobs well, as they should. However, it offers a little bit more than the stock apps in the sense that you can use the folder browser to determine which folders to keep scanned: again, seems like a no-brainer, but it's much less of a hassle to fine-tune what media you want showing up. Strangely, as evidenced by my screenshots above, the scanning animation never seems to stop. The app, while still in beta, looks like they've actually cranked some money into it. The interface looks slick and doesn't have the familiar pitfalls like jagged edges on buttons or a general lack of polish. That's what endears it to me: I don't think I'd use RealPlayer myself, but the fact that they're taken feedback into account and not just shoveled something out the door both gives this app a pass. I'd suggest it to someone who doesn't want or need Internet radio, library syncing or any of the Winamp fanciness; however, if you're tech-savvy enough to be using your phone as your primary media player, that someone probably isn't you. Download:

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Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy, and isn't afraid to crank up some Beastie Boys from time to time. You can reach him through his Twitter, or his Droid Life e-mail.

DROID Bootloader Accepts a New Challenger, Progress Already Made?

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:48:32 +0000

After months of attempts from some of the industry's best, the DROID X bootloader and stock kernel remain in tact. While there are ways to tip-toe around it, we have never actually had full access to the phone and have always approached ROMs on the device with extra caution. Today though, it looks like a new challenger has accepted the task and claims to have made some actual progress using kexec in an attempt write over the stock DX kernel. What is kexec? With my lack of linux knowledge, I'm not about to attack that one, but do know that it's a way for someone to boot a new kernel over a currently running one. Will it finally be done? I have no idea, but I wish this brave soul the best of luck. You can follow him on Twitter: @aliasxerog You can also check his new site dedicated to the task, plus look for mirrors of his first attempt later on today. From what I've gathered, his first attempts at flashing a new kernel were semi-successful, but are completely unstable and needs help from the community to make this thing work. Good luck!

And Just Like That, Kongregate Arcade is Gone From the Android Market

Kellen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:21:23 +0000

When you launch a massive gaming application like Kongregate did yesterday, you should probably read the Android Developers Distribution agreement which clearly states that you can't provide an app that allows people to download other apps. And since they didn't, their app and its 300+ Flash-based games is gone and will probably not be returning any time soon. Google definitely frowns upon anyone looking to distribute apps through other apps that they might have downloaded from their market. They have zero control over anything when this happens, and while they are pretty lax for the most part, this is a serious enough situation to warrant such a removal. You can still download the app here. Via: Joystiq

Rumor: Thunderbolt and Samsung 4G LTE Device Will Launch Last Week of February

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:20:48 +0000

We've received word that helps confirm our assumption that the HTC Thunderbolt will launch in the last week of February, but what we didn't expect is the idea that it could have a partner. According to our sources, regional Verizon reps are confirming to their clients that the current schedule is to have both the unnamed Samsung 4G LTE device and the Thunderbolt out at the same time. Marketing materials are starting to appear with these details and testers with both devices are reporting nothing but good things, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that there are no last minute delays. Oh, we've also heard that the Samsung device will NOT come loaded with Bing, which we're happy to hear as we were bracing ourselves for the worst. Cheers ___!

Apple COO on Current Android Tablets: "That's a Bizarre Product"

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:39:47 +0000

Apparently Steve Jobs isn't the only exec over at Apple with a mouth on him. Tim Cook, who is running the day-to-day show for the time being, dropped a variety of comments during an earnings call today on the current tablet market that is aiming to compete with their iPad. His first shots were directed at Windows tablets, and rightfully so, has anyone actually purchased or even seen one of those? His second set of remarks were directed at...you guessed it...Android and the 1 legitimate tablet on the market. Yes, I said one, because the Galaxy Tab is the only one worth even mentioning at this point. Cook described the "variety shipping today" (again, the Galaxy Tab is it) as a tablet that is just a "scaled-up smartphone" and that it's quite the "bizarre" product. Maybe someone should have given Tim some new material, as we've heard this time and time again for months now and 100% agree. In fact, Google came out long ago and made it perfectly clear that Android 2.2 is not meant for tablets, and that they would not be supporting those that chose to run it. So that was nice of Apple's COO to mention it for the 100th time, but again, none of us are going to argue against these claims. Of course, he swam right around the upcoming onslaught of Honeycomb tablets, calling them "vapor" because, you know, they don't exist yet or something. Apparently Apple should have actually made an appearance at CES and they wouldn't have missed out on the Motorola XOOM which took home an award from every single tech publication on the planet. But again, vapor here. I'm sure he's done the master proud though, and all of the investors on that earnings call today can hold their heads high as they prepare for the launch of the iPad Super Plus (our new name for it). /me waits for the "You're just bitter!" comments. His comments in full after the break.

Q: What about iPad competitors? TC: There’s not much out there as you know. There are two kinds of groups today (in the market) — the ones using a Windows-based operating system. They’re big, heavy and expensive. Weak battery life. Need keyboard or stylus. From our point of view, customers aren’t interested in that. Then you have the Android tablets. The variety shipping today, the OS wasn’t designed for a tablet — but Google said this. So you wind up having the size of a tablet that’s less than reasonable. Or one that’s not even a real tablet experience. It’s a “scaled-up smartphone” – that’s a bizarre product in our view. Those are what is shipping today. If you do a side-by-side with an iPad, some enormous percentage are going to pick the iPad. We have no concern there. In terms of next generation. There’s nothing shipping yet. So I don’t know. “Today they’re vapor.” However, we’re not sitting still. We have a huge first-mover advantage. And a huge user advantage from iTunes to the App Store. Huge number of apps and an ecosystem. We’re very confident entering into a fight with anyone.

Asleep yet? Via: Phandroid, TechCrunch

Tuesday Poll: Current Android Device is?

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:37:08 +0000

It's that time again. Every couple of months we like to ask the community here at Droid Life what device they are currently rockin' to give us an idea as to where your minds are in the Android world. For the first time ever, we've actually included a bunch of non-DROID branded phones that have a solid following because our audience seems to be widening by the day. Don't worry loyal ones, we're not going away from our favorite family, we're just welcoming in all lovers of this magnificent mobile OS. So...what's your flavor? Any reason why? Best device you've ever owned? Can't wait to ditch it? [poll id="51"] For me, I'm still working with a DROID X. It's easily the best phone on Verizon even after being on the market for almost 7 months now. Blur may be an enormous disaster, but there are plenty of ways around that these days. If only it had a dual-core and a front-facing camera, I wouldn't need to switch. OK, that's a lie...gimme that 4G LTE already.

Review: Aura for Android

Matt Demers — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:15:35 +0000

With a full course load and a bunch of online writing to do, EVE Online is one of the few MMORPGs that I have time for. Skill training progresses in real time (even when the player is logged off,) which allows for advancement with a (relatively) small time investment. This allows players to step back and take a break from the game while still feeling like they're moving forward in EVE's sci-fi universe. An interesting mechanic that's the developers have implemented is a robust API system which allows players to use a number of utilities. As the player earns money and trains skills, the API updates and allows these utilities to stay up to the second. Aura is an app that takes advantage of that. After inputting a character's User ID and Limited API key (provided by CCP, the game's developer,) Aura will sync up with the player's skill queue and assets. At the moment, the app will only display skills and money; there are plans for timers to be added for the progress of things like manufactured goods being processed. This is useful for an on-the-go player like myself, and allows me to keep tabs on when my skills are going to be completed. It also represents a growing group of apps that are developed for extremely niche audiences that are well-polished, functional and inventive. I give the developer my props on this one. The only problem I had is that you can't access specific skill pages (like the middle screenshot above) or add them to a skill plan queue when your SD card is mounted to a computer. Even though my app is installed on my phone's memory (not my SD card) it seems like that database data is stored on the card. Any way, I'm not going to nitpick about that.

Another large part of the app is both the item database and fitting simulator. These are recently-added updates, and aid in perhaps the most important part of EVE Online: planning. Similar to the skill queue, the fitting simulator allows you to choose individual ships, fit them with different weapon/armor packages and compare overall statistics. Supplementing this is a robust item database, which allows for searching and comparison as well. While you can't access market data for any of these items (due to the region-specific nature of searches), this is an extremely good way to kill some time. Props to developer Aideron Robotics; I'm looking to see where Aura goes, and its future impact on the world of EVE. Download:

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Matt Demers is Droid Life's app guy. You can find his posts every day on this site. You can get ahold of him via Twitter or his Droid Life e-mail; he doesn't bite.

SeamlessWeb Comes to Android, Time for Takeout!

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:44:15 +0000

I'm a huge fan of takeout, so this news of SeamlessWeb hitting the Android scene is exactly the stuff I like to hear. Unfortunately they aren't in Portland yet, but that shouldn't take away from the joy that those of you in the other 14 cities they cover will experience. The nation's "leading" online food ordering service even gave the good side some additional features not found everywhere including advanced search, sort and filtering tools. Free in the market.

Download Link

Yes, Verizon's New Every Two Program has Come to an End

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:58:20 +0000

This story seems to have popped up all over the place today, so we better touch on it even though it shouldn't surprise any of the readers of this blog. Back on January 4th, information was released to the blogworld detailing Verizon's plans to axe their "New Every Two" program and replace it with a new 20-month renewal option starting on the 16th (2 days ago). On that same day, we also received further information on this new upgrade policy, which included details on the cancellation of the 1-year upgrade program that was a part of the NE2 as well. The news didn't exactly provide the most up-beat of responses from our community, so we'll make this quick. As you can see from the screenshot above which we grabbed from VZW's FAQ, the program is definitely over. There are a lot of past tense terms used followed by a "fulfilling 20 months of your two-year term" comment which sums it all up. Sorry folks. Hello Best Buy's Buy Back program and 1-year contracts!

Kongregate Releases Android App, Includes 300+ Flash-based Games

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:16:37 +0000

Kongregate announced today that their Android application with its 300+ Flash-based games are ready for prime time and can be grabbed from the market immediately. I know what you're thinking, "Finally! Let's take advantage of this Flash goodness that can only be found on Android!" And I agree, it's about time that we get to use Flash for something other than just watching embedded YouTube videos. This is good stuff. This new app allows for mobile-only badges, high scores, ratings, comments, and offline play (+100!). Yes, I just said "offline play." It uses your Kongregate web account and they'll even toss int 50 points when you install the app for the first time. Now, who's got some game recommendations?

Download Link

Via: Kongregate

Cheers Cody, Jason and EvantheGamer!

HTC Thunderbolt Training Begins at Verizon

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:00:07 +0000

The HTC Thunderbolt is getting closer than ever to an announced released date, and if this new training slide out of Verizon is an indication, we should be set for the late February/early March timeframe we've been talking about. The TBolt will be the "first" for Big Red in a lot of categories including the ability to do voice and data at the same time, Skype video calls, and the new HTC Sense 2.0. We absolutely loved this device at CES and can't wait to get our paws all over it again. Additional coverage:

Hands-on video and gallery | Thunderbolt vs. iPhone | Thunderbolt boot animation

Via: Android Central

Plants vs. Zombies and Peggle Teased on Android

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:17:47 +0000

Tease! PopCap's director of editorial and social media, Jeff Green, dropped the two pictures above on the world last night via Twitter to showcase two of their upcoming games for Android. You may have heard of a little title called Plants vs. Zombies? What about Peggle? Both are wildly popular on just about every platform imaginable except for our favorite, but that's about to change. While no firm date was mentioned during this Twitter bonanza, Green did mention that the games won't be ad-based or free, which means they'll come at a price. That doesn't bother you though, does it? Via: Twitter 1, 2 Cheers EvantheGamer!

Best Buy's Buy Back Program, Why You Should Consider it.

Kellen — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:37:36 +0000

Most of you know by now that Verizon's upgrade policy has changed and that their "New Every 2" and 1-year upgrade programs have come to an end leaving you wondering how on Earth you'll be able to keep a phone on 2-year contract for an entire 20 months. Things in mobile are changing so fast that it's hard to imagine that you could be without an option to upgrade for almost 2 years, which in this field, is like 5 years. That's where Best Buy's Buy Back program comes in. Up until this point, we've sat back to see how this new scheme would work, and thanks to our friends at BB, we have all the details you need. How much does it cost? Let's use the HTC Thunderbolt as an example since it will likely be the first 4G device from Verizon to hit store shelves. A potential situation would go something like this, should you walk into a Best Buy and decide today that you need a new phone. As you enter, you'll be greeted with a ton of phone options, one of them being the DROID Incredible for $1 which you decide to buy while signing a 2-year contract to get that insanely low price. The BB employee will then ask if you want to purchase the Buy Back program for $60, leaving you with a $61 charge in order to get into that Incredible. This is where we suggest that you jump right in. You will then ask, "What are the benefits of the program?" How does it work? You are about to spend $1 on an Incredible, plus the $60 for the Buy Back program and this is why. Once you make that purchase, you will now have 2 years to sell that Incredible back to Best Buy should some other device come out that excites you. What we should point out though, is the fact that even though you paid $1 for the phone, Best Buy treats it as if you paid $599 aka full retail price for it. So this is where the good stuff happens. How much can you sell it back for? Since Best Buy looks at your $1 purchase as being worth $599, you can receive up to half of that in return on a gift card within the first 6 months. What does that mean exactly? That means, that if the Thunderbolt comes out in March (which is within 6 months of you purchasing the Incredible), you can return that $1 Incredible and receive a $299 gift card to put towards the purchase of the first 4G LTE phone on the planet even though you are locked into a 2-year contract. Now, in order to get your Thunderbolt, you'll have to use the $299 gift card and purchase your new phone at full retail which could cost you another $300. But isn't that better than paying the full $599 should you be locked into a contract over at Verizon? The longer you hang on to your Incredible, the value of it to Best Buy begins to drop in 6 month increments which you can see below...

The real cost? We should point out that since you've actually invested $61 (phone and Buy Back program), when you get your $299 gift card, that in reality it's only worth about $238. Not to try to confuse anyone, we just want to make sure you don't forget the cost of the program. Why not do it? If Verizon is going to remove all of their early upgrade incentives, then options like this one from Best Buy seem like a no-brainer. This is obviously for the tech-obsessed who can't hang on to the same phone for more than 6 months, but for those in that category, this will save you at least a few hundred dollars. Anyone interested? I am. Additional details can be found here. Cheers Jason!

CONTEST: Win a Motorola Command One Bluetooth Headset!

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:15:11 +0000

Earlier today we walked through a review of the Command One bluetooth headset from Motorola and are now ready to give 2 of them away ($129 value each)! This device is clearly one of the leaders in bluetooth technology, especially when you throw in the MotoSpeak app that allows you to listen to your text without touching a button. It also lets you stream music from your device, gives you at least 3.5 hours of talk time, and has all of the great voice activated commands you've grown accustomed to. Who wants one? Here is how you enter... 1. Follow us on Twitter. Tweet the following message:

@droid_life is giving away 2 Command One bluetooth headsets by Motorola, enter here to win! - http://goo.gl/x4DTv #android #contest

2. "Like" us on Facebook. We're almost to 10,000 fans! 3. And don't forget to subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up to date on all things DROID! Talk about easy, right? We'll sort through the hundreds of tweets on Wednesday and let our two winners know. Make sure you are following us or we can't notify you. And a big thanks to Motorola for supplying the prizes!

Pricing of Verizon 4G LTE Android Phones, What Can We Expect?

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:30:43 +0000

When the HTC Thunderbolt is announced as the world's first 4G LTE smartphone, would any of you be willing to pay more than the usual $199 subsidized 2-year contract price for it? The reason I'm approaching this subject is the fact that Verizon put their four exclusive 4G LTE devices up in front of the world at CES just a couple of weeks ago, but was unwilling to mention pricing of any sort. While this is standard procedure for any product release, we're just wondering what a premium price tag would do to your willingness to have the best? We're fully expecting an entire suite of non-4G LTE Android phones in 2011 from VZW that will all likely land at the $199 2-year contract price point, but what about the big dogs? So far, competitors like Sprint and T-Mobile have left their "4G" devices at normal pricing aside from the Epic 4G who snuck in originally at $249, leading us to believe that Verizon could do the same, especially since we all know that Big Red likes to do things bigger and some times pricier than everyone else. Let's also not forget about 4G LTE data plans which currently look like this: 5GB for $50 and 10GB for $80. If those stand when smartphones start hitting the market, you'll be paying what most would consider, insanely high prices for a block of data that you could easily surpass should you be any sort of an above average user. Couple that with a potentially higher priced device and you are looking at quite the wireless bill. And then comes in the fact that Verizon is changing their upgrade policy by removing the "New Every 2" deal, leaving customers stuck with devices for at least 20 months. Many of you have talked about only signing 1-year contracts going forward, but think about a 4G LTE device on that 1-year contract at a potentially increased price? Shake things up a little bit? While we have zero confirmation that prices could jump to anything out of the ordinary, it's just something we wanted to start up a conversation around. How much are you willing to pay to have the best smartphone on the best new network? Would you be into a $249 DROID BIONIC knowing that you would be stuck with it for 2 years? What about $349 for a 1-year contract? Questions, questions.

Swipepad Beta Brings Access to Your Favorite Android Apps From Everywhere

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:18:53 +0000

We were all over CircleLauncher this weekend, but may have just been introduced to an app equally as impressive called Swipepad beta. This app is free in the market, only you should be forced to pay at least a $1 for it because it's that amazing. Swipepad allows you to set up 12 of your favorite apps or tasks and access them from anywhere using a simple swiping gesture. As you can see from the screenshots above and the video below, the menu of apps can be pulled up from within another app, task, or screen before allowing you to jump into something else. A fantastic app. Video demo and QR after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T3If3ISfuc[/youtube]

Download Link

Cheers @azstar165!

Motorola DROID X ME811 Heading to China with 1.2GHz Processor

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:50:40 +0000

Anyone up for a boost in processor speed on their DROID X? You may want to consider packing your bags and heading to China then. A new version of the DX is on its way there as the ME811, sporting a 1.2GHz OMAP 3630 processor, which is the same as what's in your current phone, only it's clocked higher. Other than that, the phone is exactly the same with its 4.3" screen, 512MB of RAM, and 8MP camera. Well, at least we have the non-ugly version of Blur, right? Hello software patch for speed boost? More info at Motorola's website. Cheers Heather!

Review: Command One Bluetooth Headset by Motorola

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:33:45 +0000

I have to admit that when I first received a Command One bluetooth headset, I was really more interested in the idea that I could give one away to readers than actually reviewing it. And then I pulled it out of its cute little package, charged it, and used it. Talk about a solid bluetooth, and one that is easily the best I've ever used. While I haven't used a ton because I refuse to be "that guy" with the ear piece in, cruising the grocery store, the Command One definitely impressed me. Aside from the fact that it photos beautifully (as you'll see below in the gallery), it comes packed with some fun-filled features and an app that takes it to another level. (OK, that sounded a little over-the-top, but that's what happens when you you get into review mode.) We're talking about MotoSpeak, which is available for free in the market and is an app that allows you to listen and reply to text messages without ever touching your phone. As with any speech-to-text apparatus, you have to speak slowly, but in my time with it, there were no issues. It should be noted that MotoSpeak doesn't work with just any bluetooth headset, only select elite-level versions. You get about 3.5 hours of talk time and can answer or ignore calls using voice commands. The Command One also has your standard redial, mute/unmute, end call, answer second call options using its "call" button, but what really impressed me was the fact that it streams music. Yep, it has multimedia capabilities that your basic bluetooth doesn't and that's where this device wins. While it's not Beats by Dre quality, it's still an option that makes this a winner. And of course, it also comes with 5 ear pierces, a micro-USB charger, and instruction booklet. For those of you in the market for a new bluetooth thingy, I suggest you give the Command One a look. [gallery link="file" orderby="title"]

Infographic: BIONIC vs. iPhone vs. Thunderbolt

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:29:32 +0000

Last week, we tossed together a quick chart that compared the DROID BIONIC, i*hone 4, and HTC Thunderbolt to give you all an idea of how incredible the new 4G LTE Android phones are on Verizon, but to also show that the much anticipated arrival of the Apple's current phone is not worth wasting an upgrade on. Well fresh of the heals of our work, site Skattertech put together a giant infographic which displays our thoughts in even greater detail. In fact, when you see the number of red X's on this thing for the i*hone, you should be running as fast and as far as you can from that February 10th date. Full infographic after the break.

Via: Skattertech

Review: The New ezeStand XL Gives Your "Hummer" a Home

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:04:01 +0000

As our long time readers know, we're big fans of the ezeStand, which was one of the first and most affordable DROID stands on the planet. The original came out back around April 2010, and since then we've given away at least 3 of them through a variety of contests. The guys behind this classic have been kind to the Droid Life community, so it brings us great pleasure to help announce their newest product, the ezeStand XL. This new version was made specifically for all those big devices/"hummers" out there, like our friend the DROID X and the HTC EVO. The base has been widened and will fit any phone in portrait measuring in at 2.85" which is pretty impressive. In fact, with my DX docked, I've easily got another .5" of breathing room, so I would have no issue even if I slapped a case on it. The XL also works as well as the original in landscape, but again, has been widened to accommodate the big boys in the Android world. It definitely includes a magnet, so if your phone rolls with a built-in alarm or docking app then you shouldn't miss a beat in the mornings. They even tossed in a little clip for your USB cable to lock into on the back; a nice touch. It's built from the same sturdy plastic that you'll remember from the original, has the same rubber grippies to stop any slippage and overall is a great addition to their line of phone docks. At an always affordable price of $12.99, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a new dock.

Buy.

[gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Review: GO SMS looks to take away Handcent's candy

Matt Demers — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:30:21 +0000

Like many other Android users, I've taken the leap and changed from our default SMS application to the popular alternative, Handcent SMS. With it came a wealth of customization options; all in all, it offered a similar, but deeper experience to the default messaging app. However, while doing research for my upcoming review of GO Launcher, I found the developers (aptly titled "The GO Development Team") have an SMS app of their own. Eager to keep my apps matching, I installed it, hoping that it would impress me as their launcher had. GO's entry into the SMS app world gave me the impression that they examined what made Handcent great and then tried to replicate it. That's not to say it wasn't successful in doing so, but at the same time, I felt almost like I was using a retreading of what I had come to enjoy. The customization options are on par with Handcent's, and the pop-up notifications are nearly identical: not in the "it's plagiarized" sense, but in a way that does its job well. I was able to replicate the skin that I enjoyed using previously except for the inclusion of contact pictures on every line: this annoyed me a little. Some searching yielded the discovery that not all features are available across all skins, which added to my frustration. Topping it off was the marketplace mechanic of having each individual skin listed as its own downloadable app, but that's more a flaw of the marketplace as a system than a fault of the developers. In short, GO SMS is a healthy alternative to Handcent SMS, but doesn't really provide me any incentive to use it over its competitor. Handcent does all the things that GO does while having the features that I enjoy. I hate to have such small things as contact pictures or a customizable LED color (edit: which I'm told GO does end up having, albeit per contact. Thanks) be the tipping point of whether I use an app or not, but in the case of two things that perform such a similar function, it makes all the difference. Also something to consider is the larger development community around Handcent SMS: the population of skins is much greater. I recommend using GO SMS if you have a vendetta towards the Handcent SMS developers, or are looking for an alternative for some other reason. It does all the things Handcent does minus a few low-key features - however, if you've come to get used to those features, you'll notice their absence like a flashing red siren. Download:

--- I'm Matt Demers, a Toronto writer who reviews apps for Droid Life. If you have any suggestions for things I should take a look at, you can message me on Twitter or at my shiny new Droid Life e-mail.

Video: B**** I Got an Android [NSFW]

Kellen — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:02:44 +0000

Be warned, this video is most definitely Not Safe For Work (strong language). This is also one of those things that's so bad, it's actually almost a little funny. This rap goes out to those that think "God created the i*hone." I can't even type this stuff without starting to laugh. Oh, and the Captivate is the star of the show, including a stack of 20s and a bunch of references to the Galaxy S line of Android devices. Could someone at least tell this guy that bashing Apple shouldn't be done using a set of phones working with a fresh class action lawsuit? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV9tUW1uMtQ[/youtube] Via: Android Central

Download: New Android Market V2.2.11 (Updated)

Kellen — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 13:06:01 +0000

We were just handed the brand spanking new version of the Android Market that is as-of-now, only running on unreleased phones to our knowledge. This .apk will bring yours up to version 2.2.11, which I'm assuming fixes a security issue that we've known about for a couple of weeks now. At least we're hoping so, for the sake of application developers that have paid apps on the market. Other than that, you probably won't notice a difference. Download: Vending_2_2_11.apk (alt link) Update: For rooted users having issues installing the .apk, here is a .zip (alt link) which can be flashed in Clockwork. MAKE A BACKUP! Cheers Ronald Valdes! Cheers that dude for the apk!

CircleLauncher is Easily the App of the Week

Kellen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:10:34 +0000

Now here is an app deserving of a Friday send off. CircleLauncher, has been on my phone for all of 10 minutes and I can't get enough of it. The app allows you to attach up to 9 (recommended) of your favorite apps or contacts and display them in a beautiful, yet functional manner. You have color options, layout options, label options and we're guessing this is only the beginning. CircleLauncher has only been out for 3 days, but it looks like it's had 6 months worth of polishing. I went with the circle layout, but there are horizontal and vertical styles that look just as spectacular. For those of us loving a minimalist homescreen, this surely helps. I should probably add a note about this being a widget and not a "launcher." We wouldn't want the LauncherPro and ADW fanatics getting all hot and bothered, would we? There is a lite version, but the full version will only set you back about $1.20.

Download Link

Verizon's Initial 2011 4G LTE Market Cities

Kellen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:25:31 +0000

During all of Verizon's 4G LTE device madness, they walked through their plans for rolling out their new network to the rest of the country. By the end of 2011, they are expecting to be in at least 140 markets and covering 2/3 of the U.S. once 2013 finishes up. The overall goal is to have 4G LTE access in every single spot that they currently offer 3G service in. Sounds brilliant, right? Well other than the 38 cities that are currently offered, what can we expect in 2011? If they plan to hit 140, they need to get going, right? Here is the list of cities expected to see an initial push... Huntsville, Alabama Mobile, Alabama Montgomery, Alabama Little Rock, Arkansas Colorado Springs, Colorado Gainesville, Florida Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Pensacola, Florida Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida Tallahassee, Florida Augusta, Georgia Honolulu, Hawaii Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii Lahaina, Hawaii Boise-Nampa, Idaho Carbondale-Marion, Illinois Wichita, Kansas Baton Rouge, Louisiana Hammond, Louisiana Detroit, Michigan Flint, Michigan Fayetteville-Lumberton, North Carolina Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, North Carolina Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina Dayton-Springfield, Ohio Tulsa, Oklahoma Erie, Pennsylvania State College, Pennsylvania Charleston, South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina Hilton Head, South Carolina Sioux Falls, South Dakota Chattanooga, Tennessee Clarksville, Tennessee Cleveland, Tennessee Kingsport, Tennessee; Johnson City, Tennessee; Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee Memphis, Tennessee Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas Bryan-College Station, Texas Provo-Orem, Utah Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah Centralia, Washington Olympia, Washington Charleston, West Virginia Madison, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin That's an additional 49 cities that will go live in the first part of the year and will be able to take advantage of some of the new devices like the HTC Thunderbolt and DROID BIONIC. No Oregon though, eh? I guess my Thunderbolt will be just as awesome in 3G. Anyone seeing their city on the list? Cheers Ian!

When is the Worst Time to Buy an Android Phone? Any Time.

Kellen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:36:19 +0000

A little humor on a Friday afternoon never hurt, right? If we can't poke fun at our Android fanboy selves, then we should just go hide in a hole because we are likely taking everything way to seriously. (Thank @Koush for this one.) The graphic above attempts to lay out the timeline for the "worst possible time" to buy an i*hone or an Android phone, leaving our side of the world looking a little silly. Funny thing is, it fits right into this week's theme, "Updates or die!" What do I take from this? This just proves that we have choices. Instead of waiting for June each year, we have the option to choose a device at any time and from any carrier, and THAT is not a bad thing. Obviously you buy something and then get locked into it for two years, but as long as you educate yourself and buy a decent phone that isn't the LG Ally or anything with Samsung branding on it, you should be good. As far as updates are concerned though, I'm not about to go there. Thoughts? Keep it as clean as your Friday mind allows. Via: Design Dare

About that Google Music Sync in Gingerbread Story...

Kellen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:52:24 +0000

If you are an Android news addict, then you may have seen a story pop up over the last couple of hours concerning a new music option that could potentially appear in a future OS build. Let me just ask, do you remember that "Honeycomb" music app that leaked out a couple of weeks ago? Yeah, this post. Install that app and you get the option that we've screencapped above. We've known for over 2 weeks now that this option was on the way and can't wait for it to become official. The app that has been floating around doesn't work correctly at this time, and likely only will once Google announces some additional services that will accompany it. Until then, we'll just have to speculate on exactly what this means. Music service is go?

Friday Poll: Thoughts on Android OS Updates from Carriers/Manufacturers?

Kellen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:15:11 +0000

All the talk this week seems to be surrounding the timeliness (or lack there of) of Android OS updates from carriers and manufacturers. Computer World even put out a report just a few days ago which pegged Verizon and HTC as the top carrier/manufacturer combo for updating devices in a timely fashion, while T-Mobile and device maker Samsung seem to be struggling mightily. In fact, we've already seen a class action law suit pop up after a wild conspiracy theory over the Samsung Vibrant's update spread across the interwebs. It's getting a little silly at this point, but hey, whatever satisfies you, right? So what do you guys think? How are manufacturers and carriers doing when it comes to updates? Fast enough? Not fast enough? Doing just fine? [poll id="50"]

Newegg Android App is Available, Comes Packed Full of Features

Kellen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:14:42 +0000

This app has actually be around for 21 days or so, but Newegg decided to make an official announcement about it today through their Facebook page. As many of you probably know, Newegg is one of, if not the top site for all things technology, so we're excited to see their shop come to Android. They insist this app is packed full of features, and from what I can, it actually is. It actually performs pretty closely to their full site which is something most apps can't say. Free in the market.

Download Link

Cheers Chris!

InstaFetch brings Instapaper to Android

Matt Demers — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:00:46 +0000

Like most of us, I use my phone in a newsreading capacity quite often. Whether I'm looking through Google Reader or even browsing Droid-Life, I use my phone to keep up to date or to just kill some time when I have nothing else to do.

Instapaper makes that easier by stripping the formatting from sites that I want to save for later. The end result is a clean page that retains text-based formatting (like italics, bold and hyperlinks) while eliminating other annoying elements that may be obtrusive, like ads or sidebars. A third party has recently come out with an Android app, and I thought it might be a good idea to put it through its paces.

Bookmarks are created by using a bookmark applet in your computer's web browser, or the "Share" button in your Android browser. The app's function is simple; you log in using your account details on Instapaper.com, and an API call syncs your saved sites to your phone. You can then read them while the app updates regularly so you can keep up to date. Articles can be sorted and favourited in-app, and that carries back over to your web-based account. Data is stored internally on your phone's memory, or via SD card; however, if you installed your copy of the app when the SD card is unmounted, you must reinstall in order to change the settings. Doing some searching around reveals that InstaFetch sores a Database File (.db) in that folder; I'm unsure if that includes local copies of a user's sites.

The Pro version allows you to switch to a darker "Night Mode", read in fullscreen, and enable a wifi-only mode. By themselves, these don't seem like features that I would pay money for: however, the real worth is in its added sync to Evernote. As a student who laments the death of Google Notebook and refuses to use Microsoft OneNote, I use Evernote a lot for my day-to-day writing. That additional functionality would be great, if Evernote didn't already have their own (free) app.

What irks me is most is that the Pro version is listed as "free" in the marketplace; however, when you install it, it refuses your credentials until you buy it through the developer's website. This is frustrating and off-putting to me.

In short, Instapaper is like the recently-deceased Delicious, only geared towards mobile devices. However, it seems a little bit too late: any site worth a damn probably has their own mobile version, and if you own a smartphone to begin with, you're probably familiar with a little gesture called "pinch to zoom".

---

Matt Demers is Droid Life's Toronto-based app reviewer, and needs to stop hitting refresh on his Google Reader. You can follow/talk to him on Twitter.

Verizon 4G LTE Phone Release Dates?

Kellen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:20:52 +0000

The most popular question we're seeing on Twitter each day is easily, "When is [insert 4G device] coming out?" And even I'll admit that it's one of those topics I can't get off my mind. The four devices that Verizon announced at CES were all amazing and it'll be tough for anyone to decide which is the one to have, but maybe these little bits of information that we've receive will help you decide when you can jump on them. Let's start with the HTC Thunderbolt. We broke the cover on this bad boy a few weeks before CES, and at that same time, we started seeing ads from HTC which claimed they would have another first to 4G. We quickly jumped on the idea that this could be out sometime in January or early February. And then it was officially announced at CES and Verizon was hesitant to give out any dates, but did mention that all of their devices would be out in the first half of 2011. Talk about a downer. The press release from HTC also removed their strong stance on being "first" and instead went with "one of the first" so we're thinking there must be something else on the way. We're still expecting it to be soon though, and all signs (tips) we're receiving keep pointing towards an end of February or early-March release. An early March launch date gives Verizon time to sell the i*hone for a month, but also allows them to prepare their big marketing push which we're assuming will be huge for these new 4G LTE devices. The Thunderbolt will definitely be one of the first, so put aside those last few X-mas pennies for a St. Patty's day 4G party. What about the DROID BIONIC though? This device is clearly the most coveted of the four with its dual-core processor, qHD screen and bold new look, but we're getting the feeling that this may have customers waiting the longest. We heard a rumor that the BIONICs on-display at CES weren't actually utilizing both cores and that battery life was still a significant issue. I can't confirm that either way, but do know that every word we've heard has this device pushing that "first half of 2011" deadline. Don't be surprised if the BIONIC leads Big Red's big summer campaign. I should also point out that the Motorola Atrix 4G is now rumored to be landing on AT&T sometime around March 1st meaning Moto isn't about to release the BIONIC anywhere near it. The Atrix is their new king and the last thing they want to do is hamper sales of it by releasing a similar device on Verizon at the same time. And then we have the LG Revolution and the Samsung SCH-i510 who seem to be the forgotten children. While there have been few tips on either of these devices, we're starting to expect at least one of them early on and at the same time as the Thunderbolt. The Samsung device would surprise us as the device remains nameless at this time, but the hardware we played with seemed about as ready to go as you can get. The Revolution on the other hand looked to be done, but then we keep getting unofficial specs, skinned and non-skinned versions, etc. so our initial thoughts on this device being ready for prime time could be way off. We know that HTC isn't as firm on being "first" anymore, so look for one of these two to tag along with it on an opening ride. Lastly, we should probably touch on the Motorola XOOM, the first ever Honeycomb tablet that will eventually be upgradeable to 4G LTE. Q1 2011 was all the talk at CES and with rumored shipment numbers coming out early this week, we can only assume that this timeframe is still a go. While the device is definitely not shipping with an LTE radio in it, talk of a major Super Bowl campaign sound incredibly solid. The first tease will likely happen on February 6th with a much broader campaign taking us through February. Expect the XOOM to hit stores around the same time as the Thunderbolt. Recap:

HTC Thunderbolt - End of February, early March
Samsung SCH-i510 - March
LG Revolution - March, early April
DROID BIONIC - Early Summer, June

Now, take this all as speculation at this time. We're just going with every little detail that's been dropped at our doorstep and are then attempting to piece the story together. All I can say is, can these get here fast enough? Anyone else bored with all of the current devices?

A Few LauncherPro Docks to Brighten Your Day

Kellen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:43:39 +0000

About 10 minutes ago, I hit up Twitter with the screenshot above to show off a new dock that was passed on to me and it seemed to get a decent amount love. So I thought, why not post up the dock in a few different colors for the rest of you all to enjoy? The original dock actually came in white and was made by XDA member sonnysekhon for his Nexus One and S ROMs and was then handed to me by our favorite Android veggie, Tim-o-tato. Grab them all after the break!

As you can see, the launcher, "messages", "gmail", and "phone" buttons are built right on, so you'll have to use a transparent image or a swipe gesture in order to get them working. To save the docks, just tap on the image you want to get to its own page, then long press and save it to your SD card.

Oh, and the wallpaper is from Mr. @davekover, so ask if he'll part ways with it or flash the Liberty ROM that we posted up yesterday. It's included in there.

More colors on the way...

Swype Lays Down the Law on Distribution Without a License

Kellen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:36:02 +0000

This letter doesn't come as much of a surprise since we've had plenty of conversations concerning this subject with Swype ourselves, but this list is as good as it gets for guidelines as to how they want their keyboard app to be treated throughout our enormous community. Overall, Swype wants to embrace the massive amount of developers that Android has, as long as they are developing for a phone that would normally ship with Swype on it, of course. And that's really what their guidelines come down to; you can develop for and skin Swype all over the place as long as the version matches the one that shipped with the phone originally. There shouldn't be unlocking of the beta program version and no one should be stealing pre-loaded versions and including them in say, HTC devices, or they will be in violation. Check out their letter to XDA after the break.

While we at Swype are obligated to protect our intellectual property, we also feel that the enthusiast community is valuable to the long-term success of our business. With that in mind we’d like to offer some rules for posting content related to Swype here on the XDA-developers forum. The overriding principle behind our policy is that distributing Swype in any way which would allow its use without a license is a violation of our terms of service and our intellectual property rights. This includes the use of features for which the user does not hold a valid license. Therefore the following situations are not allowed:

Distribution of Swype standalone APKs in any form;

Inclusion of Swype in ROMs where the Swype licensing mechanisms have been stripped;

The addition of features, such as the voice input button, to devices where the user does not hold a license or appropriate rights for these features – this includes the distribution of additional languages; and

Any other use of Swype that infringes any third party copyrights or other intellectual property rights or violating any third party terms of service.

The following, however, are allowed by Swype (assuming you have all other required third party rights): Inclusion of Swype in ROMs for devices which come with Swype preinstalled, where the version of Swype matches the version distributed with the device and all licensing mechanisms remain intact, and where the user is not infringing on any third party copyrights or other intellectual property rights or violating any third party (e.g., a device manufacturer or carrier) terms of service; and The use of MetaMorph(R) to modify graphical elements in any licensed installation of Swype. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in making sure our intellectual property and that of third parties is protected, while still allowing those who love to customize their devices in such awesome ways the liberty to do so. Swype reserves all of its rights.

All make sense? I know this isn't a green light for everyone to run out and hack the heck out of Swype, but at least it shows that they are willing to work with our hacking crowd. That's more than a lot of application companies can say. Via: XDA

Game Dev Story for Android: it's a hell of a drug

Matt Demers — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:56:54 +0000

I have a number of games on my Milestone, but I don't use it as a serious gaming device. It's nice to have something in the case of a long commute or a quiet moment between classes, though. I've taken advantage of Angry Birds and it's free license, and engage my puzzle-craving side with Frozen Bubble. However, a recent Android release, Game Dev Story, has achieved something that those other games never have: it has made me contemplate uninstalling it based on how addicting it is. I have a long and storied history with simulation games: I love them, and many hours of my childhood were spent on Rollercoaster Tycoon and The Sims. While I still can't build a decent SimCity, I can appreciate quality where I see it. Game Dev Story is a recent Android convert, coming to us from Japanese developer Kairo Park. While that fact that GDS was first released on iOS might deter some people from checking the game out, I assure you that it's a good enough port that I couldn't tell that it wasn't an original Android game. It looks slick and feels extremely comfortable. For the uninitiated, the game simulates your creation of a video game company and your quest to make lots of money. You start off with the ability to develop for the PC platforms while consoles are released and discontinued along with the flow of time: this is a treat for gaming historians when you see the slightly-altered names and how the "Virtual Kid" might be a stinker. Your company can hire/fire employees, level up their attributes (writing, graphics, music and coding), advertise your product, buy licenses to develop for consoles, attend developer conferences and game awards, all the while taking contracts to make capital to make more games. While this seems like a lot to take in, Game Dev Story is easy enough to pick up; I was making AAA Titles after roughly a couple hours of playing. Games are created in a type/genre system, which allows me to make such amazing combinations like "Ninja/Racing" or "Historical/Puzzle" games. Different mixes have different success rates, and most good mixes are pretty logical (like "Checkers/Puzzle.") Your employees then work on the game, and if the game has high attributes, it will sell well.

The controls are great, as you can choose between touch controls or an on-screen d-pad with center button. I had discovered this soft controller right before writing this review, but it worked well enough that I have no complaints. Then again, the controls are simplistic: choose a menu option, go forward or back. Not much to it, but they work well. My only complaint is that you can't switch between top-level options on the main menu once you've clicked on something - you have to go out of the menu and restart the process. Luckily, this isn't a taxing process, as menus only go two or three levels deep. The graphics are gorgeous for pixel creations; there's such personality in the employee that I have grown attached to them. Ironically, my star programmer is named "Stephen Jobson." It's a very simplistic art style, but it does the job well; there's no real need for 3D graphics when a lot of what you're watching is a dollar amount pile up. The only complaint I had is that there's no way to play the game in landscape mode; you're locked into portrait at all times. As a guy who likes to utilize all his resolution, it's frustrating to see black bars at the top and bottom. The music is a bit annoying after awhile, but it's good for chiptunes. Like a lot of simulation games, it begins to grate with extended playing sessions, but that's not a sign of low quality; just a lack of foresight. Also, the sound effects as your games' attributes stack up are a cascade of notes growing in tone, which can get annoying for particularly long chains. Hearing a note for 3 seconds is fine and well, but for 10-20? Not fun. Ultimately, Game Dev Story is a well put-together package of a game, and gives us something important in mobile gaming: addicting gameplay that's easy to pick up. While it's a little deeper than most games, it's not prohibitive to the player: you don't have to read a FAQ or keep track of market data on an Excel spreadsheet to get ahead. This might shoot Game Dev Story in the foot a bit, as the game becomes quite easy once your employee stable grows; I think the only thing I have left to do after three days of hard playing is winning the grand prize at the developer awards. However, this requires perfect 10 reviews from four reviewers, and a whole lot of luck. Until then, I'll sit back and enjoy the cash rolling in to "Droid Life Co." At a $2.50 app price, I want something that challenges me a little bit more; I still recommend Game Dev Story highly, but as something to play in small doses. It seems to be the type of game that is made for user-created "hard modes", like not using purchasable boosts or only using one employee. If any of you have any ideas, be sure to let me know. --- Matt Demers is a Toronto journalist who really needs to stop gaming and get back to paying attention to lecture. You can follow him on Twitter.

YouTube Partners With VEVO, Makes Music Video Experience User Friendly

Kellen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:52:25 +0000

VEVO released their app to Android yesterday, but they've taken things a step further by partnering up with YouTube to help spread their music video collection. If you search for specific artists, you will now see channels listed with a "VEVO" tag at the end (pictured above), plus you'll be able to pick out videos quicker with a new music note icon. Talk about music overload that we won't be complaining about. Here are a few additional features:

While enjoying the video you can read ‘artist bio’
It’s easy to discover more tracks from the same artist using ‘artist tracks’ tab
You’ll find similar cool bands on the ‘related artists’ tab

Yay for Android and music! Via: Phandroid, YouTube Blog

Verizon Enters the Text App Arena with V CAST Messages

Kellen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:29:54 +0000

Normally we ignore anything with the word "VCAST" attached to it, but this new messaging app from Verizon appears to be worth at least a tiny mention. While I'm an avid Google Voice user, I will say that after dancing around this littel guy for a few minutes, you can see that someone actually spent some time developing it. It's going to try and compete with Handcent and Chomp, which is quite the task, but I'm definitely digging some of the functionality and features that have been tossed in. I'm liking the "Recent Calls" option for sending quick texts off, the location-based messaging, and the group conversation mode. For those of you looking for something new, might be worth a quick spin? Currently only supported by the OG Droid, Droid 2, Droid X, LG Ally, Eris, Incredible and Fascinate. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Download Link

Cheers Michael!

For First Time, Android Surpasses iOS as Largest Smartphone OS

Kellen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:03:54 +0000

I guess it's a good thing Apple decided to finally jump on board with Verizon if they want to try and compete with the juggernaut now known as Android. In Millenial Media's new Mobile Mix report, our favorite mobile OS took over the top smartphone spot on their network for ad impressions. An 8% increase month-over-month helped propel Android to the forefront, giving it a 46% share while iOS dropped back to 32%. The two battled it out to a tie over the last couple of months, but a strong holiday push must have made the difference and we're wondering now if Andy will ever look back? A 14% gap is pretty significant if you ask me.

Here are some other bullets from the new report:

Android ad requests grew 141% from Q3 to Q4 and since January, Android has grown 3130%
When breaking down the revenue generated by apps in Q4—Android had a 55% share as opposed to 39% for Apple. Android had a 13% increase quarter-over-quarter.
HTC claimed the number three position in the Top 15 Manufacturers – with a 9% month-over-month increase. There is a direct correlation with this increase and HTC having the highest number of devices (nine) in the Top 30 Mobile Device-Ranking including the debut of four new devices on the Millennial network: HTC Nexus One (Passion), HTC Evo, HTC Droid Incredible, and the HTC Desire.
Verizon experienced a 2% increase month-over-month in December. Verizon’s impression share is likely a result of the popularity of Droid devices and the carrier’s ability to offer 13 of the Top 30 Mobile Devices

Talk about some serious numbers there. And just think, we've only got four new 4G LTE devices on the way, an impressive lineup from AT&T and the XOOM all coming in the first half of this year. I love Android. Thoughts? More info here.

Report: Verizon Updates Android Phones the Fastest, HTC Tops Manufacturers List

Kellen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:13:38 +0000

Our friends over at Computer World took the time to crunch the numbers on Android updates for the four major carriers to decide which of them is leading the way on getting their users to the most current software the fastest. They also looked at manufacturers to see who's line of handsets was receiving the latest updates the fastest to round out their report. The facts shouldn't shock you, but we should all thank them for putting the time in on this fantastic report. Maybe now you'll all decide which phones to buy and on which carriers with a little more ease? Verizon won the carrier battle and we're not all that surprised. We know there have been hiccups along the way, but when you look back at the last year and see how many handsets were updated to Froyo, they easily took down the competition. Over 1/3 of their Android devices received Froyo within the first 6 months of it being on the market, with the average handset receiving it within 58 days. That's less than two months my friends. Sprint came in at a respectable second with T-Mobile and AT&T no where to be seen. In fact, between those two carriers, they were able to upgrade 1 device. Yes, one. On the manufacturer side, it was HTC all the way. They managed to update 50% of all phones to Froyo in 2010 and at at average time of 56 days. And I'm impressed. Motorola came in at second, but at only a 15.4% update rate, while Samsung somehow made the list by updating 11.1% of theirs. You have to look at those percentages being a little skewed since Samsung only updated 1 device, while Moto updated several, but obviously has more devices on the market. No matter what though, HTC is on top of the update game even with Sense loaded on almost all of their phones. Who says skins slow down update rates? Were you worried about the Thunderbolt and its single-core processor? Maybe this report will help ease your mind, as the device is almost guaranteed to be one of the first with Gingerbread. Source: Computer World 1, 2

DROID X ROM: Liberty by Kejar and JRummy

Kellen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:38:42 +0000

Two beasts in the DROID ROM community partnered up to release something new that I'll be recommending for all Droid X and Droid 2 owners. The ROM is called Liberty and it comes from Kejar31 and one of our all time favs, JRummy16. The base for this beauty is Kejar's GummyJar ROM and then has Rummy's toolbox and tweaks written all over it. You'll find goodies like the old school rotary lockscreen, Gingerbread themed Swype, custom wallpapers, and seriously, so much more. For fans of yellow, this is also a nice replacement for the Gingerbread green we've seen everywhere. Download for DX: LibertyX-1.0.zip Download for D2: Liberty2-1.0.zip

__________________________________

Instructions:

*Your DX needs to be running .320 or .340.

1. You obviously have to be rooted. (Instructions) 2. You need to have Koush’s Bootstrap Recovery. 3. Open the DX Bootstrap and “boostrap” the recovery. 4. When that finishes, “reboot recovery.” 5. Once your phone boots to Clockwork Recovery, scroll down to “backup and restore.” 6. Choose “backup” to make a clean backup of your phone. 7. After that choose “wipe data/factory reset” to wipe your phone. 8. When that finishes choose “install zip from SD card.” 9. Then “choose zip from SD card” and find the Liberty1.0.zip, select it and hit “yes.” 10. Your phone will apply the ROM. When it finishes, reboot and enjoy! Full support thread can be found here. Donate!

Google Translate Receives Update, Includes New "Conversation" Mode

Kellen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:10:49 +0000

Google Translate came equipped with a new "Conversation" mode today that allows you to have a conversation with someone on the street, with your phone, in 2 different languages. This new option currently only translates conversations in English and Spanish, but that's impressive in itself. Here is Google's explanation on this new feature:

In conversation mode, simply press the microphone for your language and start speaking. Google Translate will translate your speech and read the translation out loud. Your conversation partner can then respond in their language, and you’ll hear the translation spoken back to you. Because this technology is still in alpha, factors like regional accents, background noise or rapid speech may make it difficult to understand what you’re saying. Even with these caveats, we’re excited about the future promise of this technology to be able to help people connect across languages.

Now, knowing Google, this will likely have many other languages in just a short amount of time. In fact, they already have voice support for 15 languages, so the base is already in place to get conversations going between the rest of our wonderful world. They also updated the UI, but the star here is the breakthrough "Conversation" mode. Anyone given it a spin yet? Via: Google Mobile Blog

VEVO Released on Android, Brings Music Video Library to the Good Side

Kellen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:37:36 +0000

The top streaming music video service from that other phone OS is finally available over here on the good side of the mobile world. Say hello to VEVO, the "#1 online destination for music videos." You'll find over 25,000 videos from all of the top artists on the planet and even a ton of newly released clips, a great way to search and sort them, plus options to share with your friends. Music gurus, have a blast.

Download Link

Cheers Chelese and Adam!

Wednesday Poll: Is the DROID Brand Done for?

Kellen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:38:58 +0000

With yesterday's announcement that the i*hone is on the way, all anyone can think about is how it will affect the DROID brand and Verizon's Android lineup in general. Will the DROID BIONIC be the last in a line of incredibly successful devices? I sort of doubt that. Will we see a lot less "DROID" branded devices than we saw last year? I can almost guarantee that. With the name as established as it is, there isn't a need for every single Moto device that lands on Verizon to fall under the category that has helped drive Android to insane heights. We should now look for the best of the best which is why the BIONIC is the only one we are currently expecting in the first half of 2011. The DROID brand is far from dead, we just won't be seeing new family member every other month like we did in 2010. And thank god. So what do you think? Will it die off after the BIONIC? Do we have years left? Months? Do you want it to continue on? No poll needed, just drop your feelings on the future of the DROID brand below.

Jet Car Stunts Lite Hits Market, Full Version Sees Price Drop

Kellen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:27:23 +0000

If you haven't downloaded Jet Car Stunts yet because of the price, then you no longer have any excuses as a "Lite" version is now available alongside the price-reduced full version. This game, seriously, has been even more addicting to me than Angry Birds ever was. It does require some actual skill, is both frustrating and rewarding, but best of all, allows you to actually battle your friends on a track-by-track basis. The Lite version contains 8 levels that aren't seen in the full version, so even you die-hards out there should give it a go. And for those willing to take the jump into the paid version, you should know that it can now be had for $1.92. And after browsing through my scores, I noticed that I'm still topping all of you on almost every track. Bring it on peeps. Dethrone me! My OpenFeint nick is kellex if you want to "friend" me.

Download Link

New HTC Thunderbolt RUU Version 1.05.605.0 Leaks

Kellen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:36:27 +0000

Early last week, after the HTC Thunderbolt was officially announced, the original RUU leaked for it giving all of us a glimpse into the guts of a device that easily made our top 2 CES list. Well today, a new RUU has been released as version 1.05.605.0 with a PG05IMG alongside it. Grab them now from the links below and let's start digging into them!

RUU | PG05IMG

These are huge downloads, so it may take a while.

Source: 911HTC

Next Version of Android Dubbed "Ice Cream Sandwich"

Kellen — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:11:06 +0000

Maybe Google was avoiding the "Captain Obvious" choice when deciding against using "Ice Cream" as the name for the next version of Android or maybe they just wanted something that looked a little different than the Froyo statue sitting 2 spots over. Either way, according to TechCrunch, next up is "Ice Cream Sandwich." Yep, our first multi-word Android that could very well come off as version 2.4. We're leaning towards this being the dumbed down version of Honeycomb meant for phones, but that's a pretty bold assumption. We do know that 3.0 was built for tablets, but that Googlers continue to assure us that it has no hardware requirements and can work on phones as well. So what do you think? Is this tasty enough for you? Source: TechCrunch Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Facebook Phone is Real, Android-based, and Called the Cloud Touch?

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:23:29 +0000

The INQ Cloud Touch is the new Facebook phone? According to a filing with Bluetooth SIG that's exactly what the current name is being referenced as. INQ Mobile has been the manufacturer of the phone since this thing was first rumored, so this doesn't come as a complete surprise, well except for the fact that Zuckerberg denied that they were working on one. Or are they working on two? Maybe a QWERTY version and an all-touch screen version? And yep, it'll be Android-based. Here is the filing:

...is an Android smartphone built to make messaging faster and smarter. It’s designed around the way people naturally communicate and has Facebook built into its core. The homescreen features multiple entry points to different Facebook functions, while a dynamic widget displays a feed of status updates, albums, videos and photos.

Sounds like a lot of Facebook, but INQ is also known as being a social guru, so maybe they are just overdoing their description a little? Anyone interested? I'm...not. Source: Bluetooth SIG Via: Pocketnow, UnwiredView

Chart: DROID BIONIC vs. HTC Thunderbolt vs. iPhone 4

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:57:57 +0000

We just wanted to toss this chart out there to give you an idea of how to compare the i*hone 4 on Verizon to the top 4G LTE devices (DROID BIONIC and HTC Thunderbolt) that we should be seeing in just a few months. Other than the fact that the i*hone won't and can't run on the new 4G LTE network from Big Red, there are some other big differences here that you should be focused on. Actually, I'm not sure any are bigger than that fact, but we'll continue on anyway. Screen size: How could you not want one of the new screens that Motorola or HTC are putting out? Super LCD and qHD might be two of the prettiest displays we've ever seen and take up almost an extra inch of real estate when compared to Apple's current offering. Storage: With the i*hone, you are stuck with either 16GB or 32GB. There is no room for expansion on their devices. So if you go with the cheaper $199 16GB model and realize that's not enough space for all your pr0n, then that's just too bad. With the Android options above, you get the choice of going all the way up to either 40GB or 48GB depending on the device. Processor: The DROID BIONIC is the only device of the three that sports the new dual-core Tegra 2 processor from NVIDIA. Apple's doesn't have one and we're actually not sure that any of their products ever will. Remember, they like to keep it in house and NVIDIA has already been spreading word of their Android support. HDMI-out: The BIONIC again is the only one of the 3 with this feature. Who doesn't want to have the option to connect their phone to their TV and show off those beautiful photos and videos they've taken to their friends? RAM: The Thunderbolt is the class leader on this one. According to their official spec page, it'll sport 768MB of RAM which will help make up for the lack of a dual-core processor. Of course, it's already running the newest Snapdragon, so peformance wasn't going to be an issue anyway. So, are you still willing to use that upgrade on a device that doesn't really compare to the top two Verizon 4G LTE devices? While we haven't heard specific dates for either the BIONIC or Thunderbolt, we have been told "first half of 2011" and have at least a couple of tips pointing for a March release of at least one of them. That's only a month after the i*hone 4 hits VZW store shelves, can you wait another month? You should.

Tuesday Poll: So, Who's Switching to it?

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:43:53 +0000

It seems like such an easy question to answer, but there are still those out there willing to give up their current device for an outdated one that Verizon announced today which has a tiny screen, no LTE, and no dual-core processor. Oh, let's also not forget that the 5th version of it will be out sometime this summer which means that people who go with this phone, will be locked into a 2-year contract and unable to upgrade until version 6 is released because the upgrade policies have changed. I understand that it's become a status symbol for soccer mom's, but why would anyone not driving a mini-van and with an ounce of tech knowledge go here? So tell me, are you switching on February 10th? [poll id="49"]

Verizon Handing Out FREE Network Extenders? (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:40:53 +0000

Now this is the announcement Verizon should have made today in NYC. Anyone in need of a free Network Extender? I may not be, but I know that many of you are and it's looking like VZW is sending them out to people in low-coverage areas. A few of our readers received this text over the the last week and according to one of them who responded, an extender is already on the way. Now, I would never ask that you bombard the phone number listed above, but hey, might be worth it if your house, apartment or cardboard box struggles to catch a signal. Update: We're hearing reports that you should only have been able to receive this promo if the text was sent to your phone. We're also hearing that the number has been disconnected and that users are waiting on line for up to an hour to be turned away. Like we said, don't bombard it! Cheers IWearGenes08!

Flash on Android Updated to Version 10.1.106.15

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:08:50 +0000

Flash 10.1 has an update available in the Android market, although we're not sure exactly what it does. For whatever reason, Adobe doesn't like to include a "recent changes" list when releasing updates so we'll just assume that it's a bug fixer. Why would we assume that? Because if it was world-changing, they'd probably want you all to know about it. Of course, we also found humor in the fact that Apple had an announcement today with Verizon and this is a nice reminder that we are a part of the good side of mobile, the side that actually allows for openness. Grab it from the market now. Cheers David!

Google Goggles Update Lets You Solve Sudoku Puzzles

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:47:37 +0000

Google Goggles has a new use! It can solve Sudoku puzzles! For those of us that have never actually solved a real Sudoku puzzle, this is big stuff, especially when you have family members that can crush tons of them in a single day. And while my market refuses to update Goggles for me, I'm sure that it will be there for most of you. Have fun showing everyone how extra brilliant you are today!

Download Link

Download: Official Playstation App for Android

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:56:39 +0000

The official Playstation app landed in the UK and other European markets today, but our pals over at Playstation LifeStyle have already posted the .apk for U.S. customers to enjoy. Some of the features won't work as it wasn't meant for the U.S, but you might as well check it out and hope we see this stateside sooner rather than later. Talk about a polished app, right here. Download: pxsandroid.apk Install that as you would any 3rd party .apk file. Via: Playstation LifeStyle

And Verizon Announces...

Kellen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:50:11 +0000

UPDATE: Yes, they announced the i*hone 4. It's not LTE, doesn't have any dual-core goodness, and is almost a year old. People that lock themselves into 2-year contracts for this thing should be, well, looked after for a while. Oh, and it's not the white version.

Yeah, we've been ignoring this story on the site and not because it could potentially be the Verizon i*hone, but because the speculation is just ridiculous. At this point, if anyone actually thinks that the i*hone would harm what Android has going, then that person is a complete fool. If the phone lands on our favorite carrier, we are all good with that. At least we can stop talking about it right? This thing has been about 4 years in the making! So what did they announce? We'll know in 10 minutes... 7:59AM: Ooh a white and black "Rule the Air" logo...speculate away! 8:00AM: Lowell McAdam is on stage, looking tired after CES and AVN. OK, made that part up. Says, "Okay, it looks like you're expecting a big announcement. I don't think we'll disappoint. If the press write something long enough, eventually it comes true. We're very very excited about our announcement today." [engadget] 8:03AM: He's talking about broadband which is weird. 8:05AM: Making fun of the 4G craze. "We've built the most reliable 3G network... we recently launched LTE... now if you promise not to print this, with all the rebranding going on with old networks, we debated calling it 6G." [engadget] 8:08AM: And there it is. The i*hone will be available next month. Can we move on now? 8:25AM: Pricing. $199 on 2-year contract for 16GB model. $299 for the 32GB model. Press release after the break.

Verizon Wireless & Apple Team Up to Deliver iPhone 4 on Verizon BASKING RIDGE, New Jersey and CUPERTINO, California—January 11, 2011—Verizon Wireless and Apple® today announced that the iPhone® 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning on Thursday, February 10. Qualified Verizon Wireless customers will be given the exclusive opportunity to pre-order iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability. iPhone 4 is the most innovative phone in the world, featuring Apple’s stunning Retina™ display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone resulting in super crisp text, images and video, and FaceTime®, which makes video calling a reality. iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless will also include new Personal Hotspot capabilities allowing customers to use iPhone 4 to connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices. “We are pleased to introduce millions of wireless users to the industry leading iPhone 4 on the nation’s most reliable network,” said Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. “This is an important step for the industry as two great companies join forces to give wireless customers one of the most important technological additions to the mobile landscape this century.” “Verizon Wireless customers have told us they can't wait to get their hands on iPhone 4, and we think they are going to love it,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We have enormous respect for the company Verizon has built and the loyalty they have earned from their customers.” iPhone 4 features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, HD video recording, Apple’s A4 chip, a 3-axis gyro and a beautiful glass and stainless steel design like no other mobile phone. iPhone 4 also comes with iOS 4, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes multitasking, folders, Game Center, AirPlay® and AirPrint wireless printing. iPhone 4 customers have access to the world’s most popular App Store℠ with more than 300,000 apps available in an incredible range of 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health and reference. Pricing & Availability iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning Thursday, February 10 for a suggested retail price of $199.99 for the 16GB model and $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new two year customer agreement. iPhone 4 will be available at more than 2,000 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide, online at www.verizonwireless.com/iphone, at Apple Retail Stores, at the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple Authorized Resellers, and by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN. Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visitwww.verizonwireless.com. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Download: HTC Thunderbolt Boot Animation for DROID X and 2

Kellen — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:21:42 +0000

Want some of the goodness that was found in the Thunderbolt RUU? Then how about the boot animation running on your Droid X, Droid 2, or D2 Global? The file should flash to any of those phones, including the R2-D2 version and will give you the full experience including sound. While the sound on my DX does come out a little off, the animation is top notch and I can't wait to actually get a hold of this phone. Until then though, we'll do our best to make your current device look and work like one. Download: Thunderbolt.zip Instructions: 1. Download the file from above to your SD card. 2. Reboot into recovery using Koush's Bootstrap app. 3. Choose “install zip from SD card.” 4. Then “choose zip from SD card” and find the Thunderbolt.zip , select it and hit “yes.” 5. Reboot and enjoy! Big thanks to My Droid World for putting this together!

Monday Poll: Which Verizon 4G LTE Phone is Topping Your List?

Kellen — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:43:44 +0000

You knew we were going to ask didn't you? With Verizon dropping four 4G LTE devices on us last week, it was only a matter of time before we busted this question out to see which phone really impressed you. I have a feeling that the DROID BIONIC and Thunderbolt will be leading the way, but the Revolution and unnamed Samsung device are no slouches. So, which one are you dying to have? [poll id="48"]

Chart: Verizon 4G LTE Android Phone Lineup

Kellen — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:52:39 +0000

We thought a quick chart of Verizon's 4G LTE lineup would be a nice way to display their known specs and to help fuel the arguments as to which phone tops them all. Some of the information isn't 100% confirmed so we've left it as "N/A" for now, but things like RAM are probably 512MB across the board. Also, the Thunderbolt and Samsung device likely have anywhere from 2-8GB on-board, but we could not confirm either. It's a little sad to see that not one of these 4G LTE devices will come with stock Android, but those kinds of phones are 1 in 1,000 these days. Overall though, you have to be impressed by the lineup, although it would have been nice to see the LG device sporting a dual-core since they were all giddy about their Optimus 2X. Each devices sports a 4.3" screen of some sort though, plus they'll all have front-facing cameras to take us into the next fad in smartphones. Enjoy!

Our coverage of each device:

A 2011 CES Recap...

Kellen — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:28:10 +0000

Holy CES 2011. It is finally over.

How's everyone feeling after the week long chaos that just finished up? We might be struggling to wrap our brains around everything we saw over the last 6 days, but that isn't stopping us from trying. The focus of this year's CES was clearly on Android and there is no denying that. Random companies were spitting out tablets left and right, 4G devices from multiple carriers were on display, and the Tegra 2 was everywhere. If you attended and walked away without thinking that Android has officially taken over the world, then you must have been at the AVN expo.

Our goal for the event was to hit up every big media event, relate them to the DROID brand if possible, and let you decide which device will be the next one for you to drop that hard earned cash on. We didn't want to overwhelm you or ourselves with the abundance of unnamed and highly unfinished tablets, but instead focused on getting as much time in as we could with things like Verizon's entire 4G LTE lineup, since well, this is "DROID" Life, not "we cover all things tech" Life. So I apologize to any of you who wanted something different, but we walked away from this event feeling great. Let's get into it!

Motorola probably made the biggest splash of the week with their XOOM tablet that was the only thing in the area code that has even seen Honeycomb, while others continue to promise that theirs will as well. The device received a variety of awards from some big media publications and deservingly so, this device blew our minds. While few were allowed to touch it, the XOOM is guaranteed to be a winner and is the tablet you should all be considering when it's released in Q1 of this year. (XOOM coverage here.)

Moto didn't stop there though. They also announced the Atrix 4G, which may give AT&T a chance at actually competing with Verizon this year. The phone sports a Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, and some multi-media docks and accessories that left us with our jaws on the floor. We may be a little sour on the idea that it won't be coming to Big Red, but if you are for some reason locked into AT&T, you shouldn't even hesitate at buying this phone. (Atrix coverage here.)

Of course Motorola also gave us a new DROID (the BIONIC) to start preparing for and it's no slouch. It's essentially the same as the Atrix, but with a bigger screen, only 512MB of RAM, same dual-core processor, and front-facing camera. We asked Moto reps if the accessory line for the Atrix would be available on the BIONIC, but they were a little hesitant to go that far. (BIONIC coverage here.)

HTC finally announced the Thunderbolt and we're officially torn between it and the BIONIC. I know, I know, it doesn't have a dual-core processor, but you have to trust me when I say that it doesn't matter with this one. The Thunderbolt might be my favorite device from the entire event and if it comes out long before the BIONIC, it'll be tough to ignore. And not that I love bragging on our coverage, but our hands-on video and gallery of this device was easily one of the best around. (Thunderbolt coverage here.)

Honeycomb was brought up more times than you can imagine, except it was no where to be seen unless you tuned into Verizon's keynote on Thursday. Otherwise we were all stuck with videos that were preloaded on the XOOM and across a couple of Youtube accounts. We were a little disappointed at the lack of access to this new version of Android, but when you see how much has changed, you sort of understand why it has taken them so long to polish it off.

Other than that list of topics, we saw some nice new devices from LG and Samsung, but they really were overshadowed by what Motorola was pumping out. We still got the feeling that they care more about making TVs than they do about mobile phones, which is unfortunate, especially with LG announcing the Optimus 2X as the first Tegra 2 phone ever. And Samsung, they appear to be saving everything up their sleeves for next month's MWC (Mobile World Congress) and really just skimmed through a couple of phones.

We were a little disappointed to see only one device running Gingerbread and it's one that you can already buy, the Nexus S. Everyone else had "plans" to upgrade their phones, but from what we can tell, all of these beastly 4G devices will launch with 2.2. Disappointed by that? We sure are.

The future is bright though, and seriously, you couldn't turn around without seeing something Android-related. Hotels surrounding the convention were plastered with 50-floor billboards for mobile phones or services, plus almost every single major media event on Wednesday had some sort of Android announcement in it. Anyone in the industry with Android ties should walk away from CES 2011 feeling proud.

But to finish this off, I wanted to give you an idea of what encapsulated the entire week for the Droid Life crew in Vegas. Below is a photo from Verizon's highlight reel featuring our boy Tim-o-tato front and center doing what he does best in his DL sweatshirt, sneaking into large crowds to be the first to get his hands on everything. Behind him you can see our Dr. Root (aka MrPicolas) bringing some video and on the bottom right are my hands shooting that HD love that I hope you enjoyed throughout the last 6 days. We worked hard to bring you coverage of our first major convention and this picture sums it all up nicely.

Oh and this one is just epic. Check out Tato with Verizon CEO Dan Mead at Verizon's Palazzo party. Yep, he actually dropped the horns on him...

It was a long week, but one that we'll always look back on as this was the first CES for Droid Life, but will definitely not be the last. We hope you enjoyed everything that we chose to cover at the biggest tech show of the year and are looking forward to a great 2011 with all of you. We've got some amazing devices on the horizon and will as always be bringing you the best coverage of every single one of them.

The rest of our 2011 CES coverage.

Video: Hands-on with a Giant DROID BIONIC

Kellen — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:05:16 +0000

One of the first things we found at CES was a giant and fully working DROID X, but what we almost missed was the giant and working DROID BIONIC (gallery and video)that Moto wheeled out on Saturday. When we shot video for the DX on Thursday, we were told that their big BIONIC was just looping videos, but luckily our very own Tato and Picolas were on the scene to capture some hands-on time with the real one just days later. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrjCgFLHHgM[/youtube] Oh, and apologies for the quality. Feel free to slap around Tato for leaving the real camera back in the room. (Cheap shot!)

Motorola XOOM Roundup: WiFi-only Version, Expected Number of Units, Pre-order it Now?

Kellen — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:09:42 +0000

The Motorola XOOM has been the star of the last week in technology and I'm doubting that tag is going to go away any time soon. To finish off a week in the spotlight at CES, a bunch of rumors have already begun to pop up surrounding its release, price, and a possible wifi-only version. First up is the wifi-only version of the device, which according to Motorola's Latin GM, is in the wild and could see an April release. Believable? Seems highly unlikely that it would be available just after the 3G version ships and around the same time period that the 4G version would ship, but I guess stranger things have happened. What about price? Well, UK retailer Handtec already has the XOOM up for pre-order for £599.99 which is a number we've seen a lot in the past. While that price is in pounds, the 599 is the standard for almost any device on full-retail these days. This would also match up to the Galaxy Tab pricing we saw over the last few months, only people should be able to actually justify paying that sort of premium for this tablet. And lastly, famed rumor starter DigiTimes is reporting that Moto has ordered 700-800K XOOM devices for Q1 and may have a variety of color options. Their sources also expect sales to reach at least 1million in that quarter, so let's hope they continue to place those orders in a hurry going forward. And remember, we're in Q1 right now. Don't forget to check out our coverage of the XOOM from our CES trip:

Via: Engadget, Handtec, Digitimes

HTC Thunderbolt RUU and System Dump Leak

Kellen — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 12:50:05 +0000

The same day the HTC Thunderbolt was announced, the RUU and the PG05IMG snuck out via 911HTC, a site that seems to push out files for phones like no other. These files are quite large, include a bunch of new bloatware apps like Bitbop, MobiTV, MOG, Rhapsody, Rock Band, plus some live wallpapers. You can bet that ROMs are already in the works, but more importantly, we're hoping this means that the device is headed to stores much sooner than the "March" timeline VZW gave us on Thursday. To get the files directly from the source, you can use the links below:

RUU | PG05IMG

If that's to much work, and it likely will be, then head over to XDA Developers or Android Central for additional mirrors.

And don't forget to check out our Thunderbolt hands-on in full HD.

Source: 911HTC

Verizon's Return Policy Changing to 14 Days

Kellen — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 10:50:40 +0000

By now you've all heard that Verizon is changing their device upgrade policy, but this week we also received a tip that the return policy will see some tweaking as well. You will now get 14 days from the time you purchase a phone, meaning it's more important than ever to choose the right device the first time.

From Verizon...

Starting January 16, we will introduce a 14-day return policy on new devices, similar to practices of other major retailers of consumer electronic products. We believe a 14-day return policy will let us provide a great customer experience given our success with reducing and managing device returns through our customer-focused retail location and online processes and our best-in-class device portfolio. We believe the change is consistent with the growing importance of choosing the right data plan, features and device the first time.

So there you have it, more 30 day business to test a device. Feel free to drop those opinions we love so much in the comments. Anyone worried about a shortened return policy?

Video: Honeycomb Demo During Verizon's CES Keynote

Kellen — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 10:25:08 +0000

If you ever wanted to see a real look at the current state of Honeycomb (Android 3.0) then you'll want to watch the video below that the guys over at Phandroid grabbed during Thursday's CES keynote by Verizon. In this live demo, you'll see the new Gmail app, notification system, how home screens work, how widgets work, gaming, multi-tasking, and even video chatting. This is as good as it gets... [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YiXlkiq8Y0[/youtube] Via: Phandroid

Video: Highlights from Verizon's 4G LTE CES Event

Kellen — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:40:22 +0000

If you missed any of the exciting news that came out of Verizon's 4G LTE event yesterday at CES, then you may want to check out a new highlight video that has been released below. It's basically a 4 minute overview of a press event that lasted an hour and is a great way to get up to speed on all things 4G LTE. And don't forget to check out the first looks we had with almost all of the devices they announced:

Video after the break! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdv8WCYC7zM[/youtube]

DROID Incredible Stops Bullet, Saves Man's Life

Kellen — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:28:21 +0000

Another DROID phone lands in the news, only instead of blowing up in a man's ear it actually saved a life. According to this news clip, a valet worker's DROID Incredible stopped a bullet that was fired from a couple of angry club goers who had been kicked out for fighting. Seriously, stopped a bullet. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU3TLIrqLRI[/youtube] Via: BGR

Netflix App Spotted on LG Revolution, Headed to 4G LTE Devices

Kellen — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:33:20 +0000

We went hands-on with the LG Revolution yesterday only the device we used, didn't have this. In fact, the device we played with was almost like stock Froyo, so I don't know where this skinned version came from. The point though, is that the Netflix Android app was apparently loaded up on some of the LG devices at Verizon's 4G LTE event and Unwired View had a rep that wanted to actually talk about it. So it must be coming right? Check the video after the break. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ymDAuyiMds[/youtube] Via: Unwired View

Hands-on with the LG Revolution, Another Verizon 4G LTE Device

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:06:27 +0000

The LG Revolution is the 4th 4G LTE smartphone that will launch on Verizon some time in the first half of 2011. The device, as all of VZW's 4G LTE devices do, sports a 4.3" screen, but only has a 5MP camera and possibly just a 1GHz single-core processor. The press release can't confirm that, but we figure if it was a Tegra 2, that they would have been raving about it. This is the LTE device that popped up a number of times over the last 6 months, but now that it's real, nothing was all that unexpected. The HDMI out is always a plus and the 5MP camera appears to have some additional features, so we'll just recommend that you play with this device yourself. We liked it, but the Thunderbolt and BIONIC are topping our list right now. Gallery and press release after the break. [gallery link="file" orderby="title"]

Verizon Wireless and LG Mobile Phones Lead into the 4G Future with the LG Revolution First 4G Device from LG Delivers a Next-Generation Smartphone for Customers Ready to Experience Blazing-Fast LTE Technology LAS VEGAS; BASKING RIDGE, N.J.; and SAN DIEGO – Verizon Wireless and LG Mobile Phones today announced the first 4G LTE smartphone from LG, the LG Revolution. With high-speed 4G LTE connectivity that puts users in the action, LG Revolution offers complete HD support for streaming, playing and recording video multimedia while on the go. Equipped with a chic design, large 4.3-inch touchscreen and Android 2.2 platform, LG Revolution is the ideal device for users ready to experience the next level of smartphone power. “LG Revolution combines the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network with the power of Android 2.2 to deliver a blazingly fast experience,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “The introduction of the first 4G LTE smartphone from LG is a positive addition to our robust lineup of powerful smartphones.” The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years. “Being an innovation and technology leader has always been a top priority for LG and we are thrilled to unveil a new level of smartphone capabilities and features,” said Tim O’Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. “LG Revolution marks the beginning of new technologies and products that will complement on-the-go consumers looking for high-speed connectivity in one compact device.” LG Revolution will be on display at CES in Verizon Wireless’ booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center) and in LG’s booth (#8205 in the Central Hall). For more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte and for more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces or follow the compay on Twitter at http://twitter.com/verizonwireless. Key features:

4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas

4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen

Wi-Fi capable

Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G connection with up to 8 Wi-Fi devices

DLNA, HDMI and DIVX capable

Video telephony support with front-facing camera

Android 2.2 technology for Google Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk, Google Voice and access to Android Market™

Virtual QWERTY keyboard

Bluetooth^® 3.0 capabilities with support for Bluetooth Profiles Supported: Headset, Hands-Free, Dial-Up Networking, Object Push, Advanced Audio Distribution (stereo), Audio/Video Remote Control, Phone Book Access, and File Transfer

16GB internal memory with microSD™ card slot with expandable memory up to 32GB

Additional features:

Proximity sensor instantly locks touchscreen while talking on the phone

Full suite of messaging options – Text, picture, video and voice messaging; corporate and personal e-mail accounts supported

5.0-megapixel autofocus camera with flash and camcorder that includes:

Five different camera resolutions and three different video resolutions

Macro Mode for detailed, up-close pictures

Image editor with zoom, rotate, resize, crop, added frames and stamps

Customize brightness, white balance, shutter sounds, color effects and use self-timer

Optimize video quality with normal, fine or super camcorder settings

About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. About LG Electronics LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 80,000 people working in over 115 operations around the world. With 2009 global sales of 55.5 trillion Korean won (USD 43.4 billion), LG comprises four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning and Energy Solution. LG is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula 1™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

Hands-on with Verizon’s Samsung 4G LTE Device (SCH-I510)

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:44:45 +0000

At the Verizon 4G LTE event today, the Samsung reps were a little hesitant to actually let us play with their new unnamed device, so we skipped on by it until we hit up their booth. What did we find? The Samsung SCH-I510, the same device they were scared to show to the press. And yes, it still lacks an actual name. We actually posted what we thought was one of the first pics of this device on Tuesday, so it was nice to have it confirmed today. It's definitely the alien-esque device with the Nexus S back hump. It does sport a 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus screen though and was as fast as ever with a 1GHz single-core processor. What wasn't impressive was the Touchwiz skin splashed all over it. They went with that same puzzle-piece theme that screams kid's toy and even went as far as to throw some cartoon like font on it. This could be a great device, but man, this is the classic example of manufacturers killing devices with their custom skins. And we have no idea when this will be released. The on-edge reps at the VZW event seemed to think this device was far from ever seeing a store shelf. Press release and gallery after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Verizon wireless and Samsung Mobile Announce Samsung’s First 4G LTE-enabled Smartphone Features Android 2.2 platform, Super AMOLED™ Plus Display, 1GHz Application Processor and Rear and Front-Facing Cameras LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – From the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone will be available on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. Powered by an Android 2.2 operating system, the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone is equipped with Google Mobile services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™ and access to more than 100,000 applications on Android Market™. The Samsung 4G LTE smartphone boasts a brilliant 4.3-inch Super AMOLED™ Plus touch screen display, powerful 1GHz application processor and HTML5 Web browser that uses high-speed 4G LTE connectivity for faster downloads. Designed with a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone supports video chat capabilities. Messaging is made simple on the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone with a virtual QWERTY keyboard equipped with Swype™ technology. Additionally, the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone will come preloaded with popular LTE-specific applications. “The Samsung 4G LTE smartphone is an ideal option for those who look to Samsung Mobile for sleek and innovative devices combined with blazing fast speeds of Android 2.2 on the nation’s most advanced 4G network,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “This powerful combination enables our customers to connect face to face with family and friends, while still enjoying premium multimedia and social networking features backed by the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network.” The 4G LTE smartphone has access to Samsung’s Media Hub content service available on the 4G LTE network, which offers a robust collection of premium movies and TV episodes from some of the biggest entertainment companies for purchase and rental. Users can stay connected with Samsung’s Social Hub, built around messaging, contacts and calendar sync, which allows users to send and receive information, whether it is e-mail, social network updates or text messages. The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years. The Samsung 4G LTE smartphone will be on display at CES 2011 in Verizon Wireless’ booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center) and in the Samsung booth (#12006 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center). For more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte. For more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces or follow the company on Twitter at http://twitter.com/verizonwireless. For more information about the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone, visit www.samsung.com. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. About Samsung Telecommunications America Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.

HTC Thunderbolt Hands-on Video and Gallery

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:21:51 +0000

We just spent some extra quality time with the HTC Thunderbolt and are drooling over the display on this thing. The Super LCD screen on this almost looks like it can't be real. We thought it was a dummy unit at first glance until we saw the Sense clock flip over. It feels amazing in hand, is still ridiculously fast even without a dual-core processor, and should be taken seriously. We should point out that the device was actually running on Verizon's 4G LTE network, and while the video doesn't show it was as fast as advertised. Oh, and I think you'll enjoy the new Sense experience. Full video and gallery after the break. Video action: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS6zBtFA370[/youtube] Gallery: [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Video: Hands-on with the Motorola XOOM Tablet

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:33:09 +0000

We finally conquered our spotty wi-fi problems and uploaded our Motorola XOOM hands-on video from last night. Like we mentioned earlier, no one is allowed to touch these devices and according to Moto reps, Honeycomb isn't polished enough for prime time. This guy was kind enough to walk through a series of Honeycomb videos though and give us a nice look at the entire 10 inches of glory. Enjoy. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFpQ53YEMNs[/youtube] And here is the Verizon landing page for the XOOM.

HTC Thunderbolt Coming to Verizon 4G LTE First Half 2011 with Google and 1GHZ Snapdragon Processor

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:46:28 +0000

The press release for the HTC Thunderbolt is out and the specs are in. We're looking at a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4.3" Super LCD screen, new Sense 2.0, 32GB pre-installed SD card, kickstand and 720p video recording. In even better news, it's definitely a Google device which you'll see from the Google branding on that fancy little kickstand. This is the same device we released 12 pictures of over a week ago. It's a fantastic device and we should have some longer hands-on time with it soon. Gallery and press release after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

HTC THUNDERBOLT delivers style and speed on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network LTE-Capable HTC ThunderBolt Enables Sharing at 4G Speeds with Features Including Integrated Skype mobile™ and DLNA Wireless Media Connectivity LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – At the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Verizon Wireless and HTC today unveiled its newest 4G smartphone, the HTC ThunderBolt, one of the world’s first 4G LTE Android smartphones, coming soon exclusively to the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. Taking advantage of Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network and the intuitiveness of the HTC Sense user experience, HTC ThunderBolt is one of the first smartphones to integrate Skype mobile^™ with video calling. Rather than relying on a standalone application, a Skype mobile with video call can be made as easily as a standard voice call – with features like presence icons that indicate the availability status of friends built into the standard contacts list. A front-facing camera enables simple video calling, and the 4.3-inch display brings friends and family into clear focus. HTC ThunderBolt features exceptional speed and power with the newest generation of the blazing-fast 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Verizon Wireless customers will also enjoy the premium HTC Sense user experience, running on the Android 2.2 platform. Creating and consuming mobile multimedia content is made possible with a stunning 4.3-inch WVGA display, Dolby surround sound, 8-megapixel camera and HD video recording. With wireless DLNA capability, the HTC ThunderBolt can easily stream and share content directly with compatible home theater components, including HDTVs and stereo receivers that feature built-in DLNA support. “We are proud to not only be bringing one of the first 4G LTE Android smartphones to the Verizon Wireless network, but to offer people the unprecedented speed and ease of use that the HTC ThunderBolt provides to them,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas. “What makes 4G so compelling is not just technology, but what the technology allows people to do. With HTC ThunderBolt and the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, 4G is brought to life as people stay connected with friends, family and content faster than ever before possible.” “Our 4G LTE network and the HTC Sense user experience combine to enable our customers to connect with friends, family and information on a whole new level,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “Customers will see the difference of 4G speeds when accessing content via the Web, Android applications or other Verizon Wireless applications.” The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years. The HTC ThunderBolt will be on display at CES in Verizon Wireless’ booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center). For more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte and for more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces or follow the company on Twitter at http://twitter.com/verizonwireless. For more information about the HTC ThunderBolt, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/thunderbolt. Key Features:

4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas

4.3-inch WVGA display

Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G connection with up to 8 Wi-Fi devices

Android 2.2 platform

32GB microSD card included

HTC Sense 2.0 with new features, including Fast Boot

Built-in kickstand for easy media viewing

Dolby and SRS surround sound

Fully integrated Skype mobile experience

720p HD video recording

DLNA streaming multimedia support

For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. About HTC HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

Gallery of Verizon's Entire 4G LTE Device Lineup

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:28:12 +0000

The Verizon 4G LTE event is over and here is the entire lineup of devices. Two tablets, 4 smartphones, 2 netbooks and a couple of modems all make up this impressive set. All of the smartphones have 4.3" screens, will have Skype video chatting and will be available throughout the first half of this year. We kept thinking that the Thunderbolt would be a late January device, but there was no mention of that this afternoon. Motorola will release the DROID BIONIC, LG has the Revolution, HTC has the Thunderbolt and Samsung can't seem to figure out a name for theirs, but we know it's the SCH-I520. Check out the entire lineup after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Live from the Verizon 4G LTE Event...

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:36:47 +0000

Yep, the moment most of you have been waiting for, the 4G LTE event for Verizon at CES. We're expecting up to 5 devices to all be unveiled/announced in the next hour. The HTC Thunderbolt, LG Revolution, DROID BIONIC, Motorola XOOM, and possibly something from Samsung could all make appearances, so keep it right here... 12:50:PM - 10 minutes and counting... 1:10PM - And we're live, quickly through intro video on how awesome LTE16: is. They just ran through a list of partners including HTC which means its Thunderbolt time. 1:16PM: Announced partners through video including NVIDIA, Motorola, HTC, LG and Samsung. We should be seeing those 5 devices I mentioned any minute now. 1:20PM: Tony Mallone, VZW CTO claims that 2/3 of the U.S. will be covered by 4G LTE, the same as their 3G network in 2012. 140 more markets by the end of 2011, including my city, Portland! 1:27PM: 4 smartphones, 2 tablets, 2 mobile hotspots, 2 netbooks will be out within the first half of 2011. All 4G LTE baby. 1:29PM: LG CEO on stage, about to drop the LG Revolution which is a Optimus 2X made specifically for Verizon 4G LTE. And he's done it. No other news, but we're pretty sure it's their Tegra 2 device. 1:30PM: Skype CEO is up, video chatting is go. News came out this afternoon that they are buying Qik, so that's the technology we're getting. Funny thing is, they just showed it demoing on a Thunderbolt which hasn't been announced yet. Will be on all 4G LTE smartphones. 1:33PM: Peter Chou from HTC is up. Thunderbolt! It'll be the first 4G LTE device just as their ads have been hinting at. 4.3" Super LCD screen, mobile hotspot, Skype chat, all included. Thanked Qualcomm, so yeah, single-core. 1:38PM: EA (Electronic Arts) VP Travis Boatman up now. Rock Band mobile coming, will be a VCAST App. 1:41PM: Samsung takes the stage to announce 4G LTE smartphone and 4G LTE Galaxy Tab. Phone will have a Super AMOLED Plus screen and apparently no name. SCH-I520 is what he's showing, but they won't say a name. Galaxy Tab will have 1.2GHz processor, doesn't look like anything else has changed. New color scheme though, possibly white or silver backing. 1:45PM: They are wrapping up now with the DROID BIONIC and XOOM, but no real love as it has been everywhere over the last 24 hours. Hotness. Everything should be out in the first half of the year, but possibly not anything until March? 1:46PM: Q&A time. First legit question is about battery life and Verizon assures us that performance will not be an issue. Second question is about pricing...and they aren't commenting on it. No pricing for devices or plans. Asked about tethering, would not answer. 1:56PM: And we're done. Hopefully it's demo time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFpQ53YEMNs

Video: Hands-on with a Giant DROID X

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:31:44 +0000

We just got done doing a quick booth tour with Motorola and noticed the device pictured above, a giant Droid X. And guess what? It's full functional. Our very own Tim-o-tato went hands-on to show you what it's like to play on something the size of most people's TVs. The screen worked, most apps worked, the physical buttons actually worked, it can make calls....yeah it's awesome. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDKxDVfcIzc[/youtube]

Additional Details and Photos of the DROID BIONIC and XOOM

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:21:53 +0000

Just ran through a quick booth tour with a Motorola rep and of course, the XOOM and DROID BIONIC were the topics. I tried to get as many dirty details out of him as possible and was actually able to confirm a few things that have been mis-reported or rumored. First, he assured me that both the BIONIC and XOOM are running Tegra 2 processors. I know that there have been questions surrounding the BIONIC, but I've got to take his word for it. I brought up the dual-core OMAP and he basically laughed, as it's no where near a release. I also have confirmation that the BIONIC will launch with 512MB of RAM, not the 1GB that was listed on Moto's site. Not sure why they didn't match the Atrix 4G, but that's what they've decided on. Don't worry though, it'll still be one of the fastest devices on the planet. I also received additional details on the 3G/4G XOOM situation. We know that the Q1 version of the XOOM will launch as a 3G device and can be upgraded to 4G. In order to upgrade though, users will have to send in their device to Moto and they will install new hardware to bring it up to speed. Seems like a huge task, but he assured me that they'll do whatever is necessary to bring early adopters into the 4G world. The Q2 version will launch as 4G LTE capable. And what about SD card storage on the XOOM? Well right now, the prototypes do not have an SD card slot, but that could and likely will change when it is finalized. There is 32GB on-board storage, but an option for additional space should be coming at some point. Oh, and how about another set of lovely pictures? How about Skype video chatting on the BIONIC? Word is that it'll work amazingly over 4G. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Video: Motorola XOOM Promo and "Making of"

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:10:48 +0000

I promise that our hands-on video of the Motorola XOOM is on the way, but in the mean time you can check out our gallery and a couple of official videos that should tide you over nicely. The first is the promo vid that Moto showed during their event yesterday and the second is a "making of" which almost brings a tear to your eye. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zheLybA-Q[/youtube] And a "making of" video that you'll want to see... [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IXEuypcd34[/youtube]

Video: Hands-on with the DROID BIONIC by Motorola

Kellen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 07:48:56 +0000

After getting our hands all over the DROID BIONIC yesterday and tossing up a quick gallery, we finally have some video action uploaded for you to enjoy. You'll see some new Blur tweaks, the system info, a look at the entire device and more. Enjoy! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5397-WhEwY[/youtube]

Hands-on with the Motorola XOOM Tablet

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:34:38 +0000

Right after we spent some time with the DROID BIONIC, we hopped over to take a look at the Motorola XOOM which will be the first "true" Android tablet to be released. They wouldn't actually let us put our hands on it and the wouldn't walk-through Honeycomb (Android 3.0), but we were still in love. They kept mentioning that Honeycomb wasn't finished yet, so they ran through a bunch of preloaded Youtube videos that showcased some of its features instead. Here are the specs:

Dual-core processor (each running at 1GHz)
10.1" screen (1280x800 resolution)
2MP front camera
5MP rear camera (records 720p HD video)
Supports 1080p video playback
HDMI out
Built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass and accelerometer

When the first version is released this quarter, it will come as a 3G device just like we reported last week, but will be upgradeable to 4G LTE. Then in Q2 of this year, the device will ship as a 4G LTE tablet. I'll just say that Honeycomb will be amazing once it is finalized. Again, they wouldn't actually show anything live in action on it, but seeing some of the redesigned apps like Gmail and Youtube had us excited. Be sure to check out the Honeycomb teaser video that leaked out earlier. We should mention that they showed this same video at the event and would have blown our minds had the Android Developers not published it 4 hours early. Full gallery after the break. Video on its way. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Hands-on with the DROID BIONIC by Motorola

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:45:53 +0000

We just left the Motorola event and had plenty of hands-on time with the new DROID BIONIC that is headed to Verizon as one of their premiere 4G LTE devices. This newest family member will sport a 4.3" qHD screen, ~~1GB RAM~~ 512MB of RAM, a dual-core processor, front facing camera, 8MP back camera, 1080p HDMI out, and gaming awesomeness. We have video on the way, so that you can all get a full look at this device and its new version of Blur which actually impressed us a little. It has a few new tweaks to the UI that we haven't seen on any Android device before, but only real hands-on time will prove if it's worth keeping active. Overall though, the device felt great in hand. It doesn't necessarily look or feel like any of the Droids we've seen in the past, but that's not a bad thing in this case. Now sporting some lovely curves and a qHD screen, this might be the phone to save your money for, only you won't be able to grab one until the middle of this year. The Tegra 2 processor is easily felt, you can fly through homescreens, you'll never have any lag, and again, a couple of the tweaks in Blur that we noticed are acceptable. Check out our glamour photos after the break. [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]

Motorola XOOM Announced, Headed to Verizon and is Upgradeable to 4G LTE

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:54:31 +0000

On top of the DROID BIONIC, the Motorola XOOM was also just unveiled at CES and is ready for your enjoying right now. Check out everything XOOM at Moto's site.

DROID BIONIC Hits Motorola Website, is Verizon's Next Flagship

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:43:40 +0000

The DROID Bionic just went live on Motorola's website. This is the next DROID flagship device for Verizon and it'll have a Tegra 2 processor, 4.3" qHD display, front facing camera, ~~1GB~~ 512MB of RAM, run on 4G LTE etc.. This thing is a beast. Oh, it's running Google, so don't worry about that Bing-ness getting anywhere near it. Available early 2nd quarter. You can check out all the BIONIC goodness here.

Live from the Motorola Mobility CES Event...

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:16:48 +0000

We're finally at the Motorola event with a prime spot to capture the awesomeness that is about to go down. We're hearing the name "DROID BIONIC" being tossed around as well as the DROID XOOM which we broke the word on last week. This should be good... 4:22PM: Just know that we get demo time after this event. 4:32PM: Wi-fi is super spot in here again, doing our best. 4:33PM: They are demoing the Atrix 4G and its desktop dock capabilities. Basically you have a full computer experience using your phone. You can have a full Firefox browser, you can see and use your actual phone screen, resize the screen, and so much more. I have pictures, don't worry. 4:34PM: They just showed a super thin laptop looking device that is powered by your phone. I know that is tough to explain, so we'll go deeper into this later. Basically, it's a laptop with a keyboard and screen, but is completely powered by the phone. Ridiculously awesome. 4:55PM: Sorry for the dead live blog...they started drop bombs and we posted specific posts for the news. We're off for demos!

WiFi-Only Samsung Galaxy Tab Headed to Stores in Q1 2011

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:02:19 +0000

The wifi-only Galaxy Tab was just announced here at CES and will be released some time in the first quarter of 2011. No pricing has been offered, but you've got to figure it'll come under the $499 price-tag that Verizon is selling the 3G version at. And nothing else has really changed, we're hoping that it just finds a stellar price point. Press release after the break.

LAS VEGAS, January 5, 2010 —Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.¹, today announced the WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab™ will be available for purchase in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2011. The Galaxy Tab runs on Android™ 2.2 (Froyo) and features a 7-inch TFT display with 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution. The lightweight and sleek device weighs only 13 ounces, is 12 millimeters thin and easily fits in a jacket pocket or purse. . The Galaxy Tab includes 16GB of internal storage and has microSD expansion for up to 32 GB of additional storage. The Tab also supports Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 to deliver an enhanced content experience with access to thousands of Web sites packed with complex Flash-based applications and content. The Galaxy Tab’s Flash content support includes games, animations, rich Internet applications (RIAs), data presentations and visualizations, ecommerce, video, music and more. The Galaxy Tab is also designed with a rear-facing 3 megapixel camera for taking pictures on-the-go, as well as a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera and camcorder for video chat. “Samsung has always taken great pride in giving consumers the most choices when deciding which mobile device to make their own,” said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile. “The Galaxy Tab’s compact and convenient design makes this device a true mobile tablet perfect for watching a movie, video chat, reading e-book content or emailing while on-the-move or relaxing at your home or office. We’re very excited that the Galaxy Tab recently passed the 1.5 million global shipments milestone.” Powered by Android 2.2, the Galaxy Tab offers services like Google Maps™ with Navigation (Beta) and Google Goggles™, as well as access to more than 100,000 applications currently available for download on Android Market™. Just like the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone portfolio, the Galaxy Tab keep users connected with Samsung’s Social Hub application. Social Hub works with the user’s Messaging and Contacts to initiate the sending and receiving of information, whether it is e-mail, instant messaging, social network updates or SMS messages. Information from portal calendars, such as Google Calendar ™and social networking services are merged into a single interface for easy organization. Additional features of the Galaxy Tab include: - Daily Briefing: Offers instant access to weather, news, stocks, and schedules. - Impressive Expandable Memory: Galaxy Tab can add 32 GB of external memory to store and manage your favorite video content and pictures. - AllShare DLNA Technology: Take video or pictures shot with Galaxy Tab and send the original content wirelessly to other DLNA-enabled devices (HDTVs, laptops, PC monitors, etc.) - Document Viewer & Editor: Open and make changes to any Word, Excel, Powerpoint or PDF document - 4,000 mAh Battery: Super-sized battery provides ample power to watch movies, share content and surf the Web ¹Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics Q3 2010 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Report. Android, Google Maps, Google Goggles, and Android Market are trademarks of Google, Inc. About Samsung Telecommunications America Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. About Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of US$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 174,000 people in 193 offices across 66 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visitwww.samsung.com.

Honeycomb Preview Video Sneaks onto Youtube, Confirms Android 3.0

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:50:15 +0000

The video was originally posted here, but apparently wasn't supposed to have been, at least yet. Luckily the guys at Engadget re-uploaded that bad boy for everyone to continue to enjoy. Say hello to Honeycomb which is officially Android 3.0 and "built for tablets." This is a quick overview/walk-through that was uploaded to the Android Developers Youtube channel earlier today and could potentially blow your mind. Have a seat and enjoy. Via: Engadget Cheers to everyone who sent this in!

Live from the NVIDIA CES Event...

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:16:12 +0000

We're live from the NVIDIA event with some really spotty wi-fi so just hang in there. CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is on stage talking about the evolution of technology and how 2011 is a year to remember because of their Tegra 2. The chip is less than the size of a dime, is the first fully hardware accelerated Flash processor, and will be a gaming beast thanks to a GeForce GPU. We're stoked, and you should be too. 12:17PM - NVIDIA has really been focusing on one category, the "Super Phone" powered of course, by the Tegra 2. We figure he's about go all in on the Etna and Olympus (Atrix). 12:20PM - And we were wrong, he went with the LG Optimus 2X which is the first Tegra 2 phone ever. Motorola will have one, but they aren't first my friends. 12:25PM: "Test drive" time, meaning he's going HDMI to a TV on stage. And he did. Home screen popped right up on the TV and projector. Huang is running through an Android overview which is semi-funny. He needs to read DL to get some tips. Oh, he just busted out Angry Birds in full HD over the projector and dominated level 1. Officially impressed. 1080P video out. The awesomeness just keeps building. 12:30PM: HDMI demo continues, loading up the browser with Flash now. Of course, the press/media in the room is killing the wi-fi. Sorry! "Can you guys just imagine a website coming up with Flash..." 12:34PM: Flash demo time. Tegra 2 phone against what looks like a Nexus S on a Flash game and of course, the T2 is crushing it. NVIDIA worked closely with Adobe to enhance the Flash experience, making it 5X faster with a Tegra 2. 12:37PM: CEO of Adobe, Shantanu Narayen is on stage. Flash 10.1 has had the fastest adopt rate of any version before. 12:43PM: Jeremy Stieglitzh, co-founder of Trendy Entertainment on stage. He's talking Dungeon Defenders which is the first Unreal Engine on Android. They just showed the game being played in the same environment on a PC, then the PS3 and now on the LG Optimus 2X. 12:46PM: Karsten Wysk, CEO of Mobilebits is on stage. It's 3D gaming time. Soulcraft is demoed and this game looks insane. 12:50PM: Kyle Malady, VP of Network and Technology with Verizon jumps on stage. He's talking Tegra 2 power working side-by-side with their new 4G LTE network. They have a slide up right now that is clearly showing a tablet of some kind. Branding has been removed though. 12:53PM: Manrique Brenes, the director of platform product management for Skype is coming on stage. Pretty sure this is Skype HD. They were about to run through a Skype HD demo, but the bandwidth has been crushed in here. Damn the press! 1:03PM: And we're done. Photos on the way!

Jen-Hsun Huang

LG Announces Optimus Black with NOVA Display, World's Thinnest Smartphone (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:52:48 +0000

We're sitting at the LG CES event and they've just announced the new Optimus Black which is the "world's thinnest" smartphone and has this amazing new NOVA display. This phone made an appearance a few weeks ago as the LG "B" showing off its super bright screen, all while laughing at the i*hone. The phone will run Android 2.2 out of the box, but can be upgraded to Gingerbread (Android 2.3). It'll also have a 2MP front-facing camera and will be available in the first half of 2011. Doesn't sound like it'll be 4G LTE and we also have no idea which carriers it will come to.

Full details below...

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2011 – LG Electronics (LG) announced today it will unveil a new Android smartphone, LG Optimus Black, at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from January 6th in Las Vegas. Providing users with a dramatically brighter 4-inch NOVA display in the world’s slimmest 9.2 mm mobile device, LG Optimus Black creates a one-of-a-kind user experience unlike anything before. Available for the first time in the mobile market, LG Optimus Black’s NOVA display is designed to be the brightest, clearest and most readable among mobile screens with 700 nits of brightness for optimal visibility. LG Optimus Black provides users with an easier and more natural experience when browsing the web, reading emails, or writing documents with higher levels of brightness and pure white tones that deliver true black and white colors for ideal handset viewing. NOVA technology featured on LG Optimus Black also enables users to maintain visibility whether indoors or outdoors under strong sunlight. In addition to greater luminosity, the NOVA display on LG Optimus Black also radically reduces power consumption by 50 percent during general indoor use compared to a conventional LCD. Similarly, AMOLED consumes twice as much power as NOVA to display a full white screen, the most frequently used color scheme for web browsing. Combined with the 1500 mAh battery of the LG Optimus Black, users will have enough power for their daily needs, even at maximum brightness settings. Users will never be out of style with the LG Optimus Black’s ultra slim 9.2 mm design. Making a strong visual statement, LG Optimus Black weighs only 109g and offers sleek lines and smooth edges that improve handheld grip. Tapering down to the world’s thinnest smartphone profile of 6.0 mm, LG Optimus Black’s subtle back arch helps to create the illusion of even greater slimness. Unique to the LG Optimus Black, the flush and flawless finish of the front display is achieved by innovatively hiding the Invisible Receiver behind the edges of the phone. “We are excited to introduce this stylish new Android smartphone and expect the LG Optimus Black to play a key role in the mobile market,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “LG Optimus Black reflects our core strengths of advanced technology, in both display and design, offering the world’s brightest screen and the world’s slimmest design in an attractive and smart package.” The LG Optimus Black also offers a set of smarter features designed for easy and faster access to important apps and content. Optimus UI 2.0 lets users directly access messages, emails and missed calls from the locked screen with just one single finger tap. The Gesture UI offers more intuitive commands, including lifting, shaking and tapping, for taking calls, entering camera mode, or enjoying music. LG Optimus Black also introduces the world’s first Wi-Fi Direct™ for quick and high-quality data transfer between mobile devices and adopts the world’s first 2MP front-facing camera. All LG Optimus Black features are available on the Android 2.2 Froyo platform with Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade capability. Utilizing the 2MP front-facing camera, LG Optimus Black allows users to utilize video telephony functions of higher quality after upgrading to Android’s Gingerbread. The LG Optimus Black will be rolled out globally in the first half of 2011.

HTC Thunderbolt Appears in Rolling Stone Ad

Kellen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:39:54 +0000

Well, there it is again. The HTC Thunderbolt has been spotted in so many places now, it's becoming silly. Above is an ad grabbed from the newest Rolling Stone magazine and it features our new 4G LTE friend using the same promo screen that we leaked a week or so ago in our 12-pic spread. The device is almost guaranteed to be announced tomorrow at Verizon's CES event, so keep it here as we'll likely get our hands on it.

Via: Android Central

Is this the Samsung SCH-I520 on Verizon?

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:50:40 +0000

We were talking about a site named OffWire earlier today that had a bunch of accessories for the HTC Thunderbolt giving us hope that the device would be out within a couple of weeks. Well sure enough, one of you sneaky readers went digging deeper on the same site and found what could possibly be the Samsung SCH-I520 which still remains nameless. We've seen the top of this device pop up in the past showing off a 4G LTE logo, a front facing camera and that weird triangular speaker. So the top matches up, but the bottom is new. Oh, the back also has the now-famous Nexus S hump, so this could very well be the SCH-I520. Now if only we had a real name for it. Via: OffWire Cheers Amanda!

More Details on Verizon's New Upgrade Policy

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:07:05 +0000

Just over an hour ago, some depressing news hit the interwebs concerning Verizon's new upgrade policy that will go into affect on January 16th and we've now received even deeper details. This isn't going to make anyone any happier, but as always, we want you to know as much as possible so that you can make the best decision come upgrade time on your current contract. 5 things to know:

1. All customers who activate / upgrade on a qualifying plan prior to January 16th, 2011 are enrolled in NE2 (New Every 2) and eligible to use the NE2 discount for up to six months from the date they become eligible. 2. Any customer who uses an NE2 credit or Annual Upgrade after January 16, 2011 will no longer be eligible for either program. On March 6, 2011, VZW systems will be updated to reflect this. 3. All customers who exercise the NE2 or Annual Upgrade option on or after January 16th will receive a letter notifying them that it was their last NE2 or Annual Upgrade. 4. Business customers continue to receive either the two-year corporate matrix tiered device pricing or two-year retail device pricing per contract. 5. Customers will now be eligible for promotional pricing after 20 months on a 2-year contract and 10 months on a 1-year contract.

We are also hearing that the $100 credit that was included in the current NE2 deal will no longer be provided. It looks like promotional pricing is all you will get when eligible for an upgrade. We should also point out that more and more phones are offered for free these days, but still. Cheers D and money!

Verizon Drops Galaxy Tab Price to $499 Online Too

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:45:56 +0000

We caught word of a Galaxy Tab price drop from Verizon to $499 a couple of days ago, but there were questions surrounding the deal's availability. Some thought that it was just a regional deal since the online store still showed the full $599 price, but that is no longer the case. VerizonWireless.com now reflects the $499 price change and it appears to be a permanent move rather than just a promotion. Unfortunately, there isn't a mention of the $60 movie credits, so you may still want to head to a store if this is an item you are considering. Via: Verizon Cheers Nick!

HTC Thunderbolt Accessories Start Popping Up Online, 2-3 Weeks Away from Launch?

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:30:18 +0000

It's pretty widely known that accessory companies receive dummy units of phones long before they ever hit store shelves in order to put together their line of products, so it's not super surprising that HTC Thunderbolt (our gallery) accessories would start popping up early. What is interesting, is the fact that accessory distributor OffWire, is sending out emails to their clients recommending that they start pre-ordering products for the device right away. We've also got word from our tipster that when notified about accessories from this particular distributor, the device usually launches 2-3 weeks later. For example, Droid Pro accessories went live on OffWire two weeks before it landed on Verizon. Oh and here is a lineup of accessories that we can expect to see including extended batteries:

Here's to hoping the Thunderbolt hits stores by the end of January! We'll know more on Thursday. Cheers Steven!

Verizon Changing Upgrade Policy, Say Bye Bye to 1-year Upgrades

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:10:22 +0000

And we have bad news just before we take off for Las Vegas. According to new Verizon training slides, the 1-year upgrade option that many of us have enjoyed for years is going away starting January 16th. Customers on 2-year contracts will now have to wait until the 20th month of their deal to even begin to think about upgrading. Talk about depressing. We live in a time when phones become almost obsolete just months after they are released and having to wait at least 20 months for the option to upgrade is a giant step in the wrong direction. It should be noted that 1-year contracts are not affected, so that becomes option number 1 for those of us addicted to new technology. When your current contract is up, you might want to consider going with a 1 year plan and forking out the extra $50-100 on the phone or you'll be stuck for 2 years. [Insert sad face] The good news is, we'll be at CES all week and will have plenty of opportunities to drill VZW reps on this subject. Via: Android Central

And We're Off to Vegas for CES 2011!

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:30:11 +0000

Yep, the entire Droid Life crew is off to CES for the rest of the week, bringing you an insane amount of Android tidbits, device hands-ons, photos, videos, silly stories, and anything else we stumble upon that might entertain you. If you have no idea what CES is, please turn around and push that giant weight off your back, aka that rock. It's only the biggest electronics show in the universe and will feature so many amazing Android devices this year, that you'll wish you were there with us. Don't worry though, we'll hopefully provide enough coverage to make you feel there, only you'll get to skip out on the hour long waits for limited seats in conferences rooms, bad free media food, spotty wi-fi connections and 50+ cab rides in a 5 day span. We're already booked into events and meetings with companies like Verizon, Motorola, NVIDIA, LG, HTC, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Sony, so you can see that some amazing stuff is about to be reported on. It's going to be a wild ride and you'll want to make sure to keep your phone, browser and non-Apple device tuned right here for all the fun. To make sure you get every last ounce of coverage, here are some suggestions: Twitter:

@droid_life - Tweets from me, plus every story posted here and on Android Life.
@timotato - Tato dropping everything he's got from his new Nexus S.
@mrpicolas - Our tech-obsessed Dr. who's looking for it all.

RSS:

To make sure you have every single story, you'll want to subscribe to our RSS feed. You can also sign up via email to get a daily list of the shenanigans that are about to happen. Pick your poison.

Youtube:

I doubt that every single video we take with our 8 cameras will make the front page of the site, so be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel to get it all.

Facebook:

May as well join the other 8,600+ people already following us here, right?

Android Life:

Don't forget about our sub-site that covers the rest of the Android world not branded by DROID.

Is it possible that Vegas can handle the Droid Life community? We'll find out!

Verizon Readies "Suite" of 4G LTE Android Devices for CES

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:41:26 +0000

Seems a little silly that we're reporting on this, but we just can't seem to get enough 4G LTE Android talk these days, especially with CES starting, well, today! Verizon dropped a little press release in our box this morning to let us know that they plan to provide a sneak peak this Thursday, at an entire "suite" of Android devices that will run on their 4G LTE network. Yep, we're talking January 6th and more than just the HTC Thunderbolt which you can see a 12-pic gallery of here. Of course, we already knew this was going down, but seeing the word "suite" brings up the excitement level a little. This can only mean we'll also see devices from Motorola, Samsung and LG, right? Etna is the codename for the Tegra 2 device from Motorola, LG's device will be called the Optimus 2X (previously the Star), Samsung is bringing the SCH-I520, and after typing all of that, just got excited. Press release after the break.

LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless said today that its first-ever exhibit booth at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will show off the consumer and enterprise capabilities of its new 4G LTE network with the products, services and solutions that take advantage of the blazingly fast speed and low latency of the new wireless network. On Jan. 6, the company will also offer a sneak peek at a suite of Android-based LTE consumer devices at a news conference. Visitors to the exhibit booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, #35216) will see firsthand how the nation’s fastest 4G LTE network can fundamentally change how consumers manage their daily lives and how businesses interact with each other and with their customers. Working with nearly 50 different technology ecosystem partners, the Verizon Wireless booth will highlight more than 40 new solutions that take advantage of the fast speeds and low latency of the new 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. Demonstrations will range from connected home and cars to gaming and entertainment to consumer devices. The demos will also feature new ways to do mobile collaboration for retail, customer service and other industries; home and energy management; and consumer entertainment, including multiplayer gaming, all of which leverage the 4G network in innovative ways. Verizon Wireless and its partners will also feature remote security and health care options and a car that shows different applications coming from the automotive industry. Many of the solutions being highlighted are the result of collaborations fostered at Verizon Wireless’ LTE Innovation Center. The LTE Innovation Center, established in 2008 and located in Waltham, Mass., provides an environment for dozens of diverse companies to work collaboratively to develop innovative products and solutions that leverage 4G LTE technology. Sneak Peek at Consumer Devices Verizon Wireless’ news conference will provide a sneak peek of a suite of consumer-oriented Android-based devices for its 4G LTE network and will include remarks from senior Verizon Wireless executives and key ecosystem partners. The news conference will be webcast live; visit www.verizonwebcasts.com/ces/2011/news to register. The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years. For more information about the LTE Innovation Center and Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte. For more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces and follow the company on Twitter at http://twitter.com/verizonwireless. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Motorola Completes Split, Mobility to Carry on DROID Brand

Kellen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:07:41 +0000

Motorola Mobility finalized it's spin-off from Motorola Inc. today and will continue on by manufacturing all of the goodies that we care about, mobile products. Nothing will change except for their logo which is now that snazzy new red "M" we've seen pop up over the last few weeks. The split allows them to operate as an independently traded company, which again, changes nothing on our side. We are expecting this to be one heck of a year on the consumer side of things though with Moto's release of the world's first Honeycomb tablet, the DROID XOOM, plus at least 2 separate Tegra 2 Android-based smartphones (Etna and Olympus). Last year they dominated with the original Droid and Droid X; this year they'll dominate with their tablet and dual-core smartphones. This is the year that "DROID does 4G" amongst other things. More info on the split can be found here.

Monday Poll: 2011 will be the Year of...?

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:35:07 +0000

We're 3 days into 2011 and already starting to see a variety of tech trends popping up. With CES kicking off tomorrow night, talks of Tegra 2 processors, Honeycomb tablets, 4G LTE phones and the VZW i*hone are all dominating internet chatter. These may be big stories on their own right now, but we want to know which one you think will be the biggest story of the entire year? Will it be front-facing cameras on phones? Tablets? Dual-core beasts? The enemy? A Google TV comeback? Something else entirely? [poll id="47"]

SBF Files Released for DROID 2 Global and DROID Pro

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:08:18 +0000

If you own a Droid 2 Global or Droid Pro and plan on doing any rooting, ROMing or tweaking, then you'll love this bit of news from our friends over at My Droid World. The SBF files for both devices went live today, so you may want to go download them immediately before they are gone forever. For those not familiar, SBF files are used any time your device hits a state of unrecoverability (that a word?). An SBF flashed using a program called RSD Lite will wipe your phone back to its stock state, which is like having a brand new, out-of-the-box Droid. The files are normally used by carriers to wipe phones before sending them off for warranties and such, but if you can have one in your back pocket, it may come in handy should you do something horrible to your phone. Of course, we do not recommend that you do anything out of the ordinary to your phone and cannot recommend that you even try using one of these files. We're just letting you know that they are out there.

Droid 2 Global SBF Thread | Droid Pro SBF Thread

Report: Honeycomb Requires Dual-core Processor, Only Gingerbread for Galaxy Tab

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:40:20 +0000

Reports just snuck out today through PCMag suggesting that Honeycomb will have some pretty strict hardware requirements when it becomes a reality, one of them being the processor. According to Bobby Cha, managing director of Korean consumer electronics firm Enspert, tablets with single-core processors will not be able to handle life after Gingerbread (Android 2.3). Dual-core processors will lead a list of minimum hardware requirements which could be the reason we've seen almost every tablet manufacturer announce that theirs will include one. Well, aside from Samsung that is. Cha also went on to mention that Motorola's DROID XOOM will be the first to market and that it might be the only one actually running Honeycomb at CES this week. This comes as a pretty big surprise especially after seeing all of the press releases from tablet manufacturers over the last couple of weeks. I guess they might not be able to produce what we were all expecting to see in a couple of days as Honeycomb may not be ready for mass consumption until the end of January. Not the most exciting news on the planet for Galaxy Tab owners right? Especially for those that just picked one up during the holidays hoping that they would one day see the world of Honeycomb. Thoughts? More on the report can be found at PCMag.

Opera Demos Tablet-specific Browser, More to Come at CES

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:50:30 +0000

Opera is releasing a tablet-specific browser in the near future and they just previewed it on Youtube and their blog. The plan is for them to show an in-depth look during CES this week, but as many companies are doing in the days leading up, decided to tease the heck out of us with it. All I can say, is this version of Opera blows away the stock browser on the Galaxy Tab (review), so this is exciting news. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1pnuXZVfyk[/youtube] Via: Opera Blog

Download: iDot Icon Packs and Wallpapers from b33zudroid

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:01:09 +0000

One of our long time readers b33zudroid, has released 2 different icons packs that fit out minimalist obsession and will help make your homescreen set up as pretty as ever. The iDot name for these fits perfectly, and you'll find 35 and 44 different icons to match up to most of your favorite apps. Like I said, they are simple, but the text-styling is exactly what we've grown to love. Download: iDot "Birth of a Hero" Icons | iDot Cube Icons He also formatted a bunch of HD pictures to fit on most Droid devices as wallpapers. He sized them specifically for the Droid X, but the resolution will work on almost all of the Droid devices. A couple of examples can be seen below. Wallpapers: HD Wallpapers | HD Wallpapers 2

Feel free to add b33zudroid's blog to your list of sites with goodies as I'm sure he'll have more of his fine works in the near future.

Enjoy!

Android Dominates Holiday Sales, DROID Brand Still Cruising

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 09:55:40 +0000

Online cell retailer Wirefly released it's Q4 list of top selling devices and Android came deeply embedded into it. The HTV EVO topped the charts, but our trusty Droid brand managed to make up for 3 of the other spots in the top 10. The Incredible, who seems to still be killing it in sales after a rocky summer, came in at 2nd with the Droid X and 2 also making the list.

HTC EVO™ 4G (Sprint)

DROID Incredible by HTC (Verizon Wireless)

Samsung Captivate™ (AT&T)

DROID X by Motorola (Verizon Wireless)

Samsung Intercept™ (Sprint)

BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 (AT&T)

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10 (AT&T)

DROID 2 Global by Motorola (Verizon Wireless)

Samsung Epic™ 4G (Sprint)

Samsung Fascinate™ (Verizon Wireless)

It should be noted that Wirefly does not sell the i*hone, but even if they did, we'll assume that Android would still have 8 of the top 10 spots. Well, unless people are actually still buying the 2 year old 3GS, which sadly, still happens. More info if you are interested can be found here. The only non-Android device was the BlackBerry Torch. Wirefly is also having a big Droid sale right now which includes the Incredible for free.

Unrevoked Updated to Version 3.3, Includes Support for SLCD DROID Incredible

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 09:08:26 +0000

The unrevoked team announced over the weekend that their epic recovery unlocking tool now supports SLCD screened Droid Incredibles. Basically, anyone with an Incredible should be covered in the rooting department, which means you have no excuse to not give MIUI a try at this point. Oh, they also tweaked/switched the exploit for gaining root and appear to no longer be using rageagainstthecage. If you don't know what that is, just ignore it, but if you do, please take a second out of your day to provide a moment of silence for one of our Android heros.

Changelog | Download 3.31

Via: Twitter

Motorola Reminds Us that the DROID XOOM Tablet is Coming this Week and It'll be Android

Kellen — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:32:27 +0000

In exactly 2 days and 7 hours, Motorola will unveil the DROID XOOM tablet, which should be one of the first (if not the first) major Honeycomb tablets on the planet. While Moto hasn't officially said anything recently about this being an Android tablet, the Facebook message they left over the weekend definitely does...

"Exciting news"? I'd say "generation skipping" news. You can check out video of it in action here, hi-res pictures here, some unofficial specs here and the teaser "Tablet Evolution" video here. It's going to be one heck of a device, or at least we keep telling ourselves that.

Can you wait 2 days?

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