As many of you are aware from time to time when you click onto search engine Google, you will see one of their Doodles which coincides with either a special anniversary of a certain event, or even an individual’s birthday. Just recently we reported on the anniversary of chemist Robert Bunsen and his Bunsen Burner invention which many of us will remember from our school days. Today interestingly enough its the turn of the ice-cream sundae and its 119th anniversary.
The pudding which was first seen back in 1892 by its creator Chester Platt is still proving to be popular and in appearance the ice cream sundae as seen in the Google above, shows scoops of vanilla ice-cream with a wafer and cherry positioned on the top with a pouring of syrup.
So what do we know about its creator? Chester Platt a soda fountain owner in NYC, was keen to impress a church minister John Scott with his idea, but many others as the telegraph.co.uk reported believe the idea originated when a truck carrying ice-cream crashed into a tanker containing syrup, and the name Sundae derived from being after the “Sabbath” and given every Sunday thereafter.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Is Android 3.1 in the Making?
A change log in the newest update to Abode’s flash player revealed something interesting and that interesting bit is a new version of Android.
Users who were notified to update their Flash Player to the latest version (10.2.157.51) found the release notes mentioned Android 3.1, which is required for accelerated video presentation. That could mean that a spanking new build is in the works and will be delivered to manufacturers, so that they can put it out for their customers.
While all this is pure speculation at the moment, what makes the story all the more mysterious is that after it was discovered, Adobe quickly changed the notes to say ‘Requires Android 3.0’ rather and ‘Requires Android 3.1’. It could be that Abode made an innocent mistake and corrected it or maybe they jumped the gun and said something they weren’t supposed to.
Users who were notified to update their Flash Player to the latest version (10.2.157.51) found the release notes mentioned Android 3.1, which is required for accelerated video presentation. That could mean that a spanking new build is in the works and will be delivered to manufacturers, so that they can put it out for their customers.
While all this is pure speculation at the moment, what makes the story all the more mysterious is that after it was discovered, Adobe quickly changed the notes to say ‘Requires Android 3.0’ rather and ‘Requires Android 3.1’. It could be that Abode made an innocent mistake and corrected it or maybe they jumped the gun and said something they weren’t supposed to.
Android file syncer face-off: Dropbox vs. SugarSync
Among the growing list of services dedicated to syncing and storing your files in the cloud, there are two that consistently register as top dogs: Dropbox and SugarSync. Both offer comprehensive (and different) suites of syncing and sharing tools, both have their benefits and drawbacks, and both offer free Android apps. Let's take a look at what each of these apps offers in the way of mobile file-syncing.
When looking at a mobile application as an extension of a greater program or service, there are a few things it's important to keep in mind. First, how well does the app perform its core functions? Second, how does it take advantage of mobile-specific tools and contexts? And third, is it stable and secure in a mobile environment? Considering these criteria and others, let's see what each of our two subjects brings to the table.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20058479-251.html#ixzz1KzpGYZlJ
When looking at a mobile application as an extension of a greater program or service, there are a few things it's important to keep in mind. First, how well does the app perform its core functions? Second, how does it take advantage of mobile-specific tools and contexts? And third, is it stable and secure in a mobile environment? Considering these criteria and others, let's see what each of our two subjects brings to the table.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20058479-251.html#ixzz1KzpGYZlJ
Google faces $50 million lawsuit over Android location tracking
Google and Apple have both been in the news lately over details of how both companies' mobile operating systems store and transmit geolocation data. Following a class-action suit brought by two Tampa men targeting Apple over alleged user tracking, Google is facing a similar class action lawsuit filed in Detroit on Wednesday.
Last week it was revealed that iOS devices cache a large amount of location data in a file that is backed up to users' computers. The file is hidden from normal access on iPhones and iPads, but is unencrypted, and unless users also opt to encrypt iOS backups in iTunes, the file is also unencrypted. While someone would need physical access to either device to get the information, concerns were raised that the information could be used to track individuals, thereby compromising their privacy.
Apple later explained that the data was a cache of nearby cell tower and WiFi access point locations downloaded from Apple, which iOS devices can use to more quickly narrow down a users location when GPS signals are weak or nonexistent. The company admitted that the cache was designed to collect more data than was necessary, and said that an upcoming iOS update would restrict the size, encrypt it on the device, and keep the data from being backed up to users' computers when syncing with iTunes.
Furthermore, Apple explained iOS devices do in fact collect GPS coordinates for cell tower locations and WiFi basestations to expand and refine Apple's database if users elect to send anonymous diagnostic data to Apple when setting up a new device. That data is periodically sent to Apple—about every 12 hours, according to a letter sent to Congress last year. The data is encrypted and does not include any device IDs, making it impossible for Apple to track any particular user with this information.
Last week developers also revealed that Android devices keep a similar cache of cell tower and WiFi data, though Android limits the amount of data to 50 recently accessed cell towers and 200 recently accessed WiFi networks. Like iOS devices, a person would need to "root" (similar to "jailbreaking") an Android device to get the data, but in contrast to iPhones this data isn't synced to a computer.
More disconcerting, however, is the fact that Android devices collect "its location every few seconds and transmitted the data to Google at least several times an hour," according to research by security expert Samy Kamkar. Google said it uses this data for a variety of uses, but unlike Apple, Android attaches a unique ID number to the data. While that ID number is effectively random and can't be directly linked to a particular device or user, it is possible to analyze such data and correlate it to particular individuals using increasingly advanced "deanonymization" techniques.
Detroit area residents Julie Brown and Kayla Molaski filed a class action lawsuit against Google over concerns that the location data that Android devices send to Google "several times per hour" is tied to a unique (though random) device ID. The lawsuit further alleges that this data is sent to Google unencrypted. "The accessibility of the unencrypted information collected by Google places users at serious risk of privacy invasions, including stalking," according to the complaint.
Google has maintained that the collection of the location data is entirely opt-in. "We provide users with notice and control over the collection, sharing and use of location in order to provide a better mobile experience on Android devices," Google spokesperson Randall Safara told Ars last week. However, the class action lawsuit claims that Google very well knew that "ordinary consumers acting reasonably would not understand the Google privacy policy to include the extensive location tracking at issue in this case."
The plaintiffs believe that Google's actions violate the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, various state consumer protection laws, as well as "common law rights" to privacy.
"It is unconscionable to allow Google to continue unlawfully and without proper consent to extensive tracking of Plaintiffs and proposed Class members," according to the complaint. "If Google wanted to track the whereabouts of each of its products' users, it should have obtained specific, particularized informed consent such that Google consumers across America would not have been shocked and alarmed to learn of Google's practices in recent days."
The lawsuits asks the court to require Google to either give up tracking Android users or to clearly inform users of "its true intentions about tracking," including whether that information is released to third partis are used for marketing. It further seeks monetary damages "in excess of $50,000,000.00" as well as punitive damages on top of that amount.
Both Apple and Google plan to attend a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law on May 10 to discuss the very issues called into question in the lawsuit. Representatives from the US Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Center for Democracy and Technology, and others will talk about what the latest mobile technology means for privacy and the law. Justin Brookman, who will be testifying at the hearing for the CDT, believes the law needs to be updated to account for the reality of modern mobile technology.
The best way to address these cross-platform, cross-industry questions is through public policy," Brookman recently wrote in an editorial on CNN.com. "We need legislation that establishes fair information practices for commercial collection, disclosure and use of all consumer data—but especially for sensitive data, like geolocation information—and we need the courts and Congress to update the rules for governmental access, to require a judicial warrant for tracking the location of cell phones and other mobile communications devices."
Last week it was revealed that iOS devices cache a large amount of location data in a file that is backed up to users' computers. The file is hidden from normal access on iPhones and iPads, but is unencrypted, and unless users also opt to encrypt iOS backups in iTunes, the file is also unencrypted. While someone would need physical access to either device to get the information, concerns were raised that the information could be used to track individuals, thereby compromising their privacy.
Apple later explained that the data was a cache of nearby cell tower and WiFi access point locations downloaded from Apple, which iOS devices can use to more quickly narrow down a users location when GPS signals are weak or nonexistent. The company admitted that the cache was designed to collect more data than was necessary, and said that an upcoming iOS update would restrict the size, encrypt it on the device, and keep the data from being backed up to users' computers when syncing with iTunes.
Furthermore, Apple explained iOS devices do in fact collect GPS coordinates for cell tower locations and WiFi basestations to expand and refine Apple's database if users elect to send anonymous diagnostic data to Apple when setting up a new device. That data is periodically sent to Apple—about every 12 hours, according to a letter sent to Congress last year. The data is encrypted and does not include any device IDs, making it impossible for Apple to track any particular user with this information.
Last week developers also revealed that Android devices keep a similar cache of cell tower and WiFi data, though Android limits the amount of data to 50 recently accessed cell towers and 200 recently accessed WiFi networks. Like iOS devices, a person would need to "root" (similar to "jailbreaking") an Android device to get the data, but in contrast to iPhones this data isn't synced to a computer.
More disconcerting, however, is the fact that Android devices collect "its location every few seconds and transmitted the data to Google at least several times an hour," according to research by security expert Samy Kamkar. Google said it uses this data for a variety of uses, but unlike Apple, Android attaches a unique ID number to the data. While that ID number is effectively random and can't be directly linked to a particular device or user, it is possible to analyze such data and correlate it to particular individuals using increasingly advanced "deanonymization" techniques.
Detroit area residents Julie Brown and Kayla Molaski filed a class action lawsuit against Google over concerns that the location data that Android devices send to Google "several times per hour" is tied to a unique (though random) device ID. The lawsuit further alleges that this data is sent to Google unencrypted. "The accessibility of the unencrypted information collected by Google places users at serious risk of privacy invasions, including stalking," according to the complaint.
Google has maintained that the collection of the location data is entirely opt-in. "We provide users with notice and control over the collection, sharing and use of location in order to provide a better mobile experience on Android devices," Google spokesperson Randall Safara told Ars last week. However, the class action lawsuit claims that Google very well knew that "ordinary consumers acting reasonably would not understand the Google privacy policy to include the extensive location tracking at issue in this case."
The plaintiffs believe that Google's actions violate the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, various state consumer protection laws, as well as "common law rights" to privacy.
"It is unconscionable to allow Google to continue unlawfully and without proper consent to extensive tracking of Plaintiffs and proposed Class members," according to the complaint. "If Google wanted to track the whereabouts of each of its products' users, it should have obtained specific, particularized informed consent such that Google consumers across America would not have been shocked and alarmed to learn of Google's practices in recent days."
The lawsuits asks the court to require Google to either give up tracking Android users or to clearly inform users of "its true intentions about tracking," including whether that information is released to third partis are used for marketing. It further seeks monetary damages "in excess of $50,000,000.00" as well as punitive damages on top of that amount.
Both Apple and Google plan to attend a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law on May 10 to discuss the very issues called into question in the lawsuit. Representatives from the US Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Center for Democracy and Technology, and others will talk about what the latest mobile technology means for privacy and the law. Justin Brookman, who will be testifying at the hearing for the CDT, believes the law needs to be updated to account for the reality of modern mobile technology.
The best way to address these cross-platform, cross-industry questions is through public policy," Brookman recently wrote in an editorial on CNN.com. "We need legislation that establishes fair information practices for commercial collection, disclosure and use of all consumer data—but especially for sensitive data, like geolocation information—and we need the courts and Congress to update the rules for governmental access, to require a judicial warrant for tracking the location of cell phones and other mobile communications devices."
BlueStacks marries Android to Windows
If you're struggling to decide between Android or Windows, BlueStacks has a solution for you: choose both. The unique piece of software ties a matrimonial knot between a full version of Android and your Windows machine, allowing you to jump at will between the two operating systems. The marriage is so smooth, in fact, you can create Android app shortcuts on your Windows desktop.
In a conversation today at CNET's San Francisco offices, BlueStacks Senior Vice President Apu Kumar said that BlueStacks is a response to what his company perceives as two complementary needs: the consumers' desire to have their apps available everywhere, and the desire for a unified device.
BlueStack Systems Inc., which is based in Silicon Valley, has created a software tunnel that allows bidirectional communication between the Android side and the Windows side. This means that it can use Windows print drivers to print while in the Android interface, and create shortcuts for Android apps on the Windows desktop.
BlueStacks supports over-the-air updating, too, so the company can push out Android updates to its users automatically. Kumar said that he expected to get updates to users faster than the phone companies have been.
It hasn't been an entirely smooth ride for the company. Besides the "heavy lifting" that Kumar said involved development difficulties of getting the software to work with different screen dimensions, scale correctly, different configurations, and multiple devices, there were other problems. One of the big hangups was caused by Google restricting its marketplace to specific ARM-powered devices. The company got around that problem when Amazon.com opened its Android app marketplace. "Amazon was chosen," Kumar said, "because they have transaction mechanisms, and it's a heavy brand across the world."
In a conversation today at CNET's San Francisco offices, BlueStacks Senior Vice President Apu Kumar said that BlueStacks is a response to what his company perceives as two complementary needs: the consumers' desire to have their apps available everywhere, and the desire for a unified device.
BlueStack Systems Inc., which is based in Silicon Valley, has created a software tunnel that allows bidirectional communication between the Android side and the Windows side. This means that it can use Windows print drivers to print while in the Android interface, and create shortcuts for Android apps on the Windows desktop.
BlueStacks supports over-the-air updating, too, so the company can push out Android updates to its users automatically. Kumar said that he expected to get updates to users faster than the phone companies have been.
It hasn't been an entirely smooth ride for the company. Besides the "heavy lifting" that Kumar said involved development difficulties of getting the software to work with different screen dimensions, scale correctly, different configurations, and multiple devices, there were other problems. One of the big hangups was caused by Google restricting its marketplace to specific ARM-powered devices. The company got around that problem when Amazon.com opened its Android app marketplace. "Amazon was chosen," Kumar said, "because they have transaction mechanisms, and it's a heavy brand across the world."
Friday, April 29, 2011
Windows Phone 7 Launching May 12th on Verizon?
We had heard yesterday that Windows Phone 7 might soon be arriving on Verizon and sure enough WPCentral is reporting that they are hearing May 12th as the possible date that the last of the four major U.S. mobile carriers gets their hands on Microsoft’s software.
The news comes a day after Verizon put up an official looking Windows Phone forum on their website and just two days after we saw Big Red’s Windows Phone 7 powered HTC Trophy appear on Best Buy’s website.
Verizon’s HTC Trophy is expected to be the first device to hit Verizon’s airwaves with the HTC 7 Pro (likely with a different name) coming sometime thereafter.
It’s also said that Verizon employees are starting to undergo training for Windows Phone 7 today which means that that May 12th date might not be too far off the official one.
So, now that we’re likely only a few days out from an official launch, anyone going to be snagging a Windows Phone 7 handset from Big Red? Or has something else (Samsung Droid Charge, HTC Droid Incredible 2, HTC ThunderBolt, iPhone 4) caught your eye already?
The news comes a day after Verizon put up an official looking Windows Phone forum on their website and just two days after we saw Big Red’s Windows Phone 7 powered HTC Trophy appear on Best Buy’s website.
Verizon’s HTC Trophy is expected to be the first device to hit Verizon’s airwaves with the HTC 7 Pro (likely with a different name) coming sometime thereafter.
It’s also said that Verizon employees are starting to undergo training for Windows Phone 7 today which means that that May 12th date might not be too far off the official one.
So, now that we’re likely only a few days out from an official launch, anyone going to be snagging a Windows Phone 7 handset from Big Red? Or has something else (Samsung Droid Charge, HTC Droid Incredible 2, HTC ThunderBolt, iPhone 4) caught your eye already?
Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors Q1 2011
A recent research conducted by IDC suggests that the global mobile phone market boomed in the first quarter of 2011, marking a growth of 19.8 percent. The uprward trend was mainly due to the reason of smartphone shipments, specially in the emerging markets. The research firm's very own Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker recorded the vendors shipping approximately 371.8 million units in Q1 of 2011 compared to 310.5 million units in the early quarter of 2010.
The smartphone growth was witnessed particularly in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America which helped lift the overall market. Almost all handset manufacturers including feature phone makers contributed in record-breaking sales.
Even though feature phones face a tough competition from smartphones, they are not expected to disappear from the market anytime soon due to strong demand across the globe. Feature phones are usually low-priced which contribute a big share in sales specially in third-world countries.
In the U.S., Apple's iPhone and HTC Thunderbolt were the two main smartphones bringing large number of sales and helping the smartphone category to grow. Moreover, the BlackBerry, Android, and iPhone devices were tagged as the best sellers, including the sales recorded in Canadian Market.
On the other hand, the Western Europe witnessed bulk sales on Android-based phones and iPhones. HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson contributed well by rolling in the smartest and most stylist handsets.
Top Five Mobile Vendors Q1 2011:
1. Nokia
2. Samsung
3. LG
4. Apple
5. ZTE
The smartphone growth was witnessed particularly in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America which helped lift the overall market. Almost all handset manufacturers including feature phone makers contributed in record-breaking sales.
Even though feature phones face a tough competition from smartphones, they are not expected to disappear from the market anytime soon due to strong demand across the globe. Feature phones are usually low-priced which contribute a big share in sales specially in third-world countries.
In the U.S., Apple's iPhone and HTC Thunderbolt were the two main smartphones bringing large number of sales and helping the smartphone category to grow. Moreover, the BlackBerry, Android, and iPhone devices were tagged as the best sellers, including the sales recorded in Canadian Market.
On the other hand, the Western Europe witnessed bulk sales on Android-based phones and iPhones. HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson contributed well by rolling in the smartest and most stylist handsets.
Top Five Mobile Vendors Q1 2011:
1. Nokia
2. Samsung
3. LG
4. Apple
5. ZTE
Agony and ecstasy of going Android from iPhone
An iPhone owner since the day it released in 2007, I'm now an Android owner.
Last week, I bought a T-Mobile Android G2 as part of a new Orange County Register initiative putting smartphones in the hands of most of the newsroom staff. For $50, I own the phone but the company pays the service.
Now I lug around both my iPhone 4 and my G2, which is a painful experience if only for the difficulty of keeping both devices charged up all the time.
So what's it like being a hardcore iPhone owner suddenly owning an Android phone?
A couple observations:
Agony: I like my apps better on iPhone
I have hundreds of dollars invested (yes, really) in iPhone apps that must all be repurchased on Android to make my G2 as capable and fun as my iPhone.But I'm unwilling to replace virtually all of them.
Read more: http://www.ocregister.com/news/iphone-298487-android-owner.html
Last week, I bought a T-Mobile Android G2 as part of a new Orange County Register initiative putting smartphones in the hands of most of the newsroom staff. For $50, I own the phone but the company pays the service.
Now I lug around both my iPhone 4 and my G2, which is a painful experience if only for the difficulty of keeping both devices charged up all the time.
So what's it like being a hardcore iPhone owner suddenly owning an Android phone?
A couple observations:
Agony: I like my apps better on iPhone
I have hundreds of dollars invested (yes, really) in iPhone apps that must all be repurchased on Android to make my G2 as capable and fun as my iPhone.But I'm unwilling to replace virtually all of them.
Read more: http://www.ocregister.com/news/iphone-298487-android-owner.html
Huawei IDEOS X6 Android phone (preview)
Little-known Chinese manufacturer Huawei has recently made a splash in the low end of the Android smartphone market with budget models like the IDEOS U8150 and IDEOS X5. However, its latest Android phone is a completely different kettle of fish — the flagship Huawei IDEOS X6 boasts a 4.1in touchscreen, has an HDMI-out port and can record 720p HD video, and pairs these features with impressive specifications to match.
Read more: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/mobile_phones/huawei/ideos_x6/382520
Read more: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/mobile_phones/huawei/ideos_x6/382520
Kenya: Press Releases: Huawei Introduces IDEOS S7 Tablet in Kenya
Nairobi, 21 April 2011 … Huawei, a leader in providing innovative telecommunication solutions for operators around the world today announced the introduction of Huawei’s IDEOS S7 Tablet in the Kenyan market.
The S7 tablet was launched after the success of its predecessor, the IDEOS handset, launched in December 2010 through a partnership with Safaricom, the leading mobile operator in Kenya. The IDEOS phone has become very popular in Kenya due to its ease of use and fast internet speed (3G).
"Delivering connectivity for users thorough smart devices is one of our core objectives for 2011," said Herman He, CEO Huawei Kenya. "The S7 Tablet is designed to do exactly that, provide smart and efficient connectivity to deliver a simple and premium end user experience.”
Huawei IDEOS™ S7 is a next-generation 7-inch capacitive touch-screen tablet offering a blend of style and portability, with 12.5 thickness supporting both 3G and WIFI.
Available now in Safaricom shops, the S7 Tablet is retailing competitively at KES34, 999.
The S7 tablet was launched after the success of its predecessor, the IDEOS handset, launched in December 2010 through a partnership with Safaricom, the leading mobile operator in Kenya. The IDEOS phone has become very popular in Kenya due to its ease of use and fast internet speed (3G).
"Delivering connectivity for users thorough smart devices is one of our core objectives for 2011," said Herman He, CEO Huawei Kenya. "The S7 Tablet is designed to do exactly that, provide smart and efficient connectivity to deliver a simple and premium end user experience.”
Huawei IDEOS™ S7 is a next-generation 7-inch capacitive touch-screen tablet offering a blend of style and portability, with 12.5 thickness supporting both 3G and WIFI.
Available now in Safaricom shops, the S7 Tablet is retailing competitively at KES34, 999.
Motorola Xoom To Get Software Update
Motorola and partner Verizon Wireless are putting the final touches on a significant system update for the Motorola Xoom. Though the companies haven't officially announced when it will be released, the changelog is live on Verizon's support site. If you're hoping for a major feature upgrade, don't get your hopes up. This new software aims at fixing a lot of bugs and tying off a few loose ends.
Enterprise IT departments will be happy to see some of the changes being applied to the Xoom's Web browsing and data access capabilities. Some of the improvements include added proxy support when connecting to Wi-Fi networks; support for SSL data transfers; support for WPA pre-shared key pass-phrases when using the device as a mobile hotspot; and support for Google's Widevine DRM and HDCP. These will all contribute to making the Xoom a bit more secure for enterprise use.
Read more: http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/tablets/229402426
Enterprise IT departments will be happy to see some of the changes being applied to the Xoom's Web browsing and data access capabilities. Some of the improvements include added proxy support when connecting to Wi-Fi networks; support for SSL data transfers; support for WPA pre-shared key pass-phrases when using the device as a mobile hotspot; and support for Google's Widevine DRM and HDCP. These will all contribute to making the Xoom a bit more secure for enterprise use.
Read more: http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/tablets/229402426
Google Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
# Pros
Most configurable tablet OS. Widest range of hardware choices. Excellent notification system. Free GPS navigation. Adobe Flash support.
# Cons
Few third-party apps. Tablet apps in difficult to find in the Android Market. Out of the box, user interface is very sparse. In browser, sites tend to show WAP versions rather than desktop Web pages.
# Bottom Line
Google's Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) OS will appear on many tablets this year, but it needs a more vibrant developer community and better app store to compete with Apple in the tablet space.
Read more: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384318,00.asp
Most configurable tablet OS. Widest range of hardware choices. Excellent notification system. Free GPS navigation. Adobe Flash support.
# Cons
Few third-party apps. Tablet apps in difficult to find in the Android Market. Out of the box, user interface is very sparse. In browser, sites tend to show WAP versions rather than desktop Web pages.
# Bottom Line
Google's Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) OS will appear on many tablets this year, but it needs a more vibrant developer community and better app store to compete with Apple in the tablet space.
Read more: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384318,00.asp
Android 3.0 Honeycomb to run on MIPS architecture
ARM may be hogging the limelight these days with its designs for low power chips used in everything from tablets to smartphones to cable boxes. But ARM isn’t the only game in town. Chip designer MIPS recently announced that it’s working to port Google Android 3.0 to run on devices with MIPS architecture.
Google hasn’t yet released the source code for Android 3.0 Honeycomb to the public, but the company is working with some hardware partners, and it turns out MIPS is one of them.
That means tablets, televisions, set-top boxes, and other products with MIPS-based chips may soon be able to take advantage of Honeycomb code.
The operating system is designed primarily with tablet computer in mind, but MIPS says by working with Honeycomb code, it will be able to “accelerate development of tablets and Google TV products.”
Read more: http://mobiputing.com/2011/04/android-3-0-honeycomb-to-run-on-mips-architecture/
Google hasn’t yet released the source code for Android 3.0 Honeycomb to the public, but the company is working with some hardware partners, and it turns out MIPS is one of them.
That means tablets, televisions, set-top boxes, and other products with MIPS-based chips may soon be able to take advantage of Honeycomb code.
The operating system is designed primarily with tablet computer in mind, but MIPS says by working with Honeycomb code, it will be able to “accelerate development of tablets and Google TV products.”
Read more: http://mobiputing.com/2011/04/android-3-0-honeycomb-to-run-on-mips-architecture/
Kindle app updated for Android Honeycomb tablets
Amazon.com has updated its Kindle Android app with features designed to tap into the Honeycomb interface currently found on the Motorola Xoom and T-Mobile's LG G-Slate.
Available now at Amazon's Appstore for Android, Kindle for Android 3.0 is geared for all Android devices but takes special advantage of the larger displays and other attributes offered by Honeycomb-powered tablets.
The updated version offers a virtual bookshelf that stretches across the screen to let people visually browse and view titles at the Kindle store. The new interface also provides quicker access to customer reviews, recommendations, and other items of interest to book buyers. Further, Amazon has tweaked the layout for magazines and newspapers so that readers can now see full color images on their tablets.
Beyond the improvements for large-screen tablets, the Kindle Android app now gives people the ability to pause and resume downloads of any item. A built-in dictionary with more than 250,000 entries and definitions is also included, according to Amazon. Finally, the update throws in a slew of bug fixes and support for the German language.
"We've...created a beautiful new user interface and a seamless shopping experience tailored to the look and feel of Honeycomb tablets," Amazon Kindle Director Dorothy Nicholls said in a statement.
As always, the Kindle app comes with Amazon's Whispersync feature, which synchronizes books and bookmarks across a range of devices so that people can move from phone to tablet to Kindle reader to PC without losing their place.
Starting later this year, Kindle e-reader owners and Kindle app users will also be able to borrow electronic books from 11,000 libraries.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20056439-251.html#ixzz36oc2g6cW
Available now at Amazon's Appstore for Android, Kindle for Android 3.0 is geared for all Android devices but takes special advantage of the larger displays and other attributes offered by Honeycomb-powered tablets.
The updated version offers a virtual bookshelf that stretches across the screen to let people visually browse and view titles at the Kindle store. The new interface also provides quicker access to customer reviews, recommendations, and other items of interest to book buyers. Further, Amazon has tweaked the layout for magazines and newspapers so that readers can now see full color images on their tablets.
Beyond the improvements for large-screen tablets, the Kindle Android app now gives people the ability to pause and resume downloads of any item. A built-in dictionary with more than 250,000 entries and definitions is also included, according to Amazon. Finally, the update throws in a slew of bug fixes and support for the German language.
"We've...created a beautiful new user interface and a seamless shopping experience tailored to the look and feel of Honeycomb tablets," Amazon Kindle Director Dorothy Nicholls said in a statement.
As always, the Kindle app comes with Amazon's Whispersync feature, which synchronizes books and bookmarks across a range of devices so that people can move from phone to tablet to Kindle reader to PC without losing their place.
Starting later this year, Kindle e-reader owners and Kindle app users will also be able to borrow electronic books from 11,000 libraries.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20056439-251.html#ixzz36oc2g6cW
Kindle for Android is Now More Tablet Friendly
Today Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced that they were releasing an update to their popular Kindle for Android software that would optimize it for use on tablet PCs using Android Honeycomb (Version 3.0). The new software is intended to take all of the fun stuff that users liked about the existing software, add a few perks, and generally improve the way it takes advantage of larger screens than are common on Android based smartphones. It all sounds pretty good.
Read more: http://blogkindle.com/2011/04/kindle-for-android-is-now-more-tablet-friendly/#ixzz36ocF5sMm
Read more: http://blogkindle.com/2011/04/kindle-for-android-is-now-more-tablet-friendly/#ixzz36ocF5sMm
Adobe Ships Flash Player 10.2 for Android 3.0 Tablets
If you're an Android user, try not to hit your head on the ceiling fan as you jump for joy. Why? Well, Adobe last night announced the release of Flash Player 10.2 for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablets and is available for download in the Android Market. Eventually, this could prove to be a big deal, but it looks as though a Honeycomb update is needed to take full advantage of the Flash Player 10.2's new features.
"Today we are releasing Flash Player 10.2 for Android Honeycomb devices, available for download from the Android Market," Adobe said. "This final release will take advantage of Google's enhancements in an upcoming update to Honeycomb, including hardware accelerated playback of 720p high-definition video referenced in our earlier blog post (here). Users of Android 3.0.1 will not experience these improvements until their devices receive the update to Honeycomb. In addition, this Flash Player 10.2 release includes a security update address the Flash Player vulnerability announced on April 15th (here) for all versions of Android."
"Today we are releasing Flash Player 10.2 for Android Honeycomb devices, available for download from the Android Market," Adobe said. "This final release will take advantage of Google's enhancements in an upcoming update to Honeycomb, including hardware accelerated playback of 720p high-definition video referenced in our earlier blog post (here). Users of Android 3.0.1 will not experience these improvements until their devices receive the update to Honeycomb. In addition, this Flash Player 10.2 release includes a security update address the Flash Player vulnerability announced on April 15th (here) for all versions of Android."
Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update brings Video Chat to Google Talk
The latest Gingerbread update, Android 2.3.4, as a treat for fans of Google Voice. Users can now use the Voice Chat app to make video calls. And not only to Android devices but also to Google Talk users on PC and Mac. And unlike Facetime, the app can use 3G and 4G networks rather than just Wi-Fi.
Read more: http://androidcommunity.com/android-2-3-4-gingerbread-update-brings-video-chat-to-google-talk-20110429/
Read more: http://androidcommunity.com/android-2-3-4-gingerbread-update-brings-video-chat-to-google-talk-20110429/
Governments press Sony on PlayStation breach
As Sony works to bring its PlayStation Network back online following a security breach last week, more government agencies are seeking answers from the company.
The U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to Sony Computer Entertainment America Chairman Kazuo Hirai today, posing more than a dozen questions about the nature of the breach, Sony's policy on data protection and privacy, and its plans for compensating customers.
In the letter, the committee's chairwoman Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) said it would like to know how the intrusion on Sony's network occurred to "inform our efforts to protect consumer information." The committee wants answers no later than May 6.
The Law and Regulations Commission of the city of Taipei, Taiwan, yesterday said it also sent a letter to Sony asking for a full rundown of how the personal information and possibly credit card data of its PlayStation Network customers was compromised. It is also asking how Sony plans to compensate its customers.
The letter was sent Wednesday and Sony has 10 days to respond before incurring a fine from the commission of between NT$30,000 (U.S. $1,041) and NT$300,000 (U.S. $10,408) for violating the city's consumer protection laws.
Sony warned the more than 75 million customers of its PlayStation Network service on Tuesday that their names, addresses, e-mail addresses, birthdays, PlayStation Network and Qriocity passwords, and user names, as well as online user handles, were obtained illegally by an "unauthorized person" last week. As a result, it has shut down PSN and Qriocity while it rebuilds the security.
Sony has said it "has no evidence" that credit cards numbers were exposed in the breach. A group of hackers has been bragging on Internet message boards that it is in possession of 2.2 million credit card numbers from Sony that it is attempting to sell back to the company, something a Sony spokesman has denied.
The company admitted that while credit card information was encrypted, names, e-mails, birthdays, passwords, and more were not.
Sony has taken heat from customers for waiting a week before informing them of the breach. But legal authorities have also been pressing Sony for answers on how they have so far handled the situation.
Before Taipei got involved, the UK Information Commissioners Office, the agency responsible for ensuring data protection and privacy, said it is investigating the matter. The country's Data Protection act requires any entity that handles private data of individuals to keep it secure. Serious breaches can incur penalties of up to £500,000 ($833,290), though it could be avoided if Sony agreed to improve its security to bring itself into compliance with the local law.
Canada's Privacy Commission is also undertaking an investigation into the matter, a commission spokeswoman said earlier this week.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) was the first to jump into the legal fray when he promptly sent a letter Tuesday to Jack Tretton, president and chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment America, saying he was troubled that the company had not notified customers sooner about the breach. He also called for Sony to provide affected customers with financial data security services, including free access to credit reporting services for two years to protect against identity theft.
Sony has said it contacted law enforcement and is working with a private security firm to investigate the intrusion on its network. Reuters reports the company is working with the FBI.
Sony has also said it plans to compensate customers for the incident, though it hasn't revealed when or how.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20058617-260.html#ixzz36odRTeId
The U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to Sony Computer Entertainment America Chairman Kazuo Hirai today, posing more than a dozen questions about the nature of the breach, Sony's policy on data protection and privacy, and its plans for compensating customers.
In the letter, the committee's chairwoman Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) said it would like to know how the intrusion on Sony's network occurred to "inform our efforts to protect consumer information." The committee wants answers no later than May 6.
The Law and Regulations Commission of the city of Taipei, Taiwan, yesterday said it also sent a letter to Sony asking for a full rundown of how the personal information and possibly credit card data of its PlayStation Network customers was compromised. It is also asking how Sony plans to compensate its customers.
The letter was sent Wednesday and Sony has 10 days to respond before incurring a fine from the commission of between NT$30,000 (U.S. $1,041) and NT$300,000 (U.S. $10,408) for violating the city's consumer protection laws.
Sony warned the more than 75 million customers of its PlayStation Network service on Tuesday that their names, addresses, e-mail addresses, birthdays, PlayStation Network and Qriocity passwords, and user names, as well as online user handles, were obtained illegally by an "unauthorized person" last week. As a result, it has shut down PSN and Qriocity while it rebuilds the security.
Sony has said it "has no evidence" that credit cards numbers were exposed in the breach. A group of hackers has been bragging on Internet message boards that it is in possession of 2.2 million credit card numbers from Sony that it is attempting to sell back to the company, something a Sony spokesman has denied.
The company admitted that while credit card information was encrypted, names, e-mails, birthdays, passwords, and more were not.
Sony has taken heat from customers for waiting a week before informing them of the breach. But legal authorities have also been pressing Sony for answers on how they have so far handled the situation.
Before Taipei got involved, the UK Information Commissioners Office, the agency responsible for ensuring data protection and privacy, said it is investigating the matter. The country's Data Protection act requires any entity that handles private data of individuals to keep it secure. Serious breaches can incur penalties of up to £500,000 ($833,290), though it could be avoided if Sony agreed to improve its security to bring itself into compliance with the local law.
Canada's Privacy Commission is also undertaking an investigation into the matter, a commission spokeswoman said earlier this week.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) was the first to jump into the legal fray when he promptly sent a letter Tuesday to Jack Tretton, president and chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment America, saying he was troubled that the company had not notified customers sooner about the breach. He also called for Sony to provide affected customers with financial data security services, including free access to credit reporting services for two years to protect against identity theft.
Sony has said it contacted law enforcement and is working with a private security firm to investigate the intrusion on its network. Reuters reports the company is working with the FBI.
Sony has also said it plans to compensate customers for the incident, though it hasn't revealed when or how.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20058617-260.html#ixzz36odRTeId
HTC Droid Incredible 2 (Verizon Wireless)
The good: The HTC Droid Incredible 2 improves on its predecessor by adding world-roaming capabilities and a larger, sharper screen. The Android device has a solid construction and features an 8-megapixel camera with 720p HD video capture.
The bad: The smartphone lacks 4G support and isn't running the latest Android software.
The bottom line: Though the lack of some features is disappointing, the HTC Droid Incredible 2 is an improved device and a good choice for Verizon customers looking for a global smartphone.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/htc-droid-incredible-2/4505-6452_7-34660419.html#ixzz36odhltBa
The bad: The smartphone lacks 4G support and isn't running the latest Android software.
The bottom line: Though the lack of some features is disappointing, the HTC Droid Incredible 2 is an improved device and a good choice for Verizon customers looking for a global smartphone.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/htc-droid-incredible-2/4505-6452_7-34660419.html#ixzz36odhltBa
Bringing Fast LTE 4G Wireless Modems to Market
Verizon Wireless and MetroPCS recently announced that they had turned on their Long Term Evolution (LTE) version of 4G in a few cities, with plans (along with AT&T) to roll out LTE nationwide over the next two years. In March 2011, the Global Mobile Suppliers Association estimated that 196 operators in 75 countries are currently investing in LTE.
The well-known phrase “it takes two to tango” is really appropriate here. If you stop and think for a minute, it takes more than the wireless operator to turn on their network. It also takes radio transceivers (that can both receive LTE signals and broadcast back to the wireless network towers). What if a radio or TV station announced a new service but there weren’t any radios or TVs that could receive the broadcast?
Large infrastructure companies such as Nokia Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent make the “backhaul” equipment that powers the broadcast of LTE signals from cell towers. They have tons of electrical power available in which to send out their signals. On the other hand, notebook computers (and some handhelds such as Verizon’s new HTC Thunderbolt) have to receive and then transmit LTE signals on battery power.
I recently talked with Andrew Green, Vice President of Marketing for the Mobile Computing Business Unit at Sierra Wireless, about the challenges to bring LTE wireless modems to market at the same time the wireless operator announces their network. While a number of firms plan to manufacture LTE modems for notebook PCs, Sierra Wireless was one of the first to deliver LTE products to the market and decided to introduce models that would be “backward-compatible” so they could “fall back” on 3G technology if the user was not in an area covered by the new LTE network.
The well-known phrase “it takes two to tango” is really appropriate here. If you stop and think for a minute, it takes more than the wireless operator to turn on their network. It also takes radio transceivers (that can both receive LTE signals and broadcast back to the wireless network towers). What if a radio or TV station announced a new service but there weren’t any radios or TVs that could receive the broadcast?
Large infrastructure companies such as Nokia Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent make the “backhaul” equipment that powers the broadcast of LTE signals from cell towers. They have tons of electrical power available in which to send out their signals. On the other hand, notebook computers (and some handhelds such as Verizon’s new HTC Thunderbolt) have to receive and then transmit LTE signals on battery power.
I recently talked with Andrew Green, Vice President of Marketing for the Mobile Computing Business Unit at Sierra Wireless, about the challenges to bring LTE wireless modems to market at the same time the wireless operator announces their network. While a number of firms plan to manufacture LTE modems for notebook PCs, Sierra Wireless was one of the first to deliver LTE products to the market and decided to introduce models that would be “backward-compatible” so they could “fall back” on 3G technology if the user was not in an area covered by the new LTE network.
Android 3.1 to Bring Hardware Accelerated Video With Flash Update, Says Adobe
Although Google themselves haven’t made mention of the next Honeycomb upgrade, Adobe took it to themselves to do so in the change log of their most recent update. “Hardware accelerated video presentation (requires Android 3.1)” and “Enhanced browser integration for Honeycomb tablets (requires Android 3.1)” grace the listing.
It’s a very much needed change for folks who can’t enjoy flash content in 720p on their Honeycomb tablets the way they should – choppy framerates and slow device performance plague an otherwise good experience. The listing has since been updated to change the words in the parenthesis which now says “requires an upcoming release of Android 3″.
People are wondering if Adobe made a typo, but it’s highly unlikely they made the same “typo” on two different lines. I’d bet my bank account that Android 3.1 is real. And really, is there any reason to believe it isn’t? [via Droid-Life]
It’s a very much needed change for folks who can’t enjoy flash content in 720p on their Honeycomb tablets the way they should – choppy framerates and slow device performance plague an otherwise good experience. The listing has since been updated to change the words in the parenthesis which now says “requires an upcoming release of Android 3″.
People are wondering if Adobe made a typo, but it’s highly unlikely they made the same “typo” on two different lines. I’d bet my bank account that Android 3.1 is real. And really, is there any reason to believe it isn’t? [via Droid-Life]
HTC Flyer UK release date to hit T-Mobile in July
The 7-inch HTC Flyer tablet is expected to arrive on the T-Mobile network by 6th of July, new reports have revealed.
Running on Google's Android 2.4 Gingerbread OS and coming equipped with a stylus for ease of use, with the gadget blog Phandroid suggesting a rather hopefull $200 (£120) price tag will be given to the device.
Competition is currently fierce in the tablet market and specs-wise the HTC Flyer appears to be lagging. Rivals such as the Motorola Xoom already support Android 3.0 Honeycomb out of the box, although HTC will be upgrading the Flyer “shortly after” its launch.
Furthermore with products such as the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 already sporting a dual-core processor, the HTC model’s 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor seems to have its work cut out for it.
That said the tablet does have an otherwise impressive list of specs 1GB RAM, a front (5-megapixel) and rear (1.3-megapixel) facing cameras, 32GB internal storage, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HTC Sense, and more.
Are you tempted by the HTC Flyer’s seemingly reasonable pricing or do you think the tablet is outdated before it hits the market? Get in touch via Facebook and Twitter.
Running on Google's Android 2.4 Gingerbread OS and coming equipped with a stylus for ease of use, with the gadget blog Phandroid suggesting a rather hopefull $200 (£120) price tag will be given to the device.
Competition is currently fierce in the tablet market and specs-wise the HTC Flyer appears to be lagging. Rivals such as the Motorola Xoom already support Android 3.0 Honeycomb out of the box, although HTC will be upgrading the Flyer “shortly after” its launch.
Furthermore with products such as the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 already sporting a dual-core processor, the HTC model’s 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor seems to have its work cut out for it.
That said the tablet does have an otherwise impressive list of specs 1GB RAM, a front (5-megapixel) and rear (1.3-megapixel) facing cameras, 32GB internal storage, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HTC Sense, and more.
Are you tempted by the HTC Flyer’s seemingly reasonable pricing or do you think the tablet is outdated before it hits the market? Get in touch via Facebook and Twitter.
Google Sued Over Android Location Tracking
Two women have sued Google for tracking their locations on their Android phones without consent.
After iPhones were revealed last week to be recording and storing data about users' locations, Google's Android phones were also shown to be performing a similar function--sending the name, location and strength of nearby Wi-Fi networks and a phone identifier back to Google.
"All location sharing on Android is opt-in by the user," a Google spokesperson told All Things D. "We provide users with notice and control over the collection, sharing and use of location in order to provide a better mobile experience on Android devices. Any location data that is sent back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user."
The suit, filed on April 27, claims that the phones tracked them "just as if by a tracking device for which a court-ordered warrant would ordinarily be required." Both use HTC Inspire 4G phones.
The plaintiffs are seeking to turn the suit into a class-action lawsuit and want $50 million in damages, as well as a court order to stop Google from tracking users' devices. Apple was sued earlier this week for invasion of privacy and computer fraud.
After iPhones were revealed last week to be recording and storing data about users' locations, Google's Android phones were also shown to be performing a similar function--sending the name, location and strength of nearby Wi-Fi networks and a phone identifier back to Google.
"All location sharing on Android is opt-in by the user," a Google spokesperson told All Things D. "We provide users with notice and control over the collection, sharing and use of location in order to provide a better mobile experience on Android devices. Any location data that is sent back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user."
The suit, filed on April 27, claims that the phones tracked them "just as if by a tracking device for which a court-ordered warrant would ordinarily be required." Both use HTC Inspire 4G phones.
The plaintiffs are seeking to turn the suit into a class-action lawsuit and want $50 million in damages, as well as a court order to stop Google from tracking users' devices. Apple was sued earlier this week for invasion of privacy and computer fraud.
Android's TV Experiment Languishes, Logitech Only Sells ~15K Units in Q1
People apparently aren't quite ready for the wonders of Android television
Apple, Inc.'s (AAPL) first generation Apple TV was infamous as the only high profile modern Apple hardware product to flat out fail to catch on. Now Apple's smartphone rival Google Inc.'s (GOOG) own television offering is running into problems of its own.
Unlike Apple TV, Google TV tried to do much more. Where as Apple TV acted essentially as a streaming video and media storage device alone, Google added a smattering of apps and internet access. Partnering with Sony Corp. (6758) and Logitech International SA (LOGI), it put out its first hardware in October 2010.
But the product has languished due to several factors.
First, it was a rush job and Google did take the time to implement third-party apps. Second, the quick release led to an interface that while almost deep and intuitive suffered from frustrating bugs.
Last, but not least, late last year Google waged a high profile war with network television companies. Afraid that customers would abandon more lucrative broadcast television to watch their shows exclusively online, the broadcasters figured out a way to block Google TV sets from accessing their TV episodes online.
This was a seemingly baffling stance -- after all the broadcasters put them there in the first place. But most agree it was a move made out of fear -- online advertising still sells for less than broadcast ads during a primetime TV show.
And it worked. Google was unable to restore access or talk TV broadcasters into re-allowing its devices.
Faced essentially a crippled system with no third-party apps, few TV shows, and a buggy interface, Google TV was unsurprisingly met with disinterest or even scorn from many customers.
But the depth of how far Google TV sunk is just now becoming apparent. Logitech's set-top Google TV box Revue and its peripherals only earned $5M USD in the first three months of the year, according to its just released earnings report [PDF].
Taking into consideration that the product retails for $299, which would mean approximately 16,700 sales, if all the revenue was towards the box exclusively. Factoring in that peripheral sales provided part of that revenue, it's likely that actual sales were closer to 15,000 units.
Logitech had sold $22M USD worth of Google TV product in the last three months of last year (approximately 70k units) and hoped to sell $18M USD in this quarter.
Instead it missed its target by 70 percent and saw inventory of Revues soar 28 percent. That comes despite a 19 percent increase in the marketing budget to try to push Google TV.
As a result of the failure of Google TV, Logitech, much like Apple, is keeping its product, but transitioning it to life support. It is scaling back its advertising and production. It claims[PDF] it is "fully prepared to re-accelerate those activities at the appropriate time." And CEO Gerald P. Quindlen loyally stated that his company remains "enthusiastic about Google TV."
Google's last-ditch effort to save the floundering product may come next month at the Google I/O conference for developers. Google's equivalent of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference(WWDC), the I/O Conference is often a platform for high profile Android news. Reportedly Google will air new Google TV products, this time with a streamlined interface and access to third party apps (in effect transforming the products into low-end gaming consoles of sorts, for one thing).
It remains to be seen if this latest bid succeeds where past efforts by Google and Apple have failed.
Apple, Inc.'s (AAPL) first generation Apple TV was infamous as the only high profile modern Apple hardware product to flat out fail to catch on. Now Apple's smartphone rival Google Inc.'s (GOOG) own television offering is running into problems of its own.
Unlike Apple TV, Google TV tried to do much more. Where as Apple TV acted essentially as a streaming video and media storage device alone, Google added a smattering of apps and internet access. Partnering with Sony Corp. (6758) and Logitech International SA (LOGI), it put out its first hardware in October 2010.
But the product has languished due to several factors.
First, it was a rush job and Google did take the time to implement third-party apps. Second, the quick release led to an interface that while almost deep and intuitive suffered from frustrating bugs.
Last, but not least, late last year Google waged a high profile war with network television companies. Afraid that customers would abandon more lucrative broadcast television to watch their shows exclusively online, the broadcasters figured out a way to block Google TV sets from accessing their TV episodes online.
This was a seemingly baffling stance -- after all the broadcasters put them there in the first place. But most agree it was a move made out of fear -- online advertising still sells for less than broadcast ads during a primetime TV show.
And it worked. Google was unable to restore access or talk TV broadcasters into re-allowing its devices.
Faced essentially a crippled system with no third-party apps, few TV shows, and a buggy interface, Google TV was unsurprisingly met with disinterest or even scorn from many customers.
But the depth of how far Google TV sunk is just now becoming apparent. Logitech's set-top Google TV box Revue and its peripherals only earned $5M USD in the first three months of the year, according to its just released earnings report [PDF].
Taking into consideration that the product retails for $299, which would mean approximately 16,700 sales, if all the revenue was towards the box exclusively. Factoring in that peripheral sales provided part of that revenue, it's likely that actual sales were closer to 15,000 units.
Logitech had sold $22M USD worth of Google TV product in the last three months of last year (approximately 70k units) and hoped to sell $18M USD in this quarter.
Instead it missed its target by 70 percent and saw inventory of Revues soar 28 percent. That comes despite a 19 percent increase in the marketing budget to try to push Google TV.
As a result of the failure of Google TV, Logitech, much like Apple, is keeping its product, but transitioning it to life support. It is scaling back its advertising and production. It claims[PDF] it is "fully prepared to re-accelerate those activities at the appropriate time." And CEO Gerald P. Quindlen loyally stated that his company remains "enthusiastic about Google TV."
Google's last-ditch effort to save the floundering product may come next month at the Google I/O conference for developers. Google's equivalent of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference(WWDC), the I/O Conference is often a platform for high profile Android news. Reportedly Google will air new Google TV products, this time with a streamlined interface and access to third party apps (in effect transforming the products into low-end gaming consoles of sorts, for one thing).
It remains to be seen if this latest bid succeeds where past efforts by Google and Apple have failed.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Apple, Android phone users are heaviest app downloaders
iPhone owners have an average of 48 apps on their phones, and Android users, 35, making them the smartphone app kings, according to a new report from The Nielsen Company.
In contrast, BlackBerry users have an average of 15 apps on their phones.
This little stat — based on research of consumers who downloaded apps in the past 30 days, Nielsen says — does not surprise me. As both an iPhone and BlackBerry owner, I know which phone I prefer to have apps on and which one is easier to use: Hands down, it's the iPhone. It's simple, quick, seamless (generally), compared to the complicated, time-consuming and clunky way BlackBerry apps are downloaded and used.
That also jibes with what Nielsen found, that iPhone and Android users "use their apps more often: 68 percent of app downloaders with iPhones and 60 percent of those with Android phones reported using their mobile apps multiple times a day compared to 45 percent of app downloaders with Blackberry/RIM phones."
Palm owners came in third, with 21 apps on their phones, followed by Windows Mobile users, with 17.
Still, more of us are apparently getting comfortable with using apps in general. Last year, Nielsen said that the average number of apps on iPhones was 37; Android, 22; Palm, 14; Windows Mobile, 13; and BlackBerry, 10.
Nielsen released the updated figures at the AppNation conference in San Francisco, where mobile software developers and investors are meeting.
Consumers with either iPhones or Android phones "represent the majority of the smartphone market in the U.S. and 74 percent of mobile app downloaders," Nielsen said. So it makes sense that "If you want to understand the consumer landscape for mobile apps, you have to understand the Apple iOS and Google Android ecosystems."
In contrast, BlackBerry users have an average of 15 apps on their phones.
This little stat — based on research of consumers who downloaded apps in the past 30 days, Nielsen says — does not surprise me. As both an iPhone and BlackBerry owner, I know which phone I prefer to have apps on and which one is easier to use: Hands down, it's the iPhone. It's simple, quick, seamless (generally), compared to the complicated, time-consuming and clunky way BlackBerry apps are downloaded and used.
That also jibes with what Nielsen found, that iPhone and Android users "use their apps more often: 68 percent of app downloaders with iPhones and 60 percent of those with Android phones reported using their mobile apps multiple times a day compared to 45 percent of app downloaders with Blackberry/RIM phones."
Palm owners came in third, with 21 apps on their phones, followed by Windows Mobile users, with 17.
Still, more of us are apparently getting comfortable with using apps in general. Last year, Nielsen said that the average number of apps on iPhones was 37; Android, 22; Palm, 14; Windows Mobile, 13; and BlackBerry, 10.
Nielsen released the updated figures at the AppNation conference in San Francisco, where mobile software developers and investors are meeting.
Consumers with either iPhones or Android phones "represent the majority of the smartphone market in the U.S. and 74 percent of mobile app downloaders," Nielsen said. So it makes sense that "If you want to understand the consumer landscape for mobile apps, you have to understand the Apple iOS and Google Android ecosystems."
Oracle Scores Early Points in Java Suit over Google Android
Oracle has drawn a bit of blood in its legal battle with Google over the use of Java in Android, based on the judge’s interpretation of certain language in the patent case.
According to a Reuters report, U.S. District Judge William Alsup pretty much sided with Oracle in a “claim construction” issue in the case. The Patent Hawk web site defines claim construction as “the art of translating patent claim jargon into plain English.”
In the Oracle vs. Google case Alsup addressed terms in three of the seven patents Oracle cited in its action. And in an order issued April 27, of five technical terms at issue in the case, Alsup sided with Oracle’s interpretation on four of them, and wrote his own for another, Reuters reported.
Read more: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Oracle-Scores-Early-Points-in-Java-Suit-over-Google-Android-529921/
According to a Reuters report, U.S. District Judge William Alsup pretty much sided with Oracle in a “claim construction” issue in the case. The Patent Hawk web site defines claim construction as “the art of translating patent claim jargon into plain English.”
In the Oracle vs. Google case Alsup addressed terms in three of the seven patents Oracle cited in its action. And in an order issued April 27, of five technical terms at issue in the case, Alsup sided with Oracle’s interpretation on four of them, and wrote his own for another, Reuters reported.
Read more: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Oracle-Scores-Early-Points-in-Java-Suit-over-Google-Android-529921/
Google Docs app released for Android
Google has finally rolled out a Google Docs app for the Android OS. The new release was announced on Wednesday in a blog post by the Mountain View company.
The post says that the new app allows you to easily “filter and search for your content across any Google account, then jump straight into editing docs using the online mobile editors. The app also allows you to easily share items with contacts on your phone, right from within the app.”
The app works with the mobile version of Google Docs, but with an app feel – you can, for example, swipe your way through menus.
A neat feature involves your phone’s camera – if you take a photo of some text, Google’s powerful optical character recognition (OCR) software, the same that’s utilized by Google Goggles, will cleverly convert it into editable text. To create a document from a photo, you simply select the camera icon from the app’s widget, take the photo and within a short space of time you’ll have a text document staring you in the face, waiting to be chopped and changed. This feature is an advantage the app has over simply accessing the mobile version of Google Docs through your browser.
In the blog post, Google points out that “OCR does a pretty good job capturing unformatted text in English but won’t recognize handwriting or some fonts – stay tuned, it will get better over time!”
It doesn’t appear to be possible to delete documents through the app, though we assume such an option will be added later.
Editing documents on a little smartphone screen can be fiddly at the best of times (though of course the app also works on larger-screen Android tablets), but in an emergency situation where you have no access to a bigger device, it could prove to be an invaluable addition to the app collection of those already using Google Docs.
At the moment, the free app is only available in English and works on Android 2.1+ devices.
The post says that the new app allows you to easily “filter and search for your content across any Google account, then jump straight into editing docs using the online mobile editors. The app also allows you to easily share items with contacts on your phone, right from within the app.”
The app works with the mobile version of Google Docs, but with an app feel – you can, for example, swipe your way through menus.
A neat feature involves your phone’s camera – if you take a photo of some text, Google’s powerful optical character recognition (OCR) software, the same that’s utilized by Google Goggles, will cleverly convert it into editable text. To create a document from a photo, you simply select the camera icon from the app’s widget, take the photo and within a short space of time you’ll have a text document staring you in the face, waiting to be chopped and changed. This feature is an advantage the app has over simply accessing the mobile version of Google Docs through your browser.
In the blog post, Google points out that “OCR does a pretty good job capturing unformatted text in English but won’t recognize handwriting or some fonts – stay tuned, it will get better over time!”
It doesn’t appear to be possible to delete documents through the app, though we assume such an option will be added later.
Editing documents on a little smartphone screen can be fiddly at the best of times (though of course the app also works on larger-screen Android tablets), but in an emergency situation where you have no access to a bigger device, it could prove to be an invaluable addition to the app collection of those already using Google Docs.
At the moment, the free app is only available in English and works on Android 2.1+ devices.
Barnes & Noble: Microsoft lawsuit is ‘scheme’ to kill Google Android
Microsoft’s patent-infringement lawsuit against Barnes & Noble and its Nook e-readers is over “trivial” features and is part of a proxy war against Google Android, the bookseller says.
“Indeed, Microsoft is misusing these patents as part of a scheme to try to eliminate or marginalize the competition to its own Windows Phone 7 mobile device operating system posed by the open source Android operating system and other open source operating systems,” B&N said in a court filing Monday. “Microsoft’s conduct directly harms both competition for and consumers of eReaders, smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile electronic devices, and renders Microsoft’s patents unenforceable.”
Microsoft sued B&N and two Nook manufacturers (Foxconn and Inventec) last month over five patents the software giant says are being violated. The technology in question involves tabbed window navigation, Web-page loading and text selection on B&N’s Nook e-reader and Nook Color tablet.
In a strongly worded court filing, B&N denied all of Microsoft’s allegations, questioned the validity of Microsoft’s patents and demanded a jury trial in the federal case. It seems B&N is standing up to Microsoft, which has admitted its preferred venue for fighting Android is the courtroom.
Read more: http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2011/04/27/barnes-noble-microsoft-lawsuit-is-scheme-to-kill-google-android/
“Indeed, Microsoft is misusing these patents as part of a scheme to try to eliminate or marginalize the competition to its own Windows Phone 7 mobile device operating system posed by the open source Android operating system and other open source operating systems,” B&N said in a court filing Monday. “Microsoft’s conduct directly harms both competition for and consumers of eReaders, smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile electronic devices, and renders Microsoft’s patents unenforceable.”
Microsoft sued B&N and two Nook manufacturers (Foxconn and Inventec) last month over five patents the software giant says are being violated. The technology in question involves tabbed window navigation, Web-page loading and text selection on B&N’s Nook e-reader and Nook Color tablet.
In a strongly worded court filing, B&N denied all of Microsoft’s allegations, questioned the validity of Microsoft’s patents and demanded a jury trial in the federal case. It seems B&N is standing up to Microsoft, which has admitted its preferred venue for fighting Android is the courtroom.
Read more: http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2011/04/27/barnes-noble-microsoft-lawsuit-is-scheme-to-kill-google-android/
HTC Incredible 2
The HTC Droid Incredible was a huge success in the United States when Verizon launched the smartphone last spring, so it makes sense that Verizon and HTC would team up again to deliver the next generation, the Incredible 2. The Incredible 2 doesn't represent a drastic overhaul of the original Incredible's design or specs, but I noticed some nice minor upgrades and refinements in design throughout the phone. One potential dealbreaker for users, however, is the phone's lack of 4G connectivity.
I actually saw the international version of the Droid Incredible 2, the Incredible S, back in February at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona. The Incredible 2 is essentially the same as its international sibling, except that it is built to run on Verizon's global CDMA network, whereas the HTC Incredible S is a GSM phone.
Unibody Aluminum Design
The biggest differences between the Droid Incredible and the Incredible 2 are in the design. The Incredible 2 has a solid unibody aluminum design. This is becoming HTC's trademark for its high-end phones, and I'm all for it. The phone feels tougher, yet more elegant than the somewhat plasticky original Incredible.
The Incredible 2 is an impressively minimalist phone with an all-black color scheme. It has a soft-touch matte rubberized back that not covers both the back of the phone and its spines. The backing is nicely sculpted around the battery and camera lens, much as on the original Incredible. I like the backing of the phone, but I'm not so sure about covering the spines too. It makes the phone look as though it were wearing a permanent bumper. The Incredible 2 isn't the most eye-catching HTC phone, but some people will appreciate its simplicity and solidness.
The Incredible 2 is obviously quite a bit larger than its predecessor, but neither Verizon nor HTC could give me its exact measurements before we published this review. I'll update the review once I get confirmation. The original Incredible measured 4.63 by 2.3 by 0.47 inches thick and weighed 4.6 ounces. You'll find the standard Android touch-sensitive buttons below the display (Home, Menu, Back, and Search). A volume rocker and a micro-USB port occupy the left spine, while the right spine is bare. At the top, you'll find the power button and the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The crisp, bright 4-inch display (bumped up from the original Incredible's 3.7-incher) attractively showcases HTC's Sense custom UI overlay, and the UI moved fluidly throughout the phone. The 800-by-480-pixel-resolution display is marketed as a "super LCD display," which means that it provides an 800:1 contrast ratio and a viewing angle of up to 160 degrees. We've seen this technology in other HTC phones such as the Thunderbolt. The display performs very well indoors; but once you get it outside in bright sunlight, it completely disappears. To be fair, most smartphone displays we've tested have this problem.
Android 2.2 With HTC Sense
Like many other new Android phones we've seen this year, such as the T-Mobile G2X, the Incredible 2 will ship with Froyo (2.2)--not with Gingerbread (2.3). HTC promised an upgrade to 2.3, but hasn't given a solid date as to when that will happen. We've covered Android 2.2 and 2.3 extensively in the past, so check out our hands-on reviews of both versions (linked).
HTC's Sense overlay adds some pretty aesthetics to Android, including a dynamic, playful Weather app; a social network aggregator called Friend Stream; and a revamped Contacts system. My favorite feature, called Leap, serves as an elegant way of navigating through your homescreens. Pinch anywhere on any home screen, and you'll jump to thumbnail versions of your screens. From there, you can go to any one you want by simply tapping on it.
Some people love HTC Sense, while others prefer the plain Android experience. My advice to anyone shopping for an Android phone is to try three different phones: two with overlays (like Sense or Samsung's TouchWiz) and one with vanilla Android. You should quickly get a pretty good idea of how they differ and which you like best.
The Incredible 2 provides quite a few preloaded apps, courtesy of HTC and Verizon, including Adobe Reader, HTC Footprints, City ID, NFL Mobile, and all of Verizon's VCast apps.
Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/article/226495/htc_droid_incredible_2.html
I actually saw the international version of the Droid Incredible 2, the Incredible S, back in February at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona. The Incredible 2 is essentially the same as its international sibling, except that it is built to run on Verizon's global CDMA network, whereas the HTC Incredible S is a GSM phone.
Unibody Aluminum Design
The biggest differences between the Droid Incredible and the Incredible 2 are in the design. The Incredible 2 has a solid unibody aluminum design. This is becoming HTC's trademark for its high-end phones, and I'm all for it. The phone feels tougher, yet more elegant than the somewhat plasticky original Incredible.
The Incredible 2 is an impressively minimalist phone with an all-black color scheme. It has a soft-touch matte rubberized back that not covers both the back of the phone and its spines. The backing is nicely sculpted around the battery and camera lens, much as on the original Incredible. I like the backing of the phone, but I'm not so sure about covering the spines too. It makes the phone look as though it were wearing a permanent bumper. The Incredible 2 isn't the most eye-catching HTC phone, but some people will appreciate its simplicity and solidness.
The Incredible 2 is obviously quite a bit larger than its predecessor, but neither Verizon nor HTC could give me its exact measurements before we published this review. I'll update the review once I get confirmation. The original Incredible measured 4.63 by 2.3 by 0.47 inches thick and weighed 4.6 ounces. You'll find the standard Android touch-sensitive buttons below the display (Home, Menu, Back, and Search). A volume rocker and a micro-USB port occupy the left spine, while the right spine is bare. At the top, you'll find the power button and the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The crisp, bright 4-inch display (bumped up from the original Incredible's 3.7-incher) attractively showcases HTC's Sense custom UI overlay, and the UI moved fluidly throughout the phone. The 800-by-480-pixel-resolution display is marketed as a "super LCD display," which means that it provides an 800:1 contrast ratio and a viewing angle of up to 160 degrees. We've seen this technology in other HTC phones such as the Thunderbolt. The display performs very well indoors; but once you get it outside in bright sunlight, it completely disappears. To be fair, most smartphone displays we've tested have this problem.
Android 2.2 With HTC Sense
Like many other new Android phones we've seen this year, such as the T-Mobile G2X, the Incredible 2 will ship with Froyo (2.2)--not with Gingerbread (2.3). HTC promised an upgrade to 2.3, but hasn't given a solid date as to when that will happen. We've covered Android 2.2 and 2.3 extensively in the past, so check out our hands-on reviews of both versions (linked).
HTC's Sense overlay adds some pretty aesthetics to Android, including a dynamic, playful Weather app; a social network aggregator called Friend Stream; and a revamped Contacts system. My favorite feature, called Leap, serves as an elegant way of navigating through your homescreens. Pinch anywhere on any home screen, and you'll jump to thumbnail versions of your screens. From there, you can go to any one you want by simply tapping on it.
Some people love HTC Sense, while others prefer the plain Android experience. My advice to anyone shopping for an Android phone is to try three different phones: two with overlays (like Sense or Samsung's TouchWiz) and one with vanilla Android. You should quickly get a pretty good idea of how they differ and which you like best.
The Incredible 2 provides quite a few preloaded apps, courtesy of HTC and Verizon, including Adobe Reader, HTC Footprints, City ID, NFL Mobile, and all of Verizon's VCast apps.
Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/article/226495/htc_droid_incredible_2.html
Small areas of the brain go to sleep when we're up too late
Sleep deprivation is one of the most common forms of mental impairment, as it reduces performance in a variety of cognitive and motor tasks. A new paper has identified what might be the cause of this poor performance: small parts of a mammal's brain appear to go into a sleep-like state while they're otherwise apparently awake. And, in rats, the degree to which the brain is experiencing these tiny episodes of sleep correlates with their decline in performance on a simple task.
The study relies on differences in the resolution at which we measure neural activity. On a crude level, rats and humans show a similar pattern of neural activity when non-REM sleep is recorded with an EEG: rhythmic peaks of activity, in between which the brain goes largely silent, with the neurons effectively "offline," as the authors call it.
To get down to the level of individual cells, you have to implant electrodes in the brain. When this is done in rats, it's possible to see that the "offline" periods are the product of nearly every neuron in a given brain region going silent, while the peaks of activity involve the frequent firing of most neurons. So, sleep seems to be the product of the coordinated action of most of the brain's neurons, which drop offline and return to activity on a regular cycle.
For the new work, the researchers had both an external EEG reading and electrodes implanted in the frontal motor cortex. It turns out it's remarkably easy to cause rats to deprive themselves of sleep: simply keep giving them new toys for several hours. Although the rats were, by all appearances, wide awake, their performance on a simple motor task (reaching for a sugar pellet) declined with the sleep deprivation.
The readings of the brains, however, often looked like the rats were experiencing what the authors termed "local sleep." After four hours of deprivation, the EEGs would often show the spikes associated with the rhythmic activity of sleep, and most of the neurons near the implanted electrodes would go silent. This wasn't a global phenomenon, however, as other areas of the brain didn't show the same pattern of activity. And, in some cases, the electrodes recorded standard waking activity from many of the neurons they were near. Thus, instead of being part of a global, coordinated sleep pattern, small clusters of neurons were simply taking themselves offline while the animal itself was awake. As the sleep deprivation continued, these local sleep events became more frequent and coordinated.
The authors also obtained an indication that these local sleep events might be related to the poor mental performance seen during sleep deprivation. They looked at the pattern of brain activity when the animals were performing the motor task, and found that they were more likely to fail if a bit of local sleep occurred just before the rats attempted the task.
The paper concludes that local sleep is a precursor to a more general sleep, and resembles the converse of the waking process. Its authors also make comparisons between this local sleep and the needs of birds and marine mammals, which can apparently take large regions of their brains offline instead of sleeping to meet the needs of their lifestyle. That adaptation, they suggest, may be an elaboration of the local sleep that rats appear to use.
An accompanying perspective makes a separate suggestion: the fundamental unit of sleep may be a single cell. When an animal is sleep deprived, individual cells are more likely to take themselves offline. By chance, that will eventually start producing the clusters that produce local sleep events. Over time, the frequency of local events goes up, and the neurons begin to coordinate their activity, ultimately producing the large-scale rhythms seen in sleep.
The study relies on differences in the resolution at which we measure neural activity. On a crude level, rats and humans show a similar pattern of neural activity when non-REM sleep is recorded with an EEG: rhythmic peaks of activity, in between which the brain goes largely silent, with the neurons effectively "offline," as the authors call it.
To get down to the level of individual cells, you have to implant electrodes in the brain. When this is done in rats, it's possible to see that the "offline" periods are the product of nearly every neuron in a given brain region going silent, while the peaks of activity involve the frequent firing of most neurons. So, sleep seems to be the product of the coordinated action of most of the brain's neurons, which drop offline and return to activity on a regular cycle.
For the new work, the researchers had both an external EEG reading and electrodes implanted in the frontal motor cortex. It turns out it's remarkably easy to cause rats to deprive themselves of sleep: simply keep giving them new toys for several hours. Although the rats were, by all appearances, wide awake, their performance on a simple motor task (reaching for a sugar pellet) declined with the sleep deprivation.
The readings of the brains, however, often looked like the rats were experiencing what the authors termed "local sleep." After four hours of deprivation, the EEGs would often show the spikes associated with the rhythmic activity of sleep, and most of the neurons near the implanted electrodes would go silent. This wasn't a global phenomenon, however, as other areas of the brain didn't show the same pattern of activity. And, in some cases, the electrodes recorded standard waking activity from many of the neurons they were near. Thus, instead of being part of a global, coordinated sleep pattern, small clusters of neurons were simply taking themselves offline while the animal itself was awake. As the sleep deprivation continued, these local sleep events became more frequent and coordinated.
The authors also obtained an indication that these local sleep events might be related to the poor mental performance seen during sleep deprivation. They looked at the pattern of brain activity when the animals were performing the motor task, and found that they were more likely to fail if a bit of local sleep occurred just before the rats attempted the task.
The paper concludes that local sleep is a precursor to a more general sleep, and resembles the converse of the waking process. Its authors also make comparisons between this local sleep and the needs of birds and marine mammals, which can apparently take large regions of their brains offline instead of sleeping to meet the needs of their lifestyle. That adaptation, they suggest, may be an elaboration of the local sleep that rats appear to use.
An accompanying perspective makes a separate suggestion: the fundamental unit of sleep may be a single cell. When an animal is sleep deprived, individual cells are more likely to take themselves offline. By chance, that will eventually start producing the clusters that produce local sleep events. Over time, the frequency of local events goes up, and the neurons begin to coordinate their activity, ultimately producing the large-scale rhythms seen in sleep.
First HTC Flyer Hits Stores May 9th With Android 2.4
The highly anticipated HTC Flyer Android tablet now has an official release date. T3 reports that HTC has confirmed that the manufacturer's first tablet will hit stores in Europe on May 9th followed by the rest of the world.
HTC Flyer release date set for May 9th, packs Android 2.4
Packing a 7-inch display and available for pre-order in the UK with a surprisingly high price tag of £599.99, the 1.2GHz packing Flyer features 32GB storage, WiFi and 3G connectivity, 5-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front camera and its unique HTC Scribe stylus.
T3 reports that the HTC Flyer will come with "Google's Android 2.4 operating system capable of supporting Adobe Flash 10.2 video content."
HTC Flyer vs iPad 2 and Honeycomb tablets
Whether the HTC Flyer poses any threat to the iPad 2 or the other Honeycomb tablets on the market like the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, Acer Iconia A500, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom, or will it cater to a different niche market still remains to be seen.
HTC Flyer release date set for May 9th, packs Android 2.4
Packing a 7-inch display and available for pre-order in the UK with a surprisingly high price tag of £599.99, the 1.2GHz packing Flyer features 32GB storage, WiFi and 3G connectivity, 5-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front camera and its unique HTC Scribe stylus.
T3 reports that the HTC Flyer will come with "Google's Android 2.4 operating system capable of supporting Adobe Flash 10.2 video content."
HTC Flyer vs iPad 2 and Honeycomb tablets
Whether the HTC Flyer poses any threat to the iPad 2 or the other Honeycomb tablets on the market like the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, Acer Iconia A500, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom, or will it cater to a different niche market still remains to be seen.
What happened to Android 2.4 Gingerbread? It's 2.3.3 instead
There's no such thing as Android 2.4 Gingerbread -- yet, says Google. The latest version of Android, which has already appeared on the Google Nexus S and HTC Desire S, is Android 2.3.3. Stick with us as we explain what happened.
The outing of Android 2.4 appears to have been due to manufacturers jumping the gun about the name of Android's next iteration, when announcing their new smart phones and tablets in advance of Mobile World Congress last February.
When HTC, for example, unmasked its new smart phones and tablet -- the Wildfire S, Desire S and Flyer -- it also said they would have the latest version of Android for smart phones, called Android 2.4.
This minor upgrade to Android 2.3 would have the same nickname -- Gingerbread -- and include a handful of bug fixes. ViewSonic also said version 2.4 would include one new feature -- the ability for single-core phones to run apps designed for dual-core processors.
Since then, the Desire S has arrived in our hands -- without 2.4 on board. It turns out the update was officially released by Google with a number that more accurately reflected its incremental status -- version 2.3.3.
So will there ever be an Android 2.4? Google's Andy Rubin let slip that the next version of Android for smart phones will be nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich. Google isn't saying how the numbers fit the name, however.
Version 3.0 is already taken -- it's Honeycomb, the release of the operating system for tablets such as the Motorola Xoom. Google says it's currently working on bringing the smart phone and tablet streams of Android together. But it's not saying what version number that combined OS will have, if that happens -- or if there will be more iterations between now and then.
We think Google should've straightened out the 2.4 naming confusion right off the bat. It's hard enough to sort out the messages from the networks and manufacturers about what Android updates are coming, and when, without having to guess at the latest version. At least we know ice cream is involved.
Are you as sick as we are of Android updates, or is variety the spice of life? Let us know in the comments.
Read more: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/what-happened-to-android-24-gingerbread-its-233-instead-50003452/#ixzz1KmHIxkrd
The outing of Android 2.4 appears to have been due to manufacturers jumping the gun about the name of Android's next iteration, when announcing their new smart phones and tablets in advance of Mobile World Congress last February.
When HTC, for example, unmasked its new smart phones and tablet -- the Wildfire S, Desire S and Flyer -- it also said they would have the latest version of Android for smart phones, called Android 2.4.
This minor upgrade to Android 2.3 would have the same nickname -- Gingerbread -- and include a handful of bug fixes. ViewSonic also said version 2.4 would include one new feature -- the ability for single-core phones to run apps designed for dual-core processors.
Since then, the Desire S has arrived in our hands -- without 2.4 on board. It turns out the update was officially released by Google with a number that more accurately reflected its incremental status -- version 2.3.3.
So will there ever be an Android 2.4? Google's Andy Rubin let slip that the next version of Android for smart phones will be nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich. Google isn't saying how the numbers fit the name, however.
Version 3.0 is already taken -- it's Honeycomb, the release of the operating system for tablets such as the Motorola Xoom. Google says it's currently working on bringing the smart phone and tablet streams of Android together. But it's not saying what version number that combined OS will have, if that happens -- or if there will be more iterations between now and then.
We think Google should've straightened out the 2.4 naming confusion right off the bat. It's hard enough to sort out the messages from the networks and manufacturers about what Android updates are coming, and when, without having to guess at the latest version. At least we know ice cream is involved.
Are you as sick as we are of Android updates, or is variety the spice of life? Let us know in the comments.
Read more: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/what-happened-to-android-24-gingerbread-its-233-instead-50003452/#ixzz1KmHIxkrd
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sony Gets Into Tablet Race With S1 and S2 Tablets
Sony announced its first pair of entries into the rapidly-crowding tablet market.
Dubbed the S1 and S2, the Sony tablets offer drastically different form factors from each other. Reminiscent of Apple's iPad, the S1 features a 9.4-inch display, while the S2 channels Nintendo's DS and Kyocera's Echo with a pair of 5.5-inch displays in a clamshell design.
"This design is particularly relevant for reading digital books whose content is displayed on screen as two pages side-by side," said Consumer Products Deputy President Kunimasa Suzuki.
While Sony has yet to release the full list of specifications for the device, the company did reveal that both tablets will run on the Tegra 2 processor, the same one present in Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Motorola's Xoom. Both tablets will also run Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and offer Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G connectivity.
Content plays a major role with S1 and S2. Qriocity, Sony's streaming media service, the Reader Store, and the PlayStation suite will all be supported by the devices.
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/138073/20110426/sony-tablets-s1-s2-announced-release-fall-2011.htm#ixzz1KgW9hiTb
Dubbed the S1 and S2, the Sony tablets offer drastically different form factors from each other. Reminiscent of Apple's iPad, the S1 features a 9.4-inch display, while the S2 channels Nintendo's DS and Kyocera's Echo with a pair of 5.5-inch displays in a clamshell design.
"This design is particularly relevant for reading digital books whose content is displayed on screen as two pages side-by side," said Consumer Products Deputy President Kunimasa Suzuki.
While Sony has yet to release the full list of specifications for the device, the company did reveal that both tablets will run on the Tegra 2 processor, the same one present in Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Motorola's Xoom. Both tablets will also run Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and offer Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G connectivity.
Content plays a major role with S1 and S2. Qriocity, Sony's streaming media service, the Reader Store, and the PlayStation suite will all be supported by the devices.
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/138073/20110426/sony-tablets-s1-s2-announced-release-fall-2011.htm#ixzz1KgW9hiTb
7 reasons why Android Honeycomb tablets can fare better than Apple iPad
Apple's iPad led tablet sales in 2010 with 14.79 million units sold by Christmas. However, the Tab world seems to be shifting slowly towards the yet-to-be-released Google's Honeycomb OS version tablets, which are expected to enter the market soon.
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/108920/20110204/apple-ipad-tablets-honeycomb-os-samsung-galaxy-tab-motorola-xoom.htm#ixzz1KgVg4J9U
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/108920/20110204/apple-ipad-tablets-honeycomb-os-samsung-galaxy-tab-motorola-xoom.htm#ixzz1KgVg4J9U
HTC Droid Incredible 2 is an HTC Thunderbolt without 4G
The HTC Droid Incredible 2 will be released on April 28 through Verizon. Apart from not having 4G capabilities, the smartphone has specifications that can match any of the best smartphones.
HTC’s Droid Incredible 2 is based on the previous Incredible S, which was launched in 2010.
The smartphone has a 4-inch S-LCD capacitive touchscreen display which is similar to Motorola Atrix. It has input features prevalent in top HTC smartphones like Gorilla Glass display, multi-touch input method, and accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, proximity sensor for auto turn-off, HTC Sense UI and touch sensitive controls with rotating icons.
In terms of memory HTC Droid Incredible 2 has a huge 768 MB RAM which is less than Atrix's 1 GB RAM but is still equal to the RAM capacity found in HTC Inspire 4G and HTC Thunderbolt 4G. And HTC Droid Incredible 2 also has 1.1 GB ROM and has microSD support up to 32 GB like most of the smartphones. The smartphone will also make use of Verizon’s network hence will have Rev. A up to 3.1 Mbps 3G capability.
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/138276/20110426/htc-droid-incredible-2-htc-thunderbolt-4g.htm#ixzz1KgVNanAw
HTC’s Droid Incredible 2 is based on the previous Incredible S, which was launched in 2010.
The smartphone has a 4-inch S-LCD capacitive touchscreen display which is similar to Motorola Atrix. It has input features prevalent in top HTC smartphones like Gorilla Glass display, multi-touch input method, and accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, proximity sensor for auto turn-off, HTC Sense UI and touch sensitive controls with rotating icons.
In terms of memory HTC Droid Incredible 2 has a huge 768 MB RAM which is less than Atrix's 1 GB RAM but is still equal to the RAM capacity found in HTC Inspire 4G and HTC Thunderbolt 4G. And HTC Droid Incredible 2 also has 1.1 GB ROM and has microSD support up to 32 GB like most of the smartphones. The smartphone will also make use of Verizon’s network hence will have Rev. A up to 3.1 Mbps 3G capability.
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/138276/20110426/htc-droid-incredible-2-htc-thunderbolt-4g.htm#ixzz1KgVNanAw
How much is fragmentation hurting Android?
Sixty-three of respondents cited fragmentation as the major risk facing Android, while another 30 percent cited weak, early sales of tablets running Google's mobile OS. IDC conducted the survey with Appcelerator. I'm no fan of joint analyst-vendor surveys, because of conflict of interest (The obvious question is "Who paid?" for the survey). The registered symbol after Appcelerator's name is a dead giveaway about who approved the press release.
My takeaway from the top-line results differs from IDC. I don't see fragmentation as hurting Android much at all. Ninety-one percent of respondents are "very interested" in developing for iOS -- 86 percent for iPad. By comparison, 85 percent of developers are "very interested" in developing for Android and 71 percent for Android tablets. Those numbers fell by two percent and three percent, respectively, from first quarter. Interest increased 12 percent during Q1. But as IDC notes, second quarter numbers are "technically within standard deviations."
These are huge numbers by any reasonable measure -- ninety-one percent to 85 percent and 86 percent to 71 percent. That 7 out of 10 developers are interested in Android tablets, when only one Honeycomb model is shipping (Motorola XOOM), demonstrates remarkably strong interest in Google's mobile OS. Given the smaller market opportunity and developer concerns about fragmentation, the number is remarkably high.
IDC's presentation of other numbers is very misleading. In context of that 71 percent, the analyst firm asserts that only 52 percent of developers are "very interested" in the Samsung Galaxy Tab, 44 percent in the Motorola XOOM and 31 percent in the HTC Flyer. "In short, the promise of an Android tablet is appealing, but the reality of currently, or soon-to-be, shipping devices is disappointing to developers," according to IDC.
"Disappointing to developers" is a huge inference to make based on interest in specific devices. There are two obvious flaws with the reasoning:
1. Developers' interest in specific devices doesn't mean "disappointing" interest in the platform. IDC already presents data that developers are very interested in Android and tablets running the OS.
2. Lower interest in specific devices compared to iPad or the Android platform shows nothing. It's like comparing developer interest in Dell, HP or Lenovo PCs with Macs. No one does that, recognizing the underlaying platform as being more important, so the comparisons are Windows PCs to Macs. Likewise, these Android tablets should be lumped together when comparing to iPad. There, "very interested is 86 percent to 71 percent, both relatively high.
"Android remains an exceptionally strong OS but the cumulative effect of unresolved issues with the Android ecosystem is taking a toll on developers," Scott Ellison, IDC's vice president of Mobile & Connected Consumer Platforms, says in a statement.
I reach a much different conclusion about what the data really means. Android is doing exceptionally well in the face of hardships. Meanwhile, IDC doesn't answer the more important question of "Why?" Why are developers so hot for iOS? Given iPad's huge popularity, why aren't even more developers "very interested?" Why are so many developers still "very interested" in Android, when they express concerns about fragmentation? Why are more developers interested in Galaxy Tab when XOOM ships with the most advanced Android version available?
There are other problems with the data -- at least as presented. Windows Phone 7 pushed ahead of Research in Motion's BlackBerry OS for developer interest (after declines of interest in both operating systems). OK, so exactly what is IDC measuring -- interest in tablets or mobile platforms? Because they can't be both as presented. Windows Phone 7 isn't available on tablets, and IDC has two classifications: Media tablets running so-called lightweight operating systems like Android and iOS and tablet PCs running full OSes like Windows. So platforms and device classifications are divided, which the survey doesn't seem to have properly address.
So let me ask you. If you're a mobile developer for any of these platforms, please tell the class where is the best opportunity for you? What platforms are you developing for and why? Please answer in comments.
My takeaway from the top-line results differs from IDC. I don't see fragmentation as hurting Android much at all. Ninety-one percent of respondents are "very interested" in developing for iOS -- 86 percent for iPad. By comparison, 85 percent of developers are "very interested" in developing for Android and 71 percent for Android tablets. Those numbers fell by two percent and three percent, respectively, from first quarter. Interest increased 12 percent during Q1. But as IDC notes, second quarter numbers are "technically within standard deviations."
These are huge numbers by any reasonable measure -- ninety-one percent to 85 percent and 86 percent to 71 percent. That 7 out of 10 developers are interested in Android tablets, when only one Honeycomb model is shipping (Motorola XOOM), demonstrates remarkably strong interest in Google's mobile OS. Given the smaller market opportunity and developer concerns about fragmentation, the number is remarkably high.
IDC's presentation of other numbers is very misleading. In context of that 71 percent, the analyst firm asserts that only 52 percent of developers are "very interested" in the Samsung Galaxy Tab, 44 percent in the Motorola XOOM and 31 percent in the HTC Flyer. "In short, the promise of an Android tablet is appealing, but the reality of currently, or soon-to-be, shipping devices is disappointing to developers," according to IDC.
"Disappointing to developers" is a huge inference to make based on interest in specific devices. There are two obvious flaws with the reasoning:
1. Developers' interest in specific devices doesn't mean "disappointing" interest in the platform. IDC already presents data that developers are very interested in Android and tablets running the OS.
2. Lower interest in specific devices compared to iPad or the Android platform shows nothing. It's like comparing developer interest in Dell, HP or Lenovo PCs with Macs. No one does that, recognizing the underlaying platform as being more important, so the comparisons are Windows PCs to Macs. Likewise, these Android tablets should be lumped together when comparing to iPad. There, "very interested is 86 percent to 71 percent, both relatively high.
"Android remains an exceptionally strong OS but the cumulative effect of unresolved issues with the Android ecosystem is taking a toll on developers," Scott Ellison, IDC's vice president of Mobile & Connected Consumer Platforms, says in a statement.
I reach a much different conclusion about what the data really means. Android is doing exceptionally well in the face of hardships. Meanwhile, IDC doesn't answer the more important question of "Why?" Why are developers so hot for iOS? Given iPad's huge popularity, why aren't even more developers "very interested?" Why are so many developers still "very interested" in Android, when they express concerns about fragmentation? Why are more developers interested in Galaxy Tab when XOOM ships with the most advanced Android version available?
There are other problems with the data -- at least as presented. Windows Phone 7 pushed ahead of Research in Motion's BlackBerry OS for developer interest (after declines of interest in both operating systems). OK, so exactly what is IDC measuring -- interest in tablets or mobile platforms? Because they can't be both as presented. Windows Phone 7 isn't available on tablets, and IDC has two classifications: Media tablets running so-called lightweight operating systems like Android and iOS and tablet PCs running full OSes like Windows. So platforms and device classifications are divided, which the survey doesn't seem to have properly address.
So let me ask you. If you're a mobile developer for any of these platforms, please tell the class where is the best opportunity for you? What platforms are you developing for and why? Please answer in comments.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
IPhone, Android location-logging feature sparks privacy concerns
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.,sent separate letters late last week to Apple CEO Steve Jobs asking him to supply details about how and why iPhones and iPads compile and store detailed time-stamped logs of each user's location.
And Markey on Saturday called for a formal congressional investigation of both Apple and Google. "Unprotected personal location information could be a treasure trove for troublemakers," says Markey.
The letters to Jobs came after two British researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, revealed their discovery of a location-logging mechanism quietly introduced by Apple for iPhones and iPads in early- to mid-2010.
On Friday, Google came under scrutiny. The Guardian disclosed the existence of a similar location-logging feature on Android phones, a discovery made by a Swiss researcher, Magnus Eriksson; and the Wall Street Journal verified evidence gathered by Los Angeles-based researcher Samy Kamkar, showing how most Android phones worldwide have been actively sending GPS location coordinates, as well as the coordinates of any nearby WiFi networks, back to Google for at least the past six months.
Apple did not respond to interview requests. Google's senior manager of public affais, Chris Gaither, said the company is not doing interviews. Instead, the search giant issued a brief statement confirming that location data is being transmitted back to Google servers but asserting that it refrains from tracing such data to specific individuals.
Meanwhile, the tech and privacy communities are abuzz with discussions. One big risk for Apple patrons is ifyour iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen, says IDC applications development analyst Al Hilwa. "It makes it super easy to come up with schemes to spy on users, such as people spying on spouses or bosses spying on employees," says Hilwa.
Apple and Google are in an intense competition to dominate one of tech's hottest new sectors: services pivoting around knowing the precise location of the consumer. Revenue derived from so-called location-based services are expected to swell to $8.3 billion by 2014, up from $2.6 billion in 2010, according to tech industry research firm, Gartner.
Allan, the British researcher, last week stumbled upon a file stored on the hard drive of his MacBook laptop containing 29,000 time-stamped locations—a log of everywhere he had traveled in the previous 300 days. The file originated on his iPhone and was automatically copied to his laptop when he synced the two devices.
Alan's research partner, Warden, created a software application that plots the time-stamped location data on an interactive map. The application is simple to download and free to use by any Mac owner. Warden is working on a version for people who sync iPhones to Windows PCs.
"We don't know exactly what triggers the logging," says Warden. "We see logging happening with intervals as frequent as every couple of minutes to much longer, and we don't know what the pattern is."
It is not clear whether Apple intends to somehow make this data available to location-based marketeers. Location data is being increasingly used to personalize online ads, to help parents keep track of their teens, and to help prevent mobile payment scams, says Chenxi Wang, cybersecurity analyst at Forrester Research.
"None of these scenarios justify storing a year's worth of location data," says Wang. "It continues to surprise me how companies always elect the privacy-invasive features as default."
Kankar, the Los Angeles researcher, says he has discovered that all recently purchased Android phones are set up to continually report specific GPS coordinates as well as the coordinates of WiFi networks in nearby homes and businesses back to Google.
He says Google can correlate timing and frequency of phone usage to pinpoint an Android owner's home address. "If your phone is at the same location during night hours, they know where you live," says Kankar. "If your phone location is on the move, they can guess that you're in a car and even calculate how fast your car is moving."
Kankar says Android handsets also continually track coordinates of any nearby WiFi systems, even those that are encrypted. "If you have an Android phone, Google knows where you are," says Kankar. "Even if you don't own an Android phone, but your neighbor does, Google can triangulate who you are by tracking your wireless network."
The only way to disable such tracking by your Android phone is to disable the GPS and Wireless functions, he says.
But most people, especially those under 30, aren't apt to disable cutting-edge features, says Fran Maier, president of TRUSTe, which certifies website privacy programs.
On Wednesday, TRUSTe plans to release survey results showing 44% of 18- to 20-year-olds say they feel secure and in control when using their mobile devices. "Privacy is a big deal now, even among younger people," says Maier. "But they believe they're smarter and more adept at managing their information than older people."
Even so, Sen. Franken notes in his letter to Jobs that "there are numerous ways" location data "can be abused by criminals and bad actors." And Rep. Markey asks Jobs if he is concerned about how the "wide array of precise location data logged by these devices can be used to track minors, exposing them to potential harm."
Tech analysts and privacy experts say Google is likely to face similar questions. "There appears to be this enormous industry operating behind closed doors with business models premised on the collection of massive amounts of detailed information," says Hilwa. "Only governmental regulatory bodies can inject sanity back into this state of affairs."
And Markey on Saturday called for a formal congressional investigation of both Apple and Google. "Unprotected personal location information could be a treasure trove for troublemakers," says Markey.
The letters to Jobs came after two British researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, revealed their discovery of a location-logging mechanism quietly introduced by Apple for iPhones and iPads in early- to mid-2010.
On Friday, Google came under scrutiny. The Guardian disclosed the existence of a similar location-logging feature on Android phones, a discovery made by a Swiss researcher, Magnus Eriksson; and the Wall Street Journal verified evidence gathered by Los Angeles-based researcher Samy Kamkar, showing how most Android phones worldwide have been actively sending GPS location coordinates, as well as the coordinates of any nearby WiFi networks, back to Google for at least the past six months.
Apple did not respond to interview requests. Google's senior manager of public affais, Chris Gaither, said the company is not doing interviews. Instead, the search giant issued a brief statement confirming that location data is being transmitted back to Google servers but asserting that it refrains from tracing such data to specific individuals.
Meanwhile, the tech and privacy communities are abuzz with discussions. One big risk for Apple patrons is ifyour iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen, says IDC applications development analyst Al Hilwa. "It makes it super easy to come up with schemes to spy on users, such as people spying on spouses or bosses spying on employees," says Hilwa.
Apple and Google are in an intense competition to dominate one of tech's hottest new sectors: services pivoting around knowing the precise location of the consumer. Revenue derived from so-called location-based services are expected to swell to $8.3 billion by 2014, up from $2.6 billion in 2010, according to tech industry research firm, Gartner.
Allan, the British researcher, last week stumbled upon a file stored on the hard drive of his MacBook laptop containing 29,000 time-stamped locations—a log of everywhere he had traveled in the previous 300 days. The file originated on his iPhone and was automatically copied to his laptop when he synced the two devices.
Alan's research partner, Warden, created a software application that plots the time-stamped location data on an interactive map. The application is simple to download and free to use by any Mac owner. Warden is working on a version for people who sync iPhones to Windows PCs.
"We don't know exactly what triggers the logging," says Warden. "We see logging happening with intervals as frequent as every couple of minutes to much longer, and we don't know what the pattern is."
It is not clear whether Apple intends to somehow make this data available to location-based marketeers. Location data is being increasingly used to personalize online ads, to help parents keep track of their teens, and to help prevent mobile payment scams, says Chenxi Wang, cybersecurity analyst at Forrester Research.
"None of these scenarios justify storing a year's worth of location data," says Wang. "It continues to surprise me how companies always elect the privacy-invasive features as default."
Kankar, the Los Angeles researcher, says he has discovered that all recently purchased Android phones are set up to continually report specific GPS coordinates as well as the coordinates of WiFi networks in nearby homes and businesses back to Google.
He says Google can correlate timing and frequency of phone usage to pinpoint an Android owner's home address. "If your phone is at the same location during night hours, they know where you live," says Kankar. "If your phone location is on the move, they can guess that you're in a car and even calculate how fast your car is moving."
Kankar says Android handsets also continually track coordinates of any nearby WiFi systems, even those that are encrypted. "If you have an Android phone, Google knows where you are," says Kankar. "Even if you don't own an Android phone, but your neighbor does, Google can triangulate who you are by tracking your wireless network."
The only way to disable such tracking by your Android phone is to disable the GPS and Wireless functions, he says.
But most people, especially those under 30, aren't apt to disable cutting-edge features, says Fran Maier, president of TRUSTe, which certifies website privacy programs.
On Wednesday, TRUSTe plans to release survey results showing 44% of 18- to 20-year-olds say they feel secure and in control when using their mobile devices. "Privacy is a big deal now, even among younger people," says Maier. "But they believe they're smarter and more adept at managing their information than older people."
Even so, Sen. Franken notes in his letter to Jobs that "there are numerous ways" location data "can be abused by criminals and bad actors." And Rep. Markey asks Jobs if he is concerned about how the "wide array of precise location data logged by these devices can be used to track minors, exposing them to potential harm."
Tech analysts and privacy experts say Google is likely to face similar questions. "There appears to be this enormous industry operating behind closed doors with business models premised on the collection of massive amounts of detailed information," says Hilwa. "Only governmental regulatory bodies can inject sanity back into this state of affairs."
Sony 'rebuilding' PlayStation Network after outage
NEW YORK (AP) — Sony Corp. said it is rebuilding its PlayStation Network to bring it back online after an "external intrusion" caused it to suspend the service.
The company said it turned off the service, which lets gamers connect in live play, so that it could strengthen its network infrastructure. Qriocity — the company's online entertainment platform — was also affected.
"Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security," the company said in a blog post Saturday. An email message to the company seeking further details was not immediately returned.
The PlayStation Network and Qriocity had been turned off Wednesday evening so that the company could investigate an external intrusion. The company said the following day that it could take a "full day or two" to get the service back up and running.
On Saturday, the company said in a blog post that it was "working around the clock" to bring the services back online.
"We thank you for your patience to date and ask for a little more while we move towards completion of this project," the company said in the post.
The outage came just after Tuesday's release of the game "Mortal Kombat," which is available on the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360. It also comes as Amazon.com restores computers used by other major websites as an outage stretched into a fourth day.
The company said it turned off the service, which lets gamers connect in live play, so that it could strengthen its network infrastructure. Qriocity — the company's online entertainment platform — was also affected.
"Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security," the company said in a blog post Saturday. An email message to the company seeking further details was not immediately returned.
The PlayStation Network and Qriocity had been turned off Wednesday evening so that the company could investigate an external intrusion. The company said the following day that it could take a "full day or two" to get the service back up and running.
On Saturday, the company said in a blog post that it was "working around the clock" to bring the services back online.
"We thank you for your patience to date and ask for a little more while we move towards completion of this project," the company said in the post.
The outage came just after Tuesday's release of the game "Mortal Kombat," which is available on the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360. It also comes as Amazon.com restores computers used by other major websites as an outage stretched into a fourth day.
Google Preparing a Nexus Tablet with LG?
Since, LG announced its Optimus line-up of Android device they have been doing very well in the smartphone market, and their new offerings are indeed very impressive. Now according to Eldar Murtazin of Mobile-Review Google has already made a decision that the guys would be announcing a Nexus tablet and they have partnered with LG to produce this device.
While it seems interesting to have an Android developer tablet available in the market, it sure seems a bit odd to choose LG. According to me Motorola seems like a better option. Anyways, if this is true I am very sure they might have made this decision after a lot of brainstorming. LG recently announced its very first Android 3.0 Honeycomb powered tablet in the market known as the LG Optimus Pad or known as the G-Slate from T-Mobile in the US. No specifications of the Nexus Tablet have been mentioned in the piece, but as Google has always been launching some of the latest technologies and top end hardware in the Nexus line-up, expect something similar with the Nexus Tablet. It is expected to be 3G/4G capable, powered by a dual-core processor and Android Honeycomb 3.X (probably 3.1).
Well, I am quite excited for the announcement of this tablet and I think of halting all my thoughts of buying an Android tablet until this one is out in the market. It is expected to be announced sometime in summer this year.
While it seems interesting to have an Android developer tablet available in the market, it sure seems a bit odd to choose LG. According to me Motorola seems like a better option. Anyways, if this is true I am very sure they might have made this decision after a lot of brainstorming. LG recently announced its very first Android 3.0 Honeycomb powered tablet in the market known as the LG Optimus Pad or known as the G-Slate from T-Mobile in the US. No specifications of the Nexus Tablet have been mentioned in the piece, but as Google has always been launching some of the latest technologies and top end hardware in the Nexus line-up, expect something similar with the Nexus Tablet. It is expected to be 3G/4G capable, powered by a dual-core processor and Android Honeycomb 3.X (probably 3.1).
Well, I am quite excited for the announcement of this tablet and I think of halting all my thoughts of buying an Android tablet until this one is out in the market. It is expected to be announced sometime in summer this year.
Dell 10-Inch Android Tablet Will Be Called Streak Pro
Until today, it had been unknown as to whether Dell’s upcoming 10-inch Android tablet would fall into its Streak line of devices. Well, that question has been answered by a leaked document that says that the device’s name will be, drum roll, the Dell Streak Pro.
That’s right, this summer, Dell will be releasing a Honeycomb powered tablet that will be called the Dell Streak Pro. We also now know some of the specifications that are going to come along with it.
Along with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the Streak Pro will sport a 10-inch WXGA 1280×800 resolution display, an NVIDIA Tegra T25 processor, 2 microphones, and it will be a Data Only device which unfortunately means no phone calls.
It’ll also come with an ‘Enterprise application stack’ aimed at business types as well as Dell’s ‘Stage 1.5’ user interface.
There is also a release window listed on the top and it says that Dell is or at least was planning on getting this thing out in June. Cross your fingers that that is still the case.
(Via Android Central)
That’s right, this summer, Dell will be releasing a Honeycomb powered tablet that will be called the Dell Streak Pro. We also now know some of the specifications that are going to come along with it.
Along with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the Streak Pro will sport a 10-inch WXGA 1280×800 resolution display, an NVIDIA Tegra T25 processor, 2 microphones, and it will be a Data Only device which unfortunately means no phone calls.
It’ll also come with an ‘Enterprise application stack’ aimed at business types as well as Dell’s ‘Stage 1.5’ user interface.
There is also a release window listed on the top and it says that Dell is or at least was planning on getting this thing out in June. Cross your fingers that that is still the case.
(Via Android Central)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
HTC Flyer pre-sale to start April 24 at Best Buy, $499
Best Buy confirmed in a statement on its blog that it will be offering the HTC Flyer on pre-sale starting April 24th. The WiFi-only Flyer will sell for $499 when it hits the retail of shelves of Best Buy. The HTC Flyer is the first Android tablet offering from the Taiwanese manufacturer and joins a growing list of Android tablets such as the Motorola Xoom and G-Slate which debuted this year.
The Gingerbread tablet includes a single core processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, a 7-inch touchscreen display with 1024 x 600 resolution, WiFi connectivity and an aluminum unibody construction. The tablet also ships with a capacitive stylus with a specialized gesture interface called Scribe. At launch, the tablet will run Android 2.4 complemented with HTC’s proprietary Sense UI. The taiwanese company promises an upgrade to Android 3.0 Honeycomb will arrive in the future. No word on when but it will take some time for HTC to update its Sense software to support Google’s latest tablet OS.
The Flyer will compete directly with the Samsung Galaxy Tab and offers a slightly smaller frame than the 8.9-inch T-Mobile G-Slate. It is a whole different beast from the 10-inch Xoom which provides a beautiful display but is not as portable as the 7-inch Flyer. Anyone interested in the Flyer? What do you think of the price tag, is $500 too much for a 7-inch display or is the pricing competitive?
The Gingerbread tablet includes a single core processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, a 7-inch touchscreen display with 1024 x 600 resolution, WiFi connectivity and an aluminum unibody construction. The tablet also ships with a capacitive stylus with a specialized gesture interface called Scribe. At launch, the tablet will run Android 2.4 complemented with HTC’s proprietary Sense UI. The taiwanese company promises an upgrade to Android 3.0 Honeycomb will arrive in the future. No word on when but it will take some time for HTC to update its Sense software to support Google’s latest tablet OS.
The Flyer will compete directly with the Samsung Galaxy Tab and offers a slightly smaller frame than the 8.9-inch T-Mobile G-Slate. It is a whole different beast from the 10-inch Xoom which provides a beautiful display but is not as portable as the 7-inch Flyer. Anyone interested in the Flyer? What do you think of the price tag, is $500 too much for a 7-inch display or is the pricing competitive?
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Intel to port Android 3.0 for tablets this year
Paul Otellini, president and chief executive of Intel has said the chip maker is working on porting Honeycomb, Google's tablet-specific Android 3.0, to the x86 architecture, The Register has reported. "We've received the Android code - the Honeycomb version of Android source code - from Google, and we're actively doing the port on that," Otellini told reporters. Acer, Asus and Lenovo have reportedly already signed on to produce devices based on this particular platform, with manufacturing kicking off during the second half of 2011.
Read more: http://www.ameinfo.com/262813.html
Read more: http://www.ameinfo.com/262813.html
Some Android 3.0 code hits the Android Open Source Project
Google has made the unusual decision to hold off on publicly releasing the source code for Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb, at least until the company decides the OS is ready to run properly on a wide range of devices. But that hasn’t stopped certain pieces of Honeycomb source from hitting the public.
Last week Asus released some of the source code for the new Eee Pad Transformer, a tablet which runs Android 3.0. And over the weekend, Google Android developer Jean-Baptiste Queru added some Honeycomb code to the Android Open Source Project repository.
What’s currently available isn’t the full source code for Android 3.0, but rather a snapshot that can be used to test for incompatibilities in the the future. But Al Sutton compiled the source code and built a working version of he Android operating system. It doesn’t have all the features you’d find in Honeycomb, but some Android 3.0 features are present.
Sutton also notes that there are new options to build Android for x86 processors, which could mean that the AOSP project will officially support that feature. It could also have something to do with the fact that this isn’t a full release though — the build options might have been included for testing purposes only.
Last week Asus released some of the source code for the new Eee Pad Transformer, a tablet which runs Android 3.0. And over the weekend, Google Android developer Jean-Baptiste Queru added some Honeycomb code to the Android Open Source Project repository.
What’s currently available isn’t the full source code for Android 3.0, but rather a snapshot that can be used to test for incompatibilities in the the future. But Al Sutton compiled the source code and built a working version of he Android operating system. It doesn’t have all the features you’d find in Honeycomb, but some Android 3.0 features are present.
Sutton also notes that there are new options to build Android for x86 processors, which could mean that the AOSP project will officially support that feature. It could also have something to do with the fact that this isn’t a full release though — the build options might have been included for testing purposes only.
What App Developers Want: Letters To Steve Jobs And Larry Page
The next smartphone wave is about to hit. There are rumors that Android 3.1 (Ice Cream Sandwich) will drop in May, and iOS 5 in June. Greg already posted a pretty compelling user’s wish list for the latter, but what developers want is at least as important—because, as the lukewarm-to-appalled recent PlayBook reviews show, it hardly matters how great your hardware is. Nowadays success is all about the apps.
Most users probably don’t appreciate that while both platforms have come a long way from their inglorious beginnings, both still have some painful, glaring flaws from a developer’s perspective. I should know: within the last six months I’ve been paid to write Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and iPad apps. I’ve also released my own pet-project travel app on both the App Store and Android Market, so I’m all too familiar with those headaches too.
Why should you care? Because these are (often) the main reasons why your apps suck, or crash, or both.
Most users probably don’t appreciate that while both platforms have come a long way from their inglorious beginnings, both still have some painful, glaring flaws from a developer’s perspective. I should know: within the last six months I’ve been paid to write Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and iPad apps. I’ve also released my own pet-project travel app on both the App Store and Android Market, so I’m all too familiar with those headaches too.
Why should you care? Because these are (often) the main reasons why your apps suck, or crash, or both.
Hands-on with the Samsung Replenish
NEW YORK--Earth Day is fast approaching (April 22), and though you might not think it, there are some green tech gadgets out there. Take, for example, the Samsung Replenish. It's Sprint's first eco-friendly Android smartphone, and the carrier just happened to be in town yesterday to show off the handset at an EcoFocus media event, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to check it out.
First, what makes the Replenish environmentally friendly? Well, 82 percent of the handset is made from recyclable materials and the casing is 34.6 percent post-consumer recycled plastic content. This really doesn't affect the quality of the build, as we found the phone to feel pretty solid in the hand and not too plasticky. At 4.8 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and 4.1 ounces, it's a good size and easy to carry around. I don't think it's going to win any beauty contests, but, hey, being green can be sexy, right?
The Replenish is like the Motorola Droid Pro in that it combines a touch screen with a physical QWERTY keyboard. The display measures 2.8 inches diagonally and has a QVGA 240x320-pixel resolution. After testing some of the higher-end devices, it's a bit of a shock going to such a low-res screen, but the display is still clear and bright enough to get the job done. The touch screen felt responsive and though it's on the smaller side, at least you don't have to worry about pecking out messages on an onscreen keyboard.
The keyboard is a little cramped compared with the ones on the Droid Pro and BlackBerry devices, so it may take a little time to adjust and find your rhythm. The buttons are raised well above the surface so they're easy to press, and they provide nice, tactile feedback--not too squishy. In addition to the keyboard, there are four physical buttons just below the display for the home, back, menu, and search shortcuts.
One other interesting design feature is the optional solar battery cover. This $29 accessory, made by a company called Naturacell, lets you charge your phone using solar energy. A small sun icon will appear in the upper right corner of your screen to let you know that it's charging (see slide 4 in the photo gallery below for a closer look).
The Samsung Replenish also offers support for the newest addition to Sprint ID, the Green ID pack. The custom skin provides access to environmental news sites, green tips, and other resources. Having an interest in the environment, I actually found the Green ID pack to be really cool. I particularly liked the apps that showed you the closest recycling centers and local farmers markets. I'd have to have the phone for longer than a few minutes to really see if I'd use the features of Green ID daily or if I'd get over the novelty and remove it, but I like the option.
Aside from the eco-friendly goodness, the smartphone runs Android 2.2 and has a 2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, and a 600MHz ARM processor.
The Samsung Replenish will be available on May 8 for a very affordable $49.99 with a two-year contract, and Sprint is waiving the monthly $10 premium data add-on fee. The Replenish will come with an energy-efficient charger and its packaging will be fully recyclable. Though it may not be everybody's cup of tea, it's not a bad option, whether you're looking for a budget-friendly smartphone or looking to help the environment.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20056219-251.html#ixzz1KDcXbUMn
First, what makes the Replenish environmentally friendly? Well, 82 percent of the handset is made from recyclable materials and the casing is 34.6 percent post-consumer recycled plastic content. This really doesn't affect the quality of the build, as we found the phone to feel pretty solid in the hand and not too plasticky. At 4.8 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and 4.1 ounces, it's a good size and easy to carry around. I don't think it's going to win any beauty contests, but, hey, being green can be sexy, right?
The Replenish is like the Motorola Droid Pro in that it combines a touch screen with a physical QWERTY keyboard. The display measures 2.8 inches diagonally and has a QVGA 240x320-pixel resolution. After testing some of the higher-end devices, it's a bit of a shock going to such a low-res screen, but the display is still clear and bright enough to get the job done. The touch screen felt responsive and though it's on the smaller side, at least you don't have to worry about pecking out messages on an onscreen keyboard.
The keyboard is a little cramped compared with the ones on the Droid Pro and BlackBerry devices, so it may take a little time to adjust and find your rhythm. The buttons are raised well above the surface so they're easy to press, and they provide nice, tactile feedback--not too squishy. In addition to the keyboard, there are four physical buttons just below the display for the home, back, menu, and search shortcuts.
One other interesting design feature is the optional solar battery cover. This $29 accessory, made by a company called Naturacell, lets you charge your phone using solar energy. A small sun icon will appear in the upper right corner of your screen to let you know that it's charging (see slide 4 in the photo gallery below for a closer look).
The Samsung Replenish also offers support for the newest addition to Sprint ID, the Green ID pack. The custom skin provides access to environmental news sites, green tips, and other resources. Having an interest in the environment, I actually found the Green ID pack to be really cool. I particularly liked the apps that showed you the closest recycling centers and local farmers markets. I'd have to have the phone for longer than a few minutes to really see if I'd use the features of Green ID daily or if I'd get over the novelty and remove it, but I like the option.
Aside from the eco-friendly goodness, the smartphone runs Android 2.2 and has a 2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, and a 600MHz ARM processor.
The Samsung Replenish will be available on May 8 for a very affordable $49.99 with a two-year contract, and Sprint is waiving the monthly $10 premium data add-on fee. The Replenish will come with an energy-efficient charger and its packaging will be fully recyclable. Though it may not be everybody's cup of tea, it's not a bad option, whether you're looking for a budget-friendly smartphone or looking to help the environment.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20056219-251.html#ixzz1KDcXbUMn
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
CNN Launches Android App Globally
CNN launched a new free CNN App for Android phones globally Tuesday on the Android Market that includes iReport, global radio content, live video, VOD and personalization features.
Lexus is the exclusive launch sponsor for the CNN Android app in the United States, a buy that is part of a larger integrated media deal spanning CNN's linear, online and mobile web platforms.
Lexus will use the buy to feature the car maker's CT Hybrid model in slates displayed before video content on the app and through clickable banner ads that are linked to a Lexus' mobile website.
The app is designed for Android powered phones running on platforms 2.1 and above. Content includes both international and domestic news in text, audio, photos and live and on-demand video as well as a direct link to CNN iReport, the network's participatory news community and audio content from CNN Radio.
"Android users are extremely discerning, and will accept nothing less than a first-rate app that showcases high quality, world-class content - and enables them to share it," said Louis Gump, vice president of Mobile at CNN, in a statement. "We built the CNN App with these desires specifically in mind, and are excited to offer the millions of Android phone users around the world with access to CNN's global reporting."
Lexus is the exclusive launch sponsor for the CNN Android app in the United States, a buy that is part of a larger integrated media deal spanning CNN's linear, online and mobile web platforms.
Lexus will use the buy to feature the car maker's CT Hybrid model in slates displayed before video content on the app and through clickable banner ads that are linked to a Lexus' mobile website.
The app is designed for Android powered phones running on platforms 2.1 and above. Content includes both international and domestic news in text, audio, photos and live and on-demand video as well as a direct link to CNN iReport, the network's participatory news community and audio content from CNN Radio.
"Android users are extremely discerning, and will accept nothing less than a first-rate app that showcases high quality, world-class content - and enables them to share it," said Louis Gump, vice president of Mobile at CNN, in a statement. "We built the CNN App with these desires specifically in mind, and are excited to offer the millions of Android phone users around the world with access to CNN's global reporting."
Meizu MX to have 4-inch Display, HDMI Out
Meizu is one heck of a company that is giving the fruity product maker a run for its money. Meizu stopped production of its M8 device when Apple accused the company of selling an iPhone-like device. However, that didn't stop Meizu phones from getting popular. Jack Wong, CEO of Meizu, posted an image of an upcoming device called Meizu MX in the forum boards. Meizu MX, where MX stands for Dream (meng xiang) in Mandarin, is an upcoming smartphone that will run Android and a heavily modified user interface. Wong had shared the image of the MX mockup and also said that it will have a massive 4-inch display. Calling the smartphone his dream machine, Wong stated that the 16GB model of MX will be sold for about $550 (Rs. 24,750) approximately.
Meizu MX is the same Meizu M9II smartphone, only rebranded. Bearing a 4-inch display, the new Meizu MX is expected to release by the year end. Calling it a dream smartphone, the new Meizu MX will house a Cortex A9 microarchitecture based processor under the hood with 1GB RAM and 1GB ROM. This smartphone will also have a HDMI port for hooking it to a big high definition display and also coaxial audio output.
The new Meizu MX surely looks like one of the recent top of the line smartphones with a 4-inch large screen, HDMI out and based on Android OS. Most likely it will be available with the latest Android 2.4 update by the end of this year.
Read more: http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Meizu_MX_to_have_4-inch_Display_HDMI_Out/551-115107-893.html
Meizu MX is the same Meizu M9II smartphone, only rebranded. Bearing a 4-inch display, the new Meizu MX is expected to release by the year end. Calling it a dream smartphone, the new Meizu MX will house a Cortex A9 microarchitecture based processor under the hood with 1GB RAM and 1GB ROM. This smartphone will also have a HDMI port for hooking it to a big high definition display and also coaxial audio output.
The new Meizu MX surely looks like one of the recent top of the line smartphones with a 4-inch large screen, HDMI out and based on Android OS. Most likely it will be available with the latest Android 2.4 update by the end of this year.
Read more: http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Meizu_MX_to_have_4-inch_Display_HDMI_Out/551-115107-893.html
Monday, April 18, 2011
FIRST LOOK: HTC 7" EVO View 4G Tablet [Full Specs, PICS]
One of the most exciting tablets all set to be released this year is HTC EVO View 4G, especially because of HTC Scribe (which allows for voice-synchronized note taking with a special digital pen).
HTC EVO View 4G comes with 7-inch HD touchscreen display (1024 x 600 px), Android 2.4 Gingerbread, and a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor.
On the other hand, it has a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and dual 5 megapixel rear-facing cameras with support for 720p video recording.
There’s support for 4G (WiMAX) / 3G / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / DLNA / HDMI connectivity and integrated GPS. HTC Scribe will also become available at the launch of the tablet (sold separately), and can be used with Evernote, Web pages, ebooks, PDF documents and more.
HTC EVO View 4G will be available via Sprint in Summer (2011). [Go To, more info]
Read more: http://wwwery.com/12925-htc-evo-view-4g-unveiled.html
HTC EVO View 4G comes with 7-inch HD touchscreen display (1024 x 600 px), Android 2.4 Gingerbread, and a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor.
On the other hand, it has a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and dual 5 megapixel rear-facing cameras with support for 720p video recording.
There’s support for 4G (WiMAX) / 3G / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / DLNA / HDMI connectivity and integrated GPS. HTC Scribe will also become available at the launch of the tablet (sold separately), and can be used with Evernote, Web pages, ebooks, PDF documents and more.
HTC EVO View 4G will be available via Sprint in Summer (2011). [Go To, more info]
Read more: http://wwwery.com/12925-htc-evo-view-4g-unveiled.html
Hands on: Acer Iconia A500 tablet
Hands on: Acer Iconia A500 tablet
April 18, 2011 - 9:07PM
Comments 12
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Acer Iconia A500.
Acer Iconia A500.
If you've been waiting for Android tablets to catch up with Apple's iPad, the wait might be over.
I wasn’t overly impressed with the first batch of Android tablets. They reminded me of the early Android smartphones like the HTC Dream - brimming with potential but not quite ready for the big time. After spending some time with the sleek new Acer Iconia Tab A500 running Android 3.0 “Honeycomb”, I feel it’s safe to say Android tablets have come of age.
For now Acer is selling the 16GB wifi-only A500 for $579 and the 32GB wifi-only for $678 - impressive pricing compared to the first-gen Android tablets. The A501 wifi/3G models should be available in June.
The 10.1-inch A500 is a thing of beauty and makes a striking first impression. It’s just as slender as the original iPad and is only a tad heavier at 765 gm compared to the iPad’s 680 gm. The A500’s tapered edges help emphasise the feeling of slenderness and the extra weight isn’t really noticeable at first. After a while I found myself resting the A500 on my lap more than I would with the iPad, so I guess you start to feel the weight after a while. That doesn’t bother me too much because I’d say the A500 is designed more for using on the couch than the train. If you’re looking for a smaller and lighter travel companion, keep in mind Acer will also offer a 7-inch A100 - unlike Apple’s one-size-fits-all approach to tablets. The A100 features a pretty meagre 8GB of storage, but the other specs are good and it will most likely be the cheapest entry-level Honeycomb tablet. The wifi-only A100 will be available in June and the 3G/wifi A101 will be available in July.
Getting back to the A500, it utilises an aluminium shell with your standard tablet design but hiding a few surprises. Holding it in portrait mode you’ve got the power button and headphone jack across the top right, with volume buttons and a rotate lock switch down the right side. Below this is a plastic cover which comes away to reveal the microSD card slot and a gap which will take a SIM in the 3G-capable models.
Across the top left you’ve got a micro-HDMI slot - the first indication that the A500 has a few impressive tricks up its sleeve. Half way down the left side you’ll discover a docking port, which works with the optional charge cradle. Across the bottom edge you’ll find a USB2.0 slot (host), a micro-USB connector (slave). Finally you’ll find a 2 MP camera on the front of the A500, accompanied by 5 MP camera at the back with an LED flash. Also on the back are two speakers.
You wont find dedicated home, menu, back and search buttons for navigating the menus, as these are all onscreen buttons - which makes sense considering the tablet is designed to be used in either portrait or landscape mode.
Under the bonnet the A500 sports an NVIDIA Tegra 250 dual-core processor accompanied by 1GB of RAM - which helps Android sing. You’ll also find 16GB or 32GB of storage.
Fire up the A500 and you’re immediately struck by the bright, crisp screen. The tablet boasts a 1280x800 resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio - so it’s slightly sharper than the iPad’s 1024x768 display. Of course you need to allow for the difference in screen size. It would seem the fairest way to do this is to calculate the pixel density in pixels per inch - which sees the A500 slightly sharper at 149 ppi compared to the iPad’s 132 ppi. Yet, as usual, comparing devices is more than a numbers game. If you want to apply these calculations to other tablets you’ll find the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab comes in at 170 ppi.
From my testing the 1024x600 Samsung Galaxy Tab didn’t look as sharp as the iPad, but I suspect this is because Android 2.2 Froyo is only designed to support 854x480. Samsung tweaked the Android OS for the Galaxy Tab, but many of the applications still would have been running at 854x480. Of course at that resolution the pixel density would have still been on par with the iPad but it clearly didn’t look as sharp. Like I said, it’s a reminder that comparing such devices isn’t just a numbers game.
Now that Android 3.0 supports higher resolutions we can expect impressive results from the Honeycomb devices. The Kindle app certainly looks crisper on the A500 than it looked on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It was the Zinio magazine app which really made the Galaxy Tab look shabby next to the iPad, but unfortunately Zinio is limited to a few devices and isn’t available in Android market. I tried to get Zinio running on the A500 using this workaround but ran into a parsing error trying to install the final file. Overseas reports indicate the A500 comes with Zinio pre-installed and Acer locally tells me there's been a delay but it will be pre-installed when the A500 goes on sale in Australia.
The A500 utilises and LCD TFT display with an 80-degree wide viewing angle, and can certainly hold its head high alongside the iPad. The A500’s LCD screen doesn’t suffer the blue tinge that you find on many of the AMOLED displays, in fact I’d say if anything the whites are a little whiter on the A500 than on the iPad 1 and perhaps on par with the iPad 2. The A500 does an impressive job of displaying the image of Peter Costello below, the stripes in his suit are clear and there’s plenty of detail in the shadows but the skin tones are still healthy. The A500 also has a wider viewing angles, tilting the tablet loses the stripes in the suit on the iPad but not the A500. Once again, the A500 makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab look pretty shabby.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/computers/blogs/gadgets-on-the-go/hands-on-acer-iconia-a500-tablet-20110418-1dkaz.html#ixzz1JsCCpWNb
April 18, 2011 - 9:07PM
Comments 12
Ads by Google
Top 10 Tablet PCs
PCWorld.com/Tablet-PCs
Save Big on Tablet PCs PC World's Top 10 Tablet PCs.
Acer Iconia A500.
Acer Iconia A500.
If you've been waiting for Android tablets to catch up with Apple's iPad, the wait might be over.
I wasn’t overly impressed with the first batch of Android tablets. They reminded me of the early Android smartphones like the HTC Dream - brimming with potential but not quite ready for the big time. After spending some time with the sleek new Acer Iconia Tab A500 running Android 3.0 “Honeycomb”, I feel it’s safe to say Android tablets have come of age.
For now Acer is selling the 16GB wifi-only A500 for $579 and the 32GB wifi-only for $678 - impressive pricing compared to the first-gen Android tablets. The A501 wifi/3G models should be available in June.
The 10.1-inch A500 is a thing of beauty and makes a striking first impression. It’s just as slender as the original iPad and is only a tad heavier at 765 gm compared to the iPad’s 680 gm. The A500’s tapered edges help emphasise the feeling of slenderness and the extra weight isn’t really noticeable at first. After a while I found myself resting the A500 on my lap more than I would with the iPad, so I guess you start to feel the weight after a while. That doesn’t bother me too much because I’d say the A500 is designed more for using on the couch than the train. If you’re looking for a smaller and lighter travel companion, keep in mind Acer will also offer a 7-inch A100 - unlike Apple’s one-size-fits-all approach to tablets. The A100 features a pretty meagre 8GB of storage, but the other specs are good and it will most likely be the cheapest entry-level Honeycomb tablet. The wifi-only A100 will be available in June and the 3G/wifi A101 will be available in July.
Getting back to the A500, it utilises an aluminium shell with your standard tablet design but hiding a few surprises. Holding it in portrait mode you’ve got the power button and headphone jack across the top right, with volume buttons and a rotate lock switch down the right side. Below this is a plastic cover which comes away to reveal the microSD card slot and a gap which will take a SIM in the 3G-capable models.
Across the top left you’ve got a micro-HDMI slot - the first indication that the A500 has a few impressive tricks up its sleeve. Half way down the left side you’ll discover a docking port, which works with the optional charge cradle. Across the bottom edge you’ll find a USB2.0 slot (host), a micro-USB connector (slave). Finally you’ll find a 2 MP camera on the front of the A500, accompanied by 5 MP camera at the back with an LED flash. Also on the back are two speakers.
You wont find dedicated home, menu, back and search buttons for navigating the menus, as these are all onscreen buttons - which makes sense considering the tablet is designed to be used in either portrait or landscape mode.
Under the bonnet the A500 sports an NVIDIA Tegra 250 dual-core processor accompanied by 1GB of RAM - which helps Android sing. You’ll also find 16GB or 32GB of storage.
Fire up the A500 and you’re immediately struck by the bright, crisp screen. The tablet boasts a 1280x800 resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio - so it’s slightly sharper than the iPad’s 1024x768 display. Of course you need to allow for the difference in screen size. It would seem the fairest way to do this is to calculate the pixel density in pixels per inch - which sees the A500 slightly sharper at 149 ppi compared to the iPad’s 132 ppi. Yet, as usual, comparing devices is more than a numbers game. If you want to apply these calculations to other tablets you’ll find the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab comes in at 170 ppi.
From my testing the 1024x600 Samsung Galaxy Tab didn’t look as sharp as the iPad, but I suspect this is because Android 2.2 Froyo is only designed to support 854x480. Samsung tweaked the Android OS for the Galaxy Tab, but many of the applications still would have been running at 854x480. Of course at that resolution the pixel density would have still been on par with the iPad but it clearly didn’t look as sharp. Like I said, it’s a reminder that comparing such devices isn’t just a numbers game.
Now that Android 3.0 supports higher resolutions we can expect impressive results from the Honeycomb devices. The Kindle app certainly looks crisper on the A500 than it looked on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It was the Zinio magazine app which really made the Galaxy Tab look shabby next to the iPad, but unfortunately Zinio is limited to a few devices and isn’t available in Android market. I tried to get Zinio running on the A500 using this workaround but ran into a parsing error trying to install the final file. Overseas reports indicate the A500 comes with Zinio pre-installed and Acer locally tells me there's been a delay but it will be pre-installed when the A500 goes on sale in Australia.
The A500 utilises and LCD TFT display with an 80-degree wide viewing angle, and can certainly hold its head high alongside the iPad. The A500’s LCD screen doesn’t suffer the blue tinge that you find on many of the AMOLED displays, in fact I’d say if anything the whites are a little whiter on the A500 than on the iPad 1 and perhaps on par with the iPad 2. The A500 does an impressive job of displaying the image of Peter Costello below, the stripes in his suit are clear and there’s plenty of detail in the shadows but the skin tones are still healthy. The A500 also has a wider viewing angles, tilting the tablet loses the stripes in the suit on the iPad but not the A500. Once again, the A500 makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab look pretty shabby.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/computers/blogs/gadgets-on-the-go/hands-on-acer-iconia-a500-tablet-20110418-1dkaz.html#ixzz1JsCCpWNb
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Android 3.1 Ice Cream Sundae is expected to be unveiled during Google I/O in San Francisco next month.
Labs in Mountain View and Cupertino are hiding fresh takes on the computing market. Apple recently announced that they'll unveil their fresh take during WWDC 2011 in June, while we can now say with fairly certainty that Google will unveil their fresh take during Google I/O in May.
Android 3.1 Ice Cream Sundae is the full name of the next step in a computing world increasingly dominated by Google. Only time will tell whether Apple's iOS 5 will be ready to compete head-to-head with Android 3.1 from day one, but we expect these two systems to steal most of the headlines soon.
Google reportedly celebrates the key milestone in advance, by shaking up its management structure. The LA Times has the scoop on the new structure of top executives:
Read more: http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/android-3.1-ice-cream-sundae-to-be-unveiled-next-month/11922.html
Android 3.1 Ice Cream Sundae is the full name of the next step in a computing world increasingly dominated by Google. Only time will tell whether Apple's iOS 5 will be ready to compete head-to-head with Android 3.1 from day one, but we expect these two systems to steal most of the headlines soon.
Google reportedly celebrates the key milestone in advance, by shaking up its management structure. The LA Times has the scoop on the new structure of top executives:
Read more: http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/android-3.1-ice-cream-sundae-to-be-unveiled-next-month/11922.html
First HTC Flyer Hits Stores May 9th With Android 2.4
The highly anticipated HTC Flyer Android tablet now has an official release date. T3 reports that HTC has confirmed that the manufacturer's first tablet will hit stores in Europe on May 9th followed by the rest of the world.
HTC Flyer release date set for May 9th, packs Android 2.4
Packing a 7-inch display and available for pre-order in the UK with a surprisingly high price tag of £599.99, the 1.2GHz packing Flyer features 32GB storage, WiFi and 3G connectivity, 5-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front camera and its unique HTC Scribe stylus.
T3 reports that the HTC Flyer will come with "Google's Android 2.4 operating system capable of supporting Adobe Flash 10.2 video content."
HTC Flyer vs iPad 2 and Honeycomb tablets
Whether the HTC Flyer poses any threat to the iPad 2 or the other Honeycomb tablets on the market like the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, Acer Iconia A500, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom, or will it cater to a different niche market still remains to be seen.
HTC Flyer release date set for May 9th, packs Android 2.4
Packing a 7-inch display and available for pre-order in the UK with a surprisingly high price tag of £599.99, the 1.2GHz packing Flyer features 32GB storage, WiFi and 3G connectivity, 5-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front camera and its unique HTC Scribe stylus.
T3 reports that the HTC Flyer will come with "Google's Android 2.4 operating system capable of supporting Adobe Flash 10.2 video content."
HTC Flyer vs iPad 2 and Honeycomb tablets
Whether the HTC Flyer poses any threat to the iPad 2 or the other Honeycomb tablets on the market like the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, Acer Iconia A500, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom, or will it cater to a different niche market still remains to be seen.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
MeeGo UI Upgrade Is An Improvement, But Is It Good Enough?
Right now the only serious player in tablets is Apple, followed at a great distance by Google and then by Microsoft. Intel’s MeeGo, which I expected to fade away after a rather poor showing at Mobile World Congress, has been given a puzzling upgrade, which NetbookNews got on video at a recent Intel event in Beijing. I say puzzling because it doesn’t look bad at all. Keep in mind this isn’t necessarily a “vanilla” MeeGo, but rather a build created by manufacturer Tencent, but it still impresses.
Read more: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/12/meego-ui-upgrade-is-an-improvement-but-is-it-good-enough/
Read more: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/12/meego-ui-upgrade-is-an-improvement-but-is-it-good-enough/
Android 3.1 Ice Cream Sundae to Be Unveiled Next Month
Labs in Mountain View and Cupertino are hiding fresh takes on the computing market. Apple recently announced that they'll unveil their fresh take during WWDC 2011 in June, while we can now say with fairly certainty that Google will unveil their fresh take during Google I/O in May.
Android 3.1 Ice Cream Sundae is the full name of the next step in a computing world increasingly dominated by Google. Only time will tell whether Apple's iOS 5 will be ready to compete head-to-head with Android 3.1 from day one, but we expect these two systems to steal most of the headlines soon.
Google reportedly celebrates the key milestone in advance, by shaking up its management structure. The LA Times has the scoop on the new structure of top executives:
Read more: http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/android-3.1-ice-cream-sundae-to-be-unveiled-next-month/11922.html
Android 3.1 Ice Cream Sundae is the full name of the next step in a computing world increasingly dominated by Google. Only time will tell whether Apple's iOS 5 will be ready to compete head-to-head with Android 3.1 from day one, but we expect these two systems to steal most of the headlines soon.
Google reportedly celebrates the key milestone in advance, by shaking up its management structure. The LA Times has the scoop on the new structure of top executives:
Read more: http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/android-3.1-ice-cream-sundae-to-be-unveiled-next-month/11922.html
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