Posted: 30 Jan 2012 04:22 PM PST  Slingplayer for Android devices has been around for a while now. Sadly for Kindle Fire owners and their lack of the Android Market, they haven't been able to indulge upto now. Jan. 31 is the day though, as Slingplayer for Kindle Fire will be arriving in the Amazon Appstore for $30. Shown off at CES, the interface is pretty much the same as the handset version, and thankfully matches the same price point as its Android Market brother. Definitely a welcome addition to Amazon's media consuming tablet. Download will be available at the source link below from tomorrow. Until then we'll just have to wait patiently. Source: Amazon Appstore 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:47 PM PST  Lenovo are the latest company to jump on the Ice Cream Sandwich update bandwagon by announcing its plans to update the ThinkPad tablet. The Thinkpad has been around since last summer, and while we don't have a specific date Lenovo have stated that the update will roll out during Q2. The IdeaPad is also slated to make the jump to Android 4.0 as well. It's easy to forget about these in our tablet filled world, but Lenovo makes some pretty nice hardware and the ThinkPad has a pretty killer keyboard dock as well. An ICS upgrade will be most welcome. Source: PC World 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:59 PM PST  While you guys in the United States have a whole range of LTE Android devices to choose from, in the UK we're still a long way from the point of getting LTE at all. An on-going trial being run in Cornwall by BT and Everything Everywhere (Orange UK and T-Mobile) is now set to extend until Summer 2012. Rival network O2 is currently trialling the technology in London, but this scheme is aimed more towards proving high speed broadband is possible in more remote areas. Currently users involved in the trial are seeing average download speeds of 7 Mbps. While this may not sound overly impressive, it's faster than some fixed broadband connections in these parts of the UK. The overall importance lies in the technology though. According to Ofcom, the regulator for communications industries in the UK, we aren't to expect widespread LTE on these shores until 2015 with an initial rollout beginning throughout 2013/14. Whether it arrives at all depends on the required spectrum auction, which has already been postponed until 2013. Looks like we're in for a long wait but at least the networks are still committed to developing the technology before we get to that point. Source: CNET UK 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:42 PM PST  What is a PRL? PRL stands for Preferred Roaming List and is a database used in CDMA (think Sprint and Verizon here) phones. It's built and provided by your carrier, and used when your phone is connecting to the tower. It indicates which radio bands, sub-bands, and service provider IDs will be searched for, then allows the phone to connect to the correct tower. Without a correct and valid PRL, your phone won't be able to roam outside your home network, and may not be able to connect at all inside the network. The database consists of an Acquisition table, which lists which radio frequencies to search for in which areas, and a System table, which tells the phone which towers it is allowed to connect to, and the preferred order. Notice we said it connects to the correct tower and not the strongest tower. If you're in an area with weak but steady signal from your carrier, the PRL will connect you to that signal rather than connect to a stronger signal on a different carrier. When Palm released the Pre on Sprint (the first CDMA smartphone with "root" access to the system) people quickly learned how to hack the PRL to force a connection on Verizon towers in areas of poor Sprint coverage. The same thing is done today with certain CDMA Android phones, and usually ends up with the same result -- a letter from your carrier telling you it's been nice having you as a customer, but it's time to part ways. Not all hacking is good, kids, and when it adversely affects the network, it makes the other, good kind of hacking look bad. The PRL is usually sent as an over-the-air update when needed, but often -- especially if you travel a lot -- it's necessary to manually update it. It's pretty easy to do:
Android phones also have an option to update the PRL in most CDMA phones, you'll find that in the settings pages. If you have a CDMA/LTE phone on Verizon or Metro PCS, your PRL will auto-update as needed, so don't fool with it. Also it's not a good idea to update your PRL while you're roaming on another carrier. read more
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:36 PM PST  The official Steam for Android application hasn't been with us all that long, but an air of controversy already surrounds its arrival. Almost all of the third-party Steam applications have disappeared from the Android Market. If Valve happens to be involved in some way, the odd part is that the Steam API is publicly available for use. Seems a tad suspicious though. If you're using a third-party Steam application and you like it, it's probably not a good idea to uninstall it anytime soon. (Or at the very least pull it from your system for a backup.) No word yet on whether or not any of these applications will re-appear elsewhere, so for the time being it looks like the official app is all we got. Source: Droid Gamers 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:32 PM PST  And if you're still on the fence about the larger battery, check out our hands-on post for a look at how big it is. 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:33 PM PST  Apple has long offered engraving when buying certain iPod and iPad models as gifts, but Android device manufacturers have until now shown little interest in this kind of customization. However, it seems Samsung's keen to attract the attention of gift buyers, as it promises "a wide variety of fonts" to "reflect your personality". The promotion runs in South Korea until Mar. 31. There's no indication just yet of whether Samsung intends to offer this promotion elsewhere, though with the Galaxy Note launching in Canada and the U.S. next month, our fingers are firmly crossed. Source: Samsung on Flickr; via: OLED-Display 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 11:51 AM PST  End-of-life status means that a phone will no longer be stocked, meaning it'll likely have been replaced by something newer and shinier. What it doesn't affect, however, is software and hardware support. The Sensation, for example, is still scheduled to receive an update to Ice Cream Sandwich, and if true, the news that it may reach EOL in the near future doesn't change that. Nevertheless, it's surprising to see phones like the myTouch Q and Amaze 4G nearing EOL already, given that they've only been on sale since October. It's also true that even after a phone is EOLed, sales will continue as long as there's stock remaining in outlets. So we're willing to bet you'll still see these devices in T-Mobile stores for a few more months. Right now, the biggest question centers on what T-Mobile will be replacing them with later in the year. Source: TmoNews 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:15 AM PST  The cameras in our Android phones have certainly gotten better than most would have expected. The old standard of "it's a cell phone camera, it'll never be as good as a cheap point-and-shoot" is no longer valid. The hardware is getting better, and the software is improving right alongside it, making the experience of using your phone as a camera enjoyable, and in the right hands, almost professional. The big news in Android last year on the camera front was the Samsung Galaxy S II's 8-megapixel rear shooter, and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus' "zero shutter lag" camera. We decided that these two had to go head to head. Hit the break to check it out. read more
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 09:55 AM PST  read more 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 09:35 AM PST  And we're right back in the thick of it folks. On the latest edition of the Greatest Android Podcast in the World, we talk the new LG Spectrum and Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX for Verizon, our thoughts on the new Google privacy policy, plus what an open-sourced webOS means for Android.The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. Plus, we answer your e-mails and voicemails. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast. 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:53 AM PST  LTE coverage in Canada is still relatively new, having only launched in Montreal at the end of September. Providing solid service to major centres in Quebec is particularly important because the nimble competition, Wind Mobile and Mobilicity, have yet to set up shop in la belle province. There's still Public Mobile, a discount brand which just recently made the leap from feature phones to smartphones, and the extremely well-established Videotron in Quebec. Rogers aims to give half the Canadian population access to LTE by the end of the year by expanding to another 25 cities. While a noble goal, the real problem with building out wireless networks in Canada is geographic coverage. If you haven't noticed, there's a lot of land up here, and since most Canadians are huddled together in relatively tiny, concentrated pockets, those in more remote areas tend to be left in the cold when it comes to upgrades such as LTE. Rogers won't completely ignore HSPA+ expansion into those fringes, but I do worry it'll slow down with LTE demanding their attention. To keep up to date on the progress of Rogers LTE, keep an eye on their minisite. 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:40 AM PST  Anyone who lives in or has ever visited London will be well aware of the often nightmarish transportation around the city. A new app to stop by the Android Market, London Bus Checker, aims to take away some of the pain of using a bus in the Capital. We'll get the boring bits out of the way first: It is a paid app, setting you back a very reasonable £1.24. There is a "lite" version though which offers up a 30-day free trial before you have to open your wallet. The idea behind it is very simple, to provide anyone planning to use a bus in London with as much real time information as possible across the 20,000 bus-stops in the city. The implementation is what sets it apart though, as the information is pulled live from the Transport for London services which provides accurate, up to the minute data. The app will locate you via GPS, and then by selecting the relevant stop you can see live arrival/departure information, full route maps, and real time diversion and cancelation information. There's even a homescreen widget that you can set for your local stop and receive the same real-time information right there. Applications like this and Hailo (for taxis), are brilliant reasons why smartphones are fast becoming an everyday necessity. Hit the break for download links to the free 30-day lite version and a short promo video from the developers. read more
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:31 AM PST  Today's free Android Wallpaper of the Day comes to us from member RETG, who uploaded this pic of the Green River at Cystal Geyeser in Utah. Nice.Also, the wallpaper gallery just eclipsed 1,000 uploads, all thanks to you folks out there. Keep it up, and be sure to share your favorite wallpapers! Just hit the link below. 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:55 AM PST  The application apparently caused DoCoMo's network to buckle by sending out "control signals" rather than VOIP data. These are small amounts of data which are periodically exchanged between a smartphone app and a remote server, in order to check that the app is still running, and/or communicate any status changes. DoCoMo intends to ask Google to limit the frequency at which Android sends these control signals, in order to reduce the strain on its network. However, the solution may not be quite so simple. The nature of Android means that an OS-level "fix" for DoCoMo's complaint would take months to roll out, if it were even possible. And if the app in question is a third-party offering from the Android Market, there's nothing Google can do to fiddle with its internal workings besides blocking DoCoMo customers' access to the app. However, Google has shown a willingness to selectively block Android Market access to apps with which carriers have issue, notably tethering apps in the U.S. And then there was last year's strikingly similar case of YouMail and T-Mobile, which saw the app unceremoniously pulled from the Market at the request of the U.S. carrier. Whatever happens, we'll be watching with interest to see how Google deals with DoCoMo's complaint. Source: Mobile World Live, Reuters 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:25 AM PST  The Jan. 30 Shop Android Deal of the Day is the Case-Mate Barely There Case for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4G Skyrocket. These cases are designed to help protect the design of the Samsung Skyrocket while allowing more of it to show, thanks to a slim profile and impact-resistant flexible plastic shell. It's available in black or pink today only for just $12.95 -- that's 48 percent off! Get yours while supplies last! 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:17 AM PST  Just weeks after we saw our first "unofficial" release of a touch version of the popular ClockworkMod custom recovery, developer Koush has put forth a beta version of his own, available for download now. For you new folks, a custom recovery is an indispensable way to back up your device as well as install new custom ROMs and updates, among other little hacky things. Until recently, it's been controlled by using the volume up/down buttons to scroll through the menus, and (usually) the power button to select. This touch recovery still has volume select, but now the touchscreen works, and works well. We've got some hands-on video after the break, and you can snag it from the download links below. read more
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:03 AM PST  The AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note will be available Feb. 19 for $299 on contract, Samsung announced this morning. It'll be available in carbon blue and ceramic white, and preorders will begin Feb. 5 and will be delivered by Feb. 17. Along with the phablet itself -- remember that this bad boy is 5.3 inches -- there are a number of accessories available, including a desktop dock, spare battery charger, flip cover case and pen holder kit. Be sure to check out our hands-on video with the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note from CES earlier this month. We've got the full release after the break. read more
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:54 AM PST  It's not terribly exciting, but Mobile World Congress is just around the corner - who knows what else Samsung will have to show us? Full press release after the jump.. Source: Samsung read more
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:45 AM PST  For the uninitiated, the Galaxy Note is Samsung's gigantic 5.3-inch phone/hybrid tablet, which carries a massive 1280x800 HD SuperAMOLED display, and offers stylus input through Samsung's WACOM-powered "S Pen". Like the AT&T version, Rogers' Galaxy Note apparently totes a "1.5 GHz dual-core processor" of some description. Though unconfirmed, rumors suggest this is a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip rather than the Samsung Exynos found on the international Note. For more on the Galaxy Note, check out our review of the international version, or our hands-on coverage of the AT&T version. Source: RedBoard 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:04 AM PST  The network's new "Full Monty" price plans put an end to this chicanery, offering users unlimited data without any kind of fair use limit buried in the small print. "Fully Monty" price plans start at £36 per month for 24 months, for unlimited T-Mobile calls, unlimited texts, unlimited data and 2000 minutes of calls to other networks. At this price point, T-Mo will also throw in a free Galaxy S II or HTC Sensation XE. Step it up to £41 per month and you'll get unlimited calls to other networks, too. The higher-priced £46 and £61 per month plans offer the same unlimited everything, with a lower up-front cost for your handset of choice. All four price plans include unlimited tethering, and will be available from Feb. 1. All of the major UK networks moved away from unlimited data plans in 2010, in an attempt to curb heavy data use by smartphone users. We've seen this trend slowly reversing over the past year, though, with O2 offering unlimited data through its "GiffGaff" network, and Three selling "all-you-can-eat" data plans to contracted and pre-paid customers. It'll be interesting to see whether things continue to move in this direction as UK carriers begin to roll out 4G LTE coverage over the next couple of years. Source: T-Mobile UK 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 05:56 AM PST  Android's No. 1, apparently, when it comes to No. 1 and No. 2. That's right, a survey of 1,000 Americans by marketing agency 11mark has found that Android users are more likely to pick up their phone while in the loo, to the tune of 87 percent. That's three percentage points higher than our BlackBerry brethren, and 10 percentage points higher than iPhone users. But it's BlackBerry users who are more likely to do business while doing their business, with 75 percent of them taking a call while answering the call. Us Android folk do so 67 percent of the time, and iPhone users take calls 60 percent of the time. You can check out the full report at the link below. Bonus points if you do so from your phone on the throne. Download: IT in the Toilet 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 05:29 AM PST 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 05:15 AM PST  Rumored specs for the 'Nypon' include a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4-inch qHD (960x540) Reality Display and an 8MP EXMOR R camera. According to the recently-leaked roadmap, the device may be due for release as early as April, at a €370 price point. Whatever the case, we'll be hoping to get our first look at the Xperia P, or whatever it's called, at Mobile World Congress in just a few weeks. Source: e-POSTEL; via: XperiaBlog 
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 04:47 AM PST  More news coming out of Motorola today surrounding the RAZR. Yet another variant is on its way, only this time it's coming with an unlocked bootloader. The Motorola RAZR Developer Edition will be available in Europe first, and is available for pre-order right now through Moto's own online store. They make a point of letting you know that phone will be sold without any warranty and will set you back €499 (about $660.) In a statement on the official Motorola Blog, the company claims that releasing a developer edition allows them to continue to meet their carrier and regulatory obligations, but also meets the needs being expressed by their developer community. While the idea of an unlocked RAZRs isn't new -- Ausdroid scored the scoop on that way back in October -- at the time it seemed like a half-assed nod to developers and hackers, and that carriers would still have the option to (and undoubtedly would) keep the bootloaders locket up tight. But what about you guys in the U.S.? While the Developer Edition is a Europe-only launch, plans are in place to launch an "unlockable developer device" in the State though the MOTODEV network. No time-frame is listed for this as yet though, and Motorola doesn't actually say whether it's the RAZR, or perhaps the newer RAZR MAXX with its larger battery, or maybe a different device altogether. The addition of the RAZR Developer Edition gives Motorola two "developer" devices in its stable, the other being the Motorola XOOM tablet, the first to show off Android 3.2 Honeycomb, and now is one of the first to get an update to Ice Cream Sandwich. Hit the links below for more info and to order in the EU. 
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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