Monday, February 13, 2012



Posted: 12 Feb 2012 03:31 PM PST
Looks like the average age of tablet users will be lowering with companies like ViNCi and Toys “R” Us  prepping kid-friendly slates. The latest comes from Oregon Scientific and is called the MEEP! tablet. According to the press release, this tablet will have a 7-inch color touch-screen, Wi-Fi, a G-Sensor, SD card slot, and parental controls. No word yet on what version of Android will be on board.
The MEEP! is said to offer movies, music, e-books, and apps from from leading developers, the latter making us think it will not have direct access to the Android Market. Accessories for the kiddie-slate will be offered, including musical instruments, which I’m sure will make every parent jump for joy. Ear-plugs were not mentioned as a potential accessory. The full unveiling is happening at the TIA Toy Fair in New York, which runs from now until February 15th. Full press release after the break.
Android-Based MEEP! Tablet to Feature Music, Movies, e-books, Parental Controls and more OREGON SCIENTIFIC MEEP!
Oregon Scientific Unveils MEEP!, a new Android-based tablet for kids! (PRNewsFoto/Oregon Scientific) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES
NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Oregon Scientific, a leading designer and worldwide marketer of personal electronics, today announced its entry into a hot new category: kid’s tablets. Leaving cartridge-based devices behind in the dust, the new Wi-Fi enabled MEEP! tablet runs on the Android operating system and offers music, movies, e-books, and apps from leading developers – all on a large, 7-inch color touch screen! The MEEP! tablet will be unveiled for the first time at the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) 109th American International Toy Fair this weekend.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120210/NE51475 )
Sharing a mobile device is a tough feat, especially for parents, when there is a risk it could be dropped, broken, scratched or rendered useless. The MEEP! tablet is an affordable fix for a tech –hungry generation of kids, featuring a tough design and an enhanced rubber silicon sleeve for added protection. Geared for children age 6 and up, the MEEP! tablet is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing access to a sea of web content that can be downloaded to its internal memory or SD card and viewed from any angle courtesy of the tablet’s internal G-Sensor. All websites and content can be monitored through intuitive parental controls that are adjusted remotely on any computer or mobile device with a browser and an Internet connection.
The MEEP! tablet from Oregon Scientific will feature a variety of accessories sold separately, including musical instruments.
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 03:30 PM PST
 Well if you are the proud owner of an Acer Iconia Tab A200 then today should be a glorious day for you. It has been reported over at the Acer forums that the ICS OTA update has begun rolling out. The update pushes the OS to Android 4.0.3 and the build number up to Acer_AV041_A200_1.037.00_PA_CUS1.
So what are you waiting for? Check to see if the update is waiting for you by going to Settings > About tablet > System update > Check for firmware update. For those of you out there that have it, what do you think? Is it amazing?
source: Acer forums
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:58 PM PST
For those that were excited to hear about T-Mobile UK‘s new unlimited plan only to hear that data speeds were capped, we have some news that should help you rest easier. The “Full Monty” plan as it’s called is quite big news in itself, however news has since circulated the internet that the data speeds on that plan were heavily capped at 1MB/S.
Well for those out there that think this, T-Mobile has released a response of an official capacity and according to them there is no cap to be seen. Here is what they said:
“We can confirm that we do not have a 1Mb/S maximum data download speed in place for The Full Monty plan – nor for any of our other pay monthly or pay as you go price plans – and we are confident that our average data speeds are as good, if not better, than anyone else in the industry.”
It also appears that even the monthly and prepaid plans aren’t capped either. So if you are on T-Mobile you can rest easy knowing that your data plan isn’t capped and knowing that you can use your plan the way it was intended. That should definitely put your mind at ease.
source: Tracy and Matt
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:57 PM PST
Do I have a surprise for you! Well no, not really. Just another Apple vs. Motorola lawsuit, and this time Apple claims that Motorola’s German lawsuit against them breaches terms of a patent licensing agreement between Motorola and Qualcomm. Details are scarce at the moment, as both Motorola and Apple have declined to comment on the case and Qualcomm representatives can’t be reached.
In the coming weeks (or even days) Google is expected to receive approval of their multi-billion dollar takeover of Motorola. Google also announced earlier this week its intent to licence Motorola patents on fair and reasonable terms if the deal goes through. This could mean that not only is Apple picking a fight with Motorola, but in the grander scale, another fight with Google itself. Seems like Apple is a bully in the playground and Google is the kid that plays all their moves right to gain the upper hand.
source: reuters
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:36 PM PST
Minecraft fans have a reason to celebrate with this new update to the Pocket Edition. Mojang, the developer, has added many of the features that hadn’t been previously available in the Pocket Edition. It’s now a lot closer to the full PC version. The 3D block building favorite now allows you to choose between Creative and Survival mode. As those of you who are familiar with Minecraft know, there is tons of great stuff in Survival mode. During the day you build, and there are some new tools and blocks, including fences, gates and doors. Gathering resources from nature is a necessity in this mode. When night falls, you need to hide and protect yourself from monsters, like zombies. If the idea of being attacked by monsters is stressing you out, you can always build safely in Creative mode, and now a double tap on the jump button will make you fly.
If you’re itching to try building your new world, hit up the market link below.
qrcode
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 11:35 AM PST
Replacement home screen launchers are popular in the Android world, and with the advent of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, some new ones have come out that are built specifically for Google’s new OS. One popular one is called Nova Launcher by kevin@TeslaCoil. It has an interesting feature called “widgets-in-drawer” that, until now, required system installation, which was a slightly more complicated and an advanced installation method.
The new beta14 version of Nova Launcher now installs as a regular .apk file, and only requires your device be rooted to enable the widgets-in-drawer feature. Check out a screenshot of the changelog after the break:
So if you’re running a rooted ICS device, download it from the source link below.
source: xda
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 10:02 AM PST
Google TV left an intriguing update on its Facebook page yesterday. Something “big” is coming.  So far that’s all they have posted on the matter. A lot of speculation has stemmed from the post with Hulu being one of the most frequented guesses/hopes. However, we may instead see new information  regarding new Google branded home entertainment devices. Whether that would be in reference to the LG TV shown at CES or something a little different is up to even further speculation. At least we don’t have to wait long to find out!
source: Facebook
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 08:20 AM PST
As you can see from the image above, a startling amount of the United States doesn’t receive 3G. The black spots on the map represent areas of the United States not receiving 3G service as of January 2012. Although some of these areas might be sparsely populated, some areas are just outside major hubs like New York. Hopefully the images released by the FCC and Mobility Fund will shed light on carriers spending the brunt of their money on services in densely populated areas — leaving those outside of those areas in the dark.
Source: WinSource
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 08:18 AM PST
Motorola has long been pushing their Webtop-enabled phones, allowing folks to use their phones as a pseudo-desktop or laptop, complete with keyboard, trackpad, and monitor. YouTube user Christian Qantrell decided to see if he could replicate something similar using only his unrooted Galaxy Nexus, Apple keyboard and trackpad, and computer monitor.
His goal was to do this using only standard equipment with no hacking. Connecting his phone to the monitor using an MHL adapter, and using his Bluetooth connected keyboard and trackpad, he manages a surprisingly smooth experience. Having a large trackpad helps replicate finger swipes and gestures, allowing for a more natural feel. Other surprise features that just work are Alt-Tab bringing up Android’s native task switcher, and the Esc key acting as a back button. Check out his video after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.
The Galaxy Nexus continues running smoothly, even while mirroring its 720p display on the monitor and phone. The browser displaying mobile sites by default is not quite as optimal, but that can easily be worked around by downloading alternate browsers or requesting the full site from the stock browser.
It’s great to see all these standards working together so well. Bluetooth and MHL coupled with the right peripheral hardware is a powerful combination for superphones like the Galaxy Nexus. This also makes me think it would not be difficult for a 3rd party manufacturer to create more generic “lapdocks” like Motorola’s that work with any modern Android smartphone.
source: androidcommunity
Posted: 12 Feb 2012 07:54 AM PST
There are many hooks that draw us into the Android Ecosystem for the first time but it surely must be the tireless support from the developers that keep us coming back for more. The latest example of the awesome work going on has seen Androidcentral forum mainstay, Jerry Hildenbrand working hard dissecting a Droid 4 to bring us it’s hidden bounty. Jerry has selflessly packaged together the wallpapers and ringtones for your immediate perusal.
The Droid 4 is available to order right now but if you’d prefer to get a little taste sooner rather than later, hit the links after the break.

Ringtones: Download (15MB)
Wallpapers: Download (13MB)
System dump:
Part 1 (100MB)
Part 2 (100MB)
Part 3 (3.6MB)
source : androidcentral


Posted by at 10:34 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)