Posted: 07 Mar 2012 06:45 PM PST   You can never have too many reader apps, that’s what I always say. Joining up with some of the greats such as Google Currents and Pulse currently available is newcomer, Readability, a reader app and service that will arrive in Google Play on March 12th. The app, already a hit on iOS, focuses on making cluttered webpages more readable but getting rid of all the fluff and leaving nothing but nice, clean, readable text for reading now, or later. Features include:
Thanks, Rich! [Readability] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 06:07 PM PST   Chrome Beta was updated in the Android Mar- er, Google Play (that’s going to take some getting used to). Details from the Google Chrome release blog say version 0.16.4301.233 is mostly bug fixes with a pinch of improved compatibility with devices running various versions of Android 4.0. This should also include those of you who were running custom ROMs. So, if the app wasn’t launching previously, you might want to give it another go. Known issues:
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Posted: 07 Mar 2012 03:47 PM PST   The DROID 2′s younger brother DROID 3 seems to be joining the soak test party. DROID 3 owners have been notified of an impending update. Again, it’s always hard to tell what these updates bring without a full changelog. As a general rule of thumb we try not to hold our breath for an upgrade to the next major version of Android. Considering Verizon didn’t list the DROID 3 on its initial list of devices to receive Ice Cream Sandwich, we definitely would shy away from getting too excited. Check your inbox if you’re signed up to be a tester. [via Droid-Life] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 03:15 PM PST  XDA has done it again. This time, they’ve cracked the Nook Tablet wide open and stuffed some ice cream inside. CyanogenMod 9 alpha 0 has been released for the device, and while there are plenty of things working there are still plenty of things which aren’t. You can find the full list below. As it’s an alpha the team won’t be providing support – you’ll have to discuss any issues with your peers inside the thread. The team is looking for developers to help move the project along as they claim there’s not enough time for rapid development between the three of them. We’re not sure how long this thing will take to get to beta or even release candidate status but if you want a taste of what might soon be available in stable form be sure to give it a try. Instructions and download links are at the source link and remember that anything that happens to your device is your own responsibility. Check out a video preview of it above, courtesy of eBook Reader. [XDA] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 01:59 PM PST   Google has applied for a very interesting patent. This one allows a user to find their location by taking a photo of a landmark. After taking the photo, it’ll be shipped off to Google’s servers where they’ll attempt to match your photo with one in their database. If a match is found, Google will deliver the user’s location back to the phone. It’s quite interesting, but it seems rather impractical. Sure, it might be useful for situations where your GPS can’t seem to get an accurate lock, but I assume this would need a data connection and Google Maps has been quite accurate at finding my position based on my cellular connection. I suppose even that isn’t terribly accurate sometimes so there may still be value here. Of course, a patent is just a patent and there’s no guarantee will ever implement something like this. Hell, there’s no guarantee that they’ll get awarded the patent, but if some of the silly things Apple’s been able to patent are anything to go by, I’m sure Google won’t have a problem. Unless… [Engadget] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 01:35 PM PST   The LG Lucide (codenamed Cayman) has been making its rounds around the rumor mill for quite some time and we’ve finally gotten a good, clear look at its press shots. The device will have 4G LTE – no surprise considering all Verizon smartphones from now on will – alongside a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5 megapixel 1080p HD camera, a front-facing camera and more. Rumor has it we’ll see it launching March 29th for $200 on contract. [PocketNow] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 01:12 PM PST   Following the DROID 2 Global’s soak test which went live last week, the regular DROID 2 looks to be getting one of its own. Motorola Droid 2 owners are starting to receive emails that testing for a new update will soon begin. There’s no telling what will be included in this update but we imagine a couple of bug fixes, enhancements and other minor changes will be about all we can expect. We’ll be on the lookout for a changelog sometime soon. [via Droid-Life] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 12:32 PM PST   Huawei’s looking to come to town with another low-end device, it seems, as the Huawei Prism – model number U8651T – has passed the FCC. Its model number seems to position it close to the Huawei Sonic, a device which launched on T-Mobile last year. It had a 3.5 inch display, 512MB of RAM, Android 2.3 and more. We won’t make any assumptions on detailed specs but we don’t expect them to be much different from the Sonic. If you want to check the FCC listing out for yourself, click here. [Thanks Joan!] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 12:13 PM PST  Some interesting news from the Game Developers Conference has made it ways to the forefront. Google+ product manager Punit Soni has mentioned that Google is working on a unified gaming platform and is expected to launch it by next year.  Soni says “we will not be here talking about Google+ Games, Chrome Web Store games, Games for Native Client and Android games.” Instead, we will be talking about “Google Games.” We’re not too sure how all of that will play out – especially that Android games part – but it’ll be interesting to see what they have in store. Google is the big underdog in the social networking sect and they need to do all that they can to attract more users from Facebook and Twitter. Google will also look to utilize Hangouts and notifications to make the experience seamless to share with friends. Being a big fan of Google+ myself, I hope Google continues to do everything they can to allow the platform to flourish – we don’t want another Google Buzz situation on our hands, after all. [VentureBeat] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 11:35 AM PST  In one announcement Apple has again turned the tablet world on its head, but have Android tablets improved enough in a year to weather the next iPad storm? The third iteration of the iPad improves on nearly every aspect of last year’s design and will no doubt sell millions in its first few weeks of release, but compare it head-to-head with a few upcoming Android slates and you will find that on hardware alone it’s hard to declare Apple’s product the clear winner.  The dual-core chip introduced in the iPad 2 has been improved with the latest A5X processor. It’s not the quad-core power Android makers are already already building into devices, but Apple claims their new CPU offers four times the performance of Tegra 3. We’d like to see the benchmark for that. Apple is notoriously coy on detailing the amount of RAM found in their iPad devices, but signs point towards 1GB. Huawei’s latest features 2GB of RAM. At the same time, the iPad is getting thicker (up to 0.37 inches compared to the iPad 2′s 0.34 inch thickness) while other tablets are getting thinner and thinner. The Transformer Pad Infinity measures in at a mere 0.33 inches. Where the questions remain are in the intangibles. Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich does a lot of things right to improve on the Android user experience, but iOS and its broader collection of tablet-specific apps are favored by many. Apple called attention to this during the unveiling of the new iPad. While this has a lot less to do with manufacturers and more to do with the Android ecosystem, it’s a definite point Google wants to work on. The iPad has selling power while Android tablets are still struggling to gain a larger part of the market. It’s hard to say how newer models will carve into the iPad’s share, but manufacturers have finally addressed pricing issues and all should sell for close to, if not lower than, the iPad’s $499 entry point. The lessons learned and improvements made by Android manufacturers over the past couple of years are creating some viable iPad competitors that on paper should give Apple a run for its money. Things are going to get interesting over the next few months, but it’s hard to crown an iPad killer just yet. So which comes out on top in your opinion? Sound off in the poll below and let us know! Take Our Poll |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 11:19 AM PST  Being the curious souls that we are, we just couldn’t resist following Apple’s iPad keynote today. They announced the third installment in the iPad line. Oh, by the way, it’s just “the new iPad” – no 3, no HD, no nothing. So what’s Apple baking into this product to entice users? A ridiculous 2048×1536 Retina display, an A5X dual-core processor which has an upgraded GPU (they claim it’s twice as powerful as Tegra 3), the same 5 megapixel sensor found on the iPhone 4S, voice to text, 4G LTE, WiFi hotspot support and more. Battery life is still 10 hours, and running 4G LTE will only cost you an hour of that on a full charge. I can’t lie – all of that sounds amazing. And for the same pricing brackets as the iPad 1 and 2, it’s actually a bit attractive.  It’s going to be available March 16th – just over a week from now – and the moment of truth will dawn upon millions. Again, being the curious souls we’ve always been, we’re wondering if anyone is ready to defect to the pastures of the bitten fruit. It’s no secret that the Android tablet ecosystem isn’t at the same level as that of the iPad’s. Despite there being a great selection of hardware to choose from on the Android side, apps do still matter. Let’s cut to the chase: are you buying or not? Do you currently have an Android tablet and are looking to switch? Are you new to the tablet game and are wondering whose side you should be on? Do you even care? Sound off in the comments section below and be sure to vote in the poll. Take Our Poll |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 09:47 AM PST   You may recall a major update for Motorola’s MotoActv was planned for today, March 7th. As things seem to go when it comes to upgrading Android software, there has been a slight delay. The update is now due this Friday, March 9th. The new software will offer some major changes and enhancements, including the ability to track 40 new activities including everything from tennis to yoga. Wrist detection will allow users to wake the MotoActv from sleep with just a flick of the wrist and WiFi networks can now be set up directly from the device. For those feeling extra competitive, users can now set up challenges among friends to compete for the best results. We’ll keep an eye on the updates progress and report back if anything changes. For now do some toe touches and try to keep the muscles loose. [via MotoActv Forums] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 09:37 AM PST   Last week, we kicked Mobile World Congress off by holding a contest asking you to Demand Exynos. Over 600 of you chimed in telling us why you’d demand one of the fastest mobile processors in your next phone. All of it was for a chance at the Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000, a 5.3 inch smartphone with S Pen and the Samsung Exynos 4210 processor. Unfortunately, only one winner could be chosen – at random, mind you – and that winner was Josh from Oklahoma. For kicks, here’s his winning comment: I demand Exynos because it has proven itself as a bad son of a gun, and I’m a bad son of a gun, and together we would make Apple fanbois cry out in anger, “Why?! why, Apple?! Why can’t we have Exynos?!?!” :)It doesn’t hurt that the comment was pretty funny. Congratulations to Josh and thanks for everyone who entered to win! We’d like to give a special thanks to the folks at Samsung LSI for providing the hardware that was up for grabs in this contest. Be on the lookout for more contests in the future to win more great stuff from Phandroid! |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 08:23 AM PST   Not to be outdone by Google and their name changing app store, Amazon has slashed prices on a selection of apps. Just as the Google Play Store is offering a couple dozen titles for a mere $0.49, Amazon has matched the price in their Appstore for offerings such as SoundHound, Quell Reflect, Asphalt 6, and more. You will have to do a bit of searching to find the deals, however, as Amazon has neglected to conveniently compile them into a single landing page. Apple fans, you may be getting your iPad 3, but we challenge you to find deals like these. The beauty of free market app stores! [via DroidLife] |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 07:26 AM PST   Are we dreaming? Did you really think I wouldn’t make some sort of cheesy pun on the name of the latest device to get an official bootloader unlock from HTC? Yes, you might need to go an an archaeological expedition to find the handset but if you do you can head over to the HTCDev site and get to tinkering. So, is anyone out there still using the Dream? [via AndroidCentral] |
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Update - 159
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