Amazon Appstore Receives Minor Update

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Amazon has started pushing out an update for their Appstore tonight, bringing it to version 1.14. Along with a few compatibility fixes and stability improvements, Amazon has also included a new system to help avoid those accidental purchases.  
Now when you go to purchase an application, users will have to verify their choice instead of it going straight to downloading the application. This is a great feature to include, especially for those of us that have a tendency to go app crazy ( yes me included in that statement) and those of us that have smart kids that like to get a hold of our devices and download whatever there little hearts desire ( I have ran into this issue a time or two also).
If you do not get the push notification of the update you can easily manually update the application by going into the menu and then settings. In settings you will be given the option to check for updates manually.
So go ahead and update your Amazon Appstore application and enjoy!!!
Source:
Android Central

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Get Great Deals On Your Android Device With The Coupons App

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Are you a coupon buff?  Well, if you are, we’ve got something useful and productive for you to add to your arsenal of apps on your Android smartphone.  The Coupons App for Android gives you tons of great savings at many of the favorite stores you shop at.  The app features a great widget for your home screen, local gas prices and also encompasses a bar-code scanner for price comparisons.  There’s also an option to share a coupon with someone and pass that savings along if you want as well.  Want your Twitter and Facebook friends to see it also?  No problem, you can share it with them too.  Other features include voice search for coupons, the ability to save them to your calendar and sending coupons via SMS.  Check out this great app by heading over to our apps database where you’ll find a QR Code available or hit the Android Market up for the download.  As always, don’t forget to let us know what you think of the service in the comments below.  How do you think this app stands up to Groupon?  Hit the break for more screenshots and to check out the details from the developer.  

From The Develper:

The Coupons App features:
*Coupon WIDGET – Real-time coupons throughout your day.
*GAS pricing – Cheapest gas at local gas stations nearby.
*BARCODE scanner – Price comparison shopping tool.
*SHARE Coupon – Text & email coupons, Twitter coupons, even coupon sharing onto Facebook!
*VOICE search coupons – Fast, easy and hands-free coupon and product searching means it is now even easier to find exactly what you want at the lowest price available.
*SAVE Coupons – Coupon to calendar, one-tap maps navigate you to the nearest venue, phone the nearest location shown in each coupon and much more!
Coupons continuously update throughout each day, it’s like a fresh coupon buffet at your fingertips! Place the coupon widget onto your home screen and preview coupons instantly as they become available.
SMS Text coupon – sharing of coupons with any phone. You may even text each coupon to older analog phones without the Coupons App installed & on other carriers!
Search coupons – Coupon searching even while you stand in the store checkout line.
Redeeming coupons from The Coupons App is easy! Simply display coupon on your phone to cashier.

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ASUS Eee Pad TransformerNow Chugging Along at 1.6 GHz

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Not long ago we reported that the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer had been overclocked to 1.4 GHz. Never being satisfied, though, developers have cranked it up to 1.6 GHz, with 1.7 in sight. Reading through the thread over on XDA, it sounds like this new kernel is actually more stable than the one we last reported on.


While this kernel is appearing to be stable, that comes with the caveat that it has to run, as some people are seeing their Transformer freeze up when they overclock. Those who are able to get the tablet overclocked successfully though, seem to be blasting away at benchmarks, albeit at the cost of some battery life. Aside from pure shock at the numbers developers are starting to crank out of Tegra 2 chips, there’s not much left to say here.
With quad core phone’s around the corner it only makes it that much more incredible that there’s still this much left to squeeze out of the dual-core processors (although to be fair, we’ve been using dual cores for less than a year now). On a final note, when we reported that the Transformer had been overclocked to 1.4 GHz, we mentioned it was starting to near 5000 in Quadrant benchmarks…
I present to you the results of the kernel’s creator, XDA user Blades:

(That says 5308 by the way)
[via XDA]

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Google Working with HTC on Ice Cream Sandwich Nexus Phone?

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Some leaks suck. Your water bill goes up, its a mess, carpet can get ruined. Some leaks are freaking awesome. They reveal new phones, bring us pics of said phones and make me geek out for hours on end! This is the second kind. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Nexus 3.


This leak, courtesy of a brave soul in the Android Dev Labs, brings us an early look at a prototype of the HTC manufactured 3rd Nexus phone which we expect to launch with Ice Cream Sandwich late this year. Let’s see what we’ve got. First, as you can see above, there is a distinct lack of the usual hardware buttons. Ice Cream Sandwich is supposed to bring Honeycomb UI elements to phones, and it appears this includes the trading of hardware buttons for the action bar. While it is hidden by the thumb, there is also a front facing camera.
While this is obviously not a finished product, especially considering Ice Cream Sandwich is a ways off still, there are still a few more jewels to gleam here. First it was also noted that Google is testing both an HSPA+ and Sprint CDMA version of the phone, indicating we may see the phone’s initial launch be to multiple carriers. Also, since Google’s changed its mind over hero phones before, a la the Xperia Play, we only know that HTC is being considered.
As we draw closer to the end of the year, expect more details and a more solid idea of who will be building the next Nexus. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a phone to go drool over.
[via TechHog]

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New DROID Bionic Running Gingerbread Gets Benchmarked, Dual-core OMAP Replaces Tegra 2?

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We had to leave that big fat question mark at the end of the post title because there is something that just looks a little fishy about this new Nenamark benchmark that popped up in the last day or so with the name DROID Bionic attached to it.  Before we get into that though, let’s talk about what new goodness we’re seeing above.
First off, the PowerVR SGX 540 GPU stands out.  Why, you ask?  Well, because this GPU matches up to the new TI OMAP 4430 and 4440 dual-core processors that we’re pretty sure Motorola will be showing some favoritism to in the near future (in the DROID3).  This also means that the Tegra 2 by NVIDIA has been given the ax, which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise since most of the rumors surrounding the original delay of this device pointed at the T2 and 4G LTE not playing well together.  Maybe this new OMAP was able to show some LTE love?
The second thing we noticed is the “Android 2.3.3.” mention.  FINALLY, a phone in testing that’s not running Froyo.  The Bionic is slated to come out this summer, so it only makes sense that it would be running Gingerbread, but again, it’s just nice to finally see it.
The third thing is the screen resolution of 960×540.  qHD screen, anyone?  This could be both a positive and a negative which you can read up on over at this DROIDX2 post.
And now to the confusing part.  The Nenamark score of 24.0 flat is extremely odd.  If this benchmark actually happened, there would be a high, low and average – not just a single number.  It’s almost like the benchmark started, someone cancelled it, and Nenamark decided that was good enough to report.  Plus, the DROID3 pumped out a 45.20 on average just a couple of weeks ago, so there is no way the Bionic would put out anything less.
So we’ll take this as the Bionic finally going through testing, but we aren’t going to look at that number and criticize the hell out of it.  It’s either just getting prepared for testing and can’t perform or the benchmark was somehow cut off and then reported on.  Seeing OMAP is pretty interesting though, and something we’ll be paying close attention to over the next couple of months.  No more happy marriage between NVIDIA and Moto?  That sure was quick.

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Verizon May Be Holding Their Own “Private” Memorial Day Sale, Thunderbolts for $99

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Memorial Day weekend is sure shaping up to be all about cheap 4G smartphones.  First we had word out of Amazon that prices on all of their 4G phones would be slashed, and now we’re getting word that Verizon may be holding one of their own.  According to the text message received by one of our readers, certain customers are getting invites to an “exclusive Private Sale!” where they can pick up an HTC Thunderbolt for as little as $99.  Hello, steal.
We’re pretty sure this sale won’t be open to just anyone and is likely for those with upgrades available, but this may be worth checking your account over.  We know that Verizon is holding a variety of regional sales, some of which will get customers up to $50 off of any phone, but this one looks to be combining a few.  You’ll remember that this phone normally retails in Verizon stores for $249, so at half the price, you may want to see what kinds of negotiating skills you have.
And we’ll be digging for more details…

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DROIDX Gingerbread Update Soak Test Available (Updated)

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Our inbox blew up about an hour ago with readers who were able to “pull” the Gingerbread (Android 2.3) update for the DROIDX.  It’s tough to tell if all of these folks were “soak test” members or not, but we’ve known in the past that if the update goes live on Moto’s servers, that almost any can pull it.  So if you are running stock 2.2 and want to upgrade, now would be the time to check Settings>About>System Updates.
Oh, we should point out that our buddy @p3droid mentioned that you are able to SBF back to 2.3.340 afterwards in case this thing never gets rooted.
Update:  P3 is already preparing a .596 update for rooted users running the leaked .595.  Stay tuned, folks!

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XDA Dev Brings “Modern” Facebook Theme to Android

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The mod community over at XDA loves very few things more than customizing their devices. Hacks, mods, ROMs, skins…redesigning, overclocking, customizing launchers, creating new icons…this is what the dev community is all about, and the main thing that Android gets “oh so right.” XDA member adam2010 has brought a couple of new themes for the Android Facebook app that might interest you. One gives it a Windows Phone 7 feel (perfect if you run the WP7 Launcher), and the other two are considered “modern” themes, with a pretty slick look. Hit the source link to check ‘em out and get download instructions.

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Netflix extends its device support with-in the Android app

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Check out the latest updates to the Netflix app:

• Various minor bug fixes.
• Fixed application failure on startup when phone’s embedded storage space is almost full.
• Removed check that prevented attempt to playback on unsupported devices.
• Added support for LG Revolution, Motorola Droid and Casio G’zOne Commando C771.

That being said. you’ll notice that last bullet. Netflix has added additional support for three more devices. Nice to see them do this. This sets the list of supported devices at eight. The others being: HTC Incredible, HTC Nexus One, HTC Evo 4G, HTC G2, Samsung Nexus S. On top of this update, Netflix has removed the device check, that previously would not allow playback on devices that were unsupported. So i’d say download the app on your device, supported or not, and you just might get it to run.

TalkAndroid Apps

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T-Mobile G2x Issues And Resolutions Internal Document Leaked

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The T-Mobile G2x being pulled from the carriers online store recently spawned rumors that quality issues were behind it. But according to T-Mobile, they temporarily pulled the phone due to inventory constraints. However, they did admit to a having some issues that they plan to fix with an upcoming update. Now a leaked internal document reveals that they’re finally getting more serious about addressing them.


Since day one, the T-Mobile G2x had been plagued with problems such as random reboots, light leakage, and other quality issues. However, T-Mobile says that only a “small percentage” of its customers raised complaints, or in their words “commented about possible improvements.” The carrier did promise that it was working closely with LG to deliver an update to fix those issues.
An internal G2x Issues and Resolutions document surfaced today that shows that T-Mobile is finally trying to address a lot of the quirky problems. But many of the issues are still marked as pending resolution. Hopefully, the upcoming Gingerbread update will fix things. In the meantime, take a look at our G2x review.

[via TMoNews]

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ASUS Padfone, Android 3.1 for Transformer, and More at Computex 2011

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That cool company with the coolest tablet out there, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, is set to transform the game, as it were, at Computex 2011, coming soon to a Taipei near you. At this event it appears that they’ll be releasing at least one new device, possibly three. There’s some teaser frames to spice up your life below, right here in this post! Then remind yourself that you love new names, even weird ones, as a trademark has been registered by ASUS for the word “Padfone.”


Interesting how similar the text in this new logo looks, reminds on rather of a competing “pad” toting company, doesn’t it? Also note that it’s no artists rendering, it comes straight from the patent office. Is this one of the three (or 1, or just 2,) devices that ASUS is set to show off at Computex 2011? Bank on it. This is the same way we found out about the word XOOM, and look how that turned out!

Have a look here at these three images and tell us what you think of them – one, two, or three devices?
Finally we will be seeing the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer get some Android 3.1 Honeycomb next week, this according to some “inside sources” with This is My Next. Trust! This update will of course bring several new UI features such as advanced resizable widgets, an expanded multi-task switcher, and improved stability. It also adds, in this case, a docking station firmware update that will improve typing speeds, USB capability, and mouse tracking. This update may come out as soon as Monday, aka the first day of Computex 2011. Be there!

[via SlashGear]

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AMD Roadmap Leaked “DESNA” Tablets Detailed

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If you’ll remember back a few weeks we had a post up on AMD and their possible move to make chips that’d make some tablet-consumers very happy. Now there’s been one big massive leak of a multi-page roadmap for AMD floating around and what do you know? Tablets are here! The current arena of AMD’s chips contains AMD C-30 and C-50 chips that are straight up aimed at Intel’s Atom chips for notebooks. These new C-series chips include an iterated AMD Radeon graphics core that’s capable of handling 3D graphics acceleration and 1080p video playback. Sounds like its tablet party time.


These processors are not the same as the ones that’ll be coming out via these future plans, but they’re certainly suftboards on which the future is going to roll in on. The NEW set of chips is going to be a Fusion Z-Series and will be code-named “DESNA.” Reminds me of a similar code-naming of future chips we found out about back at Mobile World Congress. Desna chips are, according to these documents, set to support DirectX 11 graphics, Adobe Flash Player video acceleration, and smooth streaming of HD video. Hardware graphics acceleration for Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft Office 10, and Windows 7 visual effects are included too, which makes us think that they’ve got at least part of their vision set for Microsoft.
On the other hand, there’s always room for Android, right? Also as liliputing notes, Desna will certainly need to have low power consumption for long battery life in combination with high power if AMD hopes to compete with tablets using next-generation Intel Atom Oak Trail chips or ARM-based processors. What do you think, does AMD stand a chance?

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ZiiLabs JAGUAR Android dual and quad-core Reference Platforms Unveiled

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This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of ZiiLabs, but it seems as though each time they show their head they seem to fade back into the background as swiftly as they re-appeared. This time they’ve got a hankering for Honeycomb and they’ve got what appears to be some lovely reference tablets for OEM and ODM to be using to bring their own Android tablets running Android 3.x with speed and grace. What these tablets are also made for is housing the brand new ZMS-40 and ZMS-20 processors. These are dual-core and a quad-core chipsets, both at 1.5 GHz.


I’m sure you could go out and own one of these if you were just a regular user, but they certainly aren’d designed to look and feel like the most user-friendly pieces of industrial design. There are two designs (one for each chipset, I bet,) the first being a seven-inch, 1024×600 LCD toting tablet, the other having a ten-inch 1280×800 display. The odd thing about these displays is that they call for both capacitive AND resistive touchscreen functionality – they also support OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics and have front and rear-facing cameras. Another oddity is that they’re both five-megapixel cameras, making these the first 5-megapixel front-facing camera-toting Android devices.
Both of these devices are slated to be revealed at Computex next week, which we indeed will be running around at. What do you think? Something you feel like you want to pick up as a regular consumer? Check out the press release below:

ZiiLABS Announce JAGUAR Family of Android 3.X Reference Platforms
Modular Tablet Reference Designs Enable OEM’s to Meet the Growing Demand for Innovative Next-Generation Android Tablets
Singapore – 26th May 2011 – ZiiLABS, a pioneering media processor and platforms company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd), today introduced its JAGUAR family of high-performance, energy-efficient Android tablet reference platforms. The modular 7″ and 10″ tablets are designed for the latest Android 3.X compliance and leverage the superior performance, low-power consumption and rich-feature set of the latest ZiiLABS ZMS-20 and ZMS-40 StemCell Processors.
Engineered for high-quality, connected and immersive tablet computing, the JAGUAR platforms enable OEMs to meet the growing demand for next-generation Android tablets that deliver stunning 1080p high profile video playback, immersive OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics, high-quality HD video calling and a rich desktop browsing experience including Adobe Flash Player.
Based on a motherboard concept, the JAGUAR allows an OEM or ODM to bring to market their own Android 3.X tablets in the shortest possible time. The JAGUAR platforms combine the sleek Industrial Design templates (ID), proven high-speed system design and peripheral modularity required to enable OEMs and their ODM partners to innovate and differentiate critical components such as the LCD display, touch controller, cameras, ID and modem connectivity.
JAGUAR reference tablets based on the ZMS-20 will be shown in the ZiiLABS suite (Grand Hyatt Hotel Taipei, Grand Room, #1137) at the Computex 2011 tradeshow in Taipei, Taiwan between 31 May and 4 June. The ZMS-20 features 48 StemCell media processing cores and dual 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 MPCores.
“As consumer demand for a wide-range of smarter, more connected tablets increases, so do the OEMs’ needs to innovate while also shrinking their time-to-market” said Hock Leow, president of ZiiLABS. “The JAGUAR platform combines our deep understanding and experience working on consumer devices and tablets with our ZMS processors, reference platforms, software and certification know-how to deliver a state-of-the-art platform that minimizes the complexities of introducing next-generation tablets.”
“Timing is everything and a frenzied land-grab is taking place in the tablet computing market,” said Sim Wong Hoo, Chairman and CEO of Creative Technology. “Android 3.X and ZMS-20 are designed and engineered specifically for this new and exciting tablet market where growth is expected to approach 100 million next year. The JAGUAR platforms based on ZiiLABS’ ZMS-20 and ZMS-40 processors push performances to a new level that the world has never seen before and OEMs and ODMs can leverage this with JAGUAR to quickly stake a sizeable claim in this explosive market.”
Existing JAGUAR based tablet designs will be able to take advantage of 6 GHz of quad-core computing by migrating to the compatible quad ARM-Cortex-A9 based ZMS-40.
JAGUAR Platforms – Key Features
* Powered by ZiiLABS ZMS-20 and ZMS-40
o Dual and Quad Core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores with Neon
o 48 and 96 core floating point StemCell media processors
* Robust Android BSP and Middleware
* Designed for Android 3.0+ Compliance
* Modular Motherboard Design to enable OEM/ODM Customization
* Wide-angle 7″(1024×600) and 10″ (1280×800) LCD options
* Capacitive and Resistive LCD touch options
* Up to 2GB high-speed 64-bit memory
o High performance and low-power LPDDR2-800 for super high memory bandwidth of 6.4GBytes per second
o DDR2/DDR3 for low cost
* 5MP rear and HD front facing camera as standard
* Wi-Fi b/g/n, 3G/4G/WiMax and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
* GPS, accelerometer, digital compass and gyroscope
* Stereo speakers and dual Microphone array
* Up to 64GB internal storage
* USB 2.0 port
* SDHC Card sl
* Extended battery life with robust dynamic power management
* Instantaneous On feature
Availability
The JAGUAR Android reference tablets are sampling now. For additional information and to arrange meetings at Computex visit: www.ziilabs.com

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Microsoft Receives $5 Per Phone HTC Sells

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Oh my goodness what a wacky deal we’ve got going on here. It seems that amongst a few other announcements on money and where it’s going in the world of Microsoft, a tiny tip has emerged that’s about to have the streets rolling with Hamiltons. That’s right, HTC day is still Microsoft’s pay day. According to Citi analyst Walter Pritchard, who released a large report on Microsoft earlier this morning, Microsoft gets $5 for every HTC phone running Android they sell.


This amount of cash is coming out of HTC’s pocket on the daily according to this report, Pritchard also noting that this situation is due to a settlement with HTC over intellectual property infringement. In addition to this, Pritchard’s report details how Microsoft is suing “other” Android phone makers for anywhere between $7.50 to $12.50 per device. Hot cash!
The analyst works out that a rough estimate of the cash Microsoft gets per Windows Phone license in licensing fees is $15 – this, with an admitted 2 million licenses sold thus far puts the official revenue on Windows Phone at $30 million. In comparison, the number of HTC devices shipped with Android on them is around 30 million – if HTC payed $5 per unit to Microsoft, that’d be $150 million in revenue.
This is all part of a 2010 patent settlement between HTC and Microsoft in which technologies are in use by the former for which the IP is owned by the latter. Bug bummer for all those who love the Dr Dre of this situation!
[via SlashGear]

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SwiftKey X hits public beta today on Android Market

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If you are looking for a better onscreen keyboard for your Android device, a new app has landed in the Android Market that you might want to check out. The app is a public beta, so don’t expect it to run perfectly. It is called SwiftKey X and builds on the TouchType SwiftKey keyboard to offer cloud personalization and it has a new prediction engine. The app also has a bunch of UI improvements according to the developer.

The SwiftKey typing experience can be customized to the user by integrating data from Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail as the SMS messages are sent. The typing style is fine tuned to match the way you use your phone for more efficiency. The prediction engine is also able to adapt the touch sensitive areas of the keys to allow predictions based on the way the user types.
There is a host of other features in the new beta app. The settings menu is redesigned from other versions of the app, it has a next gen fluency interface engine, the response times are improved, and the battery usage is reduced. The app also has improved typo and spelling correction. Any word can also be removed from prediction, not just words populated dynamically. Check out the Android Market page for all of the details.

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Official Galaxy Tab 10.1 accessories all caught on video

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We really like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet a lot around here and we have reviewed that limited edition version already and are looking forward to the retail version landing. Monday the official accessories turned up on a European website with prices and availability on some of them listed. There was a number of accessories including cases and lots more there for fans of the tablet to check out.


If the photos that accompanied the accessories on that European website weren’t enough to allow you to decide which to buy, they have turned up on a video over on Andoridmixer. I don’t understand the language the guy on the video is speaking, but you can see the accessories in action. The normal hard case looks nice. The leather case is nothing but a pouch; I would go with the hard case.
The video goes over the dock and just about everything else as well. The keyboard dock is the one that didn’t have a pic on the post earlier this week. It looks really nice. The right shift key is small, which is a pet peeve of mine. Anyway, check out the video to see the stuff in action.

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Xperia Play finally lands at O2 UK, available in black or white

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It took a while, but that O2-exclusive white Xperia Play is finally with us. Earlier this month, the UK carrier had promised to deliver the Play in June, but evidently things have gone better than expected, as we now see "in stock" signage next to both the black and white models of Sony Ericsson's gaming phone. Pricing is identical for both color variants, starting at "free" when attached to expensive (£34 per month) two-year contracts and peaking at £430 ($702) on pre-pay deals. O2 also throws in a matching multimedia dock plus three bonus games to sweeten the deal. We're guessing that Android 2.3.3 update that Sony Ericsson just rolled out for the Xperia Play might finally have allayed O2's software concerns, which has allowed it to now start selling the device in earnest.  

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HTC officially launches Wildfire S in India for INR 14700

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HTC India today officially launched Gingerbread powered Wildfire S in India. The smartphone has been on preorder at various online stores for last two days. Company has priced it at INR 14,700 and it is now available for purchase at all the major retail stores.

HTC Wildfire S is the third device of the series of Android devices unveiled at Mobile World Congress. Other devices which are still waiting to be released are HTC Chacha, Salsa and Flyer.
You can check more on the specifications of HTC Wildfire here  HTC website.

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Samsung Galaxy S II Tops iPhone 4 This Month in UK

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The Samsung Galaxy S II was released earlier this month and it has already  passed up the iPhone 4 in the UK. Yay! That much is according to uSwitch.com, anyway, who monitors sales and mobile searches. Is this really a victory for Samsung, though? The iPhone 4 was released last summer to all regions and still sits in the top three list next to Samsung and HTC. To keep such a spot for so long is a victory in and of itself. I’m obviously playing devil’s advocate for Apple here (I know, how blasphemous) but facts are facts. Here’s hoping Samsung (or any other Android manufacturer) can stay on top for the long haul. [IntoMobile] 

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Jamendo Player For Android, Available For Download In The Market (Video)

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Jamendo Player is one of the latest players to hit the market and offers a few nice extras as well.  The app is dubbed the largest Creative Commons-licensed music catalog around and offers content discovery from works of independent artists all over the world.  Search for any and all content related to your favorite artist and create a playlists for continuous playback as well.  The player has a nice, clean and crisp UI offering you an extreme interactive experience.  Best thing about the app is, it’s all free, legal & unlimited!, says Jamendo.com.  Hit the break to check out some screen shots and a video of the app in action.  The video is of version 1.0 but you can get a basic feel for the UI and how interactive the application really is just as well.

 

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SoundHound creators offer new app called Hound

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The developer behind the app SoundHound app that we wrote about last in December 2010 has announced a new app for Android users. The new app is called simply Hound and is a voice search app for music. Users of the full version of the SoundHound app on the Android Market have noted in the reviews for Hound that the full version of SoundHound already has voice search. This is apparently aimed at people that don’t want to spend the $4.99 on the full version, but want voice search.

Hound claims to be the app that will help smartphones move from touch screens to voice searching. The app is a free download on the Android Market and on the Amazon Appstore for Android. The app will let you search for millions of songs using song title, artist, and band. You can get song previews, lyrics, and lots of artist information. That artist info includes album lists and the top songs.
Other features of the app include links to Amazon MP3 to buy the tracks, share links, video links, and links to tour dates and more. The app will run on any device with Android 1.5 or higher. The download size is 3.1M and it was added to the Android Market on May 26. If you have used this app let us know how well it works.

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Android users spurn paid apps say researchers

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New stats seemingly confirm anecdotal evidence that Android users are less likely to download paid applications than their Apple-using counterparts. According to researchers Distimo, 80-percent of paid applications in the Android Market have been downloaded less than 100 times.

In the competitive gaming segment, only five titles in the Android Market have been downloaded more than 250,000 worldwide. In contrast, ten iPhone games in the App Store were downloaded in excess of 250,000 times in the US in the past two months alone. It’s a trend that’s seemingly shared across app segments, too:

“It is more challenging for developers in the Google Android Market than in the Apple App Store to monetize using a one-off fee monetization model. We found that only two paid applications have been downloaded more than half a million times in the Google Android Market worldwide to date, while six paid applications in the Apple App Store for iPhone generate the same number of downloads within a two month timeframe in the United States alone.” Distimo

Distimo suggests that Google’s slow rate of change of the top ten charts – which incorporates long-term performance and as such varies at a slower pace than Apple’s charts – is a significant cause of the download scarcity. That means there’s less fresh meat for users to see and be tempted by.

You can download the full Distimo report here [free registration required].

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Asus Eee Pad Slider set to hit stores soon

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One of the more interesting tablets to come from Asus in recent memory is the Eee Pad Slider that was unveiled months ago during CES. We have all been waiting to hear when the Slider would hit stores so we can purchase the thing and have our keyboard packing Android tablet love. The standout feature of the Slider and what gives the tablet its name is the slide out keyboard. The screen tilts up at a slight angle when the keyboard is exposed for more comfortable working.

That screen is a 10.1-inch unit with a 1280 x 800 resolution. The tablet uses an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor at 1GHz and runs Honeycomb. Other than the launch date, the other key factors we are lacking is how much the tablet will cost. I hope that Asus makes the Slider a reasonably priced tablet, if the price is pushed too high it will be a hard sell to many shopping for an Android tablet.
We don’t have an official launch date on the Slider at this point, but a tweet from Asus has surfaced. The teasing tweet read, “For those of you waiting for the Eee Pad Slider, we’ve got some good news for you: its launch is due soon!” Often makers of gadgets have different opinions for just what “soon” means than many of us do so for now it’s still wait and see on the Slider. Until the launch, you can check out the hands on video and photos over on sister site SlashGear.
[via Tabletpcreview, Slashgear]

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Android devs hit by Lodsys in-app patent legal threats

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The patent holder targeting iOS App Store developers over their use of in-app purchasing systems has apparently turned its attention to Android developers now, with at least one coder claiming to have received a legal threat over their software. Lodsys grabbed headlines after issuing independent App Store developers with demands for patent licensing over some of the technologies used in in-app purchasing systems, despite Apple having already licensed those patents.

“We recently implemented in-app purchases for our Android application” Android developer markusn82 writes, “and several weeks later we received a letter from Lodsys, claiming that we infringed on their patents.” So far we’re yet to hear from any other developers similarly targeted.
Apple has announced its intent to support iOS developers, arguing that it licenses the Lodsys patents under an agreement that allows it to offer the resulting technologies to its business partners and customers. The expectation is that Google will take a similar stance.
[via MacRumors]

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Breaking: HTC to unlock all bootloaders

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Wow, breaking just now it seems that after all the talk and discussion on Facebook and Twitter over the last few days has finally made HTC listen. Many users and me included all retweeted tons of comments regarding HTC and their somewhat new policy of having locked bootloaders on their devices. Even yesterday we reported on this so it seems HTC has moved fast. This has been a huge issue in the past for Motorola and they have also claimed to be unlocking future devices as well. Official comment below.

This comes as a huge surprise tonight because this has all just happened over the past few days. This larger outcry for HTC to unlock the bootloaders on their popular android devices has got a lot of attention as of late, and the voice has only been getting louder. Devices like the upcoming HTC Sensation that everyone loves, but many wont get if its bootloader is locked.
We have just got the official word and will be updating this story as soon as we hear anything more, just wanted to get this news out to all our readers as soon as possible. So now the question is when will all these devices be changed? Will this policy be on future releases only? Will the upcoming HTC Sensation 4G set to launch on T-Mobile June 8th have a locked bootloader? Do they have enough time to change it? Original leaks show it indeed is locked, but that was before this breaking news. Stay tuned for more information as this is just hitting the wire.

“There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we’ve listened. Today, I’m confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience,” Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.
Please note that more specific details will be shared at a later date.

Here is the official twitter announcement by @HTC

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Galaxy Tab 8.9 Hits the FCC, Coming Soon!

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I know you all are just like me and are excited and anxiously awaiting the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 to hit store shelves. Its super thin and will most likely be a big seller. I think 8.9″ is the perfect size and feels just right in the hand. Recently we mentioned the Tab 10.1 would be hitting stores in the next few days, and now we are seeing the Tab 8.9 hit the FCC. Things are looking better and better and hopefully I can get my hands on this device soon. Check out our Galaxy Tab 10.1 hands-on while you are here.

Our friends and AndroidCentral have just got word that the Galaxy Tab 8.9 has hit the FCC. This device is being called the “GT-P7310″ and you can see more about that here. The Galaxy Tab line will now all be shipping with the updated Android Honeycomb version 3.1 and should be amazingly thin like we have already seen.
I personally cant wait to have the Galaxy Tab 8.9″ for myself as I’ll probably be taking it everywhere I go, It just feels right. So will you be getting the 8.9″ or will you opt for the larger 10.1″ that will be here soon? Or get the Asus Transformer that is out now? To keep you all excited I’ll go ahead and post the latest hands-on we have seen of the Galaxy Tab 8.9″ for your viewing pleasure. Sorry but it is not in English but we only need our eyes for this video.

[via Android Central]

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XPERIA Play and Arc Android 2.3.3 update released with Facebook Inside [Video]

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Sony Ericsson has begun pushing out its Android 2.3.3 update the the XPERIA Arc and XPERIA Play. The update includes the new Facebook Inside XPERIA functionality which Sony Ericsson debuted on the XPERIA min and mini pro.

That inserts deeper Facebook integration through the various preloaded apps, including the ability to “Like” the track you’re currently listening to in the media player, share updates more quickly, and pull Facebook events down into the phone’s calendar.
There’s also various other bugfixes and the like, along with Google’s own minor improvements in 2.3.3. It’s rolling out progressively across markets – no word on which is first at this stage – so don’t be surprised if the update doesn’t show up on your phone quite yet. Sony Ericsson has also confirmed that the Gingerbread update for the XPERIA X10 will include Facebook Inside XPERIA too.

• Battery performance
• General software stability
• Wi-Fi stability
• HD Video recording performance (Xperia arc)
• Touch responsiveness

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Looking To Pick Up An Asus Transformer? Use NowInStock To Keep Tabs On Retailer’s Stock Status

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Official word from Asus is that they can’t make enough Transformers to keep up with demand, something that’s perhaps not surprising given that the tablet maintains high-end specs but a low-end price. Luckily for some users, keeping a hawkish eye on (r)etailer’s websites has allowed them to snatch one up when the seller was lucky enough to get a few in stock. Now, however, there’s an easier way, called NowInStock.

The service keeps tabs on a whole host of retailers and checks the stock situation every minute so that it’s always up to date. Not only that, but as you can see, it shows the specific model and the price – impressive. Certainly makes being a hawk much simpler, doesn’t it?

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T-Mobile: G2x Unavailable Due to Demand

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T-Mobile’s gotten back to the community regarding some rumors circulating related to the G2x. Yesterday, it was discovered that the G2x was removed from their online store and was hard to find on in-store shelves, with only traces of it ever existing being several accessories available for purchase.
The original rumor questioned whether or not it was due to quality issues. To be more specific, users have been complaining about random reboots and freezes since the device’s inception, a problem that plagued even the international version, the Optimus 2X. LG has since released an update to address these issues for the Optimus 2X, but couldn’t say if or when the G2x would get it.
Other issues include bad battery life and bad light bleeds at the corners of the device. T-Mobile’s chimed back in to say that it hasn’t been made unavailable due to these issues, though. Instead, it’s in such high demand that they can’t sell it. Here’s their official statement on the matter:

The T-Mobile G2X with Google has been a highly popular device with both customers and employees since its launch last month, and high demand has resulted in inventory constraints, which we are working with LG to address.

There it is, then. Let’s just hope they really are working on addressing the issues that many have been facing, though.

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mSpot Gets Update, Combines Your Music With Internet Radio

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Up until now, there have been two types of music services to choose from (aside from local media, of course) – streaming radio like Pandora or Slacker, or personal content streaming with services like Google Music or Amazon Cloud Player. mSpot is looking to change the game, however, by combining the two.
The updated mSpot Music app really is a great idea – it combines your personal music collection with streaming music discovery radio. This is the type of service that I have wanted for quite some time now, because while I love to listen to my own music collection, I’m always looking for new artists to check out. Of course, with any new service such as this, implementation is key. Join me for a quick look for this new service to see how well it actually works.
First off, you need to an mSpot account to take advantage of the new services, so head over the mSpot.com and register for one. Nothing has changed in the area of cloud storage – you can still get 5GB for free, but if you need more storage space, you can bump it up to 40GB for $3.99 per month.

Finished with that? Great, now you can now start uploading your tunes. One very nice feature of mSpot is the option to change the audio quality during the upload process, which helps to save space and also improves streaming. I stayed with the "good" setting; but, then again, I’m no audiophile. As long as my music doesn’t sound grainy, then I’m good to go. If you prefer a higher bitrate, there are also options for "better" and "best." The actual bitrates are as follows:

• Good: 48kbps AAC+
• Better: 64kbps AAC+
• Best: 96kbps AAC+

  

With all the fluff out of the way – lets dig into what’s new with the app/service. Visually, the app looks basically the same, with a minor tweak: radio has now taken the place of songs in the tabs that run across the top (there is an "All Songs" playlist now to take its place). Within the radio tab, there are a few options:

• Suggested Station – it collects data from the music that you frequently listen to to create stations according to your particular taste in music.
• mSpot Radio – like the name states, these are stations created specifically for use with mSpot.
• Internet Radio – this one offers a much larger selection of stations from all across the great wide internet.
• Personal Radio – stations that you’ve either created or listened to.

 

Once you choose a station to play, you are presented with the normal "Now playing" screen, with the addition of the typical internet radio-type controls in the navigation: block song, tag song, play, and next. As with other music discovery services, you are limited to the amount of songs that you can skip. mSpot chose to ration its users to 6 per hour, but I figure that if you’re skipping more than 6 tracks per hour, you’re probably jamming the wrong station.
All in all, the radio feature is exactly what you would expect. It’s good, but not yet great – there were a few instances when I tried to create a station from a particular artist and was presented with a "No stations found for insert artist here." although, I’m sure that as the service gains momentum, they’ll be adding more artists to the radio service.

  

There are also a few new features in the settings menu, like a lockscreen widget and EQ. Yes, EQ. I don’t know about you, but I was extremely excited when I found this feature as an EQ is something that is lacking from most Android music apps. While the EQ is still quite basic, it does provide enough control to tweak how your tunes sound with little hassle, which is a huge win in my book.
Overall, I would say that this whole update is a huge win, too, and I highly recommend everyone give it a shot. The combination cloud storage and music discovery is something that we’ve needed for a long time – and the added bonuses (like EQ) are just icing on the cake.
The app is free in the Market, but you’ll need to sign up for mSpot’s service in order to fully utilize it.

mSpot Music

mSpot Music

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NEW

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PRICE DROP

by mSpot, Inc.

>250,000 downloads, 6916 ratings (3.9 avg)

Free

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