Archive for the ‘Android’ Category

Thursday, Google announced some new features that are coming to all of their Android-based phones.

First up was Google Voice Actions, an app that will run off the Google Search widget and will allow users to control their phones with voice commands.  Google Voice Actions takes things a step further, allowing users to dictate text messages, send e-mails, write notes, make calls, initiate music and search the Web for information.

Chrome to Phone is an application that allows Android users to send information from their desktop Chrome browser to their Android phones.  With Chrome to Phone, users can send links, driving directions, bookmarks and other information directly from the browser to their phone. Chrome to Phone is a Google Chrome extension, which is an add-on to the browser.

And finally, the new Google Search widget for Android adds addresses and ratings to local search queries. Also, as users type queries, they can refine them further by tapping the pencil icon that appears to the right of search suggestions.

If you own the HTC EVO 4G, get ready for a major upgrade coming in the next few days.  Android 2.2 is on its way with numerous improvements and enhancements that will make the device capable of even more than it already is!  Some of the worthwhile improvements will include better battery life, faster processing, and Flash 10.1.  Check out the outline below to see what else is coming!

This update also includes:

• Ability to share applications
• Display events and birthdays from Facebook on Calendar
• Use camera LED as flashlight
• New user interface for the FM radio
• Add unknown users in Facebook as friends in Friend Stream
• Photo Gallery supports Facebook comments function
• Send contact as vCard using SMS
• Addition of MMS slideshow editor
• New pre-loaded widgets including Calculator, FM radio, Message list view, Profile settings and Ringtone settings
• Camcorder can use camera flash so video can be shot at night or in low light
• Numeric PIN and alpha-numeric passwords to unlock screen
• Search widget and search bar able to switch to search in different types (web, specific application, or all)
• Adjustable alarm volume
• Android Market widget allows installation of applications on SD card

Keep watching your devices over the next 4 days for this update!  If you’re overly anxious about it like me, keep trying to update your device manually by going to Menu > Settings > System updates > HTC software update.

Sweet!  A new game has been released that allows for Apple iDevice users to play Android users in head-to-head combat.  In Skies of Glory, you take the cockpit of a classic fighter plane and you dogfight against each other via the internet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.  Check out the trailer below to see some of the action!

Also, if you’re interested in other cross platform games (for Android vs iDevices), check out Raging Thunder 2 or Homerun Battle 3D!

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Best Buy announced its m:IQ backup service in October of 2009, and we haven’t really heard anything else about it for Android until recently. 

Now, m:IQ backs up your Android smartphone to the web, and that includes your:

• Contacts
• Calendar
• Text Messages
• Calls
• Bookmarks
• Photos
• Videos

and then even allows you to access all of it via the World Wide Web! 

Search for it in the app catalog, or by visiting the website at http://miqlive.com/

PC Mag has released a list of the top free apps for your mobile phone.  Take a look to see what they suggested below:

The Top 40 Free iPhone Apps
The Top 30 Free Google Android Apps
The Top 10 Free BlackBerry Apps
The Top 10 Free Palm webOS Apps
The Top 5 Free Symbian Apps
The Top 5 Free Windows Phone Apps

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Google is getting ready to rollout a simple-to-use do-it-yourself application maker for its Android smartphones and tablet devices.

Instead of using lines of code, the App Inventor will use visual programming to allow users to create their own apps for submission to the catalog, or instant upload to their devices!  The programming language will allow you to create an app with access to everything from the GPS to the phone function itself.  Go to their site to register for the beta version and hope you get selected!

Check out the video below!

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According to Engadget, there could be an update coming to all HTC EVO 4G phones over the air next week.  From what they’ve gathered, it is said to enable 802.11n on the device (SWEET), fix some Microsoft Exchange issues, and improve battery life.

Then on top of this, Google and Sprint are pleased to announce that Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) will be released VERY soon and will with it will bring the arrival of Adobe Flash 10.1.

"As work on finalizing the software is underway, Sprint expects to launch Android 2.2 in the near future.  It will also be available as an upgrade on the recently launched HTC EVO 4G. With the Android 2.2 upgrade, customers can expect improvements to include the following benefits among others: updates to user interface, improved EAS Support, improved Browser Performance including Flash 10 Support, voice dialing over bluetooth and application storage on external memory."

Keep your eyes fixed to my site for more information as it happens!

CNET is reporting that Google is looking into starting up its own online music store later this year.  With Google Music, you’d be able to stream your music or buy and download tracks similar to Amazon Music without the need of a software client like iTunes to do so. 

Once the service is in place and operating smoothly, Google plans on integrating Android into the mix so that you’ll have your music with you no matter where you go on your portable Android device.  This integration is said to take place some time in 2011.

Meet Motorola’s answer to the EVO 4G… introducing the Droid X.  Given, it’s no 4G phone, but the screen size, processing power, and more are attractive enough to entice any Verizon Wireless subscriber. 

Coming July 15, 2010 the phone will retail for $199.99 with a $100 mail-in rebate (unless you go to Best Buy and it’s only $199 with a 2-year agreement).

The Droid X will feature:

• A swift 1Ghz OMAP processor
• Full HTML browser
• Pinch and zoom interface
• Android market with 65,000 apps and growing
• 3G mobile hotspot support
• 4.3” capacitive WVGA touch screen display (854 x 480)
• 8.0 Mega-pixel camera with dual LED flash
• HD camcorder that films in 720p
• DLNA and HDMI connectivity for streaming high-def content to your compatible devices
• 8GB on-board storage (16GB removable… expandable to 40GB via SD card)
• Audible turn-by-turn Google Maps navigation
• 8 hours of talk time, 220 hours of standby
• Supports Skype mobile, Blockbuster On-Demand and V-Cast Video
• Adobe Flash Player 10.1
• Android 2.2

“Motorola designed Droid X to push the extreme limits of Android innovation, and enable you to do even more with your mobile device.  We are breaking down barriers so that you can experience the Web the way it was meant to be and create, share and view content like never before, either in your hand or in your home.” – Motorola Mobile Devices CEO, Sanjay Jha

SWEET!

Best Buy revealed that they are going to offer an exclusive white colored HTC EVO 4G on July 11, 2010 for the same price of $199 with a two-year contract.  You can reserve yours now by visiting any Best Buy store nationwide and paying $50 down.

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They knew well before the release date, but Qik has announced that the Qik video chat service on the HTC EVO 4G will remain free.  What they’ve done is added premium features, at $5 a month, to the service to make it a little more enticing to pay for the perks.

The monthly $5 premium perks will include 2-way video calling at resolutions higher than 640 x 480, unlimited video archiving, unlimited video mail, group video access, automatic video downloads to computer, ability to take photos while recording video, and priority technical support.

Qik will be offering the premium service for free up until July 15, 2010 if you want to test it out.  Swing by their official blog for more information!  http://qik.com/blog/newqik/

Check out the video below to see the video calls in action!

The HTC EVO 4G from Sprint is available now (where you can find it).

At a recent Android keynote, Vic Gundotra (Vice-President of Engineering for Google) announced that Android is now seeing 100,000 new activations per day.  That places them in the number 2 spot of active smartphones, with Blackberry (RIM) in the top spot and Apple holding in the number 3 spot. 

Also announced was the upcoming firmware Froyo (which I covered last week), and it was revealed that the tethering and wireless hotspot capabilities will only be available if the cell carriers will allow it. 

“Lockheimer (Google’s Engineering Program Manager) said that Android doesn’t do anything special to tag data that’s being accessed through tethering, though carriers could probably find a way to detect it if they really wanted to. But they probably won’t have to, because Android is making it easy for carriers to either charge extra for, or disable entirely, tethering on the phones they sell.”

I say give it time… some brilliant hackers out there will find a way around it and will unlock it for the masses to enjoy!

Google Android is about to have another firmware update, codenamed Froyo or 2.2, that will bring some pretty impressive features to all Google Android devices.

Two of them is Tethering and Mobile Hotspot support.  This has become a major feature with all new smartphones on the market today.  Tethering allows you to connect the phone to a computer and turn it into a virtual modem for the computer to use to access the Internet.  Mobile Hotspot allows you to use the Wi-Fi feature of the phone to provide a Wi-Fi signal to other devices so they can access the Internet through your phone.

The third feature the firmware will bring with it is Adobe Flash support.  This is crucial for viewing videos and other interactive content on the Internet.

There’s no release date for the firmware at the writing of this article, but it’s said to be very soon.

With the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint, you’re going to have the ability to conduct video calls with the forward facing camera that the phone contains (of course the other person you’re talking to will need a similar feature on their phone).  They are using the Qik application to conduct the call, and I’ll let the video below do the rest of the explaining.

The HTC EVO 4G will arrive June 4, 2010 to stores like Best Buy, Radio Shack, and Sprint Stores.  Pre-orders are available now at Best Buy and Radio Shack!

Google is going to introduce Android-based TV software to developers this May (19th and 20th) at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco.

The software will be loaded into set-top boxes, TV’s, and other devices, and will allow for access to the Internet and more.  Currently many companies like Sony, Intel, Dish Network, and Logitech are all interested in the software’s capabilities and would like to offer products with the software pre-loaded.

Sony is planning to announce devices using the Google-based TV software during the conference.

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