Droid Bionic Still Coming, but Might Get Cosmetic Overhaul; Leaked Pics Show Current State

TweetAndroid Central has some pictures of the Droid Bionic that have been leaked recently, but also bring news that it’s likely to be undergoing some changes between now and release. These pictures may be the last time we see the Bionic in its current incarnation. According to a Motorola fact sheet, the Bionic will be getting some big changes before it releases, but it will indeed still see the light of day, sometime this summer. Judging from the pictures, it appears that Motorola has abandoned its Blur UI for this device, apparently being released with stock Froyo. Check More on AC[via AC] ...

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Plex plays nice with your Honeycomb slate after app update

TweetWe've praised Plex in the past for delivering us box-free XMBC and for it's prodigious media streaming proficiency. Problem is, its app wasn't optimized for the Honeycomb OS and the upsized screen real estate of Android slates -- until now. With the updated code comes tablet-friendly layouts and fast-scrolling in all grid and list views so you can zip through your large local media library. It also includes direct play and internet streaming sans-transcoding (just like the recently revised iOS app) for sating those right now vid cravings. The improvements serve smaller Android devices as well, which makes the newly egalitarian app more enticing than ever before. Best of all, it's still only five bucks.  ...

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Toshiba's ET100/WT100 Honeycomb tablet clears the FCC

Tweet  Toshiba's forthcoming Honeycomb tablet is already headed to Japanese stores as the Regza AT300, but it's been a bit slower in arriving stateside. Now it seems the company could be close to shipping a real, working product here in the US. The still unnamed slate -- dubbed the ET100/WT100 for now -- has won FCC approval for its 802.11n and Bluetooth radios. To recap, the slate will have a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, run on NVIDIA's Tegra 2 platform, and sport dual cameras, HDMI and USB ports, an SD card reader, and, possibly, a removable battery. We say, bring it o...

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Android Market gets “Tablet Apps” section

TweetGoogle today released a featured tablet applications section in web Android Market. I am not yet sure about its presence on Android Market version on Honeycomb tablets, but it won’t take long to have it.It is currently showcasing 69 apps right now, which I suppose will increase in the coming days.  ...

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[Instructions] How To Root The Verizon Samsung Droid Charge

TweetNeither z4root nor SuperOneClick is currently working on the Charge (though I’m sure someone will come up with a one-click method soon enough), but guess what – Gingerbreak sure does. Follow these instructions, and you should have root and full /system unlock on your Droid Charge in a few minutes. Credit goes to the Exploid Crew and unnamed testers.No custom recovery, such as ClockworkMod or RA, is available yet, but it is surely going to arrive very soon. ProsPermanent root Read/write access to /system The bootloader is factory unlocked, so no additional fiddling is required All Droid Charges survived testing No data wipe is needed Cons Voids warranty Could brick your phone if you aren’t careful Android Police and Team AndIRC...

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Create Your Own Theme Music With “My Piano” For Android

Tweet Isn’t it obvious?  I think everyone should have a high end piano or keyboard app on their smartphone, you know, just in case that tune enters your mind and you want to get it down before it has the chance to escape?  You know what I’m talking about.  My Piano, by developer Borce Trajkovski, has quite a number of features that will come as a surprise for such a compact little app.  Tickle the ivories on command with this innovative new piano application.  Unlike most piano apps, you can even record your voice and play it back in several pitches or keys on the piano for a good laugh.  And this is sure to keep those kiddos busy for quite some time during that long commute.  Just add the app along...

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Brighten Up Your Day With “Symphony of Colors” Live Wallpaper

TweetLooks like maxelus.net is at it again with another one of their stunning live wallpapers.  Symphony of Colors is a fantastic looking live wallpaper that is sure to make your desktop stand out, especially if you have an AMOLED, Super AMOLED or Super AMOLED Plus screen on your device.  Animations have a cool smooth rhythm to them and can even be manipulated with a simple touch or swipe either left, right, up or in the down direction of the desktop.  There are several different colors supported in the app for you to choose from, so feel free to select the color that best describes your mood, turning your device into a mood ring, if you will.  Ready to try it out?  Head on over...

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Samsung Galaxy S II Rooted by Chainfire

TweetThis Kernel whipped up by Chainfire gave him a load of issues for one reason or another and he explains that it’s not a traditional or “proper” CF-Root. One of the reasons Chainfire has for this is that he’s like the majority of the rest of us, and also doesn’t actually have the device in hand! What he’s made this on is more than likely the early build of the phone released before the actual hardware is ready to take off across the whole world. What this project amounts to at the moment is the XWKDD kernel in “insecure” mode, this meaning that you’re going to be using “adb root” command followed by grabbing root shell using adb shell.With this lovely shell you’re going to be able to remount / system read/write, push su / Superuser,...

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Sony Ericsson to reveal Xperia X10 Mini, Mini Pro successors next week?

TweetIt is rumored that Sony Ericsson will launch the successors to its Xperia X10 Mini and Mini Pro Android devices in May, and the launch could take place as early as next week.Codenamed Mango and Smultron, these phones run on Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread builds and feature 1 GHz processors. Other specs are likely to include three inch displays clubbed with 5MP camera and added front cam.This rumor is accompanied by an additional piece of information that one more Android device can be launch at the same time or will company just make W8 walkman phone official?Via eprice  ...

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Things We Missed You Shouldn't

TweetLooking back on this week in Android some pretty big stories stand out. Verizon launched two new Android devices and delayed another, the Samsung DROID Charge due to 4G LTE outages; the Atrix 4G and Inspire 4G finally received HSUPA support through new updates; and then there are the leftovers, which you can find below. TGIF!Samsung goes on the offensive. Broadens their patent infringment claim against Apple. [Electronista]LG has the worst timing. Launches Black the same day as the Galaxy S II.The Motorola PRO is not headed to the UK, says retailer. [EuroDroid]Telus’ Samsung Fascinate 4G will be out May 8th.Telus is dropping the original Fascinate to $0 in anticipation. The Nexus S is also on sale for $99 on a three-year contract.Some of those lucky enough to receive the Asus...

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HTC Thunderbolt Receives Update With Enhanced 3G Connectivity and Messaging Fixes

TweetRemember that new HTC Thunderbolt software that leaked a little over a week ago? It’s prepped and ready for installation, as Verizon has updated their support page to reflect the latest tweaks and enhancements that will hit their first 4G LTE handset. The main fix here is enhanced 3G data connectivity, which should alleviate some of the 4G/3G switching problems some users have experienced. Messaging fixes correct incorrectly displayed SMS and MMS messages. As is usual, expect this one to roll out over the next couple of weeks, so don’t panic if it doesn’t hit your handset this weekend. See the full release notes at the source link below, and let us know in the comments when you receive your update.[via Verizo...

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[New App] File Manager HD Is A Honeycomb Optimized File Browser For Your Tablet

TweetUp until now, if you needed a file manager on your Honeycomb tablet you were stuck using one that was designed for phone versions of Android, which didn’t always translate well to the larger screen. Software developers Rhythm Software saw this issue, grabbed it by the horns, and took care of it. The end result? File Manager HD.File Manager HD is the first file manager specifically designed for Honeycomb tablets (according to the developer). It offers a slew of useful features: * Based on Android 3.0 new feature and theme * High definition(1280*800) support * 3 sets of commercial icons for 60+ different file types, toolbar and menu items * Cut, copy, paste and cancellable progress dialog * List and grid view for file browsing...

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Sprint News, Motorola Xoom WiFi Available May 8th

TweetSprint has announced that it will be offering the WiFi only version of the Motorola Xoom for a mere $599.99. Between you and me, thats a bit pricey. Especially if you stack it up to some of the other recently released tablets with a better price. But thats the deal, ‘eh?This was the first tablet device to run Honeycomb. Android 3.0 mobile operating system, was specifically designed with the tablet platform in mind. Along with Android 3.0, the tablet can boast 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB internal RAM memory and 32GB onboard user memory,rear-facing 5-megapixel and front-facing 2-megapixel camera, both capable of HD video, and 10.1-inch widescreen HD display. And the fact that its a WiFi device, there is no required contract....

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Fring Mobile Group Video out of beta

Tweet “There is no reason why users need to run home to their PC in order to have a ‘spontaneous’ video call with their friends and family,” said Avi Shechter, co-founder and CEO of Fring. “…we are the first to give users the ability to see all their friends on their phone at the same time, anywhere.”Fring started the video chat revolution back in 2009, introducing mobile phones to mobile video chat that was one to one and largely fairly dodgy. But as phones have gotten more powerful and networks faster, so has the quality of the calls. And with smartphones moving towards multi-core processors, the ability make group video chat calls is a natural next step. So it makes sense that Fring would be blazing that trail.The group video chat...

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HTC Inspire ROM Update Enables HSUPA – Hands On Test

TweetWhen we heard that the HTC Inspire 4G has a ROM update enabling HSUPA for better data speeds, we had to give it a try ourselves. After some fits and starts, not finding the update, and then having some downloading difficulties, our own Ben Bajarin got it installed. So how did it do?Here the speed test before:And here it is after:If you notice there isn’t much difference, and also that the speeds are pretty slow, that isn’t really a reflection on the update. Ben lives out in the boonies and can’t really get a great connection. We will be updating this post with a non-boonies test soon.Meanwhile, have you updated? What kinds of speeds are you seeing? The update will be sent out over the air, but you can also check for it yourself,...

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Motorola Atrix update now official

TweetTo update your Atrix phone, AT&T advises connecting to a WiFi hotspot or private WiFi network. Users will then receive an OTA update notification. Select “Download” and then “Install Now” once the download has completed. The Atrix will automatically restart. Please note that if not connected via Wi-Fi, users will not be able to start the download.Should users be unable to update their phones, AT&T advises to verify WiFi connection and then disable WiFi settings under the Wireless and Networks tab. Then re-enable WiFi settings and reboot. Then reconnect and try again. If users need additional assistance, contact AT&T. Thanks to Zack at Droid-Life for the heads up!  ...

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HBO to GO now in the Android Market

TweetA few weeks back, we reported that HBO to GO would be coming to the Android Market. The we didn’t know when it would be coming to Android, although it was strongly hinted at May 2nd in their commercials. Well, HBO has released it early and the app is now live. Users who subscribe to the PayTV service can download it to most Android devices. Why no xoom support??? That’s why people buy tablets for things like this… by Trey, April 29, 2011We say “most” because it appears that users of tablets like the Viewsonic G-Tab, and Motorola XOOM, as well as older Android handsets like the Motorola Droid are complaining that they can’t use the app. Users who operate a rooted or overclocked Android device are also complaining that they can’t...

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Asus Eee Pad Transformer India launch in June

Tweet                                                                                                       Asus India head Alex Huang has confirmed that company will launch its Honeycomb tablet Eee Pad Transformer in India this June. He added...

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Sprint reports Q1 2011 results, adds 1.1 million subscribers

TweetIt's financials time and the word hasn't always been rosy for Sprint of late, but this time the company has some good news to share. In this, the first quarter of 2011, Sprint added 1.1 million total subscribers, 846,000 of those were prepaid, the other 310,000 postpaid. Churn was down too, 4.36 for prepaid and 1.81 percent for postpaid, lowest in five years for the former and lowest ever for the latter. Operating income was $259 million on $8.3 billion in revenue, which is up three percent from this time last year, but factor in taxes, lunar landing rights, and all the other fun stuff and the company posted a net loss of $439 million. CEO Dan Hesse called this "slow but steady progress," and the addition of subscribers "a tough...

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HTC Reportedly Bringing a Slightly Better Version of Sensation with NFC

TweetHTC may be looking to jump into the NFC game just as Google and Samsung have if this rumor is to be believed. Bright Side of News is reporting that an anonymous HTC representative mentioned to them a new phone that would follow the HTC Sensation and “should be positioned slightly above” it.This version is said to have an NFC chip inside, but will feature the same 4.3 inch qHD display that the Sensation does. We’re not exactly sure what “slightly above” means outside of NFC, though – perhaps it’s the HTC Rider or Kingdom that’s said to have 3D features similar to the EVO 3D. Who knows?[via PocketNow]  ...

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Quick Look at Today’s Free Amazon App: Fast Food Calorie Counter

TweetWhile there are a ton of calorie counting apps on the Android Market, it’s kind of nice to see someone producing an app that will tell you what your caloric intake is as result of eating out at popular fast food chains.  This app just might be a trucker’s blessing.  Fast Food Calorie Counter allows you to keep track of calories from places like McDonald’s, Burger King, Domino’s and Dunkin Donuts, just to name a few.  The app supports info from 73 different restaurants and currently holds data for 9,141 menu items.  That should just about cover most of it if you like to eat on the go.  Get full nutritional info like calories, fat, fiber, protein and carbohydrates.  The app would normally...

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Be Wowed By Shadow Galaxy Live Wallpaper For Android

TweetOne of the better Live Wallpapers I’ve seen to pass through the market has definitely got to be Shadow Galaxy by developer maxelus.net.  We’ve seen a few Live Wallpapers from this developer before  and it looks like they are showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to innovation.  If you’re a Live Wallpaper buff, then this one has definitely got to make it onto your device and into a “this is freaking cool” folder.  Once activated, your desktop is immediately hurled into outer space where you’ll be lightly swirling through a vortex of galaxies along with distant shadows of bits and pieces of debris and planets everywhere.  It doesn’t get any cooler than this one folks....

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Android users sue Google over tracking

TweetWhen the allegations that Android smartphones were tacking the users location without the user approving it, I think we all knew that suits were coming. The same thing has already happened with the iPhone and Apple has class action suits pending against it right now. Google is now in the same boat with some Android users filling suit.Two users have reportedly sued Google over claims that the Android device they own was tracking their location without their consent. The two people that filed suit are residents of Oakland County in Michigan and field on April 27 in a Federal court in Detroit. Both of them use HTC Inspire 4G phones. The users both claim “[the Android devices track them] just as if by a tracking device for which...

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The 7 Most Hackable Android Smartphones

Tweet  There are two types of people who want to buy an Android smartphone: those who simply don't want an Apple product, and those who want to trick out their phones fancier than a Honda Civic from the set of The Fast and the Furious.If you belong in the latter crowd, you may be familiar with at least some aspects of the hardware-modding community. But what of the layman who wants to pimp his phone and hasn't a clue where to begin?We've gathered a handful of the most mod-worthy Android phones, complete with straightforward instructions on how to fully go "Vin Diesel" on your smartphone. That is to say, we show you how to gain root access — or superuser, full-permissions status — to each phone. That allows for customization...

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