Samsung releases source code for Stratosphere, Transfix, and more

Samsung has been doing all of the developers and Android tinkerers a solid lately and have been releasing the source code for many popular devices, often times before they even launch. They’ve now released said codes for the Stratosphere, Transfix, Galaxy Y Pro and more all before they’ve even been officially launched. Source codes and kernels are essential for developers to tweak and customize Android and build kernels and all those other things we all love about Android.

They’ve not only released the codes for low-range phones, the same thing has happened for the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and the AT&T SGSII although we are still waiting for the T-Mobile versions code to be released. With the way things have been going I see that dropping any day now. All the details and downloads can be found at the Samsung Open Source Center, don’t we wish everyone else was this quick?
Samsung Stratosphere kernel source
Samsung Transfix kernel source
Samsung Galaxy Y Pro kernel source
The Transfix and Stratosphere are both available now and while they might not be the best smartphones around, now developers can get them cracked open and start tweaking them for max performance or whatever else they have in mind. The links provided above for each respective device will take you to the kernel source download for said device. Enjoy!
[via Android Police]

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11 Android games running on CyanogenMod’s TouchPad alpha

The industrious guys at CyanogenMod have finally released their first version of CM7 for the HP TouchPad, and thrifty geeks all over the Internet are getting in on the action. The little people at Liliputing have put together a 10-minute video showcasing the TouchPad’s Android gaming prowess, and for the most part have come away with good experiences. The odd resolution and general bugginess of the Alpha software diminishes the games somewhat, but everyone should be able to find something fun to play.

The video spans ten popular Android games: Angry Birds (natch), Asphalt 5, Destinia, Dungeon Defenders, Fieldrunners HD, Guitar Hero 5, Pinball Deluxe, Robo Defense, TurboFly 3D, Wixed Lite and Zenonia 3. Most are at least serviceable, and Angry Birds ran like a champ, but Asphalt 5 was the only game that wouldn’t play at all. One of the biggest problems seems to be the TouchPad’s 1024 x 768 resolution, which is not a standard Android screen size.
Check out the video below:




Keep in mind that all of these are technically running as smartphone games, since CyanogenMod 7 is based on Android Gingerbread. Game compatibility and performance should improve as the CyanogenMod team releases more stable updates. I can’t wait to see what the TouchPad can do when the first Ice Cream Sandwich ports begin coming out.
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Motorola Atrix 2 available next week at Costco

We haven’t heard a lot about this device lately but Motorola is all set to roll out and ship their new smartphone for AT&T, the Motorola Atrix 2. It has leaked a few times over the past few weeks but we never saw much of it until just recently. Then at CTIA this week Motorola announced it will be for sale starting October 16th. As usual Costco has a few different things in mind and will most likely be undercutting AT&T with a better price, and bundled accessories, so you might want to hold off until we see what they have in store for the Atrix 2.

That isn’t all either, according to sources Costco will also be selling the just announced Samsung Stratosphere 4G LTE slider from Verizon starting next week. As usual you can expect them to beat the carrier pricing as well as the awesome return policy Costco is famous for. We haven’t heard anything regarding the new Motorola Lapdock 100 specifically for the Atrix 2, but as usual it will be supported especially since the new model will work with all future Motorola smartphones. We might see some sort of bundle deal with the new dock from Costco if we are lucky too.
As a little reminder the Atrix 2 features similar specs to the original but with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the new Motorola UI, a 4.3″ qHD 960 x 540 resolution display, 1.0 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The new Atrix 2 should be a great smartphone but I’m still surprised they are pushing it with HSPA+ and not 4G LTE, that is about the only con I see here. Either way it will be available come October 16th from AT&T and should see some nice deals and bundles from Costco soon so stay tuned.

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Google Voice is getting MMS – raise your hand if you care

Well folks, it’s Friday, October 14th, and the day that so many have waited so long for has finally arrived. The world waits with breathless anticipation of news concerning their favorite mobile devices. The Google Voice team is implementing MMS into its text messaging services at long last. Reports of college kids rioting in the streets outside the Google campus have not been confirmed.

In all seriousness, I’m sure that there are those out there who sincerely enjoy MMS, I just don’t know any of them. The Google Voice team is working on a work-around to allow users to see the multimedia messages – just set text messages to forward to your email address in the Settings section of your Android app or the Google Voice web site. The fix only works with one carrier so far, but more are coming soon. There’s still no way to view pictures or video in the app itself, but the developers say they’re planning on implementing it in a future upgrade.
Maybe it’s because I never used text messaging regularly until I could get it for free (which started, incidentally, with Google Voice), but MMS never appealed to me. I know it’s an easy way for featurephones to share media quickly, but these days it just seems kind of redundant. And in any case, Android has support for MMS via the default messaging app. We’ll let you know when Google Voice supports the feature so you can party like it’s 1999 for free.
[via Droid-Life]

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Tips to make your Android feel new and fresh again

We all love our Android phones, but if any of you are like me I occasionally find myself wanting to change things up a tad. Most of us have the same phone for around 2 years while we are on contract, but if you’ve wanted some change in your Android world then I have a few tips to keep things fresh. From the obvious like new wallpapers, to changing the entire lockscreen and more so check it out below.

On Android the world is endless with possibility. From simple widgets to crazy custom roms, themes and more the options really are endless and you could tweak and change your phone weekly and probably never see the same thing twice. I just thought we’d share a few tips that here at Android Community keep our phones feeling new and fresh.
Wallpaper

Now this one is extremely obvious as everyone changes their wallpapers, I do this on almost a daily bases, but I’m worse than others. I’d highly recommend the application Backgrounds or the ever popular Backdrops by interfaceLIFT.com as they have some of the best wallpapers around.  My personal favorite still has to be Vortex Galaxy for phones and tablets.
Launcher

The option to install 3rd party launchers that will change the entire feel of your homescreens and main interaction on Android is a unique feature that many love. I’ve been a huge fan of ADW for a long long time and currently use ADW EX. Launcher Pro is highly popular, and GO Launcher has been picking up steam lately and is another great alternative. This is also an excellent way to get rid of HTC’s Sense UI if you’d like to try something else and will make your phone feel new. Same applies for Moto BLUR and Samsung’s Touch Wiz. With custom launchers we can change icons, application tray look at style, add gestures and all sorts of other visual changes. Launcher Pro has awesome widgets that makes it one of the best options around.

Widgets

Widgets are just one of many unique features that make Android great. Being able to instantly enable Wifi, Bluetooth, set phone to silent, launch youTube or my music client and more all without going into the app list or fumbling through settings sure makes things simple and easy. Widgets can also change the entire look of Android and that is why it’s made this list. Options such as Beautiful Widgets or HD Widgets will give you more customization then you can possible imagine. I change my weather widget almost every other week or so, giving me something new and unique often.

There are hundreds and thousands of different widgets available in the market, from clocks, weather, settings, apps and more. Give any of them a try and clutter up your homescreen and try something new.
Lockscreen

If that plain and boring “slide to unlock” or pull down feature from Sense UI is getting a bit old and repetitive we have something for you. Check out Widget Locker for just $1.99 in the market. Widget Locker will allow you to change the entire look and feel of your lock screen. Give it that stock Android look, change the way Sense UI works, and dare I say it – you can even make the slider appear like the iPhone and iOS although I’m not sure why anyone would possibly go that route. Widget Locker also allows for multiple sliders and custom widgets right on the homescreen. Instead of sliding to unlock and finding the camera app, just throw it right on your homescreen and it’s one click away without unlocking the device. Same applies to text apps, the browser or anything else you can imagine.
Custom ROM

With all these changes and tweaks under the lockscreen or pretty live wallpapers Android is Android. The only way to really change everything at its core is a custom ROM. My personal favorite of all-time must go to CyanogenMod – with MIUI coming in as close second. Things don’t stop there, we have literally hundreds and hundreds of custom ROM’s for every Android device made just head down to XDA Developers and find your device. A custom ROM will change everything from the visuals, performance, features, options, battery life and more — this is truly where Android shines.
This is just a very small story, only touching the tip of the iceberg regarding Android and all the different options and customizations available. The few things outlined above are some of the quick and easiest ways to keep things unique, new, and fresh for your Android and we highly recommend you give them all a try. If you have any questions on what you’ve seen just drop us a line in the comment section below.

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Amazon could ship 5 million Kindle Fire units this year

We already know that Amazon’s Kindle Fire is a hit: it’s reached the top of Amazon’s internal sales charts and has made a good bit of buzz on its rock-bottom price. Now a supply chain analyst is predicting that Amazon could order 5 million Fire tablets before the end of the calendar year, making it the first tablet seller to truly rival Apple’s iPad. Between Amazon’s selling prowess and its integration with its own digital library, they’re poised to make an incredible entrance into the tablet market.

It’s important to note that analyst Ashok Kumar’s predictions deal with Amazon’s OEM operators and suppliers, not actual sales. That is to say, by the end of Q4 the company could have as many as five million Fire tablets in its warehouses, ready to go out to eager holiday shoppers. Current estimates put the Kindle Fire at between 250,000 and 500,000 sold just in preorders.
The Kindle Fire is based on an extremely modified version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, designed to display Amazon’s retail and digital services prominently. To that effect the hardware itself is a loss-leader, costing Amazon slightly more to manufacture than the $199 selling price. While it won’t have access to the Android Market, Amazon’s own App Store will feature a lot of the same apps, and more should be added as the Fire gains in popularity. Kindle Fire orders begin shipping out on November 15th.
[via SlashGear]

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Acer founder: Android will beat Apple

Taipei, Oct. 14, 2011 (CENS)--Stan Shih, the founder of Acer Inc., one of the world’s top five PC suppliers, stated in an interview with Taiwan’s Chinese-language United Daily News that consistently tapping synergies of Wintel (Windows plus Intel) and Google on innovation, Android leaguers are likely to outdo Apple Inc. in the near future.

Buoyed by PC and smartphone suppliers, Google’s Android has become one of the world’s most used mobile operating systems, regarded as the answer to Apple’s incursion into the global market for PCDs (portable communication devices).

Shih stressed that Intel’s alliance with Google is especially the good news to Android leaguers, as the two high-tech giants will jointly come up with better solutions to optimizing Android’s speed and performance. In the future, Shin opines, Android-powered, Atom processor-built PCDs will likely outsell Apple’s products to lead PC development.

Shih also commented that the emergence of Ultrabook PC may be a transient boom, which is likely to temporarily revive the PC industry in the short term, but won’t secure insiders a lifetime of growth. Thus, he said, “The PC industry needs to make more destructive innovations happen to draw consumers back.”

On the post-PC era, Shih indicated that the arrival of the post-PC era doesn’t mean that PC would become the past tense for the industry, but would continue to exist in diverse forms (like tablets and smartphones) in the future. Therefore, Shih furthered, contract manufacturers of parts and components, such as display panels and IC chipsets, will keep playing key part in the global supply chain of PCs, whose production capabilities and capacity will be increasingly needed by PCD customers. In other words, the PC industry’s influence will be enhanced in the future, despite the coming post-PC era, he concluded.

Finally, Shih also pointed out that development of Taiwan’s software industry will hinge on concerted efforts by the government and enterprises to create a sizeable domestic market, talents and a positive environment on the island, saying that success of the U.S.’s software industry is a living example to Taiwan.

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XOOM Family Edition is a Best Buy exclusive for $379

We saw some leaked retail shots of the kid-friendly XOOM Family Edition just last week, and it won’t be long before you and yours can get your hands on it.According to a press release today, Motorola and Best Buy are partnering to bring the customized XOOM to market starting this Sunday, October 16th. The Family Edition will cost $379, a significant savings on the current $499 WiFi model.

Of course, there are a few sacrifices for the discount. The Family Edition has only 16GB of storage, half that of the original XOOM, and it’s running the slightly outdated Honeycomb 3.1. There isn’t a version with a cellular connection and there probably won’t be. Other than that, it’s the XOOM you know and at least some of you love: the same 1GHz Tegra processor, 1GB of memory, and 10-inch form factor, making the Family Edition a pretty good deal – though the press release mentions that the $379 price is a limited time offer.
So what makes the Family Edition so special? Pretty much exactly what you’d expect – Motorola is including a decent bit of software designed for tiny fingers. The company says it’s included “over $40 worth of applications,” including Kid Zone by Zoodles and a selection of apps from the Motorola MotoPack, as well as the ever-popular QuickOffice HD. An important part of the puzzle is a special lmode that locks the home button, allowing parents to pass the XOOM to their kids without worrying about them accessing the Internet or email.
So, what do you think, Honeycomb users? Is the included software or discounted price enough to drive a few more XOOM purchases before the upgraded versions arrive?
[via Android Police]

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Survey: most Android owners aren’t interested in the iPhone 4S

Apple’s iPhone 5 iPhone 4S releases today, and as usual it’s gobbled up its fair share of the tech buzz ever since its announcement. But according to a recent survey by Retrevo, most of the consumer interest is coming from existing iPhone users, not the ever-expanding Android userbase. According to the 1,300 responders, just 12% of Android users are planning on purchasing a new iPhone.

That’s a steep decline from current Apple users. 44% of iPhone 3 and 3GS owners said they’d buy the new phone, while a surprising 42% of iPhone 4 owners said they’d spring for the modest upgrade. Keep in mind, nearly all iPhone 4 owners will be paying full price for the 4S, since they’re at most about 16 months into a 24 month cellular contract. What’s even more surprising is that only 24% of Blackberry users said they’d buy a new iPhone, despite RIM positively bleeding marketshare in the last few months – no points for guessing where the rest are probably going.
In other news, the iPhone 4S’s lack of true 4G connections is a major disappointment. Over 70% of smartphone owners and 50% of iPhone owners lamented the lack of LTE in the new model. The iPhone 4S will feature an HSPA+ radio, achieving speeds which AT&T has been advertising as “4G”, but it won’t be able to connect to the faster LTE network on Verizon or AT&T. That’s a pretty typical move for Apple – remember that the original iPhone launched with EDGE amidst a sea of 3G smartphones and featurephones.
There’s no denying that the iPhone 4S will sell a boatload of units, but as with previous generations, it’s mostly selling to the Apple faithful. Expect a larger turnaround when the true iPhone 5 appears next year – of course, by then Android phones will be even further ahead in specifications and market share.
[via eWeek]

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