Google TV 2.0 update lands

Logitech has killed off the Revue Google TV box after very poor sales and will not be replacing it. The good news is if you already own the Revue the device will still be supported with software updates. Today marks the latest software update for the Revue with Google TV 2.0 landing for the set-top box. Google TV 2.0 has already hit other devices using the software like some Sony smart TVs.

The update is an automatic one and brings Android market access to the box, which is something that many have been waiting for. The update also brings the Revue box to Android 3.1 for the operating system. Some of the issues with Google TV’s first software are addressed with the new update.
The UI is easier to use and the search system has improved consistency. The box now has a Quick Search Box that will look though TV content, online video, apps, and bookmarks as well as search the web. The update also brings a TV & Movies app that focuses on that content. If you have the update applied let us know how well it works.
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Android 3.1 Update For Logitech Revue Rolling Out Now

Great news for all you Logitech Revue owners out there. The Android 3.1 Honeycomb update for the set top box has finally begun rolling out and is trickling down to users everywhere. Also known as “Google TV 2.0,” the update brings a refreshed new UI and the addition of the Android Market. The Logitech Revue finally feels like a true Android device. Whether you recently picked up the Revue at the discounted $100 price or have been a long time user/early adopter, this update comes as a very welcomed upgrade. I’m going to power up mine and see if I’m one of the lucky ones. Check yours and let us know if you’ve received it.
[GTVSource via Engadget]

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Developer Gets Android 4.0 Up and Booting On The Amazon Kindle Fire [Video]

This is the moment many brand new Kindle Fire owners have been waiting for. The day a developer would successfully port Android 4.0 to the affordable little tablet. I don’t have many details regarding the developer, G1011999‘s work (will update the post once I dig around a bit), we can see Ice Cream Sandwich is up and booting. It’s all still very much a work in process and aside from the touchscreen, not much else is working. The dev did get up a quick video of his feats in action and while it did seem a bit laggy, I’m sure it’s something that can be optimized in the future. For now check out the video for some Android 4.0 pr0n.

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RadioShack Prepares For The Galaxy Nexus – Available Same Day As Verizon Wireless Stores

If you were looking to hit up another retailer on “ Galaxy Nexus Friday” in fear of the device selling out at Verizon locations, it looks like Radio Shack will be joining the ranks of retailers offering the device for sale. Pricing for the Galaxy Nexus wont be any cheaper than an “official” Verizon location — we’re still looking at the same $300 pricing with a new contract or upgrade. Thinking of going the off-contract route? Well, you may want to reconsider that when you see the $800 price tag the phone is retailing for outright. Pretty steep for any man’s wallet. Where will you be Friday? Ditching school? Calling in sick for work? Who’s ready!?
[AndroidForums via AndroidCentral]

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Google engineer tells us why iOS will remain more fluid than Android OS

We may be die-hard Android fans here at Android Community, but we’ve all at least given iOS a chance to shine its light. One of its best features is handling UI actions perfectly, thus leaving the user willing to wait for longer page loads. Over on Google+, Google engineering intern Andrew Munn explained to us precisely why Android OS will never be as fluid as iOS or Windows Phone 7 devices.


What it boils down to is that Android OS renders all graphics continuously – and on the same priority. What differs in iOS and WP7 is that graphics rendering is queued for when it’s needed. This is why when we open many applications at once within Android, we see the device start to slow down as it tries to keep up. In iOS, if an application isn’t done loading and you start touching your screen, it will only finish loading when you release your finger. This also helps keep the device from working to hard on multiple tasks – which eventually drains your battery.
Put in Munn’s words:

It’s not GC pauses. It’s not because Android runs bytecode and iOS runs native code. It’s because on iOS all UI rendering occurs in a dedicated UI thread with real-time priority. On the other hand, Android follows the traditional PC model of rendering occurring on the main thread with normal priority.

Personally, I love the way Android OS allows loading simultaneously to UI interaction. I’m pretty good at gauging the device’s capabilities to the point where I’ll know when the system may start to slow down. Also, hardware just keeps getting better and better. There will be a time when Android’s “sluggish threshold” is much harder to reach than currently.
[via SlashGear]

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Android Market now includes permalinks to user reviews

When opening the Android Market and navigating to any application on your home PC, you’ll find that you now have the option link to specific user reviews. This is a feature that we honestly wouldn’t have “needed”, but nevertheless it may come in handy. I am no app developer, nor have I ever aspired to become one – but I assume it would be very beneficial to save particular reviews for future tips on improving my application.

Pictured below is an actual screenshot showing you where the permalink can be found on the page; it’s rather small so I hope this helps you out. It doesn’t actually take you away from the application and leave you with a single page dedicated to the review, but rather indexes the selected review to the top of the stack for easy viewing. All in all, it does make sense to have permalinks to user reviews; if such a feature were left out of any general online forum, it would be rather detrimental to quickly share single posts.

Now that this feature is live and publicly available, we’ll see how popular (or static) it becomes. The ability to forward a well thought out review of an application to a friend may help them decide if it’s worth the purchase price. Also, when a fellow blogger would like to quote such a review, we can now direct you right back to the source. True, it’s not entirely needed – but without interconnectedness the internet wouldn’t have done so well.
[via Android Central]

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ADWLauncher EX gets an Ice Cream flavored update, 10 Billion App discount

There’s a lot of aftermarket Android launchers out there, but very few can claim to have the kind of following that ADWLauncher EX enjoys. A rock-solid foundation, tons of customization options and a robust theme engine makes it one of the most popular launchers on the Market. Of course, with Ice Cream Sandwich‘s enhanced launcher a lot of the current offerings are looking long in the tooth. To that end, developer Anderweb has released a new version, with a ton of new features to bring it up to date.

Most dramatic is a new dock bar system that apes ICS’ “pinned” apps at the bottom of the screen. Most launchers including ADW have had some variation on this feature before, but new placement and visual options make ADW’s feel fresh. Folders have been given an ICS-flavored upgrade, with more visual settings to tweak. Other small visual and under-the-hood changes are present, including support for hardware acceleration on some devices. Notably it now plays nice with tablets running Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, allowing for easier integration with the bottom action bar.
But don’t run out and purchase ADW Launcher EX just yet, if you haven’t already: the developer has announced that he’s participating in Google’s 10 Billion Apps promotion, and the full version will be just 10 cents/pence some time in the upcoming week. So if you can wait to try out the new features, you’ll save yourself a coffee’s worth of cash. Download it in the Market – but not right away!

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Xperia Play heads to C-Spire, regional carrier ready for gaming

Regional carrier C-Spire apparently wants in on the gaming action here in Android and today have announced the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play will be available to C-Spire customers for just $49.99 starting today. Better late than never right? The phone is the same model already available from Verizon, that is also $49 from AT&T so this isn’t anything new — Just a good deal for those C-Spire users.

We have Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a single-core 1.0 GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM and a 5 megapixel camera. The good stuff is the full out SONY Playstation controls once you slide this beast open. A gamers dream for sure!
With Sony opening the Playstation suite to others we should be seeing more and more games in the coming months, making the Play a decent choice especially for just $49.99 if you ask me. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is available today for C-Spire starting at $49.99 after a $50 MIR and a new 2-year contract so users will be shelling out a crisp $100 bill initially. Get your game on guys!

Device Specifications and Information 

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Grand Theft Auto III Anniversary Edition crashes into Android December 15th

Great news for all you gamers out there — Grand Theft Auto III 10 Year Anniversary Edition will be available on Android starting December 15th. I’m extremely excited about that and will be playing this on my Transformer Prime that is for sure. We first reported that GTAIII was coming to Android back in October and today can happily report it will be available next week. Who’s excited?

The image above (thanks to pockethacks) should have all you Android gamers plenty happy about what is coming soon. We have a few in-game screenshots running on an Android tablet below and the graphics are quite decent. I’d love an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core optimized version of this game, and here one is in the works too. Currently the list of supported devices isn’t huge but it’s mostly higher end dual-core Android devices. Most are Tegra 2 phones then we see a few like the HTC Rezound in there too.
Most likely the game will play just fine with all the dual-core devices on the market although they aren’t all being officially listed as compatible. Tablets are seeing the same treatment although the Transformer, Motorola Xoom, Galaxy Tab’s and a few others all have received the green light. If your device is not on the supported list from Rockstar linked to below don’t worry because chances are it’ll work just fine. I’d be checking the Android Market on December 15th if I were you just in case.
Today Rockstar Games announced it will be available starting December 15th and will run you just $4.99 in the Android Market. I’ll be sure and get some hands-on time for those that might want to see a few reviews before making the purchase so stay tuned.
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