HTC Amaze 4G software update rolling out today

Anyone with a stock HTC Amaze 4G should be getting an over the air software update this week. According to T-Mobile the update is rolling out now and should begin hitting handsets soon. It’s not Ice Cream Sandwich but we’ll take what we can get, especially since there are bug fixes and even WiFi calling now too.

A very similar update was just pushed out for the HTC Sensation 4G so we were already expecting this for the Amaze. Now that it is finally starting to roll out here are a few of the improvements and bug fixes as outlined by T-Mobile and HTC:
New Features
–IMS Wi-Fi Calling
–Google Music
Improvements
–Improvements to Bluetooth connection
–Clock widget not updating with time zone change
–Improvement to Twitter and Peep application
–Improved Wi-Fi connection
WiFi calling and Google Music are probably the two big ones although we’ve been able to download Google Music for some time already. Many users of HTC Sense UI have reported problems with the clock and weather widget not updating correctly so it also seems they’ve fixed that small issue too. Nothing major here but it’s nice to see HTC keeping up with software updates and improvements. Now all we need is that sweet and frozen Ice Cream Sandwich and we’ll all be Amazed.

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VMware prepares consumer virtualization apps for Ice Cream Sandwich

When last we heard of virtualization specialist VMware’s efforts on the Android platform, they were decidedly corporate in nature, with VMware View making a sort of logins and profiles so that Android users could better separate their work and personal assets on the same device. Android Community has learned that the company is shifting its focus towards consumers, with their next product, which we are told is nearing completion. VMware’s Android app should be revealed sometime in the next few months, and it will be ready for use on Ice Cream Sandwich.

What will the software be? Our contact couldn’t say. Most consumer-level end users are familiar with VMware because of their OS virtualization offerings, specifically VMware Fusion, which allows Windows apps to run seamlessly on OS X hardware without dual-booting. A mobile version of VMware Workstation, which allows just about any operating system to run on a virtual machine inside of Windows, is not out of the question. Then again, VMware has been hard at work over the last year on cloud services for the corporate set, and that effort may be ready to jump to mainstream audiences.
I’d love to try my hands on an honest-to-goodness virtual machine for Android, loading up apps for PalmOS and Windows Mobile with ease. As vibrant as the app scene for Android is, there’s things you just can’t get on Android, like my beloved Space Trader. Virtualizing Windows Phone 7 is technically possible, but the strain that would put on even the best Android hardware might make it impossible. Recent full versions of Windows are probably out for the same reasons. WebOS is an option now that it’s open source, though given the timing, it’s unlikely that it’s what VMware has in mind .we’ll be keeping a close eye on the company for further developments.

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Huawei Honor first to Android 4.0 ICS upgrade

I’m honored today to confirm Huawei is one of the first to bring an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to one of their smartphones. The Huawei Honor is just starting to hit the market in parts of Asia and Huawei is already offering the ICS update available for download right from their website — for those who dare.

The Huawei Honor is one of their best and highest class smartphones available and it was just recently reviewed by yours truly over on SlashGear. Officially announced back in September we are still hearing the Honor may land stateside as the Glory from Cricket Wireless complete with a 4″ display, 1.4 GHz single-core processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
At the rate Huawei seems to be churning out what they consider stable releases for Ice Cream Sandwich this could possibly land on Cricket as their first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich device — but it’s too early to tell. Many other manufacturers have stated ICS updates will be coming sometime in 2012 so for Huawei to be on track so fast is very encouraging. Feel free to head to SlashGear for the full review and rundown of the smartphone rocking Gingerbread and if I can get this baby running that sweet and tasty Ice Cream I’ll be sure and shoot some more hands-on video.
Here is a demo running Gingerbread and feel free to head to Huawei and give the ICS builds a download — although I’m not having much luck here in the US.
Huawei Honor product page




[via TheUnwired]

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Vizio 8″ VTAB Gingerbread tablet just $159 today only

In the usual Woot.com fashion today we have another excellent deal for an Android tablet to share with our readers. We don’t have Honeycomb on board but this tablet still has plenty going for it. Today Woot is offering the Vizio 8″ VTAB Gingerbread tablet for a mere $159 complete with a folio case and just $5.00 shipping. That is over $170 less than retail although the unit does come refurbished.

The VTAB rocks an 8″ display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1 GHz processor with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, micro-SD support and HDMI-out for those in need. It also has a full suite of applications catering around their smart TV’s and functions as a remote control at the same time. Again this may not be the biggest or the best but at that price it’s a great way to get into a decent Android tablet. If you ask me I think this is a pretty awesome holiday gift — especially at that price. Head down to Woot and get one today.
Woot.com

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New Sony Ericsson Nozomi photos ooze style

Say what you will about Sony Ericsson’s current lineup of Android phones, but the Nozomi (AKA the Arc HD) is a looker no matter how you break it down. A tipster delivered a new set of leaked photos to GSMArena, showing off the high-end handset’s sharp corners and chrome accents. This is the first we’ve seen of the phone’s back, and while it’s a little thicker than we’d like, there’s just no denying the appeal of the slate.

Notably the Nozomi may be Sony’s first device to launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, as seen in this press shot. Then again, that may just be Sony’s latest customized version of Gingerbread, since today’s leaked shots feature a launcher that certainly isn’t ICS-native. On the inside you get a 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor, and on the outside you get a delicious 1280 x 720 screen, though you’ll have to make due with whatever on-board storage Sony sees fit to include. There’s no MicroSD card slot to be found.
Even if the Nozomi doesn’t launch with Ice Cream Sandwich, it’ll likely get it soon enough. Sony has committed to an ICS upgrade to all current XPERIA phones, to the delight of owners stuck in two-year contracts. Though there’s no mention of a release date, the phone is coming sooner rather than later, since it features the soon-to-be-scrapped Sony Ericsson branding. We’ll probably be seeing this one at CES or Mobile World Congress early next year, so stay tuned.
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Toshiba’s 7-inch Thrive available now

I’m sure there’s at least one person out there who absolutely loved everything about Toshiba’s 10-inch thrive Honeycomb tablet (even the headache-inducing commercials) except for its to-inch size. Well rejoice, One Guy, because the long-leaked 7-inch variant is available from Toshiba now, and should be hitting US retailers in the near future. The 16GB and 32GB versions will set you back $379.99 and $429.99, respectively.

Under the hood you get the same 1Ghz Tegra 2 dual-core process and 1GB of RAM, speedy enough to handle the vanilla Honeycomb 3.2 interface with ease. The display is an impressive 1280 x 800 pixels, matching competitors like the T-Mobile Springboard and the upcoming Galaxy Tab 7.7 for resolution and density. Expansion options are varied, with a mini USB port (not micro USB), HDMI out and MicroSD card support, plus a physical lock switch. Unfortunately a proprietary port is the only way to charge and sync, and that probably means no trickle charging from a computer, either. WiFi is the only way to access the Internet, but the junior Thrive does feature Bluetooth 3.0. It inherits the rather chunky profile of its big brother, and Toshiba claims six hours of battery life. Built-in apps include Kaspersky, Silvercreek’s suite of board games, MOG Music, QuickOffice and (sigh) Need For Speed Shift.
Don’t break out your wallet just yet, folks. Aside from the fact that the excellent Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus lies right in between the 16GB and 32GB models as far as price goes, Toshiba’s razor-thin Excite tablet is expected in February of next year. If portability and weight is a concern, the new model will definitely beat out the Thrive, though the battery life issues experienced on the former may still be a problem.
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Sony Tablet S vs Asus Eee Transformer Prime

Asus' Eee Pad Transformer Prime is a tablet that is enjoying a lot of publicity in the run up to its expected December release. But this isn't all that surprising when you consider its pakcing a next-generation chipset and bleeding-edge hardware.

It's important to look past the 'power is everything' mantra though, as Apple's iPad 2 has decisively proven, and with that in mind we've selected a stellar Android tablet – the Sony Tablet S – to hold up against Asus' new creation to get a view of exactly how much it offers.

Display

The Asus Eee Transformer Prime ships with a 10.1-inch Super IPS+ LCD display with a resolution of 1280x800 and a pixel density of 149PPI, which is well above average in the current market.

Sony's Tablet S is similarly well equipped too, with a 9.4-inch TFT operating at 800x1280 and boasting a pixel density of 161PPI.

While similarities are undoubtedly evident, the Asus' Eee Transformer Prime's more modern screen tech easily takes the tape ahead of Sony's good, but unspectacular display.

Winner - Asus Eee Transformer Prime

Software

Both tablets run on Google's very capable Android operating system, specifically version 3.2 (Honeycomb) which has been optimised to provide a solid experience on tablets.

The platform features re-designed core applications, new holographic-style UI which includes a new persistent 'action bar' for user alerts and a spiffy new keyboard to make typing from your tablet easier than ever.

Beneath the aesthetic refinements Honeycomb offers the same excellent basic functionality that every other iteration of the OS provided. It's customisable, very easy to use and has a huge app catalogue for users to select from in the form of Android Market.

One area to watch out for is the lack of tablet-specific applications on Android. Sure, it's something that Google is working with developers to improve, but right now Honeycomb is meagrely catered for in terms of unique apps.

Winner - Draw

Camera

Sony's Tablet S features a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, image stabilisation, geo-tagging, face & smile detection and 720P video capture, which performs well and is capable of producing some top-quality images in good conditions.

The device also features a secondary 0.3-megapixel camera for video calling.

Asus' Eee Transformer Prime ups the ante with an excellent 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging and 1080P video capture, as well as a secondary 1.2-megapixel snapper for video calling.

Images and videos produced by the Asus were way above our expectation and, in our opinion, the best quality that we've seen on any Android tablet to date.

Winner - Asus Eee Transformer Prime

Power

The Asus Eee Transformer Prime boasts a quad-core 1.3GHz CPU and ULP GeForce GPU, giving it a huge advantage over any other tablet on the market, and many laptops too.

As you would expect apps run at full-tilt on the device, and games are handled perfectly thanks to the cutting edge graphics technology.

In addition to its mammoth chipset the Transformer Prime boasts 1GB RAM, 32 or 64GB on-board storage and support for micro SD cards up to 32GB in size, making it easily the most powerful tablet on the planet right now.

The Sony Tablet S features a dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU with ULP GeForce GPU and performs excellently as a result. The device also offers up 1GB RAM and either 16 or 32GB of storage for your consideration too.

On any normal day the Tablet S' drive-train would be perfectly impressive, but the Asus Eee Transformer Prime is a bit of a bully in the power department, making Sony's device look a little bit laboured.

Winner - Asus Eee Transformer Prime

Form & Build

Asus Eee Transformer Prime - ?, 8mm thickness, 586g
Sony Tablet S - 241.2 x 174.3 x 10.1-20.6 mm, 625g

Sony know a thing or two about design and its acumen is easy to discern when looking at the Tablet S.

The device is beautifully crafted and features a very unique fold-around form factor which balances it and adds to its ergonomic qualities superbly.

At 625g it's no lightweight, but rather than feeling encumbered holding the device we felt that the little bit of extra ballast added to its comfort.

Great work, Sony!

The Asus Eee Transformer Prime is a nicely designed device and with its thick bevel and minimalist good looks reminded us of a certain other fruity tablet that shall remain nameless.

The Transformer Prime is a decent weight, and luxuriously thin at just 8mm too. We really couldn't fault it aside from feeling that the Sony just felt more premium. Far from scientific, we know, but the feeling was something palpable and, heck, palpable matters!

Winner - Sony Tablet S

Well, perhaps unsurprisingly the newer, higher powered tablet has won the day.

The Asus Eee Transformer Prime is, quite honestly, a beast of a tablet. It's fast, sleek and offers excellent performance on the whole, including peerless photographic performance.

It's only let-down really is the lack of tablet-centric applications, but that can't be attributed to the hardware. Once things improve in that department the Asus Eee Transformer Prime will be a true force to be reckoned with.

In defeat the Sony Tablet S is a fantastic device though. It's nicely designed, well built and has solid performance across the board but it just couldn't hold a candle to Asus' next-gen device, and as such we really can't recommend you choose one over the former, unless you can pick one up for a song.

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Samsung Galaxy M Pro up for pre-order in the UK

There aren’t too many Android phones that feature physical keyboards these days, and even less that feature candybar, BlackBerry-style ones. Well, if you’re living in the UK and you’re looking for such a device you’re in luck because one has just gone up for pre-order. Samsung’s Galaxy M Pro, which was introduced back in August, can now be pre-ordered in the UK. Unfortunately no release date has been mentioned, but hopefully it won’t take too long to make the change from pre-order to being delivered.
The Samsung Galaxy M Pro features a 1GHz processor, a 2.66″ 480 x 320 display, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a VGA front-facing camera, microSD card slot, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 1,350mAh battery and of course Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. It also features a candybar form factor with a BlackBerry-style QWERTY keyboard which is great for folks who are making the transition over from a BlackBerry device to Android, or who just want a physical keyboard without having to slide it out all the time. No word on whether we’ll be seeing this phone in the US.

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10 Billion Apps promo, day 7: Super KO Boxing 2, Flight Control and Doodle Jump for 10¢

Google’s celebration of 10 billion Android Market app downloads continues into its seventh day, with a catalog of heavily discounted games and entertainment apps. The Android creator is partnering with top developers on the Android Market to mark down paid apps to jut 10 cents / pence, focusing on the ever-popular game section. Today’s deals include Super KO Boxing 2, Flight Control and Doodle Jump.

Here’s the list of today’s newly discounted apps: Doodle Jump, When I Get Bigger (another “Little Critter” motion book), Flick Soccer, SUPER KO BOXING! 2, Blow Up, Roll in the Hole, Block Breaker 3 Unlimited HD and Flight Control. SoundHound and Beautiful Widgets, the first paid Android app to reach a million downloads, are repeats from previous days. To see and buy all the apps on one page, click here.
With Google repeating two apps every day in the ten-day promotion, it looks like the final tally of almost-free paid apps will be somewhere in the 85-90 range. That’s a lot of money saved if you’ve been keeping up daily, since most of the apps go for between $2 and $6, and a full collection of the discounted apps would set you back less than $10.

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