Monday, December 26, 2011

After 6.2.1 Update, Amazon’s Kindle Fire Re-Rooted

After the latest update broke the root method established for the Amazon Kindle Fire, it was back to square one. For some this meant having to decide between the officially updated software or the older (but more open) rooted version. If the decision was causing fits for some, they can put their minds at ease. The 6.2.1 update has been cracked and root is once again attainable on the latest version of the Amazon Kindle Fire firmware. Head on over to the source link below to get all the info and an easy one-click method to get the job done.
[via Rootzwiki]

Android clear winner of 2011 Smartphones race

The year 2011 has been a great year for Android based smartphone manufacturers. Handset makers like Samsung, HTC, Sony & Motorola lead the Android handset market. Special mention goes to Samsung's Galaxy series of Android phones. The series boasts various range of Android smartphones for everyone ranging from 5000 INR to 30,000 INR.

According to Business Standard, Samsung Galaxy S II, priced at 30,100 INR has broken all the records. It not only became a hot-favourite of reviewers across the globe but also managed to hold ground against Apple’s smartphones. It seems to be one of the most powerful and user-friendly Android phones. Its 8MP camera is a very good replacement for a pocket camcorder.

Other Android phones which lead the list of Smartphones along with Galaxy SII & Apple 4S are HTC Sensation XL, Motorola Razr & Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc S.

  • Samsung Galaxy S II
  • Apple 4S
  • HTC Sensation XL
  • Motoroal Razr
  • Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc S

Let us know which one do you think is the best and why?


Sunday, December 25, 2011

MOTOACTV rooted, full Android interface possible

Let’s be honest: the Motorola MOTOACTV doesn’t have a whole lot of applications outside of the sports and fitness world. At least, it didn’t until now: one ambitious Android modder has managed to root the tiny touchscreen watch and install third-party apps, making full access to Android possible. The dream of a Dick Tracy watch is within our grasp!

After reading through Linux junkie Chris Wade’s guided tour and teardown of Motorola’s wearable device, it’s kind of surprising that no one’s managed this before. The root process should be fairly ordinary to Android modders: start the watch in bootloader mode, flash a new boot image, then run the popular SuperOneClick root method. Apparently the MOTOACTV’s software is similar enough to other phones to be compatible.
Check out the results in action below:




Wade managed to flash CyanogenMod’s Google apps and a custom launcher via ADB, making the watch behave very much like a tiny Android smartphone. A 600Mhz processor and 256Mb of RAM is more than enough to run Gingerbread, if not especially fast. He used the look-alike Honeycomb launcher and a few other obligatory apps like Angry Birds to test out the system, apparently with some really cool results. The device’s 1.6inch screen, Bluetooth-only connectivity and $249.99 price tag still make it a little inconvenient as a secondary Android gadget, but there’s no denying that the results are cool.

Dell Streak 7 now on sale at Currys for just £100

Are you living in UK and want an ultra-cheap Honeycomb tablet? Dell Streak 7 is practically going for a steal at £99.97 right now at Currys. This seven inch tablet comes with FroYo on-board but Honeycomb update has already been released two months ago, so as soon as you will open the tablet, you will have Honeycomb waiting for you.
Apart from the poor display resolution (800 x 480), there is no actual problem with the tablet. It features 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 7 inch LCD, 512MB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 5MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, and the usual Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS.
It is now available for home delivery, so you will have to reserve a unit online and then you can collect it from your nearest Currys store.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Samsung to launch 3D Android phones next year, Galaxy S3 to feature quad-core processor

Samsung is planning to launch 3D Android smartphones next year. Company is actively working on the next generation of 3D technology to integrate in these smartphones, they won’t just provide 3D display, but will also help you play 3D games, record 3D movies and work with 3D TVs.
Apart from these new 3D devices, Samsung might also include the technology in Galaxy S III. According to ETnews, it is however not final till now whether Galaxy S3 will come with 3D or not, but in order to procure 3D components at a major level, Samsung would need six months and that would delay the S3 launch. Thus Galaxy S 3D (tentative name) might be company’s first 3D Android phone, which is expected to launch in Q2, 2012.
Korean publication further stated that Galaxy S III announcement is currently scheduled for Mobile World Congress with availability in April. S3 is expected to feature a quad core processor; but there is no word on other specifications, which we suspect would include Android 4.0 and at least 4.5 inch display.

HTC Super Tool Promises To Root A Variety Of Phones

If you have a rather recent HTC phone, the manufacturer allows you to unlock its bootloader the official way; the procedure might involve a lot of steps and, in the end, you are achieving root on your device with the price of officially voiding your warranty.

Not that any severe tampering will not void your warranty, but why let the manufacturer know about it, right? The HTC Super Tool from XDA Developers promises to root a variety of HTC-phones, including the EVO 4G, 3D, Shift, Inspire, Sensation, Incredible, Amaze and more. If you're techy and interested in having total control over your phone by cracking it open, check out the source link for more details, including the fact that there's currently no functioning S-OFF, but is planned for future releases. As usual, bold and italic word of warning is due when tampering with your phone!

Source: XDA Developers

Asus projects as many as 6 million tablet sales in 2012

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is king of the hill for Android tablets at the moment, despite an embarrassing objection from an entirely different kind of robot. Now Asus CEO Jonney Shih, who revealed the tablet himself at a conference months ago, says the company expects to sell at least three and as many as six million tablets next year. Taiwan Economic News reports the quote, noting that a considerable number of Transformer Prime units are experiencing WiFi difficulties, though Asus has already begun a replacement program for affected customers.

The original Eee Pad Transformer was one of the most popular of the initial Android Honeycomb tablets, due in no small part to its relatively low $399 starting price and attacheable keyboard. Though the Transformer Prime is $100 more expensive (and rightly so, with a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and a truly stunning all-metal frame) the company continues to sell the original, setting up two tiers for tablet competition. The first Transformer has sold 1.8 million units worldwide.
Android tablets are still nowhere near as popular as the iPad, but the gap has been closed considerably. Thanks to low-cost tablets like the Nook Color and Nook Tablet, which aren’t just cheap but reliable as well, Android’s market share in the tablet world is beginning to see the same accelerated growth that began its current boom in the smartphone market. Fourth-quarter sales could be as much as 40%. With 7-inch tablets hitting hard from the low end, and quad-core tablets bringing the fight to the iPad on the high end, 2012 looks promising indeed for the platform. And we still have 1080p screens and open source Ice Cream Sandwich tablets to look forward to, not to mention Asus’ very own Padfone, due early next year. [via SlashGear]

OnLive now supports Xperia Play


Being able to stream console-quality games to mobile phones is novel, but the touch screen controls offered via OnLive didn't really impress us much. If only there were an Android-powered mobile device that also offered physical buttons for gameplay...

Oh yeah, Sony made one: it's called the Xperia Play. OnLive has now been updated to support the "PlayStation Phone," enabling Play owners to play "almost all" games in the OnLive library.

Thanks to the slide-out controls of the Play, Xperia owners can play games like Saints Row: The Third and Assassin's Creed Revelations via OnLive's streaming client.

"From the moment we launched our OnLive Android app, gamers began asking about Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY game control support," OnLive founder Steve Perlman said in a press release.

If you don't have an Xperia Play but want button controls, OnLive also sells a proprietary Bluetooth controller for $50. An iOS version of the OnLive client is in the works as well.

Avast Intros Free Android Security Solution



Avast Software recently launched a free security app for Android devices.

"Avast Free Mobile Security supports a number of features that are usually available only in paid-for Android security software," writes PCWorld's Lucian Constantin. "These include privacy reports, call and SMS filtering, SIM-card change notifications, firewall and application management."

"The antivirus component supports real-time protection and automatic updates," Constantin writes. "Updates can be configured to only be downloaded over certain types of connections and the interface can be protected with a password."

Go to "Avast Launches Free Android Security Software With Special Features for Rooted Phones" to read the details.