Sunday, January 30, 2011

Google Announces Android Event For February 2nd, Touts An In Depth Look At Honeycomb And More

8:14 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments



Is there anything better than waking up to your inbox and receiving some good news?  Yeah, how about an inbox with an email from Google inviting you to an Android event at the Googleplex in Mountain View?  That’s right, Google has stated on Feb 2nd, they will be holding an event to discuss “an in-depth look at Honeycomb, Android ecosystem news and hands-on demos”.  We can’t help but wonder if Google has something new in store for us.  It’s not like Google to just hold an event for a mere summary of Honeycomb.  Maybe we’ll hear some discussion on all of these 2.4 sightings or whether or not Honeycomb will be configured to operate on a smartphone?  We can hope can’t we?  Yes we can, and shall.  In any event, stay tuned to Talk Android because we’ll be covering the event and reporting back to you first hand.
Google has also provided a way for you to stream the event live, for those of us who sadly, can’t make the event.  What do you want to see come out of all of this ?   Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Everbadge, A Social Network For All Things Android

8:10 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments

If you thought Facebook and Twitter were all the craze lately, well, then, you’re right.  However, there is a rapidly growing mobile social network site that is putting a slight twist on things, and that is, they are gearing it towards Android users and developers.  I recently had the pleasure of signing up for Everbadge, by GamerShots.com and instantly had easy access to innumerable amounts of badges, wallpapers, tons of games and apps along with some pretty laid back Android folk.  The site touts a free and easy environment for developers to showcase their newly developed apps.  You can also meet new people and decide to follow or chat with them, exchange ideas, or just flat out argue over which Android device is better.  
You can create a profile and upload your own mug shot or use one of their free Avatars.  The site, to date, touts over 97,000 members and offers over 9,000 plus gaming wallpapers for your device.  So, if you’re ready to try something new and grab a few new Android friends along the way, or if you’re a developer and you want to expand your fan base with a new app or idea, then head on over to Everbadge and sign up for free.  In addition, there is a free app on the Android Market for you to keep track of things like friends, chats, news, reviews, forums, followers, wallpapers and more.  Head on over to our apps database for more info and to check out some screen shots.  Don’t forget to leave a comment letting us know what you think.





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Android 2.3 Shows Security Bug, Can Gain Access To Content On microSD Cards

8:04 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments



It looks like a bugs life can be pretty busy now a days, especially when they continue to infestate the Android OS.  In addition to still bearing some SMS issues, it looks like 2.3 Gingerbread has found a new gaping whole in the software.  According to Xuxian Jiang, a security researcher at North Carolina State University, the Android 2.3 firmware has revealed a new bug, one that could possibly allow malicious sites and attackers alike to gain access to the content of your microSD card.  Jiang is also an assistant professor with the school and has stated in an advisory that pertinent and vital content like banking info, photos and voicemails could be extracted and routed to a remote server of choice.  In an email sent to eWeek, Jiange also adds that his findings were not particularly difficult to implement and only requires basic knowledge of JavaScript and Android.
It was thought that a similar bug as this one was resolved in previous versions of Android, however, Jiang states that this fix can easily be bypassed.  So, in a sad state of affairs, it appears as though there is nothing you can do to prevent the leak, with the exception of just flat out removing your SD card or staying away from malicious links, if you can.
A couple of days ago, Jiang brought his findings to Google’s attention.  A spokesman from Google stated that their teams have developed a fix for the issue, which will be rolled out in an upcoming Android 2.3 maintenance update.  However, the spokesperson was unable to provide an approximate date or time for the update.  So, if you’re running 2.3 on your device, be aware of what sites you’re visiting and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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HTC Thunderbolt May Be Dropping Feb 14, or 24?

7:56 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments




The rumor on the street, according to IntoMobile, is that the HTC Thunderbolt may be hitting the street on the 24th…which made a lot of sense to us, seemed about right. However, Android Central has gotten their hands on an internal screenshot that reports it may be more like the 14th. That shot was pulled internally, though, so it may not be accurate.
We’ll probably get a firm street date at Mobile World Congress, but it’s likely that this phone will be on store shelves within the next 2-3 weeks. We’ll keep you posted!
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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Samsung announces four new Galaxy Androids: Ace, Fit, Gio and Mini

6:59 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments

Samsung has sold 10 million Galaxy S Android phones – that’s a big success, and it’s understandable that the South Korean manufacturer wants to take advantage of the popular Galaxy brand name. Four new Galaxy handsets have been announced by Samsung: the Ace, Fit, Gio and Mini.None of them are high-end devices, so they will come in more affordable packages, but one or two seem pretty promising nonetheless. Of these new Galaxy Android phones, the Ace is most similar to the big brother S, but it has a smaller screen with a lower resolution and a little less powerful CPU.
All of the new Galaxy phones have standard Android features such as aGPS, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accelerometer, magnetometer and proximity sensors. Swype comes preinstalled, and the devices all run Android 2.2 with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top.

Galaxy Ace

  • 3.5-inch 320×480 HVGA touchscreen
  • 800MHz processor
  • 5MP camera with LED flash
The Galaxy Ace will be available right away in Russia. Europe, India and China will soon follow.
Samsung Galaxy Ace

Galaxy Fit

  • 3.31-inch 240×320 QVGA touchscreen
  • 600MHz processor
  • 5MP camera with auto-focus
Samsung Galaxy Fit

Galaxy Gio

  • 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen
  • 800MHz processor
  • 3MP camera with auto-focus
Samsung Galaxy Gio

Galaxy Mini

  • 3.14-inch QVGA touchscreen
  • 600MHz processor
  • 3MP camera with auto-focus
Samsung Galaxy Mini
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Free weather app for your iPhone or Droid

1:21 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


14 News, the Tri-State's News and Weather Leader is proud to announce a full featured weather app for Apple and Android devices.
Our new weather app has an interactive radar, 10 day and hourly forecasts for any city.  Plus, you can get urgent weather alerts sent to your phone!
To get the app in the Android Market, just search "14FirstAlert". The app is free.
Features
∙ Highly responsive interactive map optimized for 3G and WiFi performance
∙ Vertical and horizontal map display with looping
∙ NOWrad, the gold standard for radar in the weather industry
∙ Highest resolution satellite cloud imagery available
∙ Exclusive patent pending Road Weather Index
∙ Color coded weather alerts arranged by severity
∙ Fully integrated GPS for current location awareness
∙ Integrated compass overlay for 3GS models
∙ Most accurate 10 day forecasts with both daily and hourly detail
∙ Ability to easily save your favorite locations
∙ Full featured and user tested
∙ Earthquake plotting - tap on an earthquake to display its detail
∙ iOS 4 compatibility

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Video – How to use the Android Market

1:09 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments

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Android App Developer Interest Increases With Wave of New Tablets

1:01 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments




While Apple’s iPad dominated tablet sales in 2010, there may be room for change in 2011. Enthusiasm for Android app development is rising fast in the coding community.
And that means the apps available to Android users is set to grow — fast.
A recent global survey of app developers by research firm IDC shows 74 percent of respondents as “very interested” in developing for upcoming Android OS-running tablets, up from 62 percent three months ago.
The survey, which questioned over 2,200 app developers around the world, cites the surge in new tablet debuts for 2011 as the reasoning for increased developer interest. At CES in January, manufacturers debuted 85 new tablets, the majority of which were running Android.
“My intuition is that Android is picking up that Linux, open-source crowd that feels excited to move from iOS development to an open platform,” Andreas Schobel, CTO of popular Android app developer Catch.com, told Wired.com in an interview. “The way you can weave Android applications together with Intents makes it a very sexy platform, but one that requires a lot more discipline and effort. Like a powerful, yet complicated, science kit.”

And they’ll be cranking out the apps at a breakneck pace. Respondents to the survey plan to develop an average of 6.5 apps in 2011, almost twice as many as last year. Apple’s App Store has over 400,000 apps currently available for download, while the Android Market offers around 200,000 apps.
2010 was Apple’s year to shine in the tablet market. In the company’s recent earnings report, Apple reported 7.33 million iPads sold in the fourth quarter of 2010. We’ve yet to see that type of traction from an Android tablet — Samsung reported sales of 1 million of its Galaxy Tab in December.
And the iPad still leads the tablet pack in terms of developer interest, with 87 percent of respondents expressing interest in it. But developers aren’t necessarily beholden to one specific platform. Those surveyed plan to develop apps for four different devices on average, the big four being the iPhone, iPad, Android phone and Android tablet.
Although the pack seems eager to produce more Android apps in the coming year, developers aren’t without their concerns. About half of the respondents expressed concerns around version fragmentation. Google has been in the habit of pushing two Android updates per year, which means multiple versions of software for developers to configure for multiple platform versions. Handset manufacturers tweaking the firmware for each model of phone can also be hell on a developers’ workload.
It’s the cost of doing business with an open platform like Android. And judging by IDC’s numbers, it’s a cost developers are willing to pay.
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Google I/O 2011 Info: Registration Opens Up February 7th

12:47 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


February 7th is shaping up to be a big day for Android.  Sprint is announcing something big at an event in New York City. We will have all the coverage for you of course. Also, Google I/O 2011 general registration will open up on February 7th as well.
Here’s a quick rundown…
Google’s annual developer event called I/O will be held on May 10th and 11th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA.
If this is your first I/O you may want to consider attending I/O boot camp which will be held on May 9th at the Mission Bay Conference Center. Bootcamp is a more intimate event meant for beginners and first time atendees. Bootcamp is a full day of lectures and labs such as Android 101, writing and developing for Android. The smaller more intimate setting means more hands on time for atendees.  For more information on I/O Bootcamp visit here
Then the big show.
I/O is two days worth of technical sessions, panels, lectures, the developer’s sandbox, community networking and a kick ass party.
There are over 80 technical sessions in the tracks you can choose from that will give you penty of lecture and Q&A time on the latest Google developments.
The Developer Sandbox will feature 100 developers and their apps. The developers will be on hand for demonstrations of their apps and to answer questions and share ideas.
Day 1 is rounded out with a party that can’t be beat.
You can’t register yet but make sure you mark your calendar for February 7th because I/O will most likely sell out that day.
Important Links For Google I/O
Google I/O Main Website
Google I/O Bootcamp Site
Google I/O official twitter
Google’s Victor “Vic” Gundotra
Hotels (click these links to take advantage of Google I/O Group Rates However you may want to make sure you score a ticket to I/O before you book the room)
San Francisco $209/night Mariott Marquis
W San Francisco$239/night Click Here
Westin San Francisco $225/night Click Here
Intercontinental San Francisco $235/night Click Here
Source: Google
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