Thursday, February 10, 2011

HP webOS TouchPad VS Motorola XOOM, TABLET WARToday at the HP/webOS event we’ve got our pals SlashGear reporting back and we just had to take a peek at what they were seeing. Turns out they are indeed announcing the HP TouchPad, a tablet computer that does show some hearty promise. Would you like to know how well it would hold up against the also recently announced Motorola XOOM tablet, that tablet running Android 3.0 Honeycomb? You’re in luck, we’ve got that kind of battle. Behold an apples to apples (aka no Apple) tablet matchup! Below you’ll see a chart listing all of the points you’re going to want to see as far as specs compared on these two tablets. These are CONFIRMED specs on both devices, both of them having been officially announced by their manufacturers. The things we dont have confirmed at bits of information that we’ll have to attain once we’ve got the devices in our hands, items like battery time and actual video quality which one would only truly be able to judge once one had a chance to test the device. So without further ado, behold a knife fight between two tablets! Will these specs make up your mind, or are you still hung on a line? Take a peek below for a gallery containing our own photos of these devices, both on screen and in hand. Here at Android Community we’ve got sort of a bias for Android devices, but we’ve gotta say, that webOS tablet doesn’t look half bad.

2:51 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments

Today at the HP/webOS event we’ve got our pals SlashGear reporting back and we just had to take a peek at what they were seeing. Turns out they are indeed announcing the HP TouchPad, a tablet computer that does show some hearty promise. Would you like to know how well it would hold up against the also recently announced Motorola XOOM tablet, that tablet running Android 3.0 Honeycomb? You’re in luck, we’ve got that kind of battle. Behold an apples to apples (aka no Apple) tablet matchup!


Below you’ll see a chart listing all of the points you’re going to want to see as far as specs compared on these two tablets. These are CONFIRMED specs on both devices, both of them having been officially announced by their manufacturers. The things we dont have confirmed at bits of information that we’ll have to attain once we’ve got the devices in our hands, items like battery time and actual video quality which one would only truly be able to judge once one had a chance to test the device.
So without further ado, behold a knife fight between two tablets!

Will these specs make up your mind, or are you still hung on a line? Take a peek below for a gallery containing our own photos of these devices, both on screen and in hand. Here at Android Community we’ve got sort of a bias for Android devices, but we’ve gotta say, that webOS tablet doesn’t look half bad.
androidcommunity_xoom_vs_touchpad 1182605920_VqW67-M 1182606179_ua8sT-M 1182606337_K3SFC-M 1182606349_rAdr6-M 1182606587_CfRrs-M 1182606624_U7BQx-M 1182606632_QL93g-M 1182606788_cj66G-M 1182606815_8PZjj-M 1182606865_7pMt2-M 1182607016_p5DMX-M 1182607090_WUEDj-M 1182607169_fj7pj-L 1182609452_kKDTM-M 1182609458_WQh9T-M 1182609551_zanEx-M 1182609734_jNSnU-M 1182609765_oP5xW-M 1182609975_NgiBd-M 1182609985_9ZEW2-M 1182610173_xa7GW-M 1182610242_dUMps-M 1182610420_wTppW-M 1182626481_wimwu-M 1182626544_asQak-M 1182626610_ryBoL-M 1182626783_QVheH-M 1182632115_o7bVo-M 1182632256_kosHP-M 1182644479_3bDUn-M XOOM-hands-on-16 XOOM-hands-on-19 XOOM-hands-on-25 XOOM-hands-on-27 XOOM-hands-on-31 XOOM-hands-on-32 XOOM-hands-on-34 XOOM-hands-on-36 XOOM-hands-on-37 touchpadvsxoom motorolaxoom_vs_hptouchpad 
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Evernote for Android Updated to 2.6 (speed, editing power)

2:47 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments

The most lovely of elephant related note taking applications Evernote has been updated to version 2.6 which includes several new features including, but not limited to: Snippets, Notebook Stacks, Editing of styled notes from your Android device, and a speed increase of around 6x. The editing of styled notes looks particularly enticing, as a video demo is included courtesy of Evernote, a video demo which is very obviously simulated, but appears impressive nonetheless.


Take a peek at all the new features you’ll be grappling when you download the brand new version of Evernote:

New View: Snippets
In snippets, you’re given a new more dynamic view of your lists of your notes. Included is a thumbnail image, title, date posted, and a shortened version of the text inside the note. If the note contains no image, the entire space is utilized with more text from the paragraphs within. This new note view is in addition to the views already available, and you can create as many unique note snippet stacks as you like.

Notebook Stacks
This feature, Notebook Stacks, was recently added to both the Windows and Mac versions of the application. Like what was just said, you’re allowed to create stacks of notes in whatever manner you like, creating stacks for activities you’ll be doing, weeks that’ll require specific notes, or whatever else you like.
Edit Styled Notes from your Android Device
You’ve been able to create styled notes from Evernote for a while not – why not have the ability to edit these notes from your Android device? Now you can, and it’s completely simple beyond belief. The ever-present “Append or Copy” popup has been done away with, and editing maintains the style of whatever element you’re editing. You may not edit text notes, webclips, snapshots, or audio notes. IMPORTANT NOTE: this feature will add text in the style that the rest of the paragraph is in, but will not create new styled text or re-style existing text. Take a peek at the demo video here:


Plus More!
Hooray there’s more, including improved sync performance, new editing of saved searches before running them (tap and hold search name to do this), improved scaling of images, faster loading and app performance, and a crapload of additional bug fixes all around.
Evernote for Android is currently available FREE in the Android Marketplace.
snap20110209_123132 snap20110209_123207 snap20110209_123154 android-stacks snippets

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First look at the INQ Facebook enabled Android Phone “Cloud Touch” [Update]

2:41 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments



So all  that talk about INQ’s Android powered Facebook phone was not full rubbish, there is a lot of truth in it. British company INQ is actually working on an Android smartphone named Cloud Touch [previously reported], which will deeply integrate Facebook functions.
INQ channel manager Andrew Bennet showed off an early build of the device to folks over Techcrunch today. You can check out the demo video later in the post. According to Andrew, INQ Cloud Touch will reach International markets in May, with US availability later in the year. With Aircel’s partnership with INQ, we might even see the device soon in India.
Techcrunch wasn’t the only one getting the INQ love; folks over Mashable too got the preview of this device, and the specs too with a series of images.
INQ Cloud Touch Specifications:
  • Android 2.2
  • Qualcomm 7227 600MHz processor
  • 5MP camera
  • 1300mAh battery
  • 3.5-inch HGVA touch screen
INQ will release Cloud Touch with Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy in UK, while it is still in talks with telecom carrier for a US release. Company is also working on a QWERTY version of the phone, which will be called Cloud Q with 2.6 inch display.
Update: INQ just made the phones official, find the press release below:
INQ Phones Bring Facebook® to Life on Two New Social Mobiles
INQ announces two new Androids; INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q
Facebook comes alive with a homescreen Visual Media Feed for video, pictures, web pages and newsfeed
Spotify client is default music player accessed through a dedicated “Spotify” key
INQ Cloud Touch available first in the UK in April, through The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy
LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, INQ Mobile delivered an all-new Facebook mobile experience with two new Android devices, the INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q. Built for people worldwide who use Facebook as their primary means of communication, they deliver a fully live Facebook experience built around INQ’s Visual Media Feed.
“The INQ Cloud Touch is a perfect example of how the next generation of phones will be built – from the cloud up – and we’re excited to make Spotify a part of that.”
The result of close collaboration with Facebook, INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q feature all new apps for Facebook on mobile. The new apps leave behind the mobile paradigm of text based status updates and deliver a rich media feed to the homescreen.
The homescreen is a visual Facebook feed for clicking through friends’ updates, pictures, videos and web pages. There are one-touch links to Facebook Chat, Friends, Messages, Wall and Notifications. Facebook Single Sign On is activated across the phones and people can check in to their favorite shops, restaurants and clubs with Facebook Places, also active on the homescreen. Facebook Events fully integrates with the Google Calendar on both devices.
The phones are the first mobiles to use the Facebook social graph API, making it easy for people to follow updates from the friends they interact with most.
The default music player on the INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q is Spotify, and all Spotify features are available to subscribers through a dedicated Spotify key.
Frank Meehan, INQ’s CEO, said: “We started the ‘Social Mobile’ category 3 years ago with the Skypephone and INQ1, as we believed integrating the internet was the future of mobile. Since then, Facebook has evolved from a social network to become an incredibly powerful global communications platform. Speed and simplicity of access to things you love is our DNA, so our next step is to make it even easier for people to experience the richness of Facebook – all from the homescreen. The power of the Facebook platform enables us to make the INQ Cloud Touch a deeply immersive social mobile experience.”
Meehan added: “We also love Spotify, an amazing service that brings the benefits of the ‘cloud’ to consumers, so we made it even easier for Spotify customers to access their music. INQ is all about enhancing the mobile experience, using the power and flexibility of Google’s brilliant Android platform which ultimately makes all this possible.”
Henri Moissinac, Head of Mobile Business for Facebook said: “The INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q bring Facebook to people with a single touch while they are mobile and demonstrate the power of socially aware devices. INQ has built an innovative and easy to use set of features that enable people to use common Facebook interactions such as viewing photos and videos, chat, message, and check-in to their favorite businesses all from the home screen.”
Spotify CEO and Founder, Daniel Ek, said: “The INQ Cloud Touch is a perfect example of how the next generation of phones will be built – from the cloud up – and we’re excited to make Spotify a part of that.”
Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer for Best Buy Europe said: “The arrival of these new INQ devices in the UK is hugely exciting for customers. We all know mobile phones are no longer about just making calls, and a new generation of customers is now entering the market for whom this is especially true. They grew up with Facebook and Spotify and expect their mobiles to offer a fully integrated social media experience. The new INQ mobiles offer one of the best, most integrated Facebook experiences I’ve seen so far, and I’m thrilled we’ll be able to offer them exclusively to our customers.”
The INQ Cloud Touch is a 3.5” HGVA, Android 2.2 touch device, and the INQ Cloud Q is a 2.6” Android 2.2 touch Qwerty. Both offer high levels of smartphone functionality in a sleek package at affordable prices for the mass market. The INQ Cloud Touch will be available in Q2 2011, and INQ Cloud Q will be available Q3 2011, only at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy.
INQ Cloud Touch specifications:
Software
Android Froyo 2.2 platform
Built with a modular approach making upgrade to Gingerbread easy
Instant Messaging for WLM, G-Talk and Facebook Chat
Free push email across major domains, including Microsoft Exchange
Info Key to quick access to key handset functions
Fast unlock for quick access to key functions
Backup and sync, plus firmware upgrades to later software releases
Hardware
Processor: Qualcomm 7227 chipset, 600MHz
Triband HSPA (7.2/ 5.76Mbps), Quadband GSM, EDGE + WiFi
Size: 3.5” inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen display with extended 10mm touch strip
Memory: 4MB with option to add more
5 MP autofocus camera
1300mAh battery
WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, GPS, FM Radio, accelerometer, compass, ambient light and proximity sensors
MicroUSB charging, 3.5mm audio jack.
Accessories included: 4GB microSD Card, Travel Charger & USB Cable, Stereo Headset, Quick Start Guide
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Twitter 2.0 for Android gets an early video preview

2:32 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments

I’m not sure where he got this, but Christopher Meinck of Everything Android posted a quick hands-on preview of what he is calling the new Twitter 2.0 for Android. This latest, unreleased update appears to focus on refining the UI and we think it looks pretty slick.
The home screen with the 6-pack menu is now gone and the app launches right into your timeline. The action bar at the top of the screen allows you to search or create a new tweet , followed by a sub-menu that allows you to view your timeline, mentions, messages, and more options.
There is no word on when this update will roll out to the Android Market, but the original Twitter client was released just before the summer last year so I expect we could see this finished in the next couple months.
What do you think about the 2.0 update? Do you like the changes? What other features would you like to see added to the official Twitter client?
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Nexus S receives update to Android 2.3.3, adds new NFC features, random reboot bug remains

2:27 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments

Google just announced that they have begun to push Android 2.3.3 to the Nexus S. The update is described as a small feature release that adds read and write APIs for the near field communications (NFC) chip inside the Nexus S. Other updates include new APIs for Bluetooth, graphics, media framework, and speech recognition.
Mysteriously missing from the Android 2.3.3 Version Notes is any mention of the random reboot bug that is affecting a portion of Nexus S owners. The problem was first identified last year and Google confirmed they were working on a fix, but I guess it is not ready at this time. We were told on January 28th that a fix for the reboot bug would be available within one to two weeks, but it does not appear that will happen.
If you own a Nexus S, look for the over-the-air update to hit your phone in the coming days. We will be on the look for the download link so that you can manually install the update if you do not wish to wait.
Some of the features of the Android 2.3.3 update include:
  • A comprehensive NFC reader/writer API that lets apps read and write to almost any standard NFC tag in use today.
  • Advanced Intent dispatching that gives apps more control over how/when they are launched when an NFC tag comes into range.
  • Some limited support for peer-to-peer connection with other NFC devices.
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Broadcom announces yet another Android-friendly dual-core processor

2:26 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


With the announcement of a second Android-ready processor, Broadcom has been giving Google a lot of love , lately. The new BCM28150 is a big step up from its predecessor, which was released in December, 2010, and sports a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 at 1.1GHz; an HSPA+ modem doing 21Mbps; and Broadcom’s VideoCore IV VPU (vector processing unit).
What’s more, it touts 12-megapixel camera imaging, 3D video and gaming at 1080p, HDMI out, and the obligatory Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS facilities. Broadcom plans to demo the processor at MWC in Barcelona next week, keep logged-in as we will get you more on this amazing processor.
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Motorola Completes Updating Their 4 Android Devices

2:17 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments



Motorola has decided to pause updates for several handsets. No updates for the the Motorola Clique Xt, the Motorola i1, Motorola Flipout, and Motorola Charm. Currently, both the Charm and Flipout are running Android 2.2 aka Froyo. While the Clique Xt and i1 stuck with Cupcake.
So for those who used all the devices from following list above. You can choose to continue using your device or get an upgrade by investing in several choices like Nexus S or the brand new dual screen Kyocera Echo. Both devices run on Android 2.3

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