Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Google I/O Official App – Go Get it Now!

1:03 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments





Are you going to Google I/O next week? Well then, you need the official Android app for the conference. Even if you’re not attending, and want to follow the happenings, it is a good app to have. Google I/O, in case you were not aware for some strange reason, is Google’s sold-out developer conference being held on May 10th and 11th, and is jam packed with sessions and speakers.


The app allows you to look at the schedule, see detailed session and speaker info, and see the conference map.

You can also star sessions and Sandbox companies so that you can organize your schedule and refer back to the companies you’re interested in.
The app has a Bulletin section that gives you official updates during the conference so you can keep up with all the news, and also a realtime stream that shows tweets about the conference.

The app also lets you create and manage notes using Catch, and has a search feature so that you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
Remember, Android Community will be covering Google I/O live, so be sure to set up camp here next week as we feature all the breaking news from the conference.
 
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Asus Transformer preorders cancelled by Target – or were they?

1:02 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


We’ve been getting word from Target customers that due to severe product shortages, the Bulls Eye is canceling their Asus Transformer pre-orders. Customers following up by phone with Customer Service, however, are learning a different story – that the Transformer is actually just out of stock and that their orders aren’t canceled. Checking on Target’s Website, we found the Transformer listed as being out of stock. But whether it’s just out of stock or Target is giving up sending it out, many customers are frustrated and just plain angry.


Thank you for shopping at Target.com. Unfortunately, the following item is not currently available from any of our sources.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer 10.1″ Android Tablet (TF101-A1) with 16GB Hard Drive, 1GB Memory – Black/Brown
We have canceled this item from your order.

Earlier today we reported, Asus announcing they can only make about 10,000 units per month and that most were heading to Europe. A short production schedule is likely due to parts being in short supply. And that translates into retailer stocks being pretty low. And now, it’s apparent they’re running out.
Conspiracy theorists might think to link to Amazon where they may see the tablet ready to ship out the door – but take note! Amazon is supplied by Target, especially in this case you’ve got to know that the tablet wouldn’t come to your door any faster than if you’d ordered the same thing from a Target store. That is, unless you get some super sweet one day shipping deal out of Amazon. That’s always a possibility. As it stands now though, right around $600 is the best you’re going to be able to do.

 
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Notion Ink Tablet gets Gingerbread update, does anyone care anymore?

1:01 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


Notion Ink has added a new chapter to their two year old odyssey of building their Adam Android tablet from scratch. Notion has confirmed an update providing Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a new browser, and even a new eBook reader client. As you well know, Notion has been blogging the process step by step, giving users an inside peek on how tablets are created. For awhile, we thought they’d disappeared. Then last month, they announced updates to their tablet were forth coming. But since Adam was launched, Notion has run into customer service and shipping issues which has caused many who were eagerly awaiting release to seek other options. So the question is … does anyone really care?



Notion says that updating to Gingerbread moves them towards the goal of acclimating the Kernel and all apps closer to a merge to Honeycomb, which will require converting to eMMC OS. In addition to Gingerbread and the new eBook reader, usability issues resolved, a new multi-tasking environment added, and even simple video and music players.
CEO Rohan Shravan said that the delays before had been due to licensing issues pertaining to the book reader. Issues that appear to have been cleared up. The update is again promised here, but remains to be seen in the fleshy text. Shravan also goes on to say that the process has been a journey requiring “determination,” “the ability to learn fast,” “understand” their critics, and “keep moving forward.”
But could it be it too little to late?
 
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Samsung Galaxy SII Gorilla Glass Confirmed

1:00 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments




It’s been confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S II has been designed with Gorilla Glass, that super bendable, and hard to scratch, thin layer of glass which makes a screen extremely durable to every day abuse. The Galaxy S also had Gorilla Glass, so it isn’t really all that big of news. But since the Galaxy S II is super thin, there was some question as to if Gorilla Glass was part of the design or not. Now we know.



Gorilla Glass is very hard to scratch or break. It’s ultra thin, easy to clean design allows for what Corning calls “a deep layer of high compressive stress,” and acts as a kind of clear armor for your phone. It’s durability is accomplished through a chemical strengthening process called “ion-exchange.” It resists local cracking and chipping which will weaken normal glass when in either direct or indirect contact.
With it’s ultra thin design, and highly durable Super AMOLED plus screen, the Samsung Galaxy S II also adds lightening fast performance. Under the hood, it enjoys a dual-core 1.2 Ghz. processor and 1Gb RAM. Running on HSPA+, the Galaxy S II has performance benchmarks that are off the charts.

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Samsung SPH-D600 Heading to Sprint with a Ticker Screen?

7:45 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments




Another smart phone has been spotted hanging out at the FCC hoping to pick up its papers on the way to the Now Network.  A Samsung SDH-D600 was recently found online with a few preliminary hardware specs to share.  Look for the low-end to mid-range handset to feature a 3.1-megapixel camera, and a 320x480 display as well as support for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and WiMAX.  Pocketnow is also reporting a 1GHz processor and a sliding QWERTY form factor akin to the Epic 4G.  This makes sense because the Epic 4G was the D700 while this D600 may come in slightly less powerful.  Oh, and do we notice another "ticker" phone coming from Samsung?
Verizon offers a pair of Galaxy S phones in the Fascinate and Continuum so it would be logical that Sprint follows a similar pattern, except with a QWERTY keyboard.
 
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iPhone 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy S II Pre-Order: Apple Loses

7:42 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


It would appear that Apple’s iPhone 4 has a battle on its hands in Korea, this is according to the pre-order sales figures for the Samsung Galaxy S II.
It is claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S II had nearly 200,000 pre-orders across all 3 of Korea’s major carriers between Monday, April 25th and the handset’s launch in its homeland on Friday, April 29th. The majority of the pre-orders (160,000) were with the country’s largest carrier SK Telecom.
Now compared with 110,000 pre-orders of the Apple iPhone 4 in the month of August just before its release, this could be considered as a win for Samsung. However, as with the USA the iPhone was confined to only one carrier at that time, which no doubt had an effect on the overall sales figures for the device.
The plan by Samsung, as indicated by Electronista coming to us via Phandroid, is to get 10 million Galaxy S II’s in customers’ pockets by the end of this year, this is the same figure that they received for the original Galaxy S smartphone. Whilst, this number sounds huge, it is quite modest when compared to the 18.65 million iPhones that Apple shipped last winter.
The Samsung Galaxy S II could be a major contender to its rivals this Summer. Which device do you prefer the Apple iPhone 4 or the Samsung Galaxy S II?

 
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Android Honeycomb Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Previewed on Video

7:41 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


Thinking of getting an Android tablet, perhaps one from Samsung? How about the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 that is expected to become available on June the 8th? How about having a quick look at the Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet in action?
That’s what we have for your viewing appraisal below, a preview video of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi model I action courtesy of Phone Arena by way of Engadget and NewGadgets.de, which delivers just over two minutes of previewing the device.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 in the footage is a working model of the device, but alas doesn’t come up with anything informative concerning the tablet’s capabilities, but it at least does give us a look at what we can expect from the new Android device..
As stated earlier the expected release of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is the 8th of June and price wise the 16GB version commands $469 while the 32GB model commands a price tag of $569. So anyone hoping to snap up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 come June the 8th?
 
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Verizon Wireless Launching Official Pirates App

6:57 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments




Verizon Wireless has teamed up with Disney to bring you the official Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides app. This app will carry exclusive Disney content from the upcoming theatrical release of the movie with the same name. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides app will feature character bios, character stills, movie artwork, local show times and allow integration with social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.
The app will also stream live starting at 8:45pm PST from the world premiere of the movie in Anaheim California on May 7th. Verizon Wireless and Disney will also make the mobile game: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Master Of The Seas, available to Verizon Android users from May 17th to June 14th.
The highly interactive Master of The Seas game allows players to customize pirates and their ships, engage in battles and embark on quests.
Hopefully the pirate advocates won’t try to get this game pulled off the market.
 
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Things We Missed You Shouldn't

6:56 PM Simranpal SIngh No comments


Its another wonderful morning here at Phandroid and after another 24 hours of bringing you the latest Android news and goodies, we’re left with – the other stuff. But don’t let “other stuff” fool you. We simply mean the items that for one reason or another, didn’t manage to grace our glorious front page. That doesn’t mean you wont find anything of interest, so feel free to sift through our selections and comment on the ones you found most interesting. Good night!
 
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