Category Archives: ANDROID

Google: G1, HTC Hero, Magic…

Tasker for Android: special

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Shaun

I wrote about finding the perfect automated smartphone app yesterday and elbowz came up with Tasker for Android. It is admittedly over the top, but if you spend the time setting up the triggers your smartphone could be easier to use than you ever imagined.

Automate everything from settings to photos, SMS to speech. ADC2 prize winner.

Total Automation, from settings to SMS. ADC2 finalist!

* Triggers: App, Time, Day, Location, Hard/Soft State, Event, Shortcut, Widget, Timer
* Actions: 175+ built-in, any Locale-compatible setting plugin
* Tasks: loops, variables, conditions

Comments Off


HTC Flyer pen to be sold separately for $79.99: error

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Shaun

It turns out that the HTC Flyer pen will be sold separately for $79.99 and that one will not be included with the tablet. An HTC rep told DroidLife- “I understand you would like confirmation if the Digital Stylus would be coming with the Flyer. The Digital Stylus will be sold separately. We currently do not have any pricing information on how much the Digital Stylus would be.”

Comments Off

The Samsung Galaxy S II: it isn’t slow

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Shaun

Clove has run some benchmarks on the Samsung Galaxy S II and to call it quick would be an understatement. The full article is here, but the image below says a lot.

As you can see that is incredible and is at least 2 times faster than the original Galaxy S.

Do bear in mind this performance and the results change over time as you add applications and make changes to your device, but even so this is incredible.

2 Comments


The new Xperia minis: too small?

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Shaun

Sony Ericsson has announced two new Xperia minis. The Xperia mini is the world’s smallest Android powered HD video smartphone while the Xperia mini pro is the world’s smallest Android powered HD video smartphone, with a keyboard. Likely to be very nice, but surely too small for serious users? Time will tell.

Enjoy all your entertainment in crisp colours and high contrast on the 3″ Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine. Your HD video recording smartphone comes with a photo flash and auto focus too – your pics stay sharp and bright, even when you snap them in the dark.

On the move? Synch your email and calendar on the fly with Exchange ActiveSync®. And with OfficeSuite loaded as standard on your Android mini qwerty phone, you’ll look smooth over your smoothie as you prepare for that perfect pitch. With the powerful 1 GHz processor you can thumb your way through everything lightning fast.

1 Comment

HTC Flyer stylus: $80!

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Shaun

Best Buy is listing the HTC Flyer stylus for $79.99! liliputing has the details and it isn’t clear at this stage if one will come with the tablet (surely it will), but even so- how many times did you lose styluses during those heady PDA days?

“It’s possible that what we’re looking at is the price of a spare pen, but I have yet to see any confirmation that a pen will come with the HTC Flyer. All we know is that the tablet has an active digitizer and can support either pen or finger input.

The HTC Flyer wouldn’t be the first Android tablet to be largely defined by an optional accessory that isn’t included in the base price. The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is notable largely because the Android tablet has an optional keyboard docking station which lets you use the device like a notebook computer — but the keyboard dock adds $150 to the base price of the $400 tablet.”

2 Comments


Astraware Launches Four Games for Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Color

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Shaun

Astraware is continuing to push out games for as many products as possible and the NOOK Color is the target this time. By all accounts it is one of the better tablets available.

Staffordshire, UK – 4th May 2011 – Astraware® is excited to announce the launch of four games, now available on Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet. The Astraware games are available through NOOK Apps™, a collection of high-quality applications launched this week for NOOK Color.   As was announced on April 25, 2011 Barnes & Noble issued a major software update that delivered significant new features and content to its NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet including NOOK Apps, one of the most-requested features from NOOK Color customers.

Astraware Mahjong, Astraware Solitaire, Astraware Sudoku, and Astraware Casino have all been optimised to take advantage of NOOK Color’s high resolution screen, and touchscreen controls. Astraware Mahjong is currently exclusive to NOOK Color on the Android platform for a limited time.

“We’ve put together a selection of titles that are ideal for people who like to both relax and use their brains – which will be perfect for NOOK Color owners!  With great features to make the games rewarding to play, and customisation to really make them your own, these will sit perfectly alongside the books, magazines, and entertainment that NOOK Color owners already enjoy!”

Astraware Mahjong includes 30+ puzzle layouts, 4 difficulty levels, and a Daily puzzle challenge where players can compare times with other players worldwide.

Astraware Solitaire includes 12 of the most popular single player card games in 1 pack, including Klondike, Spider, Freecell, Pyramid, and more.

Astraware Casino includes 11 popular casino games in 1 pack including Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, Slots, Roulette, Blackjack, Craps, and more.

Astraware Sudoku includes puzzles at 6 difficulty levels, a puzzle generator, puzzle solver, ability to enter your own puzzles from newspapers and books, and a wide range of assistance including automatic or manual pencilmarks, and a smart hints system. It also includes the Sudoku of the Day daily puzzle challenge.

All 4 games can be purchased for $4.99 each on device. NOOK Color customers can easily download each game in seconds from Shop on NOOK Color. For more information on NOOKcolor, visit www.nookcolor.com. For more information on Astraware games, visit: http://www.astraware.com.

Comments Off

15 minutes with the Samsung Galaxy S II: holy smokes!

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Shaun

The nice people at Phones4U (yes I did say ‘nice’) let me play with a Samsung Galaxy S II for 15 minutes today and to say I was impressed would be a major understatement.

I am not going to write too much because a full review will be popping up soon, but first impressions were way ahead of my own high expectations. Everything from the screen clarity to the depth and the backing looked like a big improvement over the original Galaxy S. It felt lovely in the hand and almost futuristic thanks to the large size and impossibly thin body. It is the most slab-like smartphone I have held to date.

The speed of the phone was also super quick and it’s hard to imagine what it could potentially do if tasks requiring the dual-cores are utilised. As I said this is a very short overview, but get yourself over to a phone store and have a look. It is a jump up from the other phones on the shelves at first glance, including the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. First glances may not mean much to most of you reading this, but to the general public that can be a very important factor in a purchasing decision. So many times I see people walk into a mobile phone shop and buy a phone purely on looks and specification and this looks pretty good in comparison to the others on the shelves.

Now available from Clove.

1 Comment


The Galaxy S II is on its way

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Shaun

The Samsung Galaxy S II is getting closer to being in our hands every day now and is starting to show up from various providers.

Like Steve Litchfield, I wonder if this could be one of the smartphone highlights of the year. Prices vary though and it will depend on which network, or no network at all, you prefer. Clove has them on pre-order for £528 and units may even be dispatched today. 3 is listing it as available for £499.99 on PAYG and O2 is quoting £399, but that would mean having to use the O2 network. Shudder…

I am waiting on purchasing an Xperia Arc until I see this in the flesh- it may just be even better.

2 Comments

LG Optimus Pad at Carphone Warehouse: you won’t be buying this

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Shaun

The LG Optimus Pad has appeared at Carphone Warehouse and sounds mightily impressive from the specs; 3D video recording, HD playback, dual core processors, HD playback.

It’s £799. No thanks.

Comments Off

BlackBerry Enterprise Solution coming to iOS and Android

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Shaun

This is hugely significant. RIM is aiming to bring BES to competitor smartphone platforms via the acquisition of ubitexx. It is likely that we will see BBM and other BlackBerry services hitting consumer devices in the future as well which is intriguing to say the least.

I don’t know if this is a good idea or not. As a consumer I would love to use BlackBerry services on a non-BlackBerry phone, but it feels like RIM is giving away its most prized assets to the competition and leaving itself little room for maneuver in the future.

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM, TSX: RIM) is announcing today plans for a multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for managing and securing mobile devices for enterprises and government organizations. The solution will make available the market-leading management, security and controls of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express for BlackBerry® devices plus, through RIM’s pending acquisition of ubitexx (creator of the ubi-Suite device management solution), the solution is expected to incorporate secure device management for Android and iOS based devices and tablets, all managed from a single web-based console.

“The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is designed to address a growing market and respond to requests from enterprise customers who want a secure multi-platform device management solution from a company that already delivers the gold standard for enterprise mobility,” said Peter Devenyi, Vice President, Communications Platform Group at Research In Motion. “We recognize the opportunity to continue leading in the enterprise market by providing customers with a common platform to help simplify the management of a variety of mobile devices.”

The single web-based console is being designed to provide IT administrators with a simple and efficient way to distribute software and manage policies, inventory, security and services for BlackBerry devices, as well as other mobile devices. IT administrators will be able to manage devices over-the-air, including activating devices, distributing software and applications, locking or wiping devices, enforcing and resetting device passwords, setting IT policies, and managing optional mobile applications for end users. Certain features are expected to remain exclusive to BlackBerry devices because such capabilities are built into the design of a device’s operating system. Examples include RIM’s industry-leading push technology, network and data usage efficiency, behind-the-firewall access to enterprise applications and systems, and many of the over 550 IT policies available through BlackBerry Enterprise Server.  The recently-released BlackBerry® Balance™ technology (see separate press release issued today), which supports the use of a single smartphone for both work and personal purposes without compromising the security of corporate content or the privacy of personal content, will also remain exclusive to BlackBerry devices.

Comments Off

Distimo says Android Market will soon overtake the App Store

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Shaun

Distimo published some figures last week proclaiming that the Android Market would soon overtake the iOS app store in terms of app volume. The question remains, which store has the best quality apps? Many iOS users users say that Apple’s has, but I believe it is largely impossible to tell because there are so many available, too many to check.

The Google Android Market eclipsed the Apple App Store for iPhone in terms of free applications and now has 134,342 free applications, while the Apple App Store iPhone has 121,845 free applications.

If all application stores maintain their current growth pace, approximately five months from now Google Android Market will be the largest store in terms of number of applications followed by the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad, Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, BlackBerry App World and Nokia Ovi Store. The Windows Phone 7 Marketplace will also be larger than the Nokia Ovi Store and BlackBerry App World prior to the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace being available for even a full year.

One year after launching the iPad, Apple will be confronted with its first serious competition as both BlackBerry and Google enter the emerging tablet market. Apple has already seized momentum and grown the App Store for iPad in the first year to 75,755 applications developed by 21,975 publishers. Daily downloads in the Top 100 Overall paid and free applications for iPad combined exceed 500,000, while the daily revenue in the Top 100 paid is approximately $400,000 excluding in-app purchases.

Many of the top publishers on the iPad already publish cross-platform. Fifty-eight percent of the 50 most popular publishers have already developed applications for non-Apple platforms.

Comments Off

How Google’s Freewheeling Ecosytem Threatens the iPhone

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Shaun

Interesting article at Wired suggesting that Android will one day seriously threaten the iPhone. Some of you will agree, others won’t, but only time will tell.

“Andy Rubin needed a hit. It was January 2009, three years since Google had bought the company he cofounded, a little startup called Android.

Rubin had created a slick operating system for mobile phones that allowed customers to surf the web, send email, play music, and install apps. He had hoped that Google’s money and power would help turn Android into a major force in the burgeoning smartphone industry. Instead, Android had been a disappointment. Despite months of press buildup, the first phone to run the system, HTC’s T-Mobile G1, was greeted with tepid reviews and lackluster sales. Rubin had tried to find a bigger wireless carrier that would agree to partner with Android—he and his team, including Android cofounders Rich Miner and Nick Sears, had lobbied Verizon for the better part of a year—but without success. And then there was Android’s biggest competitor, the iPhone. Introduced in 2007, it had become an instant commercial and cultural phenomenon. Unless Rubin could come up with a breakthrough Android phone, and quick, he might have to concede the entire business to Steve Jobs…”

Comments Off

Android now most ‘desired’ mobile OS

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Shaun

New figures from nielsen show that an Android phone is the planned purchase of 31% of respondents with iOS on 30% and 20% not sure. BlackBerry is on 11%, Windows Phone on 6% and webOS on 1%. This compares favourably for Android compared to the last report which had iOS on 33% and Android on 26%.

Add to this the fact that 50% of recent acquirers bought Android with iOS on 25% and RIM on only 15% and it’s not difficult to see where the momentum is going. Some will argue that Apple still makes the most money from mobile, which is true, but it does bring into question the path of slow hardware updates which must be having an impact. The fact is that Android will have the largest market share anyway, but once a year iPhone updates are surely needed at the very least from Apple.

Comments Off

Xoom, just one look and then the sales went boom

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Shaun

I spent 30 minutes with the XOOM at the weekend and quite liked it. It did most things very well and looked like a competitor to the iPad. And then I looked at the price.

It seems that others agree because Trip Chowdry from Global Equities is estimating that Motorola has shifted just 120,000 XOOM’s at best and only 25,000 at worst. Ouch…

“Global Equities analyst Trip Chowdry estimates that Motorola Mobility has manufactured between 500,000 and 800,000 Xooms, but has sold only 5 to 15 percent of them.”

5 Comments

Sony S1 and S2 officially announced: sweet

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Shaun

Sony has announced the S1 and S2 Android Honeycomb tablets and at first glance they look very impressive, particularly the S2 dual-screen version. Here’s a little bit of the very long press release-

Sony Corporation (“Sony”), announces “Sony Tablet” that delivers the perfect combination of hardware, content and network with seamless usability for a high-quality, engaging entertainment experience. Based on decades of engineering heritage, Sony is developing two tablets with unprecedented design, including S1 (codename) which is optimized for rich media entertainment and S2 (codename) which is ideal for mobile communication and entertainment. “Sony Tablet” will become available in the global market starting in fall 2011.

“Sony Tablet” is equipped with the latest Android 3.0 which is designed for devices with larger screen sizes, particularly tablets. Both tablets are WiFi and WAN (3G/4G) compatible and users can not only browse the internet or check e-mail but they can also smoothly access digital content including videos, games and books through Sony’s premium network services and more, on-the-go at any time.

S1 has a 9.4-inch display for enjoying the web and rich content on a large screen. Its off-center of gravity design realizes stability and ease of grip as well as a sense of stability and lightness, offering comfortable use for hours.

S2 has two 5.5-inch displays that can be folded for easy portability. In contrast to existing tablets, its unprecedented dual screen presentation and usability allows its displays to be combined and used as a large screen or for different functions such as playing video on one screen while showing control buttons on the other.

“‘Sony Tablet’ delivers an entertainment experience where users can enjoy cloud-based services on-the-go at any time. We’re aiming to create a new lifestyle by integrating consumer hardware, including ‘Sony Tablet’ with content and network,” said Kunimasa Suzuki, Corporate Executive, SVP, and Deputy President of Consumer Products & Services Group.

“Android 3.0 is a new version of the Android platform with a new holographic user interface that is designed from the ground up for devices with larger screen sizes, particularly tablets. I’m excited about “Sony Tablet” as it will further spur the development of applications and network offerings which users are looking for.” said Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President, Mobile, Google Inc.

1 Comment