Sony’s continuing to improve their stronghold in the camera market by developing a new phone-sized sensor that’s 5x faster (from the initial snap to the final result) than traditional sensors of the same size. It’s a 17 megapixel sensor that – pending a device has sufficient hardware – can shoot video at maximum resolution with 120 frames per second.
It’s not exactly phone news, but we know Sony Ericsson have been striving to improve mobile camera quality in phones for years. The Xperia Arc is one device with a camera that impressed us and made us forget about carrying along a point-and-shoot. If that isn’t the best they have to offer, then I can’t imagine what this new sensor will be like. (Could it replace a DSLR? Nah, we won’t go that far.)
They could very well be using the sensor in their smaller point-and-shoot offerings, but you have to imagine Sony Ericsson will want to get this into one of their flagship devices whenever it’s ready. [Electronista]
I’m not sure how many of these research reports and studies we’ll post before we stop, but here’s another (that probably sounds a lot like 100 other reports out there): consumers are more likely to buy Android devices over iPhone. They found that 34% of those surveyed are looking to buy a Android device this year, while 21% were looking to buy an iPhone. 12% were said to be looking for a new Blackberry.
We can’t vouch for this survey in relation to the real world – especially since we don’t know what the sample size was. But considering all of the trends from other high-profile research firms – such as IDC and Gartner – mirror this particular survey, we can’t say we’ll doubt its accuracy. [Market Force Research via Android Community]
CyanogenMod is rocking the morning wire on this fine Friday. Firstly: they have a new phone portal that will show you a list of their officially supported devices. It’s a portal that’s much appreciated given the difficulty in finding out which devices Team Douche officially supports outside of most popular HTC devices. You can find that portal here.
They’ve also released a test version of CyanogenMod 7 for the Samsung Vibrant the first Galaxy S phone outside of the international version that has received such an honor. We don’t expect a stable release to come about for quite some time – if ever – so don’t download this if you aren’t the type who can’t stand a bug or two. Everything you need can be found right here. [via Android Central]
And you thought it would never happen. It's been about six months since our exclusive hands-on with the HTC Merge, and we'd hardly seen or heard a peep from it since. But it's official, folks -- the HTC Merge lives, and it's coming to "multiple North American operators" this spring.
And it looks like the HTC Merge will be the same device we've already seen. Same 3.8-inch touchscreen, same 5MP camera with 720p recording, same World Phone capability (SIM-card slot), same Android 2.2 -- and the same awesome sliding keyboard. The biggest question now is when, and where.
For our complete exclusive preview of the HTC Merge, please see the following stories:
The HTC Merge™ Smartphone Brings Android™ and HTC Sense™ to HTC's First CDMA Android World Phone
Download image
BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HTC Corp., a global designer of smartphones, today announced that the new HTC Merge smartphone will be made available through multiple North American carriers beginning in spring 2011. The HTC Merge smartphone combines a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard with the power of Android 2.2, the HTC Sense experience, a large 3.8-inch touch-screen display and a 5 megapixel camera to create a complete mobile experience for those looking for a truly complete smartphone. The HTC Merge is also HTC's first Android-based CDMA world phone.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110225/SF54676)
"HTC prides itself on creating unique solutions that meet the needs of different customers, and with features like a full keyboard and global 3G roaming, the HTC Merge smartphone is the perfect example of this commitment," said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Americas. "Combining the functionality of Android with the HTC Sense experience, the HTC Merge is the perfect device for those customers who are looking for a reliable mobile experience with the features and functionality of a smartphone, whether it's at home or travelling around the world."
Customers will appreciate seamless integration with Exchange ActiveSync, enjoy quick and easy access to Flickr® for sharing and viewing pictures, and find new ways to customize their experience with the Android Market™ with more than 100,000 applications. With a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, customers will be able to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where they are, as well as stay in the loop with Flickr, Facebook® and Twitter™ updates through HTC FriendStream™.
In addition, the HTC Merge smartphone has a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash that captures outstanding images, while 3G connectivity makes sharing those special moments with friends and family quick and easy. The HTC Merge smartphone also comes with integrated GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity and even the ability to capture high-definition 720p video.
Availability
HTC Merge is slated to be available from multiple North American operators beginning in spring 2011.
The Nexus One's over-the-air update to Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread (erm, not Android 2.4) is starting to push out. But if you can't wait (that'd be us), you can manually install the update. It's the same thing as the OTA update, just, not OTA. Here's how to install:
Rename the file to update.zip. Note that if you're using Windows, just rename it to "update" (no quotes, of course) because it's already a zipped file.
Copy the update.zip file onto your microSD card.
With your Nexus One off, hold down the trackball and press the power button.
You'll be booted into a white screen with three Android robots on skateboards. Select "Bootloader."
On the next screen, select "Recovery."
Your phone will reboot, giving you a picture of the Android robot and an exclamation point inside a triangle.
Now press the power button and volume up button at the same time. It could take a couple of tries.
Now (using the trackball this time) choose "Apply sdcard:update.zip" and let things run their course.
Easy peasy! Enjoy! Update: Seeing getprop/status 7 errors? You'll need to update your version of Hboot. If you're not familiar with fastboot and flashing, have a look here for the long (but easy) way.
If you were a recipient of the Android 2.3.3 OTA that went out to the Nexus S, or went ahead and did it manually, you may have noticed that Facebook contact syncing is suddenly missing. That's because Google has purposely removed the feature from the Nexus S and all future "googlephones" because users can't pull those synced Facebook contacts off the phone, and if you decide to remove your Facebook account, those contacts will suddenly go missing. Google's official statement on the matter is as follows:
“We believe it is very important that users are able to control their data. So in the over-the-air update for Nexus S, we have a small change to how Facebook contacts appear on the device. For Nexus S users who downloaded the Facebook app from Android Market, Facebook contacts will no longer appear to be integrated with the Android Contacts app. Since Facebook contacts cannot be exported from the device, the appearance of integration created a false sense of data portability. Facebook contact data will continue to appear within the Facebook app. Like all developers on Android, Facebook is free to use the Android contacts API to truly integrate contacts on the device, which would allow users to have more control over their data. We are removing the special-case handling of Facebook contacts on Nexus S and future lead devices. We continue to believe that reciprocity (the expectation that if information can be imported into a service it should be able to be exported) is an important step toward creating a world of true data liberation — and encourage other websites and app developers to allow users to export their contacts as well.”
Interestingly enough, this won't be affecting Nexus One owners who also updated today because the Facebook app for the Nexus One was baked in to the stock software. Google says they don't want to remove a feature that users were already expecting to be available. With all of that in mind, do remember that OEMs like Motorola and HTC can re-enable this feature relatively easily. Both HTC and Motorola already use their own Facebook sync, so this may be a non-issue for many. [TechCrunch]
Yes, you read that right -- The Samsung Vibrant now has its very own CyanogenMod 7 (official) test release. It's clearly labeled as a TEST RELEASE, so don't expect miracles just yet, but finding and fighting bugs is half the fun of fooling with custom ROMs for many of us anyway. You can find all the details and download information at the source link.
Let's be serious here for a minute. You're probably never going to see an official Gingerbread build for the Vibrant from Samsung. Yes, I think I was wrong. That hardly ever happens. CyanogenMod 7 looks to be the best, and logical choice for the Vibrant at this time, and it's something to at least keep an eye on. If you do decide to take the plunge, you'll find help and support in the Vibrant forums here at Android Central. [CyanogenMod forum] Thanks everyone who sent this in!
For all you folks out there asking for an easier solution to rooting the HTC Inspire 4G, some of the world's greatest scientists and nerds are on it. And maybe this will help -- HTC just released the source code for the 4.3-inch Android device (check out our review). In the meantime, keep a close eye on our Inspire 4G forums.
And for what it's worth, HTC's also released the source code for the Gratia and Droid Eris Eclair update, if you're into that sort of thing. [HTC Developer Center]
Hopefully you weren’t too locked on to the $249 2-year contract price tag that Best Buy was advertising last week for the HTC Thunderbolt because this week they’ve jumped it up a notch to $299. That would be the same $299 from the Buyer’s Guide that we first reported on last weekend and a number I’m sure many of you are not excited about.
And now that we know the TBolt is again in this week’s BBY ad, we’re putting more thought into that March 3rd date rather than the oddly spammed March 10th one that was spread around to every tech site on the planet last night. Something seems too fishy about that one, but hey, who really knows at this point, right? Buddha. Cheers M!
The Motorola XOOM bootloader has been easily unlocked using “fastboot oem unlock” and thanks to a bit of help from some key players (Koush, Pete, and Charlie) in the Android community, we’ve put together this simple guide for you. If you run into issues, be sure to drop them in the comments. Instructions:
*Warning 1* – This will void the warranty on your brand new XOOM.
*Warning 2* – This will completely wipe and format your XOOM. Many of you have had yours for a full day now, but it’s probably a good idea to do this now than after you’ve had it for a month.
*Note* – This uses adb. If you are into hacking on your Android devices at all, it’s time you learn at least some basic commands. Not everything in this world is a 1-click breeze.
*They’ve changed the location of some files from the Tools folder and placed them in Platform Tools. Go into Platform Tools, copy everything, and paste it all in your Tools folder.
3. Open a command prompt from within your Android SDK Tools folder.
*Make sure nothing is selected and hold SHIFT+Right click – select “Open command window here.”
4. Type: adb reboot bootloader
5. Your XOOM will reboot into the bootloader showing “Starting Fastboot Protocol Support.”
6. Type: fastboot oem unlock
7. Read the warning on your XOOM’s screen.
8. You may have to tap Volume Down to switch it to “Accept.”
9. Then press Volume Up to actually “Accept.”
10. Once you accept, your XOOM will be unlocked and formatted.
11. And now on to rooting instructions.
+1 Motorola XOOM.
What's the first thing you're going to do with your Motorola Xoom? If you're Koush, the answer's clear -- install your very own ClockworkMod recovery image and ROM Manager, and grant the latter superuser permissions. That's right, on the very day of release, the Motorola Xoom's all but ready for custom builds of Android and allthejoy they bring.
Meanwhile, Verizon's decided to bring us the latter half of the abruptly cut Xoom TV ad, which actually differs significantly depending on whether or not Spanish is your primary language. Either way, it's a fairly sordid affair, with no Iron Man feats of stratospheric skill to be found, merely a quick demonstration of gaming with the accelerometer and a few quick swipes through Honeycomb. You'll still watch it if we tell you it's after the break though, won't you?
Source: Engadget
Boy, we've had so many leaked materials relating to the HTC Merge that we kind of assumed the handset was official by now. Never mind, HTC is taking care of that little oversight now, admittedly much later than we expected the phone to show up, by announcing that the Merge will arrive on multiple US carriers in the spring. It brings Android 2.2, skinned with HTC's Sense UI, a 3.8-in touchscreen plus that slide-out keyboard, and a 5 megaixel autofocus camera with 720p video recording. Not bad, now let's see how those carriers decide to price this mid-range contender.
HTC Introduces the Powerful, Feature-Rich HTC Merge
The HTC Merge™ Smartphone Brings Android™ and HTC Sense™ to HTC's First CDMA Android World Phone
Download image
BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HTC Corp., a global designer of smartphones, today announced that the new HTC Merge smartphone will be made available through multiple North American carriers beginning in spring 2011. The HTC Merge smartphone combines a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard with the power of Android 2.2, the HTC Sense experience, a large 3.8-inch touch-screen display and a 5 megapixel camera to create a complete mobile experience for those looking for a truly complete smartphone. The HTC Merge is also HTC's first Android-based CDMA world phone.
"HTC prides itself on creating unique solutions that meet the needs of different customers, and with features like a full keyboard and global 3G roaming, the HTC Merge smartphone is the perfect example of this commitment," said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Americas. "Combining the functionality of Android with the HTC Sense experience, the HTC Merge is the perfect device for those customers who are looking for a reliable mobile experience with the features and functionality of a smartphone, whether it's at home or travelling around the world."
Customers will appreciate seamless integration with Exchange ActiveSync, enjoy quick and easy access to Flickr® for sharing and viewing pictures, and find new ways to customize their experience with the Android Market™ with more than 100,000 applications. With a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, customers will be able to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where they are, as well as stay in the loop with Flickr, Facebook® and Twitter™ updates through HTC FriendStream™.
In addition, the HTC Merge smartphone has a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash that captures outstanding images, while 3G connectivity makes sharing those special moments with friends and family quick and easy. The HTC Merge smartphone also comes with integrated GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity and even the ability to capture high-definition 720p video.
Availability
HTC Merge is slated to be available from multiple North American operators beginning in spring 2011.
This is going to sound super silly to anyone that doesn’t have a Motorola phone, but to those of us that do, this news is monumental. The developer behind Circle Battery Widget somehow figured out a way to get batteries on Moto devices to show up in 1% increments instead of the standard 10% that we’ve been stuck with for all these months. The app itself is as simple as it gets and is free in the market, so I highly suggest you check it out if you are one of those constant battery checking OCD persons. Oh, and we of course love the fact that it fits into almost all minimalist themes. Download Link (Free) Cheers Luda!
When Actngrezy and mojo_droid first told me about Project Elite back in December, they still seemed unsure on how the world of DROID gurus would take it. Well, after seeing our State of the DROID ROM-o-sphere, I think it’s safe to say that they were happily accepted and according to our audience, are the top OG DROID ROM on the planet.
Last night they released Project Elite V5 which is their take on an AOSP Gingerbread ROM, meaning you should probably take a look at this right away if you are still rockin’ the original. Download: PEGBv5.zip | Changelog
*FULL WIPE REQUIRED.
Full support and info about PE5 can be found at their site.
Many of you have probably already gone to a Best Buy or Verizon store to pick up your Motorola XOOM, but we wanted to toss out some additional information in case you were on the fence still…
Verizon does NOT require a data package when you purchase a XOOM. Actually, they NEVER did and the reports that they were going to were made up. It was always Best Buy that was requiring this. You can opt-in to a 2-year contract and pay $599 or go without a plan for $799. If you choose to go without a plan, you can then decide at any time to pay for a month-to-month package.
Best Buy has now informed their employees that activations are no longer required. Yep, their mandatory minimum 1-month package is no longer required. (Cheers M!)
More from Best Buy: They released a press note mentioning that they would NOT price match Verizon’s $599 2-year contract deal. We are hearing a variety of reports on this deal from readers though.
The full XOOM commercial is now available on Verizon’s YouTube channel and you’ll notice right away that this thing probably had the “DROOOOID” sound bite at the end, but for whatever reason was pulled last minute. We had heard all along that this would be DROID-branded and this commercial speaks to that and also makes us very sad. We love our DROID brand and this would have been the perfect addition to the best lineup of Android phones around. And enough of my complaining; check out the new spot after the break.
Clockwork Recovery on the Motorola XOOM in 2 hours…we love you Koush. And I say “2 hours” because he was on his way to pick one up 2 hours ago, so really he probably did it in less. Silly.
And now we just need root, which we have to assume will happen in the next couple of hours. Maybe.
Update: The coupon code has been fixed at Motorola’s site since it was allowing people to order discounted XOOMs when it should have just been discounting accessories. The good news is that Motorola reached out to us to confirm that they will honor all orders placed before the coupon code was pulled. A ton of you received one heck of a deal. Might want to tip your glass to Moto tonight.
_________________________________
This might be the deal of the century right here people. If you want to pick up a Motorola XOOM and pay just $600 for the non-contract version (the $799 version) then follow these steps immediately. This is not a scam, not a joke, but is absolutely the real deal. And if you just purchased one from Best Buy or Verizon, you may want to consider returning it to save yourself a couple hundred bucks. So how is this possible? With the Chad OchoCinco News Network (OCNN) 25% off coupon code of course. If you remember during the Super Bowl, OCNN was giving away 25% off coupon codes for the Motorola store and they aren’t expiring until March 15th. And guess what? You can use them on a XOOM.
Coupon code is: OCNNSB25 MOTOROLA STORE
Apply that code at checkout and you are golden. I do want to point out that the device is showing currently as “unavailable”, so you’ll want to continue to watch it hoping that they release more. Oh, and you can apply this to your accessories as well.
If for some reason that code is no longer working, try registering at this site for a new one. All credit goes out to XDA member Droid.Modr for this one!
The big rumor running around tech sites today suggested that the HTC Thunderbolt would be out next week on March 3rd or 4th, but the screenshot we just received from our friends at Best Buy suggests that it’ll be another week after that. March 10th is apparently the date that BBY is expecting to launch the phone and we’re of course skeptical, but at least it’s not from a random guy in a forum. Can you all wait another couple of weeks? Cheers C!
There are many players in the e-reader world, but few have managed to gain any sort of traction. Though it hasn't achieved Kindle levels of success Barnes & Noble is taking pride in saying that its Nook series of readers has conquered 25 percent of the US e-book market. The company doesn't cite any specific sales figures to back up that number, but we'll go with it. Sadly, though, there's another 25 percent number that is detailed and isn't nearly so positive: that's how much the company's profits dropped from this period last year. That was said to be due to heavy investments in the Nook but, despite that, B&N managed to post a $60.6 million profit -- certainly better than some of the competition.
Source: Engadget
We've already seen product shots of the crazy thin, drool-inducing NEC MEDIAS N-04C, but for a product boasting the "world's thinnest" title, it's always useful to see comparison shots for the sake of our curiosity. Thankfully, the good folks over at Akihabara News were present at DoCoMo's launch event, and they were able to get up close to inspect this 7.7mm-thin Android 2.2 handset (with Android 2.3 upgrade available around July). It's pretty amazing considering all the goodies packed within this phone -- here's a quick recap: NFC, 1seg TV Tuner, infrared port, 5 megapixel camera, 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 chip, etc. Oh, and this phone uses Gorilla Glass, too. If you happen to reside in Japan -- which is where it'll remain exclusive to -- you'll be able to pick up this NEC in black or white flavor on March 15, though price has yet to be announced. Video after the break, and more hands-on photos over at Akihabara News.
Well, we're not quite sure what the trouble is with firmware updates for Samsung phones thisweek, but another one's just been pulled days after it was rolled out. This one affects the Epic 4G, which has now seen its recently released Froyo update pulled by Sprint, which says it's received reports of SD card issues and data connectivity problems from customers who've already installed the update. Still no word as to when a new update might be rolling out, but Sprint says that those who have already taken the plunge should be able to fix any problems with a hard reset -- after they backup all their data, of course.
Waiting sucks, doesn't it? Yes, yes it does -- which is why we're delighted to see that direct links to the official, final updates to Android 2.3.3 for the Nexus One and Nexus S have both been turned loose. This is especially exciting news for Nexus One owners who've stayed on the straight and narrow and haven't moved to a cooked Gingerbread ROM already, since they're still on Froyo -- but it's also good news for developers working on NFC apps with the Nexus S and Android's freshly-baked NFC API, since it means they'll have real-world devices to start playing with. So go on, get to it -- we know you're not going to wait for the over-the-air notification anyway.
Smartbooks may not have exactly caught on as the next big platform, but one of the more notable examples out there is now at least a bit more of an interesting option than it was before. That would be Toshiba's Android-based AC100, which has finally gotten the Froyo upgrade that was promised last fall. According to Carrypad, that upgrade brings with it a "noticeable performance boost," not to mention Flash support, and access to Toshiba's own application store, the Toshiba Market Place. What's more, the site also notes that the smartbook has recently received a fairly significant price drop, with the WiFi-only version now available for around €200 (or about $275, 3G will cost you an extra $50 or so). Head on past the break for a video of the update process and results.
The Android world's been a-buzz this last week over a few new Android Market URLS, including http://market.android.com/music/ and http://market.android.com/movies/. In case you thought there was nothing to this tip, guess again: the third member of this trifecta (http://market.android.com/books/) has gone live. That's right, visitors to the Android Market can pick up Glenn Beck's mile-a-minute thrill ride The Overton Window for a mere $9. We hope that takes some of the sting out of the fact that a Google Music launch wasn't part of this month's Honeycomb event -- although if we had to wager a guess, we'd say that the company will have Music and Movie offerings soon enough.
Though it'd originally been pegged for the second quarter, it seems HTC's bumping that up a smidge with the launch of its new flagship -- the Incredible S -- in the UK this week. Pre-orders are going on as we speak with shipments promised for tomorrow, but there's a catch: rather than shipping with Gingerbread, the phones will come with Froyo to start with an upgrade to Gingerbread promised for the near future. Buyers, we've got a little homework for you: if you're feeling adventurous and in a warranty-voiding mood, try to figure out what's going on with those auto-rotating capacitive buttons, alright?
The folks behind the Android Developers YouTube Channel have posted the visualization video from MWC that showed the progression of Android activations since its inception. I’m not exactly sure how accurate the visualization is, but the huge spikes after the Motorola DROID’s and the Samsung Galaxy S’s respective launches are close enough for me. Expect for that chart to keep on growing. Video is above.
Motorola really went overboard with this one. Moto has posted thirty videos online that outline all the features of the highly anticipated, Motorola Atrix 4G. The videos cover everything from entertainment, importing contacts, using webtop to print, setting up corporate email, etc.
If you've been itching to see the Atrix in action, but don't want to leave your computer, you'll want to check out all the videos after the break.
