HTC Inspire 4G system dump available

New phones always means new goodies for developers and hackers.  With the release of the HTC Inspire 4G to a few people, it was only a matter of time until the system of AT&T's big beauty were pulled out and made available.  As you can see in our hands-on with the Inspire 4G, it's the new version of HTC Sense -- Evo, Dinc and Desire hackers take note -- without too much AT&T bloat added in to screw it up make things better.

If you're curious, or like to tinker grab it and have a look.  And if you're planning on getting the Inspire 4G and doing any type of happy hacking on it, grab it as a safety net.  Trust me ;)  [Android Central forums]

Source: Androidcentral.com

Official Blogger for Android app now available in the Android Market

If you're into running your own blog on Blogger then you'll be pleased to know they have just released the first version of their Android application to the Android Market. They've taken their time in releasing the app due to the fact they wanted to ensure a great experience when using it and they've taken a lot of the features of Blogger and integrated them nicely:

• Multiple accounts and blogs: You can easily switch between different accounts and blogs that you have author rights to. Simply choose your account and blog and you are all set to go.
• Write and save/publish: You can write a post, assign labels, and then either save it as a draft or immediately publish it. Saving as draft is handy if you need to wait until you have Internet connectivity.
• Photos from camera and gallery: If you see something interesting, you can take a photo directly from the app and include it in the blog post. You can also browse your gallery to include the ones you like.
• Sharing to Blogger from gallery or browser: Blogger is one of the available sharing options. If you come across a photo in the gallery, or a website while browsing, you can share the content to the Blogger app directly from the sharing menu.
• Share location: You can share your location by activating the location bar and selecting the correct location. This information will be included in your post
• View saved/published posts: By switching to the List View, you can view all your drafts and published posts that you wrote using the app. By performing a long-press on a published post you can invoke a menu that includes the option to view your post in a browser.

Given that it is the very first release, users are advised to use the feedback forum if you're having any issues or just want to suggest some new features to the Blogger team. You can find the download after the break. [Blogger Buzz]

(How to use this QR code)
Android Market web link

Source: Androidcentral.com

The Economist takes the easy way out with its Android Honeycomb tablet app

Youtube link for mobile viewing
With all that Sports Illustrated and CNN have done right with their Android tablet applications, The Economist ... well, it went a different direction. That's not to say it is completely devoid of merit -- the magazine's covers are nicely displayed, and stories are well categorized. But individual story pages lack any sort of design flare, and you likely won't enjoy reading stories at their full width in landscape mode. Let's just call it Version 1.0 and move on.

Source: Androidcentral.com

Android 2.1 and up now on 90 percent of all Android devices

Google just released the latest figures on the number of Android variants in the wild. For the two weeks ending Feb. 2, 89.8 percent of devices are on Android 2.1 and up. Realistically, that means Android 2.1 and 2.2 -- Froyo leads the way at 57.6 percent -- as only 0.8 percent are running Gingerbead. That gives you a feel for how few Nexus S's have sold.

Android 1.5 and 1.6 are down to 3.9 and 6.3 percent, respectively.

Source: Androidcentral.com

Intuit with Go Payment lets you settle the bill quickly and easily

Youtube link for mobile viewing
Have a small business and have been looking longingly at the iPhone and iPad's mobile commerce solutions? Things are about to change, thanks to Intuit with Go Payment -- and, of course, Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets.
The premise is the same as on other platforms -- There's a small accessory that plugs into the tablet's 3.5mm headphone jack. You slide the card through it, and the payment's made. Quick and simple. Check it out in the video above.

Source: Androidcentral.com

HTC Inspire 4G Allows Sideloading Apps, Doesn’t Advertise It

Earlier today we published a report from AndroidCentral claiming the HTC Inspire 4G still wouldn’t allow sideloading of apps on the AT&T network. While it’s true that Installing Apps from Unknown Sources isn’t an option in the Menu system, we’re learning that you CAN still get the job done. And here is video proof:

So while they don’t advertise it, the Inspire 4G will indeed allow sideloading apps… at least the video above is an indication. By launch day, we might see something different.

Source: Phandroid.com

Android #1 On Google’s Periodic Table [HYDROGEN]

If Google were to make a periodic table of their APIs and Developer Products, where would Android be on the chart? Nerd Alert: Google DID make a periodic table for APIs and Developer Products and Android assumes the position of Hydrogen, the very first element in the periodic table.

 Full image

What purpose does this serve? Not much beyond feeding you nerd hunger. It does offer a convenient table of contents to find various APIs that may be of use. For those interested here is an actual periodic table:

And with that I retreat to my labratory where I’ve got a beaker of bots brewing.

Source: Phandroid.com

A (literally) Flexible Android Device? [CONCEPTS]

There can never be too many concept devices, it seems. This morning, our attention was pointed to a tablet device that could flex and bend in any direction. Whacky? Yes. Impossible? Nope. And imagine if something like this were running Android.
Imagine turning a 10-inch slate into a netbook by bending the top portion of it upward and using the bottom portion of the display as a keyboard. Now bend it the other way and use the sides of its own body to keep it upright – visualizing a clock or a self-formed dock?
And flexible displays aren’t the least bit out of the ordinary – folks have been working on that for a long time, now. Start here for an idea of just how many firms are turning that once-conceptualized idea into reality.
In this design, hardware components would likely be placed within the bezel surrounding the display, which – for “bendability” purposes – would need to be a soft mesh or fabric material as you see in the picture below.

 Nothing I expect to come out within the next few years, but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that several research and development firms are trying to shop ideas to OEMs as I type.

Source: Phandroid.com

Dell Venue ready to order now for $500 unlocked, shipping February 18th

In classic Dell fashion, the company's most legitimately appealing Android handset yet has just gone up for sale with nary a peep marking its arrival. If you'll recall, the US announcement for the Venue wasn't exactly overloaded with facts and figures, we were basically told that it's coming, and hey, here it is now! A cent under $500 buys you an unlocked Android 2.2 device -- with either AT&T or T-Mobile 3G bands, your choice -- equipped with a 4.1-inch WVGA AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel camera, and some of the best looks on any smartphone yet. The preliminary shipping date we're seeing is February 18th, let's hope that's a much more concrete number than we've experienced with the Venue Pro, eh?

[Thanks, Spiridon and Tanjot]

Source: Engadget.com

CLIQ XT won't get Android 2.1 upgrade, Motorola's word as good as dirt

Motorola's dangled an Android 2.1 upgrade in front of CLIQ XT users for what seems like forever -- now it's putting away the bait indefinitely. In a statement released this morning, the company said that despite months of rigorous testing, the phone will remain on Android 1.5. We first heard promises of an update in June last year, but Motorola quickly reneged. In November, its predecessor got an upgrade, but the CLIQ XT was left hanging. Then in December, the company announced a delay, citing "additional testing," and when those tests failed to bear fruit, it just plain gave up. Now CLIQ XT users are stuck with a phone indefinitely sporting an OS that's three steps behind the most up-to-date competition, and unfortunately, that's all she wrote -- Motorola shows no signs of pursuing another upgrade anytime soon. And that, friends, is your cue to pick up a handset made by HTC and situated on Verizon Wireless.
[Thanks, Josh]

Source: Engadget.com

Motorola Xoom coming to Best Buy on February 24th, HTC Thunderbolt on the 14th

We're already fatigued of reporting launch dates for devices announced at this year's CES -- it seems like each one has had at least four different potential release points -- but when you get one of Best Buy's official Facebook pages blabbing about when the Moto Xoom and HTC Thunderbolt will be arriving... well, you sum up the strength to do it one more time. Contrary to earlier insider leaks pinning the Xoom to a February 17th launch, Best Buy is now promising to have the vanguard of the Honeycomb tablet revolution on February 24th. That's exactly a week later than our earlier info, so perhaps somebody somewhere decided to push things back a bit. We have no doubt, however, that Motorola is nearly ready with its slate -- there have been plenty of them spotted around the Super Bowl this week. In the meantime, HTC's LTE-equipped 4.3-incher seems to have finally settled down on Valentine's Day as its time of reckoning, a day after the similarly sized Inspire 4G hits AT&T.

Source: Engadget.com

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo named and previewed in one fell swoop, bringing Gingerbread to MWC 2011

We said it at the Show and we'll say it again, Sony Ericsson just doesn't know how to keep a secret. One of its phones set for launch at Mobile World Congress 2011 has just slipped the net (again) and this time we have its full product name to boot, the Xperia Neo. You'll be familiar with this Android 2.3 handset already from mobile-review's thorough preview a couple of weeks ago, though at the time it was known under its codename of MT15i. This latest hands-on look at the hardware is similarly positive about the Neo, describing it as a well constructed phone and praising Sony's Android modifications as restrained and actually useful. Talk about a 180-degree turn from the way things used to be.

There's another reason to be excited about this phone, however. Back in December, Sony Ericsson registered trademarks for Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, and... an Xperia Duo. We expect all four to be out and about at MWC this year, and we may have already seen the latter device in yet another bit of leaked photography.

Source: Engadget.com

Does Google's new Android Market website ignore custom ROMs?

Now that the Android Market website has finally launched (and stabilized) we're beginning to see reports of rooted devices, and some running custom ROMs, not being recognized by the website. We're having the very same issue ourselves, where a pristine Desire Z running a factory installed copy of Android 2.2 Froyo is listed on the "My Device" page while an old HTC Hero hacked to run Froyo courtesy of FroydVillain ROM does not, even though it's logged in and syncing using the same Google login ID and the Android Market has been recently used from the device (as Google recommends on the "Trouble Downloading" help page). So what about you oh reader, oh rooter... what are you experiencing?

Source: Engadget.com

LG Optimus Pad (aka G-Slate) coming to MWC 2011 with Honeycomb, Tegra 2 and 3D display

The T-Mobile G-Slate may be fully official now, but the rest of the world needs love too, and LG's just announced it intends to deliver said loving at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a few days from now. The Optimus Pad, as this 8.9-inch tablet will be known outside the US, will offer Android Honeycomb as its OS, along with a 3D-capable 1280 x 768 display, dual-core Tegra 2 processor, a front-facing camera plus a pair of imagers on the back allowing for 3D picture-taking, 32GB of onboard storage, and a 6,400mAh battery. We should be getting to grips with the device at MWC in due course -- look for it to launch alongside or shortly after its US twin hits retail in March.

Source: Engadget.com