HTC Outs Source Code for Desire Z, Desire HD, myTouch 4G and Aria

Source code, get your source code here. HTC has dropped quite a few new sources upon their online developer center covering a handful of handsets released in the latter half of 2010 (and two featuring the updated version of HTC Sense). Fresh for your perusal are the source codes of the HTC Desire Z Desire HD, Aria, and T-Mobile-branded myTouch 4G. For those working in custom ROMs or the hacking community, this should offer plenty of new material to riff off of.
[via AndroidCentral]

Source: Phandroid

LG Optimus 3D and Optimus Black Headed to Australia

Alongside the Optimus 2X, LG will be introducing two more of their high-end Android devices to Australia. The newly unveiled LG Optimus 3D and the super-slim Optimus Black will grace Australia’s shores sometime in late Q2 or early Q3. We’d suspect the Optimus Pad might also find its way over there, considering the fact that LG clumps these four top-notch devices together as the premium Android lineup, but the company will not comment.
No word on what carriers will receive the new handsets, but we suspect LG might follow the same approach they did with the Optimus One and choose to be carrier agnostic.
[via UnwiredView]

Source: Phandroid

Question: What is this DROID2 Update?

This random DROID2 screenshot popped into our inbox last night from a source without a name, and we have no idea what it could be.  The screenshot looks fairly legit leading us to believe this popped up erroneously on this person’s device, but we can’t confirm that without a way to contact them.  You can see a mention of version 2.3.20 which is the current Blur for the D2, but that “Delta Package” note is sure something new and interesting.  And version 34.0.113 at the top doesn’t match up at all to the current naming convention and instead looks a lot closer to the new Blur naming convention you can see in our BIONIC hands-on video.  Seriously, I have no idea what this could be, but would love for the sender to let us know if they were able to install it.  Of course, it could also be fake.
Thoughts anyone?

Source: DroidLife

Verizon’s Samsung 4G LTE Device Makes Appearance, Receives MAP Designation

The Samsung 4G LTE device that we got our hands on at CES made a major appearance in Verizon’s Info Center just a few minutes ago and is apparently still nameless with only a model number of SCH-i510.  It received its “MAP designation” which stands for Minimum Advertised Price and is usually a good sign that the device launch isn’t all that far off.  We aren’t sure exactly what that price will be, but if it follows the Thunderbolt model at all, we should expect it somewhere around the $249 mark on a 2-year contract and hopefully no where near that $749 number. 

Source: DroidLife

Motorola Atrix 4G available for purchase on AT&T today

The Motorola Atrix 4G is now available for purchase directly from AT&T for $199 on new or upgrade two-year contact. If you still haven't made up your mind on Ma Bell's dual-core beast, head on over to the Android Central Forums. There are discussions running right now concerning the screen, "4G" reception, and more. Once you make up your mind, AT&T's ordering page is awaiting your credit card info.

Source: AndroidCentral

T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4G pricing, coming Feb. 23

This is a reminder that the Samsung Galaxy S 4G will be available starting Feb. 23 -- as in tomorrow -- and we have a clarification on pricing.  Previous reports of the phone costing $149.99 on a two-year agreement were inaccurate, and the phone will cost $199.99 on contract with a $50 mail in rebate.
We had a little hands-on time with this one in Spain, and at first look it's everything a  T-Mobile Vibrant user could wish for.  We have one here in the Android Central offices, and we will be giving it a little closer look soon.  In the meantime, you can always hit the Android Central Galaxy S 4G forums and see what others are thinking about this one.

Source: AndroidCentral

Motorola Xoom pricing's official: $599 with a two-year contract, $799 without

The speculation over the price of the Motorola Xoom Android Honeycomb tablet is ... over. The 10.1-inch tablet will cost $599.99 with a two year contract, or $799.99 off contract. Data plans start at $20 a month for 1GB -- which should last you about 25 minutes once this thing is upgraded to LTE in the second quarter. The Wifi-only version we're all waiting for is still a no show.

Regardless, you can pick up a Xoom on Thursday at Verizon stores, online or anywhere else you can pick one up. Full presser's after the break.

Motorola XOOM Tablet to Be Available on the Verizon Wireless Network on Feb. 24
"Best of Show" Winner at 2011 Consumer Electronics Show Delivers the World's First True Tablet Experience, With Upgrade to 4G LTE in Q2
PR Newswire
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Feb. 22, 2011
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the Feb. 24, 2011 availability of the innovative new Motorola XOOM™ tablet, which won the coveted CNET Best of Show award at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show for being "the most potentially disruptive technology." The first device to run Google's new Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, the Motorola XOOM will be available for purchase from Verizon Wireless for $599.99 with a new two-year customer agreement or $799.99 without a contract. Wireless 3G data service for the Motorola XOOM will begin at $20 monthly access for 1GB. The Motorola XOOM will be upgradeable to 4G LTE service at no additional charge in the second quarter of 2011.
A powerhouse in both software and hardware, the Motorola XOOM is built around a 1GHz dual-core processor and 10.1-inch widescreen HD display. The sleek, stylish design features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD.
The Motorola XOOM showcases the innovations of the Honeycomb user experience that improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization, as well as featuring the latest Google™ Mobile services. The Motorola XOOM also features full support for tabbed browsing and support for the Adobe® Flash® Player, available soon as a free download, to enjoy all the video and other rich content available on the Web. For additional information about upgrading their XOOM to 4G LTE, customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/Xoom4GLTEUpgrade starting Thursday, Feb. 24.
For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
To learn more about Motorola XOOM, visit www.verizonwireless.com/xoom.

Source: AndroidCentral

Vertex Cereba is a Froyo-powered aquarium controller

I'm still waiting for my Android powered toaster, but in the meantime I'll have to make do with the Vertex Cereba -- an aquarium controller that runs Froyo on its 3.5-inch touchscreen.  I'm sure some (OK, maybe all) of you are asking "what in the heck is an aquarium controller?"  It's a computer that takes readings (usually through probes inserted into the filter area) for things like dissolved oxygen or pH, then sends signals to equipment that can change those values until they are within parameters.  It's totally aqua-geeky, and I've always wanted a good one.

The Cereba is basically a miniature Android tablet, with an 800 MHz Freescale CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and an aluminum body.  It also has full openGL ES 2.0 hardware acceleration, 'cause you know fish like to play Need For Speed.  Even if it didn't help keep a fish tank healthy and looking clean, it's probably a really cool toy to have around the office.  The full press release from Vertex Aquaristik is after the break.  [Reef Builders]

Vertex Aquaristik™ announces the launch of beta test phase of Cerebra

Cologne, Germany—February 17th, 2011—Vertex™ revolutionary Cerebra will be released to beta testers before the end of March. Twenty testers have been carefully chosen to assist with field trials after extensive in-house evaluations and debugging of the firmware.

“This process has been set in place to further collect input from users working with the production model Cerebra. We have had many aquarists involved with this project in the past 2 years however it was important to us to go through this last step prior to release.” Said Andreas Schneider, CSO of Vertex™ Technologies of Austria.

 

Vertex Aquaristik™ has decided to once again shift perspective from the industry-norms and boldly pursue their vision of an “Aquarium Controller”. In which simple commands of switch on/switch off and timer cycles are entirely replaced with a new concept and mentality of “Collect, process and act”. A complete simulated cyber environment interlinked with your system, operated by task specific dedicated apps, possibly created by the very user.

 

Welcome to V-CYBER SPACE.
Aquarist will no longer be bound by a few simple bench marks such as photoperiod and or acceptable PH range. Introduction of complete autochthonous ecological simulation will enable the creator to duplicate the conditions of specimen’s true habitat in real life.

Another distinct aspect of Cerebra is to create a virtual network of aquarist that allows free flow of information, techniques and or methods. For years the best source of information on aquatic knowledge has been a handful of Internet forums. As valuable as they have been the evolution is here.

Imagine designing a species specific breeding station for fish, inverts or any other specimen to be as easy as downloading an app to mimic the environment at which the said animal breeds and thrives. Would it be periodic thermal deviations, photoperiod, flow, concentration of food and nourishments…

Imagine trouble shooting your favorite brand of skimmer by watching a video on how to accomplish this task only a few centimeters away from the said device.

Imagine…, or simply experience all that though Cerebra.

We invite all users to further enrich the Vertex™ virtual community with new insights by sharing thoughts, know-hows and knowledge, or in short; by writing apps. One can say; the aquarium hobby has finally claimed its place in the cyber space.

 

Hardware

ARM Cortex-A8 CPU by Freescale
32bit processor
800MHz
512Mb RAM
24bit color display capable of 16,777,216 colors.
32KB instruction and data cache
Unified 256KB L2 cache
Neon SIMD media accelerator
Vector Floating point co-processor
Battery buffered RTC
Power management modes
Other Material, design and construction:
Anodized Aluminum outer body combined with ABS/PC end caps
USB and other connectors hidden in our half-hexagon conduit compartment
3.5” Wide Screen Touch display
8 layer board construction more than 850 components
Back wall connection plate to mount on the wall or in cabinet.
Swiveling bracket
V-Grid network module

Multimedia:
OpenGL ES 2.0 and open VG 1.1hardware accelerator
24-BIT display supports up to WXGA resolution
High quality hardware Video de-interlacing
Image and video resize, inversion and rotation hardware
Alpha blending and color space conversion

Security

All network connections firewalled
Operation software:
Android 2.2
Fast and responsive
Enables user to illustrate apps.

Vertex™ App-Store:
Buy Apps
Sell Vertex™ approved apps
Share knowledge, Ideas, create, expand and grow

 

Wireless Communication

W-LAN
Bluetooth
Zig-Bee (802.15.4 PHY)
GSM

Features

First app based aquarium controller
Modules connected over USB 2.0
SD card
Supports external tablets
Graphical menus
Embedded web server to monitor, configure and or control over Internet or Intranet.
Auto detection of new hardware
Ethernet connection onboard
NTP time control
Automatic firmware update capable
Multiple fail safe and error detection features
Galvanic isolation of modules via optocouplers and DC-DC convertors/ 2KV isolation
Supports “Smart Digital” sensors, capable of error detection, 2 way communication
Supports industry standard sensors
Battery powered wireless remote sensors
Monitor and report power consumption of each connected device
Programmable logic
Email Alerts
SMS alerts
Data logging, history, graphing
Remote monitoring and control via Internet and GSM
I-Phone App
Capable of being linked to Zig-Bee universal remote controllers
Printer compatible to print reports, logs and or graphs
Browse Internet
Watch high resolution videos
V-light composer for simulating sunrise, sunset, weather simulations…
LED diming and control
Variable speed pump control
Modify, create and or write apps to fully customize control of your system

Parameters

Monitor and control PH
Monitor and control Redox
Monitor and control conductivity (Both salt and fresh water)
Monitor and control dissolved oxygen
Monitor and control temperature
Monitor and control ambient humidity
Monitor and control dissolved Co2
Monitor and control ambient Co2 Levels
Monitor and control many other parameters via V-Chrome such as Calcium, magnesium…

Additional modules

PWM
Variable AC outlets
1-10V
Dali
Air-flow meter and regulators
Fluid-flow meter and regulators
V-Cam wireless Camera for remote real time viewing
Par/Lux
Remote low power wireless sensors
Leak detector
Fluid level sensor mechanical and or optical
UPS Module; enables the life support system in case of power interruption
Variable speed power-heads such as Tunze

Construction of Modules

Each module consists of 2 parts, primary and secondary.
Primary module is universal for most devices and will connect to cerebra via USB.
The secondary modules are function specific which will connect to a primary module
Devices are interchangeable through different USB connections and different modules
Modules casing; anodized Aluminum with ABS/PC end caps
Supporting devices via USB and or many other applicable connectors

Power blocks:
Anodized Aluminum construction
Quality relays with In-rush surge protection
Will be available in 6 and 8 socket blocks
Quality components
Additional USB ports on power blocks, one uplink and 3 downlinks
Hall sensors on board to measure current draw/ consumption of each connected device
Native support of:
Libra dosing systems
V-Chrome colorimeter
V-Cam wireless camera module
Illumina luminaires

Illumilux luminaires

 

Cerebra introduces an entirely new user interface based on an elegant wide screen touch display and revolutionary software that allows users to monitor, configure and or control every aspect of their system’s operations with just a tap of their finger. It allows the aquarist to share thoughts, ideas, acquire methods, information and or illustrate an app to set his or her own foot-print on aquatic cyber space through Vertex™ Cerebra.

See you out there in V-SPACE.

 

Vertex Aquaristik™ GmbH

*Most if not all mentioned features and or devices above are targeted to be released by or before Interzoo 2012.(This time line does not include any specific apps.)

**Initial product Launch date is set for June 2011.

© 2011 Vertex Aquaristik™

Source: AndroidCentral

Xperia Play UK on-contract prices revealed

Several on-contract prices for the upcoming Sony Ericsson Xperia Play have been posted by British phone retailer Mobiles.co.uk. The site is currently listing Xperia Play contracts on Orange and Vodafone, with prices ranging from free to £350 (~$560) depending on the type and length of contract. As a general rule of thumb, it looks like  any contract of £30 or more per month will be enough to get you the phone for free.
Mobiles.co.uk also lists the same Mar. 28 release date that appeared on Amazon last week, so it's looking increasingly likely that this could be the magic date. We got the chance to play with the Xperia Play last week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Hit up our hands-on preview to find out what we thought. [Mobiles.co.uk]

Source: AndroidCentral

Running a Honeycomb SDK port is fun, but not all that useful just yet

Anytime a new Android SDK comes out, you'll quickly see an onslaught of ports popping up on various phones. These aren't even unofficial builds, but ports from the Android system images build into the SDK.

But that doesn't mean they're not fun to play with.

We've gotten to use a number of Honeycomb tablets on a number of occasions. And scaling things down to smartphone size is, well, tough. Obviously it's not what was intended. But it's also fairly functional, though we're not anywhere near having a Honeycomb smartphone as our daily driver just yet.

Anyhoo, check it out after the break. And dive into the Android Central Forums if you're looking to try a port on your phone. 

Source: AndroidCentral

Android Honeycomb 3.0 SDK add-on finalized and available

Google has released the full Honeycomb 3.0 SDK updates, meaning developers can download and begin work with the finalized APIs for Honeycomb.  This comes in preparation for the launch of the Motorola Xoom on Feb. 24 and will let developers check what they've built using the 3.0 SDK preview against the final version before the Honeycomb tablets start to roll out.  If you're an app developer, or just like to keep your SDK current, you can update things through the SDK manager.

It's worth noting that the AOSP source (as well as Motorola's open-source portions) should be released before the Xoom is launched, so be on the lookout for that come Thursday morning if you're a DIY kind of person.  [Android Developers blog]

Source: AndroidCentral

Samsung Captivate KB1 Froyo build for AT&T leaked [Updated with video]

While we're still waiting for an official Froyo build to be released for the AT&T Samsung Captivate there is now a few leaked ROM's floating around. If you all remember when UCJI6 leaked back in October 2010, it required some ODIN hackery to get it up and running. A new leak has now popped up -- I897UCKB1 is available for anyone on the adventurous side just remember, experimental builds can cause some chaos so be proceed with caution. File in question can be found at the source link, and you'll need ODIN again to get it going. [XDA] Thanks, Conan!
Update: We've got video of the leaked update after the break.

Source: AndroidCentral

Adobe promises Flash Player 10.2 for Honeycomb tablets 'in a few weeks,' Xoom gets namechecked

We found out yesterday that Motorola's Xoom would be shipping sans Flash support on Verizon Wireless, and while Big Red claimed that an update would be doled out this spring, the folks at Adobe are pointing to a far more specific time frame. In a new post over at the Flash Platform Blog, Adobe has confirmed that "Flash Player 10.2 [will be] pre-installed on some tablets and as an OTA download on others within a few weeks of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) devices becoming available, the first of which is expected to be the Motorola Xoom." We're guessing that the company's going public with a statement like this to fend off fears that the Xoom may be waiting an eternity for Flash, in essence removing a bit of fear from hesitant early adopters. Either way, it's excellent news for those eying a Honeycomb tablet of any flavor, and we're going to take the liberty of taking "a few weeks" to mean "a fortnight." Cool, Adobe?

Source: Engadget

Motorola hands out gold Xooms to Oscar hosts, nominees

 

Motorola may only be offering the Xoom in basic black to the general public, but it's cooked up something a little extra special for the Oscars this Sunday. It will be handing out these limited edition gold Xooms -- complete with a custom leather envelope case -- to the hosts and the nominees in the Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director categories. Guess stars aren't just like us after all. 

Source: Engadget

Android 3.0 Honeycomb SDK now available to all, API level literally cranked to 11

You've heard that it was en route, and you've seen the preview. Now, it's time to enter the wild, wacky world of Android 3.0 for yourself. Honeycomb's SDK is now available for all developers to download, with the API's being deemed final and able to withstand new apps that will target the fresh platform. We'd bother spilling the beans on the added features, but we know you've already torn your left click button off in a frantic race to the source link. Simmer down, son -- the URL ain't going anywhere.

Source: Engadget

Motorola bucks its own trend, leaves Xoom bootloader unlockable

Pretty much everything coming out of Moto these days is saddled with a tightly-locked bootloader paired with one tamper-resistant scheme or another, making custom kernels -- the lifeblood of the phone hacking community -- tricky at best, nigh impossible at worst. Of course, there was a glimmer of hope last month when the company said that it was working on a solution that'd cater to the developer community, and it looks like the Xoom might be bearing some of that fruit: the bootloader can be unlocked and relocked at will. Now, we're thinking that Moto might've loosened the reigns a bit here simply because the Xoom is running a completely bone-stock build of Android and, as Honeycomb's launch device, Google might be showing some influence behind the scenes (the Nexus One and Nexus S both have unlockable bootloaders, for instance)... but it's a good sign.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Source: Engadget

Nexus S and Nexus One get Android Gingerbread 2.3.3, which fixes random reboots and writes NFC

Your Nexus One is a second-class citizen no more: Today, Google's rolling out Android 2.3.3 to both its premier smartphones. The latest build, still referred to as Gingerbread, brings even more NFC goodies than fortold, as the Nexus S will soon be able to write (not just read) rewritable NFC tags as well as act as a glorified NFC tag itself. (You can see both possibilities in the three screenshots above.) What's more, Google tells us Android 2.3.3 will fix the random reboots that have plagued the Nexus S as of late, and offers other random bugfixes as well. You'll find the whole kit and kaboodle streaming to your phones over the air during the next few weeks to come.

Update: We're also hearing that integrated Facebook contacts will be treated differently in Android 2.3.3 -- we've reached out to Google for more information.

Update 2: Here's the deal with regards to Facebook.

Source: Engadget

Google disables contact sync in Facebook for Android, but only Nexus S for now

You know that Android 2.3.3 update that's trickling out to Nexus S smartphones right now? Google's decided to take this opportunity to push its data portability agenda with regards to Android. Simply put, the feature of the Facebook for Android app to provide the social network's stored contact information to your Nexus S has been revoked from here on out, and as soon as you get the update all that contact information will disappear from your phone.

We've spent a while chatting with a Google rep, and they explained that the company is actually just reinstating the official rules -- typically, apps have to use Android's contacts API, but Facebook was granted an exception which allowed its contacts to remain in the cloud. In effect, what Google's claims it's doing here is the same thing that would happen if you uninstalled the app, or deleted your Facebook account -- your contacts created and stored in the network would no longer be visible on your handset. In other words, Google's attempting to push Facebook into making that data available to itself, which would be handy (think of the other apps that could use your Facebook data on the go) but potentially worrisome in terms of privacy as well. Either way, the argument is not likely to directly affect many individuals in the short term -- Google tells us that Facebook's sync privileges will only be revoked in the Nexus S (not the Nexus One) and other "lead devices" yet to come. Read the company's full statement after the break, and decide for yourself if this is worth arguing about.

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.

Source: Engadget

Motorola Atrix 4G gets the teardown treatment, fourth G nowhere to be found

If our review of the Atrix left you hungering for more, you can now feast your eyes on the guts of Motorola's new Android powerhouse. Thanks to the folks at iFixit, its teardown reveals a familiar range of parts -- 16GB of NAND flash, 960x480 PenTile LCD, 1GB DDR2 RAM and that beast of a NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU. What's more, is that the teardown brings to light some enticing news -- the glass panel is not glued to the LCD. This allows for the clumsy to not have to spend the extra dough if they crack the glass (which is usually affixed to the display). Hit the source link if you've got your Atrix and are ready to dismantle the thing yourself.

P.S. -- There is a Qualcomm MDM6200 HSPA+ chip inside the phone. The title is meant to be a joke in reference to misconceptions about 4G wireless technology. You can read all them here.

Source: Engadget

Review: Beluga looks to be Android and iOS’ BBM

Even though Android and iOS have emerged as the preeminent smartphone operating systems, there will always be a one mainstay that refuses to kick the bucket: RIM and their Blackberry OS. There’s a big reason why people are still tethered to these phones, even though most new devices by other companies blow them out of the water. It’s one little application: BBM.

Blackberry Messenger is important to the brand’s survival: it is free phone-to-phone communication tied into a PIN number, rather than a username. More importantly, it’s on every Blackberry. This means that there is nothing to bug your friends to install, or more importantly use.

Which is why when cross-platform BBM-alikes get released, like Kik Messenger or the above Beluga, it’s almost a lost cause. They (of course) aren’t compatible with BBM, nor are they offered on Blackberries at all: RIM, like Apple, is very finicky with apps that “replicate features.”

However, the app does what it advertises extremely well: Beluga’s interface is sleek on both platforms, and allows users to group their contacts into “pods” which then can be communicated with instantly. You can provide image and location-tagged messages, and members of the pods are updated on-the-fly. It’s simple, and works; I had no hiccups testing it.

Beluga also takes some time to try to tackle the user base problem, as well. When you sign up, you are required to tie your account to your phone number. While I was initially apprehensive about this, I realized its greater purpose: automatic contact sharing.

What Beluga does is query your phone book for any numbers that are on the system. When it detects a match, it automatically notifies you that person X is also using Beluga, and vice versa. When I asked a couple of my friends (pictured above) to use the service along with me, there wasn’t any questions of what their Beluga username was; as soon as they signed up for the service and their number was entered into the database, my app let me know. I cannot stress how great that is.

However, the reason I won’t keep Beluga on my phone is the same reason I won’t join Facebook-alternative Diaspora: none of my friends use it, and trying to convince them is not worth the effort.

If I had to convince all the Android and iOS users I know to install an app, coach them on how to use it, then hope they all check it once and awhile, I would have to wonder why I wouldn’t just call/SMS them in the first place. I mean, their contacts are already in my phone!

I have the same apprehensions with BBM: I don’t understand the appeal of “instant.” My friends tell me it’s big amongst professionals, where time is money; others tell me it’s comforting to know that while texts can be ignored/lost/unread, BBM lets you know that your message has been sent/received.

All I know is that its success is largely because of the fact that everyone uses it, and if a phone would otherwise be cast off if the feature was omitted, then there has to be something to it.

If you have enough people in your network of contacts using Beluga, I’d say go for it; it really is an amazing app. However, if you’re like me and only have one or two people that would actually use it, you might find that Beluga’s downfall is one that has nothing to do with the way it’s coded.

You can download Beluga for Android here.

—
Matt Demers is Droid Life’s app guy and feels it’s a bit hypocritical telling people that instant doesn’t matter when he’s such a Twitter addict. You can give him tips to things you want reviewed by following or e-mailing him. 

Source: DroidLife

Adobe: Flash 10.2 Headed to Motorola XOOM in a “Few Weeks”

We thought the world had officially come to an end this morning when Verizon informed us that Flash 10.1 would not be available at launch on the Motorola XOOM, but thanks to Adobe, people can start to breathe again.  In a blog post that went up just an hour ago, they announced that Flash 10.2 (instead of 10.1) will be available within a few weeks…

Adobe will offer Flash Player 10.2 preinstalled on some tablets and as an OTA download on others within a few weeks of Android 3 (Honeycomb) devices becoming available, the first of which is expected to be the Motorola Xoom.

While it still won’t be pre-installed, and our full web experience will be crippled for a bit, at least we have some sort of idea as to when we can expect an update.  A “few weeks” may not be as specific as we’d like, but it sure sounds a lot better than “Spring 2011.”

Source: DroidLife

Flash Player Not Optimized for Tegra 2, Leaked APK Surfaces

Today a Motorola XOOM ad indicated Flash Player 10.1 wouldn’t be available on the XOOM at launch. Turns out it isn’t really available for any device running NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 chip. After the ad surfaced, Adobe updated the Android Market description for Flash Player to include:

It SHOULD NOT be installed on devices/tablets with the NVIDIA Tegra 2 super chip including the LG Optimus 2X Dell Streak 7 and Motorola ATRIX. The pre-installed version of Flash Player is optimized for Tegra 2. Future updates will include these optimizations. If you are unsure as to whether your device includes the NVIDIA Tegra 2, please consult your device owner’s manual.

So it looks like we will have to wait for Tegra 2 optimization before getting the benefit of Flash content on more powerful dual-core devices. That might not be too far off, either, based on a leaked APK file uncovered earlier today. It is available for installation over at DroidLife, if you want to take the risk on your brand new XOOM come Thursday.
[via DroidLife]

Source: Phandroid

In One Year Android Market Revenue Grows a Remarkable 862%

If you think all the way back to the launch of the Motorola Droid you might remember a time when there were no more than 20,000 apps available in the Android Market. Today that number has cross the 250,000 mark. With the increased number of applications should come an increased income, but would you believe that revenue from these applications has grown by 861.5 percent? Well believe it, because it’s true according to IHS. In cold hard American dollars, 2009 saw revenue of $11 million, while 2010 saw $102 million dollars incoming.
Still, with the large increase in revenues on a platform that is quickly becoming the world’s top, this only equates to a 4.7 percent share of the total mobile app revenues. Apple still takes the lead there with an 82.7 percent share of the currently over $2 billion industry.
Something tells us the profits might not increase this much from 2010 to 2011, but with the way Android is quickly spreading, we could see a large chunk of Apple’s lead begin to fade.
[via KnowYourMobile]

Source: Phandroid

Toshiba Says their Tablet Won’t Be Called Antares, but New Image Sure Does

We know a lot about the upcoming Honeycomb tablet from Toshiba. It will carry the 10.1-inch form factor with 1280×800 resolution, feature dual cameras, and an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. But what hasn’t been revealed as of yet is a name for the device. A new image grabbed from the folks at TabletGuide.nl suggests that we may now know what the tablet will be called: Antares.
But before you go writing it down on your wish list, Toshiba has reached out to officially deny that this will be the final name for the product. Chances are this has been a working codename within Toshiba, as we often see such labels show up in device information screens. Still, the name referencing one of the brightest stars in our night sky actually isn’t half bad.
[via NetBookNews]

Source: Phandroid

LG Optimus 3D and Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Priced and Dated for UK on Play.com

Online retailer Play.com has put up pre-order pages for the upcoming LG Optimus 3D and Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. The two new handsets had a big showing at this year’s Mobile World Congress, and since have been showing up with looks pricing and availability all over the internet. This latest puts the UK pricing and release for the Optimus 3D at £514.99  available April 25th, and the Xperia Play at £519.99 available March 28th.
No official pricing and availability has been made available for either handset, so it is likely the information at Play could change as release draws near.
[via AndroidCentral]

Source: Phandroid

Three UK confirms HTC Desire Gingerbread update

A post on the official Twitter account of British carrier Three indicates that the original HTC Desire will receive an official update to Gingerbread, confirming rumors from MWC earlier this week. Responding to a tweet asking whether Three would carry Gingerbread for the Desire, the carrier said - 

"Yes we will but we don't have timescales yet :-)"

Reports appeared on CNET UK's Crave blog earlier this week suggesting a Gingerbread update for the Desire would appear within a month or two of the Desire S's launch, however this is the first semi-official confirmation that an update is indeed in the works.

Today's revelations will come as welcome news to owners of the original Desire, which launched last April with Android 2.1 and was one of the first phones to see an official Froyo update. [ianmcmillan on Twitter, ThreeUK on Twitter, CNET Crave UK]

Source: AndroidCentral

How to manually update your Epic 4G to Android 2.2.1 Froyo

If you don't want to wait for the Sprint Epic 4G's Android 2.2.1 Froyo update to push out over the air, you can now manually update your phone. Here are the steps to manually update your Epic 4G to Froyo:

1. Download the update from Samsung. Hint: Just download the Mac version, even if you have a PC. The file you download will be the update.zip.
2. Move the update.zip file to your SD card (instructions).
3. Turn off your phone.
4. Hold the Volume Down and Camera buttons, then press the power button.
5. The update should automatically launch itself. Sit back and relax.
6. Reboot the phone.

Couldn't be much easier than that, and it beats the hell out of waiting any longer. No ODIN, no wiping, just pure Froyo goodness. (If you PC folks want, you can download and install the desktop version of the updater, which works just fine, too.) If you still need more help, check out this thread in the Android Central Forums. Thanks, jamex!

Source: AndroidCentral

Motorola Xoom won't have Flash support at launch, says Motorola, Verizon

Looks like you can add Adobe Flash to the list of features the Motorola Xoom won't have when it launches this week on Verizon. In addition to missing LTE data and access to the microSD card, you'll find yourself Flashless when if you pick up the first Honeycomb Android tablet this week. Motorola confirmed to us today that the footnote on Verizon's Xoom page is, indeed (and sadly) correct.

As for when we'll see Flash on the Xoom? The Verizon footnote says "Expected Spring 2011." Adobe's certified devices page says "Early 2011." [Verizon, Adobe]

Source: AndroidCentral

Verizon unleashes HTC Thunderbolt commercial [video]

It is almost here, people. The HTC Thunderbolt's widely rumored Feb. 24 launch date is just around the corner and we can't wait to get our hands all over Verizon's first LTE phone. Vent your impatience in the Thunderbolt section of the Android Central Forums. [YouTube via Android Central Forums]

Source: AndroidCentral

Optimus 3D and Xperia Play listed on Play.com

British online retailer Play.com is listing two upcoming Android phones, each with pre-order prices and tentative release dates. LG's Optimus 3D is listed for £514.99 (~$825) with a release date of Apr. 25, while Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play has a pre-order price of £519.99 (~$830) with a release apparently due on Mar. 28.

The usual disclaimer applies when dealing with pre-release pricing and unconfirmed launch dates -- this is subject to change, and could be nothing more than a retailer's best guess as opposed to official info from the manufacturer. In particular, we're surprised to see the Xperia Play at such a high price given its relatively modest hardware specs. [Optimus 3D on Play.com, Xperia Play on Play.com]

Source: AndroidCentral

AT&T's HTC Inspire 4G can do HSUPA, has it disabled for some mysterious reason

There's a story going around the past couple days that HTC's Inspire 4G for AT&T -- a phone that you would assume to be wicked fast on both uploads and downloads in light of the name -- doesn't support HSUPA, a critical element to offering reasonable uplink speeds. Turns out it's not quite that simple. Here's what we're hearing from trusted sources:

• Contrary to AT&T's official line -- which is flatly that the Inspire's specs don't include HSUPA -- the hardware most certainly does support it.
• For some reason, HSUPA has been disabled in the current firmware, but could be easily enabled in a future update if HTC and AT&T were to agree to do so. For what it's worth, we're not even aware of an HSPA+ chipset that lacks support for HSUPA, so that definitely sounds right.
• We've also been told that AT&T's network may simply have HSUPA disabled in 4G areas. That doesn't necessarily make sense since other HSUPA-compliant devices on AT&T (like the iPhone 4, to name an obvious example) can regularly hit HSUPA uplink speeds, but we suppose it's possible that there's some specific incompatibility between the infrastructure and the chipset used by the Inspire. An eerily-similar incident has happened in the past, after all.

We'll keep our ear to the ground as we get more on this situation, but the bottom line is that hope is not lost for heavy uploaders with Inspires -- we just need to find out what it's going to take to get HTC to push an update.

Source: Engadget

Visualized: Motorola Xoom rolls into Best Buy

 

Sure, you've probably seen plenty of the Motorola Xoom by now, but have you seen a stack of them being rolled into a Best Buy? Didn't think so. Well, you can now rest assured that they are indeed arriving in stores ahead of the big Thursday launch date, thanks to the helpful tipster who sent us this image. Unfortunately, it seems that a few pieces fell off the truck on the road to retail.

 

Source: Engadget

Samsung Epic 4G's Froyo update now available, no need to wait for OTA

Samsung apparently decided it's made Epic 4G owners wait long enough and beat Sprint's planned OTA release schedule to the punch by a few hours, posting the EB13 build that will update their phones to Froyo on its support website. Click the source link for a .exe to run from a connected PC and upgrade over USB (for rooted and unrooted devices alike, running any earlier software build) or select the Mac link for an update.zip file that can be run directly from the phone's SD card (stock devices running the most recent DI18 build only.) You'll be restoring the device to a blank slate with the former so make sure you've backed up any important SMS's beforehand. So far impressions from early upgraders on XDA-Developers suggest a noticeable performance boost, but other forum posts indicate some pesky bugs like Time Without Service battery drain are still hanging around, peep the full release notes after the break.

Source: Engadget

HP TouchPad on sale in April?

The official TouchPad launch date isn't even a date per se, but a season: summer. So we're surprised to see DigiTimes reporting that HP will take delivery of shipments in March with the TouchPad going on sale in April with plans to ship 4 - 5 million units from the TouchPad "series" in 2011. Based on what we know, both from using the software-incomplete pre-production tablet and from our detailed discussions with Jon Rubinstein, an April retail date would be extremely aggressive to say the least. And DigiTimes' accuracy with regard to rumors for companies located outside of its home country of Taiwan is spotty at best. Nevertheless, HP's new CEO Leo Apotheker did say originally, that products announced at the February 9th event would be on sale just a few weeks later. Unfortunately, only the wee Veer handset got an early spring promise with the Pre 3 joining the TouchPad for a summer launch. Perhaps this will be a case of HP under promising and over delivering? We can't say for sure. But with any luck, HP could bring some clarity to the matter on March 14th -- a day Apotheker had promised a big reveal regarding a "secret answer" and "vision of what HP is capable of in the future... the starting point." Why so mysterious, Leo?

Source: Engadget

Verizon Xoom teaser ad will eat you up (video)

Verizon's first Xoom ad is out leaving little doubt about how the company plans to market Motorola's new tablet. While the Honeycomb slab might lack the Droid branding, VZW looks set to maintain the overtly machismo tone that helped sell so many Android handsets over the last year while dismissing any of that cerebral nonsense preferred by Motorola. And really, who amongst us, man or woman, can resist the temptation of strapping on an $800 jetpack come thursday?

Source: Engadget

AT&T Motorola Atrix 4G now on sale, $149.99 at Amazon or RadioShack (update: $129.99 at Walmart)

The hotly reviewed and already rooted Atrix 4G is now on sale at AT&T. As expected, the privilege of buying direct from the carrier will set you back $199.99 with a two-year contract in the range of $39.99 per month for the Nation 450 on up to $69.99 for the Nation Unlimited with another $15 per month for a 200MB DataPlus plan or $45 per month for a Data Pro 4GB + tethering plan. Or shop on over to Amazon (or RadioShack) who lists the same HSPA+ device for $50 less with a 24-hour ship time. Remember, if you just have to have the laptop dock then you'd best do it now while it's offered with the handset in a $499 bundle (after $100 mail-in rebate and purchase of the Data Pro plan with tethering add-on) -- the same laptop dock purchased separately will cost you $499.99. No, really.

Update: Walmart is offering the Atrix 4G handset for a measly $129.99 for those of you activating a new account before Thursday.

[Thanks, Zizo and Hoodean]

Source: Engadget