Android Injector Installs APKs in a Snap

Vexed because you can’t download those cool free apps from Mobango? Or just frustrated that Android Market doesn’t let people in your town download apps? Here’s some good news to cheer you up.

XDA member Enzola has come up with a new application that will enable you to install .apk files downloaded on your PC to your Android device seamlessly.  This means that your mobile app options would no longer be limited to merely those found in the Android Market. Lots of developers opt to publish their apps in other marketplaces and in their own sites for more control on the distribution of the app, making sure that updates are always timely and avoiding the hassle of dealing with Google’s policies and payments.

Thanks to the heaven-sent Android Injector, you can easily transfer the apps downloaded to your PC from Getjar (or anywhere else, for that matter) to your mobile phone through the USB. (Yes, you got that right. Just the USB.)

You just have to enable USB debugging on your mobile device and install the necessary ADB drivers on your PC. You don’t even need to have your mobile device rooted. And yes, you also have the option of installing all the apps you want at the same time.

It’s a great solution really. And it came just when most Android users finally resolved to using apps offered by the Android Market. Now you won’t be chained to the whims of what Google wants and doesn’t want on your phone.

via XDA developers

View the original article here

Read More

An Android Smartphone Designed for Women?

What would men be without women? It is a simple fact that women have been ignored when it comes to Android smartphones  - design-wise With this in mind, HTC and Verizon have teamed up to create what they hope is an appealing Android smartphone geared especially for women. It looks to have the potential and the design to appeal to women.

Verizon and HTC have taken this into consideration and are alleged to be testing a new smartphone that will target women between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. As of this moment, the smartphone is known under the name of “Bliss” and is supposed to come to Verizon before the year ends.

Check out the dummy images of what the smartphone is supposed to look like. The HTC Bliss will have a softer color hue, offer various preloaded calorie counting apps and even shopping comparison apps such as the ShopSavvy, a wireless speaker dock, a rubbery back for women to have an easier grip on the device and a LED charm that will light up whenever there is an incoming call, text messages and also make it easier to pull the phone from the tight jeans that females that many women wear these days. Despite all of this sounding highly sexist, we think they are on to something.

I am pretty sure that women will love the HTC Bliss. As it stands we have no idea when this particular female-friendly smartphone will come into reality. For now, this is all just news. This idea from HTC and Verizon somehow makes sense. But if I were them, I would create a smartphone that would target both men and women.

To every woman out there, how is this sounding so far?

Source: ThisIsMyNext

View the original article here

Read More

Big-Screen Phone Or Tablet? What Android Device To Buy?

Tablets are a relatively new entry to the Android ecosystem but even so, they’ve quickly become a popular gadget to have. Being always-on and always connected has made it the go-to gadget for checking email, catching up on social sites and browsing the web. On top of all that, some versions can even make and receive calls, turning them into an ideal all-in-one device. Some of the models to currently out (as of this writing) are the HTC Flyer, the newer Samsung Galaxy Tab models and the Motorola Xoom.

Meanwhile, device makers noticed that bigger screened phones measuring 4.0 inches and up have been well-received by Android fans. Where once only a handful of large display phones were available like the HTC Desire HD and the Dell Streak, manufacturers are now keen on making their own flagship phones to enter this lucrative market segment. The Sony Ericsson XperiaArc, the Samsung Galaxy S2, Motorola Atrix and the HTC Sensation are just a few of the recently released Androids out for sale. Powerful enough to go toe-to-toe against tablets (and a few regular computers), these so-called “superphones” are powered by dual-core processors, graphics chips and impressive displays.

In an ideal world, I’d say just buy both but our credit cards (and spouses) being the way they are, you probably can only get one. So we have to decide: should you get a big-screen phone or a tablet? Let’s break it down, shall we?

 1. Web Browsing

A tablet no doubt has the greater browsing experience. With many browsers like Opera and Firefox providing an almost desktop-like experience when viewing web pages, you really can’t beat that with the smaller screen of a phone, even if it has a 4.2-inch display. And the bigger keyboard on a tablet also doesn’t hurt. Winner: Tablet

It’s no contest: you need to get a tablet for this. The screen size says it all when you want to watch movies and shows on the go. It’s no HDTV but when you need a movie fix on a road trip, a tablet fares way better than a phone. Winner: Tablet

If you like to use social sites like Twitter, Facebook and such, tablets are nice but the handiness of a phone is better. You can easily whip it out as often as you want to tweet without getting crazy looks from the people around you. It’s also more comfortable than a tablet if you need to make or receive calls. But if you’re more comfortable resting your face against a tablet, who am I to judge? Winner: Phone

A tablet might be useful managing to-dos and doing simple tasks but for money-making, sweat-and-blood work, you need something more than even what a phone or tablet can give you. A few amazing people can blaze through the day’s work without touching a laptop or desktop but if your work requires you to create stuff like budget reports, whitepapers or blueprints, neither one of these devices will be as elegant a solution as a full-blown computer. Winner: Tie

It’s been proven that the top use of tablets are for games. For gamers weaned on the console and PC, this might seem like a head scratcher but touchscreens do make very good game platforms. A lot of big names like EA and Sony know this and are starting to bring more gaming into Android. Winner: Tablet

A big-screen phone, while bulky, is still a phone and will fit most men’s pants pockets or purses for females. Grab it off the desk and off you go. Tablets though are a bit bigger so it probably needs its own case or bag if you want it to tag along. Winner: Phone

Phones with oversized screens are known battery guzzlers. There have been many improvements in battery tech for the newer phones, but the fact remains that the smaller body of a phone cannot house a bigger battery. In fact, many sport the same battery capacities of their smaller cousins and this paired with a gigantic screen means you need to keep a charging cable handy if you want non-stop use of your phone. On the flip side, tablets can carry juice up to 2-3 days worth with regular usage due to the bigger battery capacities that come with them. Winner: Tablet

Both tablets and big-screen phones carry the same type of communication chips inside: WiFi, 3G, HSDPA, Bluetooth, GSM/CDMA. So the point is moot; you can get connected either way. If you need to be always connected to the internet, both types of devices can hook you up easily. Winner: Tie

We know that you live in a good neighborhood yourself but a lot of times, you need to pass through bad ones to get to where you want to go. If you’ve been accustomed to using your device on the go, chances are you’re going to whip that out whenever you need to check something online. A tablet is much more flashy in this regard and attracts the eyes of the not-so-trustworthy crowd. It’s also harder to stash and keep out of sight unless you carry a bag as well. Winner: Phone

I’m not talking about a better megapixel camera here. What I mean here is using the built-in camera in regular situations. You would be hard pressed to use a tablet camera for anything besides video calls due to the bulk. For phones, even big phones, you can quickly whip them out to catch the moment on video or as an image. What’s more, the faster processors often let you take shots almost instantly and give no lag when recording video. This means less fumbling and more preserving precious moments. Winner: Phone

You would be surprised but price is not an issue. The price points of larger screened phones and tablets hover at around the same level. In addition, you can probably get a good tablet with 3G connectivity at the same price as a high-spec phone. For example, a Galaxy Tab fetches roughly the same price as a Google Nexus S (both brand new) over at Amazon. Winner: Tie

While I did put which device won on each category, there really is no clear-cut winner here between big-screen phones and tablets. Each has its merits which you should consider when planning your purchase. If you’re the social, out and about type of person who makes calls, tweets almost every hour and likes to snap everything in sight, a big-screen Android phone would be better for you. There is the issue of battery life though, but your usage probably won’t drain the battery too much (hopefully).

On the other hand, if you’re the type that likes browsing, games and movie watching, an Android tablet is definitely what you should consider getting instead, most especially if you prefer texting versus calling. Now all you need now is to decide which tablet or phone model to get, which is another story altogether.

View the original article here

Read More

Big-Screen Phone Or Tablet? What Android Device To Buy?

Tablets are a relatively new entry to the Android ecosystem but even so, they’ve quickly become a popular gadget to have. Being always-on and always connected has made it the go-to gadget for checking email, catching up on social sites and browsing the web. On top of all that, some versions can even make and receive calls, turning them into an ideal all-in-one device. Some of the models to currently out (as of this writing) are the HTC Flyer, the newer Samsung Galaxy Tab models and the Motorola Xoom.

Meanwhile, device makers noticed that bigger screened phones measuring 4.0 inches and up have been well-received by Android fans. Where once only a handful of large display phones were available like the HTC Desire HD and the Dell Streak, manufacturers are now keen on making their own flagship phones to enter this lucrative market segment. The Sony Ericsson XperiaArc, the Samsung Galaxy S2, Motorola Atrix and the HTC Sensation are just a few of the recently released Androids out for sale. Powerful enough to go toe-to-toe against tablets (and a few regular computers), these so-called “superphones” are powered by dual-core processors, graphics chips and impressive displays.

In an ideal world, I’d say just buy both but our credit cards (and spouses) being the way they are, you probably can only get one. So we have to decide: should you get a big-screen phone or a tablet? Let’s break it down, shall we?

 1. Web Browsing

A tablet no doubt has the greater browsing experience. With many browsers like Opera and Firefox providing an almost desktop-like experience when viewing web pages, you really can’t beat that with the smaller screen of a phone, even if it has a 4.2-inch display. And the bigger keyboard on a tablet also doesn’t hurt. Winner: Tablet

It’s no contest: you need to get a tablet for this. The screen size says it all when you want to watch movies and shows on the go. It’s no HDTV but when you need a movie fix on a road trip, a tablet fares way better than a phone. Winner: Tablet

If you like to use social sites like Twitter, Facebook and such, tablets are nice but the handiness of a phone is better. You can easily whip it out as often as you want to tweet without getting crazy looks from the people around you. It’s also more comfortable than a tablet if you need to make or receive calls. But if you’re more comfortable resting your face against a tablet, who am I to judge? Winner: Phone

A tablet might be useful managing to-dos and doing simple tasks but for money-making, sweat-and-blood work, you need something more than even what a phone or tablet can give you. A few amazing people can blaze through the day’s work without touching a laptop or desktop but if your work requires you to create stuff like budget reports, whitepapers or blueprints, neither one of these devices will be as elegant a solution as a full-blown computer. Winner: Tie

It’s been proven that the top use of tablets are for games. For gamers weaned on the console and PC, this might seem like a head scratcher but touchscreens do make very good game platforms. A lot of big names like EA and Sony know this and are starting to bring more gaming into Android. Winner: Tablet

A big-screen phone, while bulky, is still a phone and will fit most men’s pants pockets or purses for females. Grab it off the desk and off you go. Tablets though are a bit bigger so it probably needs its own case or bag if you want it to tag along. Winner: Phone

Phones with oversized screens are known battery guzzlers. There have been many improvements in battery tech for the newer phones, but the fact remains that the smaller body of a phone cannot house a bigger battery. In fact, many sport the same battery capacities of their smaller cousins and this paired with a gigantic screen means you need to keep a charging cable handy if you want non-stop use of your phone. On the flip side, tablets can carry juice up to 2-3 days worth with regular usage due to the bigger battery capacities that come with them. Winner: Tablet

Both tablets and big-screen phones carry the same type of communication chips inside: WiFi, 3G, HSDPA, Bluetooth, GSM/CDMA. So the point is moot; you can get connected either way. If you need to be always connected to the internet, both types of devices can hook you up easily. Winner: Tie

We know that you live in a good neighborhood yourself but a lot of times, you need to pass through bad ones to get to where you want to go. If you’ve been accustomed to using your device on the go, chances are you’re going to whip that out whenever you need to check something online. A tablet is much more flashy in this regard and attracts the eyes of the not-so-trustworthy crowd. It’s also harder to stash and keep out of sight unless you carry a bag as well. Winner: Phone

I’m not talking about a better megapixel camera here. What I mean here is using the built-in camera in regular situations. You would be hard pressed to use a tablet camera for anything besides video calls due to the bulk. For phones, even big phones, you can quickly whip them out to catch the moment on video or as an image. What’s more, the faster processors often let you take shots almost instantly and give no lag when recording video. This means less fumbling and more preserving precious moments. Winner: Phone

You would be surprised but price is not an issue. The price points of larger screened phones and tablets hover at around the same level. In addition, you can probably get a good tablet with 3G connectivity at the same price as a high-spec phone. For example, a Galaxy Tab fetches roughly the same price as a Google Nexus S (both brand new) over at Amazon. Winner: Tie

While I did put which device won on each category, there really is no clear-cut winner here between big-screen phones and tablets. Each has its merits which you should consider when planning your purchase. If you’re the social, out and about type of person who makes calls, tweets almost every hour and likes to snap everything in sight, a big-screen Android phone would be better for you. There is the issue of battery life though, but your usage probably won’t drain the battery too much (hopefully).

On the other hand, if you’re the type that likes browsing, games and movie watching, an Android tablet is definitely what you should consider getting instead, most especially if you prefer texting versus calling. Now all you need now is to decide which tablet or phone model to get, which is another story altogether.

View the original article here

Read More

DROIDX2, LG Revolution, Sony Xperia Play Verizon Release Dates Revealed

Hold off on buying any phone, Verizon subscriber. The PR Brigade at Verizon reached out to the boys at Droid-Life to “share” the upcoming release schedule for some amazing phones, like the DROID X2, the LG Revolution, and the Sony Xperia Play (Playstation Phone).

We live in a world of rumors, and every so often, we get these moments where the companies that provide the tech we all crave actually tell us what’s going on. Anyway, without further adieu, here is the release calendar from the boys at Droid Life for Verizon’s top upcoming phones:

DROIDX2:  May 12 – Reps are being told to sell through the remaining inventory of the original DX to make room for the DX2.  And remember that the DX2 is expected to be Verizon’s first dual-core Tegra 2 phone.LG Revolution:  May 12 – The next 4G LTE device, which will follow up the DROID Charge.  It’s also expected to be the first Android phone to launch with Netflix support.Sony Xperia Play:  May 26 – You all know it as the PlayStation Phone.  It looks like it’s finally ready for the States.  Should be offered in all VZW stores.

The LG Revolution in particular, is set to be one of Verizon’s best selling phones, and will have 4G LTE support to ensure blazing fast download speeds. Press releases likely to follow soon will definitely verify the authenticity of these dates, but we think they will hold up.

Via Droid Life

View the original article here

Read More

Fun-loving Zombies Invading Android Soon!

A mob of fun-loving zombies is about to invade your home, and your only defense is an arsenal of zombie-zapping plants. Use peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more to mulchify zombies before they reach your front door. The fun never dies with this one folks – this is what Plants vs. Zombies is all about!

The fastest-selling video game created by PopCap Games is coming soon to your Android phones! Plants vs. Zombies has been a game that almost everybody loves. In fact, Plants vs. Zombies has been nominated for the “Casual Game of the Year” and “Outstanding Achievement in Game Design” Interactive Achievement Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. The game received nominations in “Best Game Design”, “Innovation”, and “Best Download Game” for the Game Developers Choice Awards. Furthermore, Plants vs Zombies was picked by Gamezebo as one of the ‘Best games of 2009'.

The official Twitter account of PopCap games tweeted that they are currently planning to release Plants vs. Zombies on the first half of 2011. Meaning to say, that would be anytime within the next two months. As of this moment, they said that they are working to port the game over to Android. Last January, it was reported that Plants vs. Zombies will be coming this summer, so it appears to be that the news was quite true. Let us just hope that this highly anticipated game will be available sooner rather than later.

Without a doubt, it’s a great  game. This is going to be fun, isn’t it? BRAAIINNNS!

Source: AndroidCommunity

View the original article here

Read More

Have a Mac? Have an Android Tablet or Phone? No Problem thanks to SyncMate!

About time Apple and Android learned to play nice. Don’t think this software is being made by Apple though, they won’t have any of it. Like most true software innovations that occur, this nifty piece of software has been created by a group of top-notch developers. The folks over at Eltima Software, developers of SyncMate software, have finally liberated Mac users to be able to sync their with Android phones and Android tablets too. SyncMate 3 fully supports Android synchronization and additional tests proved that SyncMate can sync Mac with Android tablets too.

Hey, and we won’t judge you because you are experiencing a technology identity crisis. Macs are great computers, and a lot of people use them.

SyncMate was designed from the ground up to allow syncing of contacts and calendars between Mac and Android devices, for free. However, if you want to give them a bit of cash, you can upgrade to their “Expert Edition”, and get full access to all the options SyncMate offers for Android devices. This includes folders, music, images, videos sync, bookmarks synchronization, the possibility to manage SMS messages on your Mac and mount Android as a Mac disk and lots more.

Check out how versatile this software actually is:

Basically, SyncMate is a versatile sync tool which allows you to sync data between your Mac, Android device(s),  and accounts within one app. Nice!

Via: SyncMate

View the original article here

Read More

HTC Flyer Hits The Market

HTC recently announced their entry into the tablet fray with their new Flyer tablet. It’s been on pre-order for awhile on Best Buy but it just officially went on sale. If you mosey over to the Best Buy site, you can see all the specs and what not that you need to know. But to make things easier, here’s a simple low down.

A 7-inch tablet, the Flyer runs on Gingerbread 2.3 with HTC’s personalized Sense user interface overlaid on it. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.5 GHz CPU, it’s not exactly and iPad killer. However, it does run decently and is a nice alternative to all the tablets coming out. It also features WiFi b/g/n for its connectivity option.

One of the features that makes it unique is the addition of stylus capability. Everyone knows that it’s a pain to type on tablets  - most tablets resort to keyboard docks to make tablets seem less like electronic toys to actually productive machines. Not the HTC Flyer though. Using N-trig digitizer technology, it enables the use of a stylus for drawing, typing, and writing. The digital pen sounds pretty fancy but it also has a pretty fancy price tag. Sold separately from the tablet, the HTC scribe digital pen will cost you an additional $80. That maybe a bit steep price for additional functionality, but you don’t really need it that much. The HTC Flyer works fine without it.

If you’re still interested, drop by the Best Buy and drop $499 into the electronic till to get your own.

Source: TalkAndroid

View the original article here

Read More

HTC Kingdom Is Not The EVO 3D

Just a few days back, a ROM of the HTC Kingdom was leaked all over the internet and many people believed it was only a code name for the Evo 3D. Most recently however, a tipster sent photos of the HTC Kingdom to PocketNow. While it resembles the Evo 3D, a closer inspection reveals some interesting differences. Upon closer inspection, you will see some slight variances that indicate it is in fact something different from the Evo 3D. The button layout on the bottom part of the smartphone tells us it is obviously not the Evo 3D. Close, but no cigar folks.

The recent ROM leaked is supposed to be on Qualcomm’s MSM7630 chipset, which provides CDMA world phone support, paired with the Adreno 205 GPU. It highlights 768MB of RAM and a 4-inch qHD display with a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera, while the rear camera will be 5 megapixels. You will be fascinated once you know that its ROM shows that the Scorpion single-core CPU is scorching at 1.2GHz, which is 200MHz greater than any of the other HTC alternatives previously, 800MHz and 1GHz, and matches its dual-core Scorpion cousins clock speed. Also, the HTC Kingdom will be running Gingerbread 2.3.3.

Still, the HTC Kingdom’s debut and how much it will cost remain a mystery – for now.

Will this be the less expensive alternative for the Evo 3D? Or even for the Evo 2? Any thoughts?

Source: PocketNow

View the original article here

Read More

HTC Rider Leak Leaves Much to the Imagination

A fresh off the press photo leak of possibly one of HTC newest devices dubbed the “HTC Rider” has just surfaced on the net, unfortunately the leaker decided to take the picture using an ancient digital camera and the picture leaves much to the imagination.

What do you think this device is?

Source: [911Sniper via AndroidCentral]

View the original article here

Read More

HTC Roadshow Day 2: Aston Villa Stars in Attendance to Support AVFC’s Official Android App

The HTC Roadshow is already in its second day, and today HTC hit up Victoria Square in Birmingham to showcase their latest wares and some of the latest Android apps.

There have been many highlights at today’s event and the most striking was the stars of Aston Villa Football Club namely Fabian Delph, Carlos Cuellar and Gabby Agbonlahor. They were in attendance to support the football club’s official Android application debut. The trio became the most recent Villa rosters to show up in the HTC event in Victoria Square in Birmingham, a day after Brad Guzan and Gary Gardner captivated many fans.

Also, they signed autographs and stood for pictures with fans before taking time to check out the wide array of devices (such as the HTC Flyer) HTC had on offer.

Aston Villa presented the official AVFC Android application. Aston Villa’s official Android application unveiled at the event was designed to provide fans with essentials such as news, wallpapers, match reports and fixtures. The official AVFC app brings you innovative features and is a must have for any fan that wants to keep up-to-date with all the latest club content on the move. Also, they were quite keen to tell us that the official Android application is available to download now.

To all Aston Villa fans, how is this sounding so far?

Source: AVFC [1 | 2]

View the original article here

Read More

Make The Most Of Your Android Tablet’s Camera With These Apps

When you think about it, it’s kind of weird why tablets have cameras. It’s not as convenient to use as a cellphone or a dedicated digital camera, nor is the quality any more astounding. And picking up a tablet to take pictures is just plain, well, awkward.

But there are great ways you can use the camera on your tablet, some of which aren’t what you would usually expect. So make the most out that camera (you paid for it after all) by using a few apps that take advantage of it.

 

Google maps is great but if you really want a more immersive experience, augmented reality is the way to go. The way it works is by taking the image of your surroundings through the device’s camera, processing that as well as other data, and piping through a video feed that shows points of interest on your screen. It’s like a cheat sheet for places. Layar is one of the most well-known apps in this space and since the screen of a tablet is much bigger than that of a phone, you get to drink in more info when you use Layar on a tablet such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

 

With a tablet, taking down notes is way better because of the larger screen and Evernote is one of the best apps in this regard. With this app you can do everything: shoot pics, jot down notes and even share them online. While the Honeycomb version of the app is not yet live, they do have an Alpha version available you can try out. Some uses are snapping up your wife’s written grocery list, taking pictures of projector slides or quick copying of a friends’ notes.

 

3. Photo Booth – Picsay

A tablet might not be the ideal device to use for capturing photo memories but it does great for impromptu photo sessions. You can use your tablet for a photo booth during parties, birthdays and other occasions. Snap up photos of people doing wacky poses with props, add speech bubbles and graphics with Picsay and you capture some fun times right there. Top it off with its ability to share photos socially and you can quickly show people on the internet how cool your event is, all in realtime.

One of the more obvious and best uses of the tablet’s camera is through video chatting. Almost all Android tablets have front-facing cameras, which coupled with the larger screen makes it perfect for catching up with family overseas or conferencing with business partners. This is built-in on Google Talk for tablets that run Honeycomb but if yours doesn’t have this Android version yet (shame on you, tablet maker!), you can use Fring to do video calls. Or wait a bit longer, it’s getting rolled out to Android 2.3+ devices in the near future.

You can also use the camera of your tablet as a handy scanner. Snap a pic of that document and save it online with Google Docs. The smaller screen of cellphones really make it difficult to inspect document snapshots, but you will have no such problem with a tablet. The icing on top is that Google Docs also does OCR and can convert your picture into text (well, it’s still buggy right now but Google’s working on it).

View the original article here

Read More

MHL — Playing HD Video on Your Android Phone Without Draining Your Batt

Hi-def audio and video from your Android device to your HDTV. Nothing new or special about that, as many Android devices already allow you to stream seamless, hi-res audio and video from your phone or tablet to your HDTV. What’s responsible for that? HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output.

But, here’s the awesome part about HDMI: it can also be used to charge your Android device while streaming uncompressed digital multimedia from your device to your HDTV. HDMI itself doesn’t do that. It’s MHL that does.

What is MHL and what does it hold in store for Android users?

MHL stands for Mobile High-Definition Link. It’s an interface standard developed by the MHL Consortium to enable mobile phones and other portable gadgets to link directly to hi-definition displays such as HDTVs.

Android devices and high-def display screens compliant with the MHL specifications enjoy the following perks:

High-definition Digital Audio and Video. You can experience picture quality of up to 1080p60 (that’s hi-def speak for a 1,080-pixel horizontal resolution for images coming in at 60 progressive frames per second). For audio, you can get as many as 8 channels (e.g., 7.1-channel surround sound) with up to a sampling rate of 192 kHz.Connector Blindness. The more technical term is “connector agnostic,” a techie way to say that MHL-compliant gadgets don’t care about which hardware connector is used. Even custom and proprietary connectors can be used. Currently, popular existing connectors are used–MicroUSB for your mobile device and HDMI for your HDTV.5-Pin Connectors. Five is a very small number, and using connectors with such a low pin count will let your Android devices keep their slim and small sizes. So, no bulky connectors for MHL.Charging While Playing. Imagine jogging at full speed without depleting your energy at all. That’s the kind of thing MHL will allow your device to have. For instance, play a hi-def movie on your phone and display the flick on your HDTV. What goes on here is that your HDTV, via MHL, will continuously supply 5 volts (500 mA) to your phone so that its power will not drain. This means your phone will continue to have enough power for other functions such as emails and voice calls. Awesome, right?Content Protection Mechanisms. MHL helps your digital content from being intercepted or copied without permission. High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology has full support in the MHL specification.Remote Control. Regardless of the brand of your HDTV, you can use its remote control to operate your phone or tablet.

Currently, however, legacy (i.e., non-MHL-compliant) HDTVs will not be able to make full use of MHL features without the use of adapter cables, dongles, or docks.

The MHL Consortium was originally founded by big players in the smartphone and tablet industry: Samsung, Toshiba, Nokia, Sony, and Silicon Image. Acer and HTC later on joined the Consortium as adopters of the MHL specifications. The good news for Android lovers is that Samsung, Toshiba, Sony Ericsson, Acer, and HTC are all supporters of the MHL standards, so you can expect greater support for the MHL specification in the coming months and see more Android devices and HDTV sets carrying the MHL Consortium’s stamp of approval.

Historically, Samsung’s Infuse 4G gets the credit for being the first mobile device to get MHL support. Other MHL-enabled devices include HTC Flyer Wi-Fi, HTC Evo View 4G, HTC Evo 3D, and Samsung Galaxy S II.

Will you be an MHL adopter, too? Or do you think legacy HDMI is enough for your needs?

View the original article here

Read More

Rooted Android Devices Won’t Have Access To Market Movie Rentals

Well, here’s a bit of trouble. Everyone who really wants to get something done on their Android machine knows that rooting is the way to go. This is mostly because it opens up the innards of the system to our optimizing touch. No more bloatware or crapware  on it – just the pure streamlined operation of an operating system that’s like a tuned engine. Of course, rooting isn’t exactly legal – it’s in one of those legal gray areas that make our lives easy. So, of course, there are some consequences.

One of those consequences just recently got announced. Google, the guys behind Android and the Android Market, have decided that rooted devices aren’t supported by the Android Markets new movie rental service. The reason that they give for this ban is that it is related to copyright protection. There’s even a special error message for such attempts — “Failed to fetch license for [movie title] (error 49)”.

That’s pretty bad news for anyone who’s interested in watching movies on his Android device. Quite a few people are probably going to be affected by this, Android being a popular target for optimizing hacks.

Admittedly, Google has a point – rooted devices can most likely do things with that rental stream that normal devices can’t; piracy being the studio’s first big worry and if Google doesn’t throw them a bone, then the studios won’t give them access to the movies. Unfortunately, this may bite them in the ass later. With all of the hacking going around in the platform, expect a work around for this restriction in a few weeks.

Source: Androidcentral

View the original article here

Read More

Some of the Best Android Apps Available Today

Can you still recall the time when T-Mobile unveiled the first ever Android smartphone way back in 2008? It was also during that time when Google’s app library was in high demand. Since then, Android apps have increased in number substantially over the years.  The latest cutting-edge smartphones from HTC, Motorola, Samsung and LG have made Android apps even more popular. At this present moment, Android has reached over 250,000 apps and that will continue to grow for as long as Android exists. Google’s Android Market offers so many apps for just about anything and  it makes it confusing for users to decide which apps are the best.

So, without further adieu, here are some of today’s best Android apps under several categories to help you choose the best, must-have apps for your Android phone.

Gas Buddy Free

With gas prices still consistently rising, the quest for the cheapest nearby gas can be a frustrating and pointless task, especially if you are driving around wasting precious fuel to find a better price just for the heck of saying you did. Gas Buddy uses your location to quickly locate nearby gas stations and immediately give you the best price around. The app gives you a list and a helpful map of all of your options. Never again will you fill up only to drive by a less expensive station five blocks later.

Get it here: Gas Buddy

Weather Channel Free

This is the weather app you’ll find yourself checking before you even crack the blinds in the morning. Besides offering accurate current conditions with extreme detail down to wind speed, humidity and UV index, the Weather Channel’s app offers hourly and 10-day forecasts for planning ahead, plus advanced features like animated weather radar.

Get it here:  Weather Channel

Google Voice Free

With Google Voice, you get a free number for receiving calls, sending texts, and even receive access to your voicemail and text messages over the Web. With the Android app, you can even keep your true mobile number private by making outgoing calls using your Google Voice number instead. Another handy feature is voicemail transcription, which automatically transcribes your voicemails to text so you can read them like e-mail. Unfortunately, this particular service is only available to US Android users currently.

Get it here: Google Voice

Yahoo has compiled a very good list here.Grab these apps now, what are you waiting for?

View the original article here

Read More

Take Sony Ericsson’s Challenge And Win New Phones!

Are you a social media aficionado? Do you absolutely love music? Perhaps you would want to join Sony Ericsson’s challenge so you can have the chance to win a brand new phone from Sony!

Most recently, Sony Ericsson posted a challenge on Facebook. All you need to do is to guess what would be the name of the two most recent and upcoming smartphones from Sony Ericsson. You have three sets of options. The options are – is it the Sony Ericsson txt pro and Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman? Text mini messenger and Mixing mini? Or Messaging pro and Mini Walkman?

Once you already made your guess, you are required to write, in 50 words or less, the reason why you should be the first one to review these two new phones. Then, there is a form that you need to fill in with your personal information as well as your contact information. If you are interested, be sure to submit your entries no later than the 26th of May, 2011.

So what happens next after you have submitted your entries? There will be panel of judges to review all the entries submitted wherein 12 finalists will be chosen on May 31, 2011. If you are lucky enough to be one of the finalists, you will automatically receive one of the two newest phones, albeit temporarily. You then will be asked to make a video review of the phone you have received and send it back to Sony Ericsson on or before the 5th of June, 2011. After this, these video reviews will be judged and will be posted via Facebook on June 7, 2011.

Only 4 video reviews will be chosen and among them, and the one with the greatest number of ‘likes’ on Facebook will win 10 sets of phones. Yes, you’ve read it right, 10 sets of phones!

Interesting? Then take the challenge now.

Source: Sony Ericsson on Facebook

View the original article here

Read More

U.S. National Carrier Plan Price Showdown! [Spreadsheet]

Have you thought about what it’s really costing you to have your favorite smartphone over the two years you’re under contract? Most people don’t do the math, and would probably be surprised to know there are carriers where you can pinch some pennies, and in some cases, hundreds of dollars. This article is all about offering you a price breakdown, showing the options you have if you’re on an Individual Plan. I’ll cover Family Plans at a later date.

For this comparison, I chose to use a phone that spans across almost all the national carriers, the LG Optimus One. This is a very nice mid-grade handset that we happen to be doing a in depth review on next week, specifically the Virgin Mobile Optimus V. I wont go into an overview of the handset right now, but will tell you that the Optimus V is a great phone, and that it is more than enough to be the only smart-phone in your pocket.

Also, note that not all plans are created equal. Overall, AT&T had to be the worst deal, simply because of the restriction of being a 2 GB data plan combined with being the 2nd most expensive overall. There have been months that I’ve used 5 GB in the first week of the month. So AT&T definitely wouldn’t work for me. Do remember though – AT&T is the only national carrier that is fully compatible with unlocked GSM phones with global frequency bands. But once AT&T acquires T-Mobile, they’re planning on converting the 1700 MHz AWS bands to their 4G LTE frequency, so they will no longer be fully compatible with global unlocked devices. Also choosing their plans is very difficult in comparison to other carriers, as they do things a la carte, breaking each piece into separate options which makes things overly complex.

Speaking of T-Mobile, it really is too bad that the most restrictive carrier(AT&T), when it comes to the amount of data provided,  is going to be buying T-Mobile. I understand that it definitely would be the best suitor due to compatible GSM technologies, but this really is a sad day for the competitiveness of the US cellular carrier market. T-Mobile is tied with Sprint for being the best monthly price of the postpaid carriers. So we’ll have one of the most expensive carriers consuming one of the cheapest carriers, and this is good for the American public how? But leaving the buyout out of this, T-Mobile has consistently been the first and biggest supporter of Android. They’ve been the carrier to carry the first Android phone , the G1, the second phone the myTouch 3G, and subsequently the Google Nexus One, Google Nexus S, the G2 the vanilla Android version of the Desire Z, and the LG Optimus 2x as the G2x with its vanilla Froyo Android. It’ll be sad to see Androids closest US carrier ally being consumed by AT&T – a company that won’t even let you side load apps without rooting.

One of the nicest layouts is Sprint’s (postpaid, and prepaid) all inclusive plans, as they’re very easy to choose and very economical. They’re tied with T-Mobile for having the best monthly price of plans. But, they are the only CDMA / WiMAX carrier around, which brings into play a precarious situation of future handset availability. They have a good selection of Android phones right now with the Evo 4G, Epic 4G, Echo, and Optimus S. In a short amount of time they will be adding the Google Nexus S, Motorola Atrix, and the HTC Evo 3D, which certainly affirms their commitment to Android. But, like I mentioned before, one frustration is that you need to toggle 4G on to get WiMAX speeds. Sprints prepaid arms really are the diamonds in the rough of this comparison; Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile really are the best deals and can save you boat loads of cash. So much cash can they save you that if you switched to Virgin from Verizon you could buy three (and then some extras too) $399 Asus Eee Pad Transformer’s over two years. Let me say that again for effect – THREE Tablets difference!

Now let’s look at Verizon. Overall, they are the most expensive in terms of  monthly cost in postpaid and prepaid. But they have the best coverage with their EVDO network and they have a newly expanding LTE footprint. They also have the best high end Android handset offerings with the Droid 2 Global, Droid X, Thunderbolt 4G($250), Droid Charge 4G($300), and the upcoming LG Revolution 4G, Droid X2, and Droid Bionic. So if money matters nothing to you, choose Verizon and one of their awesome high end handsets.

There used to be a difference in the actual speeds that you could get from the carriers, and the 3G label made it sound like a standard that all four large carriers were giving you the same service. But, in reality EVDO was only able to deliver an actual speed of approx 700Kbps – 1.0Mbps, while T-Mobile and AT&T’s HSPA networks were doing approx 5.0Mbps. So even though both technologies were deemed to be “3G”, HSPA speed was quite a bit higher. But, now that all the carriers have stepped up their games, speeds have risen dramatically. Sprint was the first to the 4G game by offering their WiMAX network with real world performance in the 5-8Mbps range. Then, T-Mobile started calling their 14.4Mbps HSPA network “4G speeds” due to the fact that the handsets on their network were seeing real world speeds of 5-9Mbps which was comperable to Sprints WiMAX network.  AT&T followed suit with their 14.4Mbps network being labeled 4G as well. Verizon launched their LTE network recently, which gives real world speeds in the 2.0-20.0Mbps range, but that is all depending on your area. In the mean time, T-Mobile has upgraded their network to 21Mbps which is giving real world speeds in the mid teens, and they have recently announced an upgrade to 42Mbps that is currently underway. Either way, all carriers are easily fast enough for any smart-phone, unless you’re planning on tethering your computer to them and playing some First Person Shooters which require very low latency. Its a pretty much level playing field at this point.

The last thing I want to point out is the “Special Plans” I have listed. There are two ways to save some money right now, one is Boost Mobiles “Shrinkage” on their $50 per month unlimited plans. If you pay on time for 6 months, your plan drops $5 for the subsequent months. You can do this over and over, three times in total. This will bring your monthly bill down to $35 per month in a span of 18 months.  The second special plan is that, right now, T-Mobile is offering their normally $99 Unlimited everything plan for $79. This can save some good money in the long run if you’re not using more than 2GB per month. After 2GB per month T-Mobile claims they will throttle your connection speed. Honestly though, I have a myTouch 4G which at the best of times has seen a 9.0Mbps connection speed, and even after reaching my current plans 5GB limit before I get throttled, I was still topping out at 7.0Mbps. So if 7.0Mbps is a penalty, I’ll take it.

Thanks for checking out this comparison, I hope I’m able to help save you guys some money. Try jumping to a cheaper carrier to afford some of the awesome Honeycomb tablets coming out. So, how many of you are planning on saving some cash?

High Res Spreadsheet here

View the original article here

Read More

Unlocked Bootloaders from Motorola Coming?

A recent poll held by Motorola backfired, and had tens of thousands of people declaring that they want an unlocked bootloader on their phone. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that people are getting quite adamant about being able to do what they want with their Android phone. Motorola has developed a bit of a reputation for creating phones that have been quite difficult to root.  Thankfully, it looks like they are starting to listen, and we have discovered some correspondence on this very topic that sheds some light on why manufacturers lock their phones down in the first place. I’ll give you a hint – it starts with a “C”, and has the letters a,r,r,i,e,r, and s.

The internet has democratized information, and has given people an open platform to articulate their frustrations and grievances towards whatever product, service or company they see fit. And so, bringing the focus back to Motorola, we have uncovered the following communication from them that details their ambitions with regards to opening up their devices going forward:

“In terms of your question – we completely understand the operator requirement for security to the end user, and as well, want to support the developer communities desire to use these products as a development platform.  It is our intention to enable the unlockable/relockable bootloader currently found on Motorola XOOM across our portfolio of devices starting in late 2011, where carriers and operators will allow it.”

Carriers buy many more phones than people themselves, and have the ability in most cases to make a particular device (or line of devices) a huge success or an absolute flop. This is exactly why manufacturers cater to the carriers themselves rather then the people. Still, we can’t completely confirm the legitimacy of the above statement, as it conveniently passes the responsibility of who decides to lock down the phones themselves onto the carriers. However, we do know that Sony has promised to be unlocking their line of Xperia devices in 2011, and so it is likely that other manufacturers will continue to move in this direction.

Does having an unlocked bootloader on your Android phone matter to you? Have you rooted your device already?

Thanks Ausdroid! Also, if you’re interested, sign the Groubal petition to get Motorola’s attention.
Also, you can find the Facebook poll here.

View the original article here

Read More

World’s First True Firewall for Android Just Launched

We’ve always been big proponents of security here at Android Authority, and talked about the Security Architecture of Android in a piece previously. There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the level of security on Android and the iPhone, and for good reason. Most of us have a significant amount of personal information on our mobile devices, and mobile security is likely to become an even bigger deal then it is currently. Most recently it was revealed by security researchers that the iPhone can potentially track the location of the user for a whole year, and transfers the log over an owners computers in an unencrypted file. Not to mention, the apps you install on your Android device send information back to the developers – and from their it can’t really be known what is done with it.

Thankfully, the development community has spoken, and an ingenious app from the developers at Whisper Systems have come up with a brilliant piece of software that gives you control over a dynamic firewall, with real-time connection monitoring, giving you unprecedented control over where your data is going and what your apps are doing., and the ability to restrict apps from sending out any information at all.

Security expert, Moxie Marlinspike launched the first dynamic Android firewall today, called Whisper Monitor. It monitors all outbound connection attempts by installed apps and the operating system, giving users a good idea of what’s going on with their phone.

“WhisperMonitor is essentially a small firewall for Android devices that allows users to restrict the behavior of any installed app and make decisions about what they want apps to be able to send to publishers and other third parties,” said Marlinspike.

Finally, a firewall for Android

WhisperMonitor provides a software firewall capable of filtering and real-time connection monitoring, giving you control over where your data is going and what your apps are doing. The app also includes access to the company’s existing WhisperCore security platform for Android, which provides platform-level encryption for Android devices, as well as some other security features. Additionally, both are offered for free.

Here’s what it can do:

 

When enabled, WhisperMonitor will monitor all outbound network traffic and issue dynamic prompts in order to determine egress filter rules.

 

WhisperMonitor provides a simple interface to modify or update rules defined by application.

 

WhisperMonitor optionally records the connection history of the software installed on your device, giving you insight into where it is connecting and how often.

How it works

If users think an app is accessing something that it shouldn’t, they have the option of blocking URLs or port numbers accessed with it. Users can also set firewall rules for individual apps and even provide connection history for apps on the phone.

We highly recommend you check this app out, so if you think that your phone is sending out data that it shouldn’t, or you want some extra protection for the files on your phone, head over to the WhisperSystems website to download WhisperMonitor for your Android phone.

Via: Threatpost

View the original article here

Read More

World’s First True Firewall for Android Just Launched

We’ve always been big proponents of security here at Android Authority, and talked about the Security Architecture of Android in a piece previously. There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the level of security on Android and the iPhone, and for good reason. Most of us have a significant amount of personal information on our mobile devices, and mobile security is likely to become an even bigger deal then it is currently. Most recently it was revealed by security researchers that the iPhone can potentially track the location of the user for a whole year, and transfers the log over an owners computers in an unencrypted file. Not to mention, the apps you install on your Android device send information back to the developers – and from their it can’t really be known what is done with it.

Thankfully, the development community has spoken, and an ingenious app from the developers at Whisper Systems have come up with a brilliant piece of software that gives you control over a dynamic firewall, with real-time connection monitoring, giving you unprecedented control over where your data is going and what your apps are doing., and the ability to restrict apps from sending out any information at all.

Security expert, Moxie Marlinspike launched the first dynamic Android firewall today, called Whisper Monitor. It monitors all outbound connection attempts by installed apps and the operating system, giving users a good idea of what’s going on with their phone.

“WhisperMonitor is essentially a small firewall for Android devices that allows users to restrict the behavior of any installed app and make decisions about what they want apps to be able to send to publishers and other third parties,” said Marlinspike.

Finally, a firewall for Android

WhisperMonitor provides a software firewall capable of filtering and real-time connection monitoring, giving you control over where your data is going and what your apps are doing. The app also includes access to the company’s existing WhisperCore security platform for Android, which provides platform-level encryption for Android devices, as well as some other security features. Additionally, both are offered for free.

Here’s what it can do:

 

When enabled, WhisperMonitor will monitor all outbound network traffic and issue dynamic prompts in order to determine egress filter rules.

 

WhisperMonitor provides a simple interface to modify or update rules defined by application.

 

WhisperMonitor optionally records the connection history of the software installed on your device, giving you insight into where it is connecting and how often.

How it works

If users think an app is accessing something that it shouldn’t, they have the option of blocking URLs or port numbers accessed with it. Users can also set firewall rules for individual apps and even provide connection history for apps on the phone.

We highly recommend you check this app out, so if you think that your phone is sending out data that it shouldn’t, or you want some extra protection for the files on your phone, head over to the WhisperSystems website to download WhisperMonitor for your Android phone.

Via: Threatpost

View the original article here

Read More

Why Rooting Scares Google

Rooting is the process by which you (re)gain full administrative access of your phone or tablet. Even though Android is an open source operating system – you still don’t have full “root access” to do what you please. Back when the iPhone launched in 2007 the more technically included quickly realized the true potential of the device, and the cruel software limitations that Apple had sealed it with. What became ‘Jailbreaking’ on the iPhone was quickly translated to other platforms as well, and when the world saw the first Android device back in 2008, the term “Rooting” was born.

Rooting your device lets you run any application you want  - and it is increasingly becoming a popular choice amongst the more technically-minded members of the Android community. These days, rooting is much a less challenging process, with members of the development community creating great tools like SuperOneClick and others to perform device rooting in a few clicks. The decision to root ones device(s) is not without some risk however, and usually comes with an understanding that manufacturers wont honor a device’s warranty if they discover it has been rooted.

Much to the chagrin of open-source advocates, Google appears to be taking steps to clamp down on the process – and has officially confirmed that rooted devices won’t be allowed to play nice with its newly debuted movie rental service that has recently been announced.

Users that have rooted their device who attempt to use the movie rental service will receive a ‘Error 49' message when attempting to play a movie on a rooted device.  Google has confirmed in a help article on its Android Market website. “Rooted devices are currently unsupported due to requirements related to copyright protection.”

 

Google has already enraged the music industry for debuting Google Music without coming to prior agreement from industry big-wigs, and is obviously reacting in such a way that attempts to strike a balance between what users are looking for (good content), coupled with a strong DRM (Digital Rights Management) solution to protect the intellectual property of the Media companies involved. This is a reasonable fear, of course, as rooted devices with super-user access will be able to find a way around the digital restrictions management technology – it’s just a matter of time. Undoubtedly, a war is brewing, and there is little Google will be able to do to prevent savvy users from being able to download a film for free, or keep it permanently once the rental period has expired.

For users who want to option of participating in Google’s film rental programme, the message is clear: you can choose between the flexibility of a rooted device, or the ability to rent films through the Android Market – but not both.

Follow the Money

 

Ultimately, as Intel’s CEO just alluded to an a recent earnings call, the more devices with Android on-board, the more money Google makes. Google distributes Android freely to manufacturers and makes money through advertising. It’s a very long term approach, and one that is already paying off. Rooting enables the user to take full ownership and control of their device, and do with it what they please. In the process, they can block all advertising on their phone, delete Carrier mandated bloatware, put up a firewall that stops information from going back to advertisers, developers and even Google itself. So, rooting is actually a very threatening process to the big G, and potentially one that threatens its business model as well. While Google has played nice for the time being, it is clear that this is the beginning of a long and challenging struggle that is likely to alienate Android’s most ardent evangelists.

Android is now the world’s number one mobile operating system, capturing over 36% of smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2011, and this is a trend that is unlikely to slow down – in fact, it’s accelerating. Android will likely be on over 50% of smartphones sold sometime within the next 12 months.

Google has always known that early adopters and open source evangelists have been profound purveyors of Android love, at least initially. They are the technology thought leaders in their communities and peer groups, and are arguablya big part of the reason why Android has become so successful so quickly. However, the buck has to stop somewhere – so to speak – and Google now has the difficult task of reconciling what users want, and what pays.

In all reality however, the percentage of Android users that actually root their devices is still quite low, and occupies a similar percentage ‘territory’ to that of users who jailbreak their iOS device. At the end of the day, Google and the Android team are doing what they think is best for the platform as a whole. Everything they are currently doing, such as reigning in fragmentation, unifying the OS to work on a wide array of devices, and providing easy to use content ecosystems are all harbingers of great things to come.

View the original article here

Read More

World’s Thinnest Tablet – the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 – Hits the FCC, Due on North American Shores June 8!

Looks like some good news is coming your way, Honeycomb fans. Samsung unveiled a new ultra-thin version of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet at CTIA this year, and we’ve been eager to get our hands on it ever since. This is the world’s thinnest tablet, and with a 10.1 inch display, measures only 8.6 mm thin.  Thankfully, the day of its imminent arrival is getting closer, and today, appeared at the FCC for testing, further underscoring its nearby release date. We know it’s the 10.1 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab because of the device’s distinctive silver accent on the upper side of its back, as well as a camera lens and flash.

 

Unfortunately, the FCC filings did not mention 3G, so it’s safe to assume that this particular variant is a WiFi-only version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.  Still, it’s packing awesome hardware, and features a dual-core 1GHz processor, up to 32GB of storage, front (2MP) and rear (3MP) cameras, and a 6860 mAh battery that should last for 10 hours.  The FCC filings indicate support for 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 will launch on June 8th, and will cost $499 for the 16GB version and $599 for the 32GB version.

Will you be picking one up on June 8th?

View the original article here

Read More

Thinkpad Slate is Coming: Specs Revealed!

View the original article here

Read More