Posts Tagged ‘gadgets’

HOTT MD500 MID Revealed [Cheap Chinese Tablet MID Offers 4.8-inch Screen, Android, ARM Processor, Sub-$100 Wholesale Price]

Chinese company Hott has come out with a “hot” (pardon the pun) new Android MID tablet that looks pretty interesting. The folks at Hott are positioning the MD500 as an “iPad Killer” and while it will be smaller than the iPad, it’ll be a lot cheaper. Hott will reportedly be selling the device for only $92 to the retailers, for the version that users microSD for it’s main storage. Of course, you’ll pay a bit more with markups but the device certainly looks like it could be sold cheap enough to compete with the iPad. As mentioned, it will have a 4.8-inch screen (resolution 800 x 480), which is a decent size and is roughly the same sizes of the Archos 5 MIDs – and the Dell Mini 5 should also be roughly the same size too. It will be running Android 1.5 along with Hott’s own UI wrapper on top. For hardware, it’s got an Rockchip ARM9 processor which, Hott claims, is powerful enough for rendering high-quality video, though they didn’t give out any numbers (720p or 1080p). Battery life will be a bit weak on this device, coming in at just five hours. While that’s a bit disappointing, if you look at the positive side of it, it’s probably a bit more powerful than the other MIDs in this class. The device will hit mass production this summer. Watch for it to hit retailers (perhaps from another manufacturer) sometime after that. Original Post Link: HOTT MD500 MID Revealed [Cheap Chinese Tablet MID Offers 4.8-inch Screen, Android, ARM Processor, Sub-$100 Wholesale Price] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: iiView vPad Tablet Revealed [New vPad Tablet Offers Netbook Specs, Windows 7 Starter, 10-inch Screen] Archos 7 Tablet Specs Leaked [Android-powered 7-inch Archos Tablet Revealed] Tianjin Jinke A6 and A9 eReaders Revealed [Chinese eReaders To Feature 9-inch display, ARM processor, MultiTouch E Ink Screen] Cowon W2 MID Revealed [Cowon's MID Shown Off At CES, 4.8-inch Screen, Atom Processor, Windows 7] Eros/Wing MID Tablet Coming Out of China [Chinese Cloned 10-Inch MID/Tablet Runs Windows 7, Features Atom Processor]

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My Life With The Nexus One (or, How I Became a Rabid Android Fanboy)

It was almost like Christmas, and I was an 8 year old boy again. Only it wasn't Christmas and this wasn't a puppy I had found under the tree. It was just after Valentines Day and this was a brown cardboard box in my hands. This brown box was a gift from The Greatest Girlfriend In The World, and it was my drug of choice... a brand new gadget. But it wasn't just any new gadget; it was a Nexus One. My HTC Dream had served me well for over the past 12 months, but like any gadget geek I was attracted to the latest and greatest new toy. Faster processors, better screens, more features... this is what keeps me up late at night reading blogs about the next big rumor just a split second before anyone else. For being over a year old, my Dream was in remarkably good shape. It still had the original screen protector on it and there wasn't a single scratch on it's surface. The cover for the mini-usb port was still dutifully attached, and there wasn't a spot of dirt anywhere to be found on it's pristine white surface. However none of this had mattered since I had heard the first whispers of the Nexus One... the rumored "Google Phone". The device that would pack the kind of hardware that could finally utilize Android to it's fullest extent. And now it was mine. My Nexus One has usurped my Dreams position in my pocket and become more useful than any other device I've ever owned. My constant companion, it has replaced my many other gadgets. No longer do I carry a PSP, an iPod, a phone, and a book in my backpack during my morning commute. I simply slip my Nexus One into my pocket and head out the door. If this device would dispense beer, I'd have no other needs. I originally purchased my Dream because of Android. I wanted something different and unique. I've owned smart phones for years (from my old Blackberry on through an MDA and a Wing) but Android offered something new to me: a truly multimedia experience that I could carry in my pocket and connect my social life while on the go. But even then, it was still lacking. The UI wasn't quite what I wanted, it was slow, and it didn't have enough internal memory to really be very useful. Don't get me wrong, I still dearly love my Dream. But it comes as no surprise to me that Android didn't hit mainstream attention with the kind of hardware that the Dream had when it launched. Sure, I rooted it and installed different ROMS trying to make it what I wanted it to be. But even then, the Dream still didn't have the "OMGWTFBBQ" that I wanted it to have. That's all changed due to my Nexus One. This machine is equivalent to a Cadillac XLR: pure beauty with a mean ass monster living under the hood. I feel as though I have joined a club... When encountering another Nexus One owner, we both readily whip out our phones to share any tips or tricks (did you know that speech to text recognizes supercalifragilisticexpialodocious?). I don't see this camaraderie with any other type of device. Sure, while some would say that Apple/iPhone users share a bond, I'd go so far as to say that it's more like a cult with His Holiness Jobs looking down from on high instructing his minions on what to do. I have made friends with people in other cities, states, and even nations... simply because of our shared ownership of this handset. Have I become what I loathe most? Am I the anti-thesis to the iPhone fanboys? The answer is a resounding "YES!" Thanks to the Nexus One, I will resoundingly defend Android on any blog, in any conversation, and during any circumstance. When I run into an iPhone fanboy it's light versus dark, good versus evil, Jedi versus Sith. My pupils dilate, I begin to sweat, and the arguments move to the tip of my tongue. The only way I could become any worse is if I turned green, grew seven feet tall, and my clothes started to rip (Android SMASH!!). Thanks to the Nexus One (my Precious!!) my transformation is complete. Sure, it has it's (few) flaws. But I will say, that no matter what I am doing (outside of a few activities *ahem* with The Greatest Girlfriend In The World) my Nexus One enhances it. A bastion of entertainment and knowledge at my fingertips, this is my constant companion. Now to figure out how to affix a keg of my favorite brew to it... Might We Suggest... Did Google Shoot itself in the Foot with Nexus One? Microsoft sure thinks so. In a quote from Microsoft's Robbie Bach taken from Bloomberg, it seems the software giant thinks that Google may have bitten off more than it can chew. The Bach Quote fr...

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Evernote Coming to Future Samsung Android Phones [Evernote Note-Taking App to be Preloaded on Samsung Android Smartphones]

I usually have no trouble remembering important and really unnecessary stuff for long period of times but that doesn’t mean I don’t use my smartphone to jot down things while I’m on the go. That’s probably one of the most used features of any handset that comes with a free note-taking application. Well such a free multiplatform application is Evernote and I am sure that you are already familiar with it. The application is about to become even more popular as, starting today, all future Android smartphones made by Samsung will come packing Evernote by default. The application will be pre-installed on upcoming devices but it might also find its way to current Samsung Android handsets through software updates, just like the Samsung Behold II did a while ago. Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, had this to say about the new Samsung partnership: We’re incredibly excited to be working closely with Samsung on their line of Android phones. Android represents Evernote’s fastest growing mobile platform. This partnership helps Evernote reach a huge new audience with our promise of perfect memory for everyone. Evernote will help you easily create notes, snap photos and record audio. Whatever it takes for you to remember a certain instance, Evernote will try to oblige and then it will help you search through your notes in order to faster find the items you know you saved whether we’re talking about text, images or audio files. Using it you will be able to go through your daily chores a lot easier especially since you can synchronize it across various platforms which means that you’ll be able to access the content you have edited at any time and from any phone or computers. Evernote comes free of charge and Samsung Android phones will make it even more popular. A premium version of Evernote is also available but you’re probably be more than happy to use the default version of it as it is. Original Post Link: Evernote Coming to Future Samsung Android Phones [Evernote Note-Taking App to be Preloaded on Samsung Android Smartphones] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: New Android Smartphones Coming from Motorola and HTC [Droid Successor Gets Leaked; HTC Prepares Android 2.1 Army of Mobile Phones] Android 2.1 Update Coming to All U.S. Android Smartphones [Unconfirmed Android 2.1 Upgrade Expected to Hit All U.S. Handsets in the Following Months] Verizon Wireless & Google Announce Partnership [Android Phones Expected to Arrive in the Following Weeks] Wide Variety of Android Phones Getting 2.1 Update [Droid, CLIQ, Hero All Among Phones Getting The Coveted 2.1 Update] Google Gesture Search App Available for Android Phones [Android Smartphones Now Controllable with Written Gesture; Hopefully Google Has a Patent] Motorola Ditches Google For Bing In China [All Future Motorola Phones To Ship With Bing, Older Phones Getting OTA Update To Change To Bing]

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Google Introducing Google Apps Marketplace [Google Expanding To Offer "App Store" Experience To Web Apps, Iteration On Android Marketplace]

Google unveiled the “Google Apps Marketplace” today where up to 50 third-party companies and Google are going to be providing and selling cloud-based web applications for web developers. The apps featured on the website can be integrated with the Google Apps, like Google Docs and Google Calendar. To use the website, users must be a member of the Google Apps Premier service, which is aimed at enterprise and business users and costs $50 a year, but in addition to the access to the Google Apps and the new marketplace, also provides training and webinars in integrating Google Apps to your website or workflow. Some sources are reporting that the Google Apps marketplace is also available for the free Google Apps Standard accounts and Google Apps Education accounts. It’s also worth noting that in addition to the fees for the Google Apps accounts, users will also have to pay a fee per every app they want to purchase. Many are free, and others offer considerable free trials, but as many of these are Enterprise apps, some of them are a bit pricey. Those who have a Google Apps enterprise account and have tried the service and reporting that it’s very similar to the Android Marketplace. It’s worth noting that this is only for web apps, not anything related to the mobile phone segment. Google says that they hope that the Google Apps marketplace will bridge the gap between Google and the third-party developers and also help breed new integrated apps that work on top of the Google websites and web apps. Interested parties can find the Google Apps Marketplace at http://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/home Original Post Link: Google Introducing Google Apps Marketplace [Google Expanding To Offer "App Store" Experience To Web Apps, Iteration On Android Marketplace] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: Google Apps Marketplace Offers Cloud Based Applications with Google Apps Integration [Google Apps Marketplace Launched, More than 50 Applications Already Live] Google Preparing “Business Edition” Chrome OS [Google Engineer Says 2011 Will See Enterprise Chrome OS, Google Netbook Is Coming] Google Docs Allows You to Upload & Store Files Online [Google Docs to Bring Free Online Storage Space For Any Types of File] Google Bringing Extensions To Chrome [Web Chrome Getting Customizable Extensions, like Firefox] Google vs. China [Google Details Its Efforts Against Chinese Cyber Attacks, May Close Google.cn] Google Dashboard Knows Everything About You [Are You Comfortable with Google Knowing All Your Secrets?]

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Samsung SHW-M120S to be First Android Phone Offering Bluetooth 3.0 [Samsung SHW-M120S Bluetooth 3.0 Enabled Android Handset Set to Trail Blaze New…

Thanks to documentation obtained from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group its now being reported that the up and coming Samsung SHW-M120S Android phone is set to become the first ever Android handset to offer support of the new Bluetooth 3.0 standard. The Samsung SHW-M120S, which is the successor to the Samsung SHW-M100S, aside from touting Bluetooth 3.0 – offering theoretical data transfer speeds of up to 24 Mbit/s – comes will additionally come with a 3.3” WVGA AMOLED display, a 5 megapixel camera, integrated WiFi, inbuilt GPS, accelerometer, proximity sensor ans HSDPA/GSM roaming. There’s no official word from Samsung at this juncture concerning the SHW-M120S but the moment we get out hands on the official specs we will, of course, bring them to you post haste. Original Post Link: Samsung SHW-M120S to be First Android Phone Offering Bluetooth 3.0 [Samsung SHW-M120S Bluetooth 3.0 Enabled Android Handset Set to Trail Blaze New Bluetooth Standard] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: Samsung I7500 AMOLED Touchscreen Android Phone Specifications & Features Announced [Samsung's First Android Handset] Samsung M100S Android 2.1 Handset Arriving in March [First Android 2.1 Smartphone from Samsung, the M100S, Goes to Korea]

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AT&T HTC Desire Availability Unofficially Confirmed [AT&T to Begin Selling the HTC Desire in the US Sometime in May or June]

Just hours after proving how great the HTC Desire is with its Sense UI and that “magical” joystick, we’re hearing rumors that AT&T may start carrying what some call the most powerful Android smartphone in the market, sometime in May or June. We already knew that AT&T is going to debut an Android-powered handset in the first half of the year, but until today when the folks from B oyGeniusReport have heard from a source close to HTC, we had absolutely no idea what the device will actually be. If the rumor materializes, the HTC Desire will get some small design changes that involve different material, color or maybe a different finish. In the meantime, it looks like Google is gearing up to start selling an AT&T 3G-compatible Nexus One, which if true, would make the decision much harder — go with the Desire or the Nexus One, since everyone says the N1 will be getting faster Android updates than any other mobile running Google’s OS). So what’s it going to be for you guys, if both the Desire and the Nexus One become available on AT&T? Original Post Link: AT&T HTC Desire Availability Unofficially Confirmed [AT&T to Begin Selling the HTC Desire in the US Sometime in May or June] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: T-Mobile UK to Launch the HTC Desire Next Month [HTC Desire Availability Confirmed on T-Mobile UK for March 26] Nexus One Gains HTC Sense UI & Flash 10 Support Via Hack [Nexus One Hack Utilises Leaked HTC Desire ROM] FCC Approves HTC Desire Android Smartphone [Verizon HTC Desire ADR6200 Cleared, Path Paved for Release] HTC Desire Sense UI on Video [HTC Desire User Interface Looks Amazing, Makes Us Drool] HTC Desire Officially Announced at MWC 2010 [Former Bravo Debuts as HTC Desire, Looks Like a Nexus One With Flash & Sense] Vodafone UK Google Nexus One Availability Confirmed [Nexus One Releasing in Europe in a Few Months?]

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HTC Legend Gets FCC Aproval for US Debut, Might Be Renamed as Hero2 [HTC Legend Getting GSM Support, Rumored to Debut in a Few Weeks]

Today we just caught wind that the HTC Legend has passed FCC approval, meaning that a US debut is imminent, with rumors talking of a release date sometime in the next few weeks. From what we can learn from the FCC filing, the Android-powered Legend brings GSM support to the table and a SIM card that helps you narrow down the mobile operator to start selling the device — anyone to bet on Sprint? As you probably remember the HTC Legend runs on a sluggish 600MHz processor, features a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen, a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and an optical trackpad instead of the standard trackball. Other features include Android 2.1 with multi-touch support and a unibody design with a vertically inserted battery that covers the SIM and the memory card. According to the documents, the device will support GSM/GPRS/EGPRS 850/1900, and feature 802.11 b/g WiFi and Bluetooth, but funny thing there’s no mention of 3G. We do have high hopes that there is 3G on the HTC Legend, but no support for WCDMA bands in the US. So what do you guys think about the US version of the Legend? Original Post Link: HTC Legend Gets FCC Aproval for US Debut, Might Be Renamed as Hero2 [HTC Legend Getting GSM Support, Rumored to Debut in a Few Weeks] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: HTC Legend Availability Confirmed With Dutch Carrier KPN [HTC Legend Release Date Set for March in the Netherlands] HTC Legend Caught on Camera Once Again [Legend to Pack Decent Specs, Particularly Good Display & Optical Mouse] HTC Legend Pictures Leaked [Images of HTC Legend Smartphone Leaked, Phone to Feature OLED Screen, 600MHz Processor] HTC Legend Detailed, More Pictures Shown [HTC's Upcoming Low-End Smartphone Revaled] HTC Legend Officially Unveiled at MWC 2010 [Aluminum HTC Legend is a Worthy Successor to the Hero] HTC Legend, Desire & HD Mini Available on Vodafone in Europe Soon [Newly Announced HTC Legend, Desire & HD Mini Slated for Release in April]

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T-Mobile Pulse Mini Brings Cheap, Prepaid Android To Europe [Pulse Mini Will Offer Android 2.1 For $155, Contract-Free]

While the Android OS is reserved for pricey smart phones with hefty data plans in the US, T-Mobile is now offering Android 2.1 in a prepaid mobile phone in Europe. The T-Mobile Pulse Mini will sell for £99.99 (about $155 USD after conversion) on a prepaid service plan without a contract. The T-Mobile Pulse Mini android phone is produced by Huawei, a Chinese telecom device producer, designed for European use including the Euro HSDPA 3G-style data network. It features a touch-enabled 2.8-inch QVGA display, a Qualcomm MSM 7225 processor and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with flash. It supports microSD memory cards, allowing up to 16GB of storage beyond the standard 300MB within the unit. To recap, that’s a contract-free Android 2.1 smartphone with bells and whistles that match many of the higher end smart phones in the US. Why can’t we get one of these stateside? You’d have to assume that such open access to the Android platform would increase the size of the app market and provide greater investment into the OS by Google. Android is growing fast as it is, but an offer like this could make the consumers and developers of Android technology better off. Original Post Link: T-Mobile Pulse Mini Brings Cheap, Prepaid Android To Europe [Pulse Mini Will Offer Android 2.1 For $155, Contract-Free] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: T-Mobile Pulse Mini Releasing in Europe [Pulse Mini Availability Confirmed in Germany & UK for April] T-Mobile Pulse Android Smartphone Now Available [T-Mobile’s First Android 'Pay As You Go' Phone Released] T-Mobile Pulse Smartphone [First Pay-As-You-Go Android 1.5, Qualcomm MSM7200A Chipset, 3.5-in HVGA Touchscreen] Best Buy Mobile to Offer “Great Deals” on Smartphones [Cheaper Android Handsets and Sprint MiFi Available for the Holidays] Verizon Wireless Announced Prepaid Mobile Data Plans [Verizon Wireless USB760 Modem to be Available from November 16] Dell’s Android-based Mini 3i Smartphone Gets Official [China Mobile Gets Their Hands on It]

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LG Has No Plans To Produce Its Own Mobile OS [Unlike Samsung, LG Would Rather Develop Hardware For WinMo 7, Android phones]

LG Electronics of South Korea has absolutely no intentions of releasing its own mobile OS. This is the polar opposite of its long-time rival, Samsung, who showed off their new Bada OS at MWC this past week. LG says it would rather develop hardware than spread their focus. Both Samsung and LG can agree on one thing – that they’ll both be shifting their focus from dumbphones featurephones to the hot smartphone market. Samsung showed off the Wave and Halo earlier this week at MWC, and the Wave will ship running Samsung’s own Bada OS. Skott Ahn, the head of LG’s mobile phone business, said a round-table meeting at MWC this past week, “ Our strategy is not to make an independent mobile platform of our own at least for the next two to three years, ” which, keen-readers will note, doesn’t rule out an LG mobile OS in the future. Ahn says that LG will produce phones that will ship with Windows Phone 7 or Android. Ahn says that the heavy competition in the smartphone mobile OS market will drive many operating systems out of the market, and in just one or two years, there will be less mobile OSes than there are today. At MWC this past week, LG showed off the LG Arena , a smartphone which is running a nondescript operating system. Original Post Link: LG Has No Plans To Produce Its Own Mobile OS [Unlike Samsung, LG Would Rather Develop Hardware For WinMo 7, Android phones] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities Related posts on TFTS: Samsung Wave bada Phone Unveiled Ahead of MWC? [First bada Phone from Samsung to be the Samsung Wave?] Samsung i8520 Revealed [New Smartphone Dubbed "Halo" brings Super OLED Screen, 8-megapixel camera, pico-projector, Android 2.1] HTC Not to Make Android Version of HD2? [HTC to Focus on Windows Mobile Phones Instead] T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Release Date & Price Confirmed [T-Mobile Adds to Its Android Lineup With Samsung Behold II] Samsung S8500 Wave Pictures, Specs & Features Get Leaked [Samsung Wave bada Phone Unveiled Ahead of MWC 2010] T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Availability Now Official [T-Mobile Behold II Android Smartphone To Release Next Week]

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Gowalla Gets An Early Native Android App. Prettier, More Social Than iPhone Version.

In November of last year, Gowalla finally extended its reach beyond its iPhone app with a version of its app that worked on the mobile web for Android (and the iPhone’s Safari browser). It was a pretty good web app but had some limitations, which founder Josh Williams accepted because his team was at work on a native app for Android as well. That wait is over. While it’s not yet in the Android Market, Gowalla has released a very early beta version of the native Android app to its most dedicated users that patrol the company’s Get Satisfaction page. Williams posted about the new app a few days ago, and noted that “ Technically, we are calling this beta release 0.1. We will release a more fully featured beta to the Marketplace before the end of the month .” Since it’s not in the Market yet, you can only get the app by visiting this static link — or by using your Android camera to scan one of the bar codes you can find in that Get Satisfaction thread. Note : To install the app, you have to have your device set up for the installation of “non-Market applications”. This site runs through how to do that , but basically you go to Menu -> Settings -> Applications, then check the “Unknown sources” checkbox. So how is the app compared to its iPhone brother? Well, surprisingly, in some ways I think it might already be better. While, as Williams, notes, it is currently missing the Trips feature , and it’s not doing any image caching, the 0.1 build of Gowalla for Android is slick and lightweight. As you’ll notice right away, the app has a distinctly different look because it has ditched the iPhone’s green hues for a cleaner, white look. I can’t tell you how many Gowalla users I’ve talked to that hate the green look of the iPhone app and would like a way to change it (I’m included in that list). More importantly, the Android version of Gowalla flips the features of the service so that your friend check-in stream is now the first tab. This makes the Android version more social right off the bat than the iPhone version, which buries that information in the last tab. Gowalla’s Android launch is timely as the SXSW conference is less than a month away. Last year, both Gowalla and rival Foursquare launched their iPhone apps at the conference, with Foursquare able to take an early lead over the past year. Foursquare now has apps for all the major mobile OSes except for Symbiam. Meanwhile, Gowalla is also close to launching a BlackBerry app . Game on. Check out some early screenshots below. [thanks Wes ]

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