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Android (17 unread)

March 08, 2010
13:22
G1 Powered “TruckBot”
Wired recently published a post on two techie guys who decided to create a robot integrated with Android. Dubbed 'TruckBot' the robot could prove to be more than just gimmick. While we've seen a handful of robots that were controlled using Android phones as remotes, this is the first we've encountered with a phone (G1) that acts as the brains.

Built with roughly $30 in parts, the team put assembled their creation in a local tech workshop in Menlo Park, California. Rather than purchasing a pre-packaged Oomlout kit for $175, the duo opted to use a collection of pieces and parts that included cardboard, wires, and strap ties in addition to breadboards and breakbout boards.

Currently, TruckBot can only roll around on tabletops and use the internal compass to head in a specified direction. However, with a little bit of time and tweaking, a robot like this could be more practical than most think. If they were to use all of the hardware and software of an Android handset, they could program future TruckBots to avoid obstacles, pinpoint its location, and recognize faces and voices!

To read the full profile on TruckBot, head to [www.wired.com]
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23:23
Our secret SXSW party! And new tees! Oh my!
Update: Ok so we totally need more space than what we reserved. We are going to talk with our host to see if we can get more room. Update coming when we have one.

Update 2: We talked with our host Opal Devine’s and it looks like we can accommodate up to 100 people, but you must RSVP so we can give them a headcount by Friday.

Psssst! Taking place this Saturday in Austin, TX is a party so fresh we just found out about it ourselves. And that’s saying something, because it’s our party. Android and Me will be in Austin, TX (as always) for SXSW 2010 and to get things started we are having a secret party this Saturday night.

Space is extremely limited but if you’d like to attend please email [RSVP@androidandme.com] to be added to the list. There’s a very good chance it will fill up immediately but send a message anyway if you’d like to be added to a waiting list (we are working on getting more space). Upon confirmation you’ll receive an email with the exact time, location, etc. We wish we could party with all you guys, but for now, strict RSVPs are a must.

It looks like we’ll be in good company. The entire Android and Me core team will be on hand, as well and a bunch of members of the Austin Android User Group (our most awesome co-host). Also already on the list is @bendroidLLC and @cookingcapsules, two awesome Android developers responsible for some cool stuff in the Android market.
New Shirts
the winner, coming to a midsection near you

To commemorate the event we’re having some special tees made just for SXSW 2010. Anyone coming to the party gets one for free. We’ll also have extra shirts to hand out throughout the week so be on the lookout for some goofy looking guys handing out shirts.

We’ll also try to give away a couple here on the site too for those would couldn’t attend. The tees go to production tomorrow morning and we just nailed down the final design, which you can see to the right.
Come find us
We’ll be at random events all week (hopefully) so keep an eye on our Twitter account for updates. We’ve got a few other surprises up our sleeves that should be rolling out over the next few days and are really just looking forward to meeting all you guys.

One event we are definitely attending is Android: What We’ve Learned About Mobile in the Last Two Months presented by Google’s Erick Tseng. We’ll also be hitting up gdgt live in Austin, quite the gathering of awesome tech companies.

We’ll also be trying to shoot plenty of photos and video during the week so if you’ve got anything to show off, please find us. Hit us up on Twitter or use our contact form here on the site and let us know if you’ve got something you need to show the world.

Excited? I know I am.
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March 09, 2010
12:03
Ikan Wireless Kitchen Appliance Revolutionizes In-Home Grocery Shopping.
The Jetsons kitchen of the future is upon us with SnS Design's Ikan kitchen appliance. Either that, or we're looking at quite possibly the most expensive and glorified grocery app yet. With its 7-inch touch screen, WiFi integration, and voice input capability, the device builds a shopping list from items you scan or input before disposing of them. Oh, and it runs Android. Simply place this on the counter or mount it near the trash can and add +50 productivity point to your life!

Once recorded, the items are sent to your mobile phone or directly to an online grocery retailer's shopping cart, providing they support Ikan. Schedule your list to be sent to you on preset days so you can be ready to knock out your shopping on the way home from work! With the kitchen appliance, users can include their own branded retailer apps and view specials, recipes, promotions, and more from etc. right from their kitchen or Android phone.

The biggest obstacle I see with a device like this is price. At $400 a pop, I can imagine a bunch of people turned away simply because of the sticker. Even at half that cost, I have a hard time imagining myself "getting my money's worth" out of it. However, if SnS Design were to send me one to change my mind, I'd love the opportunity.

So what's your take on the Ikan? Glorified shopping app? Does it scratch a real itch for you? Leave a comment below.

We have a few pictures of the Android version below, thanks to Bill over at Ikan!

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12:42
Unleash Your Inner Stalker with Mobistealth
Mobistealth doesn't play coy when describing their services. Right out of the gate, they bill their software as "Spy Software for Android". For as low as $49.99 (3 mo subscription), users can catch a cheating spouse with real-time updates of phone calls, pictures, location and more. In fact, as I read through the bullet point list of features, Mobistealth seems as if it could provide darn near everything there is to know about your suspected mate.
- Record all calls made from/to specific numbers
- Find out when and who is being called.
- Exact call duration of each call.
- Remotely record all conversations in the surrounding of the phone.
- Monitor movement and location history.
- View all photos and videos from handset
- Web history, bookmarks, text messages, emails, and more
All kidding aside, there are some very practical features to be found with Mobistealth. As a parent, the subscription costs are a small price to pay for peace of mind in knowing where their children are or where they've been. Employers can keep an eye on their staff and wherebouts in addition to what they're doing with the phone in downtime.

To read more about Mobistealth, or to make a purchase, head to [https:]
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17:31
Rumor: Sony Ericsson Xperia Series to See Android 2.2 in 2010
One phone we've been hearing about for what seems like an eternity is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. After getting announced back in 2009, we've been patiently awaiting its arrival here in the US. The biggest problem we've seen facing the X10 is that it's slated to arrive with Android 1.6 under the hood. According to CNET Asia, the Xperia line of handsets could get an update to Android 2.2/Froyo later this year. We'd previously heard that the phones will ultimately get an update to a newer version of Android, but which exact iteration wasn't clear.

We assumed this would be version 2.1 but were informed today that it "will be an Eclair variant, so it could be 2.1 or even 2.2", according to the spokesperson.

To dampen your enthusiasm just bit, we should point out that "later this year" has a 9-month window. This could be pushed out near the end of the year and possibly later than other handset makers. For all we know, Android could be at 2.5 or 3.0 by then.
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19:24
Samsung Galaxy Spica out on Rogers for $80 on contract
Rogers users have a new option in the stable in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Spica. Unfortunately those that do hop on board will be commiserating with the Motorola Backflip crowd running Android 1.5 in an Android 2.1 world.

As we reported last month, there is a leaked Android 2.1 ROM for this device floating around out there already, so you can probably anticipate being brought up-to-date real soon. However, I will caution you that “real soon” doesn’t always mean what you think it means.

OS version concerns aside this device is a bit of a study in contrasts as it has some nice features while definitely falling short in other areas, but at only $80 it is hard to complain too much. It also benefits from its close proximity to the Backflip release as this thing shines by comparison (This one comes with Google Apps!).

The processor weighs in at 800 Mhz, making it one of the faster (on paper anyway) Android devices on the market. The capacitive 3.2 inch screen at 320×480 is fine, but an AMOLED or preferably Samsung’s new “Super AMOLED” would have been particularly nice to see. Internal memory is pegged at only 150 MB which is definitely going to fill up really quick on you. DivX support is still fairly unique and welcome, although HTC will be bringing it soon as well.

According to Rogers it does not support their 7.2 Mbps 3.5G so you will be capped at 3.6 Mbps download which during the latter period of your 3 year contract is going to feel pretty pokey. Returning to the positive at 12.9mm it is the thinnest Android device presently available on Rogers, so if you typically find yourself in some slim fit jeans this is probably the way to go for you.

Looking through Rogers available Android handsets they have built a portfolio of very similar devices and could really use a higher end device to stand apart from the rest; this is definitely not that device.

Any Rogers owners out there taking the plunge with this one or are waiting on the Acer Liquid E or holding out hope for one of HTC or Motorola’s latest and greatest to find their way to Rogers?

On another note, let us know if there are any commercials running for the new Samsung. After their Behold II campaign sprung up months after the release of the device it would be interesting to know if they are taking a different approach with this one.
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19:27
Polarbilt has raced their way to over a million downloads
Polarbit announced earlier today that their applications in the Android Market have been downloaded over a million times. Congratulations to them on such a successful few months and as we are already seeing a second round of 3D games from them I’m sure two million won’t be far off.

I freely concede I suck at math, but as they first debuted on the market on December 18th of last year that means they are averaging 12,346 (I rounded up) downloads a day. Granted a huge percentage of those are likely the free “lite” versions of their games, but just for funsies let’s imagine that 8% of the downloads were paid versions, that would come out to about $360,000 in 81 days. (Please note this is total supposition and I have no idea how many were paid downloads.)

This coupled with the recent news that the maker of “Car Locator” is taking in approximately $13,000 a month could help to finally turn developer opinion regarding the potential profitability of the Android Market.

The Game Developer’s Conference is going on today and tomorrow and as we reported in January every early registrant is receiving a Nexus One or Droid. All developer’s meeting a minimum threshold of 5,000 downloads while maintaining a 3.5 star rating were also recently gifted with one of these two devices.

The Android NDK Revision 3.0 that just landed yesterday has Open GL ES 2.0 support providing developer’s with the t0ols to create better looking and functioning games.

Google appears to be doing what they can to get the necessary hardware and tools in place for developer’s to create a new wave of high quality apps and games for the Android Market.

To borrow from Steve Job’s lexicon for a moment, do you think that the Android Market “gold rush” is finally upon us?
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March 10, 2010
8:41
Beta Test This! Tether for Android
Tether, the company who originally produced a Blackberry app allowing users to tether their smart phone data to their computer is now officially in beta! Tether has sent out emails to those previously signed up for their beta this evening. My own notification arrived just a little while ago. If you are not signed up for this beta but would like to particpate, you can find it here. Fill out the information and you're good to go. Happy tethering!

Source: Tether Website and Android Central
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9:08
Evernote to be Pre-Installed on Samsung Android Phones
Evernote, the popular, cross-platform app service that lets users create notes, snap photos, and record audio, will now be pre-installed on selected Android-based Samsung handsets. The first smartphone to see Evernote loaded is the T-mobile's Behold II, which recently saw a software update.

"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," said Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote.

With Evernote, individuals can create and find notes on their Android handset, PC, or web. Everything that is captured by the service is synchronized and instantly accessible so users can stay connected and organized in ways not possible just a few years ago.

Source: Press release
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9:41
Skype Works On All Verizon’s Android Phones
Last month we learned that Verizon Wireless was officially partnering with Skype to bring an unprecedented feature set to mobile phone users in America. Exactly what that would entail? We weren’t told – we were just told some sort of integration would make it all worthwhile and it wasn’t hard to guess the options. Now Skype and Verizon have published an animated infomercial that, while it doesn’t provide full details, gives us a better idea:

Verizon now lists which phones are compatible with their Skype mobile service – I’ve put three Android units all on top and all which work with Skype Mobile:
- Motorola Droid
- Motorola Devour
- HTC Droid Eris
- BlackBerry Curve 8530
- BlackBerry Storm 9530
- BlackBerry Storm 2 9550
- BlackBerry Tour 9630
It looks like instead of trying to get a per/application fee from customers, Skype may have gone the exclusivity route as they’ve pulled their app from several mobile OS app stores. Verizon may have pinned them down for an exclusive deal with a substantial contract – something of which I’m not sure we’ll ever know the details. But most importantly – does that woman’s voice in the above video make anyone else want to poke their eyes out?

[Via VZW]
9:52
Droid Eris Reaching End Of Life? Incredible Rumor.

Let’s just say I would be incredibly surprised if this actually happened and the fact that the source of this rumor is BerryScoop – a non-Android site with little proven history – I can’t say I’m very confident in their potential for nailing rumors. They claim that when the HTC Incredible lands on Verizon before the end of March, they’ll be viewing it as their version of the Nexus One, and the HTC Droid Eris will be replaced and unavailable by April 1st.

Here is a supposed screenshot of the HTC Incredible in their inventory system:

This doesn’t make sense to me. The Incredible and Droid Eris are two very different phones with different form factors for different people. I criticized the release of the Devour because it didn’t differentiate itself from the Droid enough and offer customers something different. Removing the Droid Eris from Verizon’s Android lineup would even further homogenize their offering with large touchscreen devices – that isn’t something everyone wants.

10:03
Rentals.com App Arrives on Android
Those of you looking to fly the coop this summer once school gets out might want to consider the new Rentals.com app for Android. Designed to help consumers find single-family houses, apartments and condos for rent, the free app uses GPS to search for nearby availabilities. Other features include searching by zip, state and city as well as filtering results by property type, price, amenities, and more. Where available, the application gives users full-color photos, maps, and other property information.

“We provide consumers with immediate access to relevant, localized information as they search for a place to live, and utilizing mobile technology makes the renting process that much easier. Our mobile apps not only give users another medium for gathering information on single-family houses, apartments and condos for rent, but also provide them with the ability to search for listings and contact property owners or managers while on-the-go.”- Jamie Clymer, president of Rentals.com

Download Rentals.com for Android

If you are interested in checking out Rentals.com for Android, you can grab it for free out of the Android Market. If you have Barcode Scanner on your handset, you can simply scan the code to the right!
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10:03
Xperia X10 To Get Android 2.1, Then 2.2

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and likely the X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro will launch with Android 1.6 but we’ve already confirmed it will soon be upgradeable to Android 2.1. Good to know. But between now and the end of the year, they’ll also be offering an upgrade to Android 2.2. What exactly is included in Android 2.2? We’re not sure – it isn’t yet available.

Here is exactly what the spokesperson said when discussing the “upgrade” the Xperia line will get:

“it will be an Eclair variant, so it could be 2.1 or even 2.2″

We know it will get at LEAST Android 2.1 and seeing that they are thinking even further ahead is a great sign, especially considering the number of handsets stuck a little in the past. I think since the Xperia is POWERFUL enough to handle 2.x they assume it will be upgradeable. But wait – did they account for tweaking their custom UI (UXP) to work with 2.2? How about taking into consideration carrier approval/testing?

The world of upgrading Android to the latest version is always a guessing game and if you’re THAT worried/intent on it… maybe you should be exploring the options of rooting your phone.

[Via Crave Asia]
10:24
Android Pillows Get Worldwide Love
There have been some REALLY cool homemade Android products out there – many of which I’ve considered buying myself. My favorites thus far are the Android Robot Figurines/Actio-Figures, Android Plush Bag, and knitted Android Doll. But today’s story goes to show that even the simplest of robot related goods can cause a geeky stirrup so widespread you wonder what the heck is going on.

Introducing the Android pillow:

I don’t mean to diss the creator of the Android pillow – Etsy member Craftsquatch – but its just a white pillow with a Green Droid sewed on. Sure… kind of cool… but not sure how it got such ridiculous fanfare from around the interwebz:
- MobileCrunch
- Recombu
- FoneHome
- Androinica
- GeekyGadgets
- Nexus404
- Android Guys
- Technabob
- Engadget
- And many, many more…
The pillows are 12″ by 12″ and sells for $20.If you’ve got a computer geek you’re trying to find a gift for and they happen to be a social media addict, designer, or have some other online/software obsession you may want to check out Sasquatch’s other listings as well:

Moral of the story? Plaster an Android Robot onto some unrelated home decor object or craft it into something unique in a DIY manner, post it online and become loved by the universe. Or send one to us and we’ll post it for you!
10:54
LG Andro-1 Becomes Company’s First Korean Android, Anticipating 20 Androids This Year

LG has announced their first Android Phone for South Korea, dubbed the LG Andro-1 or KH5200. It has a 3-inch touchscreen, slideout QWERTY keyboard, GPS, HSDPA, EDGE, GRPS, Social Networking, 2MP Camera, Radio Tuner and MicroSD input. Unfortunately it is only running Android 1.5:

The phone will be available on carrier KT ’s services and cost $530 outright or free on a contract paying $40/month or more.

The deeper story here is the LG vs. Samsung battle for manufacturing power and revenue. Samsung is set to release a phone on SK Telecom in Korea in the next couple weeks and it will have a larger screen, Android 2.1 and just better specs overall. Industry insiders are claiming this is LG’s test phone for the market. If you ask me, they need to start going full speed ahead.

Keep in mind that Motorola launched the MOTOROI in Korea last week and in November Apple launched the iPhone. This is in a country with a population of 48 million and 45 million mobile users.

LG has made their goal of reaching double digit market share by 2012 very well known, but at this pace they’re not gaining much ground. Industry sources said they actually dropped in December as they spent advertising money to promote their simpler models. The company is looking to fix this in 2010:

LG, which wants to secure a double-digit share in the global smartphone market by 2012, hopes to defend falling phone margins with some 20 premium smartphone offerings based on the Android operating system this year.

LG making 20 Android Phones in 2010? I’m down with that… especially if they come out with an Android-based version of the enV/Voyager series. That would be a runaway success. Do you hear me LG? I’m telling you – runaway success!

[Via Akihabaranews, KoreaTimes]
11:44
Colorful Dell Streak Earns Flyer, Lands Amazon Partnership

The Dell Mini 5 looked pretty sweet ever since we saw the CEO showing it off. It got all officialized and the specs are set but since then we’ve been playing the waiting game. Introducing some new info: a flyer was just published on Engadget that shows the Dell Mini 5 WILL likely be called the Dell Streak, will come in a multitude of colors, and will rock an Amazon partnership that’ll boost it to new heights.

What a pleasant surprise! All this on top of a 5-inch screen (800×480 pixels), 5MP camera with autofocus/flash, front-facing camera for video chat, capacitative front buttons, and of course Android. I’m not hot. I’m not bothered. But I’m a little bit hot and bothered by the Dell Streak looking mmmm mmmm good.

11:50
Tether beta now available for Android
As a reformed BlackBerry user I have fond memories of TetherBerry. Their software offers free tethering without any special add on plans through your carrier and without hacking your phone. TetherBerry has since evolved into simply Tether and they have just released a beta version of their software for Android.

Their lead engineer is reporting speeds up to 6.8 Mbps using the Android beta which is far faster than anything they achieved on BlackBerry. As with most beta software I’m sure it has some kinks to work out, but they are a fan favorite on the BlackBerry sites for both their solid software and customer service so I would assume that will carry over to their Android offering.

The instructions I received for installing and using the beta are copied at the bottom of this post, you can sign up for the beta by going to www.tether.com/android-beta. The folks at Tether indicate that you might have to wait a bit after signing up as they are rolling out the beta to users “based on the various timelines.” I’m not entirely sure what kind of lag time we are talking about there, but probably it is best to just head on over and sign up if you are interested.

At the moment this is PC only so apologies to Linux and Mac users (I am among you so I feel your pain), but they are also beta testing Mac at present so some of you may not be left out for long.

One thing of note is that they normally charge $49.95 for their software which is obviously quite a bit more than Android users are accustomed to paying for anything so it will be interesting to see if they stick to that price point. Considering pdanet is a similar and well accepted tethering option for stock Android phones and it currently goes for just $23.95 it seems as though Tether is going to have to knock $20-25 off if they want to be relevant in the Android market.

Here are the instructions:

1. On phone go to Settings->Applications->Development and check USB debugging.
2. Connect phone to PC with USB cable.
3. If you have a Samsung Android you need to download and install Samsung USB drivers from:[www.tether.com] (You may need to reboot)
4. If you already have Tether/TetherBerry installed on your machine uninstall it.
5. Download and install Tether from: [www.tether.com]
(If asked to reboot, wait until the installer is fully finished)
6. Disable your wireless adapter through the control panel network connections panel (ncpa.cpl in Windows Vista or Windows 7)
7. Start Tether on the PC and select Android USB for the connection method.
8. Start Tether on the Android.*

*Quick heads up on that last step, as I said I don’t have a PC right now so I can’t test this but I was reading through their support forums and a few users were reporting confusion regarding how to get the piece of Tether that needs to be on your phone up and running and user “ptfd13″ came up with this solution which appears to be working.

On your computer go to the program files section under C drive and find the Tether folder. Get the .apk file and copy it to your microSD card and use Astro to install.
Once connected your PC should be able to browse the internet.
If you’re having any troubles the support forums specific to the Android beta are here www.tether.com/forums/tether-android/support.
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Android (17 unread)