Originally posted by jester
At least Google Talk on BB and I think iPhones so its all good
Yup, an app you can download.
I got more than a few of my north carolinian friends using Google Talk to communicate while I was down there. These individuals all had iPhones.
Jem_hadar
Verizon DROID R2-D2 available starting September 30th for $249
Verizon confirmed the launch details for the R2-D2 edition of the Motorola DROID 2. The Star Wars branded handset will be available starting September 30th for $249 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year customer agreement. The Star Wars branding, though irresistibly geeky, will cost you an extra $50 over the $199 price tag of the DROID 2.
While the paint job and custom Star Wars content set this handset apart from its Android brethren, the R2-D2 version is identical to the DROID 2 under the hood and does not rock a 1.2GHz processor as rumored. The specs for this handset include:
1GHz OMAP 3600 Series processor
3.7-inch touchscreen display with 854×480 resolution
Side-sliding QWERTY keyboard
512MB RAM
8GB Flash storage
8GB microSD
Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
5 megapixel camera with video capture
Star Wars media dock
Exclusive Star Wars content including ringtones, live wallpapers, R2-D2 widget, binoculars app and more
1400 mAh battery
Android 2.2
Verizon is also launching an Empire Strikes Back application for Android 2.1 devices which includes widgets, sound clips, a photo gallery, and live wallpapers from the Star Wars movie. If that is not enough for you, additional exclusive Star Wars content will be available for Verizon Wireless customers who pony up $2.99 for the privilege of downloading these multimedia extras.
The DROID R2-D2 will be available online and in select Verizon Wireless stores this Thursday. If you are a potential buyer, you should call your local store to confirm that it will be carrying this Star Wars handset. Several stores are also throwing launch parties with Star Wars characters and free giveaways to celebrate this the arrival of this ultra-geeky handset.
When making your purchasing plans, remember that the handset is reportedly a limited edition model and Verizon supposedly has a discrete number that they are selling. Though not confirmed, it is thought that the stock of R2-D2 handset will not be replenished once it is sold out.
Does anyone have plans to snag this Motorola handset when it debuts later this week?
Jem_hadar
Sony Ericsson LiveView: 1.3 inch OLED screen that connects to any Android device
Sony Ericsson has just announced LiveView, a 1.3 inch OLED screen that uses Bluetooth technology to pair with Android devices and gives users the ability to do things such as view missed calls, text messages, Facebook and Twitter updates, even RSS. It’s coming out in Q4 of this year, and no price point has been announced yet, but I’ve got to ask … why? Bluetooth displays are awesome, there’s no doubt about that, but instead of releasing it as a dedicated watch it’s nothing more than an iPod Nano that can talk to the device that’s already in your pocket. Applications will have to be rewritten to support LiveView and Sony Ericsson plans on releasing an application that will scan the Android Market and show users which apps are compatible with their new toy. Kind of like a LiveView Store within the App Store.
Jem_hadar
Telus Discontinues The HTC Hero
September 27th, 2010
Wow. So that’s it huh? Not even a year into it’s life and gone already. That’s the pace of technology we live in though. I’ve got to a point where I switch my phone about every 6 months to stay ahead of the curve. Even though the previous phone is still perfectly capable and I’m far from falling out of love with it.
Well for whatever reason, Telus has decided to drop the HTC Hero. Nowhere to be found for online ordering but it might still be kicking around somewhere at your local retailer if you’re keen enough. Their Android line-up still remains fairly solid but the Hero will surely be missed.
Now you can probably bet that the 2.1 update that you’ve been desperately waiting for all this time is gonna be the last your phone ever sees. Unless, you take matters into your own hands that is. Feel free to share your condolences below and please, do be respectful.
Jem_hadar
Telus HTC Desire Getting Android 2.2 This October
September 25th, 2010
As far as official confirmations go, this is what we had before. We’d heard whispers about a mid-october software update and now we know for sure. Telus is saying their 2.2 update will be coming out in October.
There’s really not much past that though, maybe we should have a number count of Android handsets in Canada officially crossing the 2.2 mark before it gets out of hand. Other than the Nexus One, is anyone on 2.2 yet without taking the unofficial route? You should probably check out our poll if these numbers interest you.
Sushipunk
Nice. I wonder when I'll get the Froyo update for it in Australia?
jester
Got 2.2.1 update yesterday :)
Jem_hadar
quote:
Originally posted by jester
Got 2.2.1 update yesterday :)
Which phone??
(And: Bastard!)
jester
quote:
Originally posted by Jem_hadar
Which phone??
(And: Bastard!)
Nexus One ;)
booyah
So far with the update... my phone hasn't restarted itself :D
Jem_hadar
Droid Incredible fast boot is rather incredible – Only 2 seconds to boot!
So you thought that the Desire HD and Z booted up pretty fast, did you? Well, take a look at the video below to see the Droid Incredible boot just a little faster than the recently unveiled DHD and DZ.
The Desire HD ROM that’s been floating around and already ported to phones like the HD2, original Desire, and Droid Incredible allows the devices to take advantage of HTC’s super fast boot up time. Well, a XDA dev just didn’t think that HTC’s newest optimizations were fast enough, and crated a new ROM for his Incredible. The video below shows the HTC Droid Incredible booting up and ready for action within two seconds. The Vibrant I’m carrying out takes about 1 minutes and 30 seconds to boot, and that’s not waiting for all my widgets to load. Another test with a MyTouch Slide put it at 1 minute and 7 seconds, so there’s a lot to be said about a 2 second boot time.
What the ROM doesn’t have that many other devices do have is a secondary boot image for the carrier. With the Vibrant and Slide you have to get through the T-Mobile boot screen first, and then on the next (Samsung and HTC) boot screen. We’re wondering if carriers will still slap on their own boot screen, even if that means slowing down the fastest booting devices .
Check out the short video to see the Droid Incredible doing its thang.
^^ CRAZY!! :disbelief
Jem_hadar
NVIDIA: Motorola, Samsung will be big customers
NVIDIA is not messing around when it comes to mobile devices and the company is talking all types of trash about its competitors. The company also indicated that manufacturers like Motorola and Samsung will be key partners down the line, which could give us hints at future products.
“Motorola, Samsung and LG are very important to us and will represent long term some of our biggest customers if we are successful,” NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said.
The NVIDIA CEO also said that ARM chips are going to run roughshod over the X86 chips which make Intel so much money. Intel knows that its mobile strategy needs a boost and it will spend $1.4 billion to purchase Infineon.
The statement from NVIDIA about Motorola, Samsung and LG is interesting because it could indicate a shift for the companies. Samsung likes to use its own 1 GHz Hummingbird chip for many of its devices and Motorola has been using TI’s OMAP chips for its high-end smartphones like the Droid X.
Moving forward, this could mean that Motorola and Samsung are looking at the Tegra chipset for a variety of tablets. We know that Tegra 2 devices will soon hit the market and NVIDIA is already working on the next generation of its chips.
Motorola is particularly interesting because it is rumored to be building an Android tablet which is expected to be a major rival to the Apple iPad. We haven’t heard much about what will power this thing but it is possible that it will be a Tegra 2 chipset. We’ve seen some prototype tablets with Tegra 2 and these devices look pretty cool.
Don’t worry too much about TI though, as we recently sat down with the company and saw what it will be offering to tablet partners. I’m confident that TI’s chips will find its way to mass-market tablets and the performance we saw was pretty impressive.
Jem_hadar
Sony Ericsson: Adios Symbian, hello Android
It’s not really much of a surprise but Sony Ericsson said it is not working on any more Symbian devices in the near future. The handset maker will likely focus on Android to help it claw its way back into the top rungs of the market.
“We have no plans for the time being to develop any new products to the Symbian Foundation standard or operating system,” Aldo Liguori, a spokesman for Sony Ericsson, told Bloomberg.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz line is supposedly doing well but it’s clear that the Symbian OS doesn’t have a bright immedia future in the high-end smartphone space. Nokia appears to be the only major manufacturer to use it and even the world’s largest handset maker is positioning MeeGo as its top-shelf brand.
Sony Ericsson didn’t say it is ditching Symbian forever, as it will still remain a member of the Symbian Foundation. Who knows? If Symbian^7 winds up being the best thing since sliced bread, Sony Ericsson would be wise to keep that option around.
In the meanwhile, it appears like Sony Ericsson will be making a huge bet on Android. We’ve heard strong rumors that the company will finally be making the PlayStation Phone with Android 3.0.
The PlayStation Phone, or whatever it ends up being called, should have access to the nearly 100,000 apps in the Android Market but it will also be able to access a Sony-specific game network. The device is expected to have a slide-out gaming keyboard and sport a 3.7-inch screen with a 1 GHz processor.
Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg has promised a big surprise soon and a PlayStation Phone would fit the bill nicely. Is that going to be enough to help the company get back to the top of the smartphone game?
Motorola, Samsung and others are really bringing the heat when it comes to Android phones, so Nordberg’s company has to get on the ball.
