android


I can only hope that Google will in fact take a more hands-on approach to Motorola… 8

I can only hope that Google will in fact take a more hands-on approach to Motorola than they have indicated so far. If not my current Droid 3 may well be my last Moto phone.

One thing is certain though. As soon as there is an ICS rom for the D3 that has a working camera, I'll be flashing because this is just ridiculous.

#android #motorola

Embedded Link

Motorola Android 4.0 upgrade schedule released, many have a long wait ahead
Motorola has just updated its large chart with its Android 4.0 upgrade plans, including specifics on what part of the upgrade process each phone is at and rough availability dates by region….

Google+: Reshared 1 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.


If the US Patent and Trademark Office grants this patent to Apple (and based on past… 1

If the US Patent and Trademark Office grants this patent to Apple (and based on past experience, they almost certainly will) then we know the system is irretrievably broken and all software related patents should be utterly disregarded and related court cases should be dismissed.

#apple #patent #uspto #android #faceunlock

Embedded Link

Apple Applies For “Face Unlock” Patent – Sounds Awfully Familiar
I don’t want to anyone to dismiss this post as simple Apple bashing troll post but this is getting a bit ridiculous. Apple has recently applied to the USPTO for yet another patent on a technology not only currently in use today — but a main feature in Android 4.0; Face Unlock. Apple’s application describes the patent as a brand new technology that allows a user to unlock a device by using the features of their face. It’s not so much that I hate Apple and there’s no question Android is their s…

Google+: Reshared 1 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.


Samsung just doesn't seem to get it do they? Just provide a vanilla build of… 5

Samsung just doesn't seem to get it do they? Just provide a vanilla build of Ice Cream Sandwich for all Galaxy S phones that is available as an optional upgrade for anyone that wants it. Don't waste time and resources trying to fit in pieces of Touchwiz or adapting parts of ICS to Gingerbread. Keep it simple and let the Touchwiz fans stick with GB.

#android #samsung

Embedded Link

Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab now said to possibly get 'Value Pack' instead of Ice Cream Sandwich
In the continuing story of "Nobody knows what the hell's going on with the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab," (see Part 1 and Part 2) a new report out of Korea suggests that the manufacturer's 2010 flagship devices may receive a "Value Pack" update instead of a full-fledged refresh to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The "Value Pack" — we'd expect a better name once all the translation and marketing is done — would bring some of the sex of ICS without the hastle of an actual OS update. That's probabl…

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.


In this column from April 2009, PC Mag's Sacha Sagan clearly demonstrates why…

In this column from April 2009, PC Mag's Sacha Sagan clearly demonstrates why you should be careful what you ask for. At the time a grand total of two Android phones had hit the market, the original G1 and the Magic, both manufactured by HTC.

At the time Sagan ruminated on the slow roll out of phones from all the manufacturers that had committed to supporting Google's new OS.

Fast forward to today when Android is the most popular phone OS and every tech pundit on the planet seems to pleading with manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and Motorola to slow the launch of only mildly differentiated devices so that they can provide better support for existing devices. Hopefully the pendulum will soon settle down somewhere in between the two extremes with a reasonable but not ridiculous selection of devices and faster OS updates from the builders.

#android

Embedded Link

Has Android Already Failed?
Plans for the open-source OS are looking increasingly vague and desperate.

Google+: Reshared 4 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.


Even though I've been using a Droid 3 since July, I still use OG Droid that I… 10

Even though I've been using a Droid 3 since July, I still use OG Droid that I ordered on day one more than two years ago as a streaming media player. Since early this year, the old Droid has been running on various Gingerbread builds from either +Peter Alfonso or Cyanogenmod. After the success I had loading an early Ice Cream Sandwich ROM onto my son's Samsung Fascinate last week, I decided to try it on the OG Droid.

I found an early build based on Android 4.0.3 on the XDA-Developers forum and installed it last night. It's far from complete but it is remarkably functional for what I currently use the device for. The phone apparently works although I wouldn't know for sure since the OG isn't activated at the moment. The WiFi works and apps like stitcher, pandora, google music and reader are all functional. GPS doesn't work right now so no maps. Skype does work for voice calls so the phone could be used over WiFi.

I'll keep playing with it and flashing updated builds, but so far I really like what I see of ICS. Unlike crazed Apple design nerds like John Gruber, I actually really like the way the new Roboto screen font looks on the phone. I also like the new browser, the GMail app and the new UI as a whole. I can't wait until an ICS ROM is available for the Droid 3.

For now though a vanilla ICS build works remarkably smoothly even on this old phone with just 256 MB of ram and rom proving again that Samsung's excuses for not updating the Galaxy S phones is cop out.

Update: You can find the rom files in this forum, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1393632 Go through the thread for updated versions.

#ogdroid #ics #android

In album OG Droid Ice Cream Sandwich (4 photos)

Google+: Reshared 1 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.


As much as I love Android, this sort of bullshit from manufacturers is just so aggravating…. 4

As much as I love Android, this sort of bullshit from manufacturers is just so aggravating.

If Touchwiz (or Sense or Blur) is so wonderful, don't bake it into the OS, build it as an app that can be installed just like other launchers such as Launcher Pro and ADW. If users actually like it, they can install and use it. This way, base OS can be upgraded almost as soon as Google posts it.

For Samsung to claim that the original Galaxy S can't have Android 4 because it doesn't have enough memory to support their proprietary Touchwiz interface is totally disingenuous.

My 16 year old son has a Samsung Fascinate (the Verizon branded version of the Galaxy S) and wanted Android 4. I did a bit of searching on the forums and found a fresh build of Ice Cream Sandwich that is pretty much fully functional and built from the open source code. I backed up the original firmware and flashed ICS and it works great. Battery life is better than before and the new ICS user interface runs smooth as silk.

Please Samsung, just offer a vanilla version of ICS for Fascinate owners as an option. Since this phone has already been superceded, it won't lose any sales and loyal customers will be rewarded. Those that prefer Touchwiz, don't have to upgrade or they can buy a Galaxy S2 when it gets an ICS build with touchwiz.

#android #icecreamsandwich #ics #samsung

Embedded Link

Samsung: no ICS upgrade for Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab because of TouchWiz
Samsung has just distributed the worst news of this Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade cycle: the popular Galaxy S smartphone that sold 10 million units last year and the 7-inch Galaxy Tab tablet won't be upgraded to Android 4.0. The company's argument is that they lack sufficient RAM and ROM to run the new OS alongside TouchWiz and other "experience-enhancing" software. This will come as a massive blow to the great many users of the Galaxy S, who would have rightly expected the 1GHz Hummingbird proc…

Google+: Reshared 3 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.