Thread: All Things Android

Originally Posted by Cruiser

ENUF...

for 7" you might look at the Huawei Ideos

the Dell Peju is reported to be released soonish - it will be a windows machine.

or maybe the still as yet unreleased Asus transformer might be what you want

Impress your friends with the Nasa App for Android.

If your smartphone has GPS, there's a feature in there that lets you spot both the ISS and the Shuttle. It will tell you the time, and the location in the sky.

You'd be surprised how visible the International Space Station is when you have a clear sky!

Look in the market for 'Nasa App' (although it doesn't seem to work on all devices).

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

You can pick up the Transformer right now, it's all over eBay.

sorry - i was thinking about the eeepad slider

Eeepadslider -- Engadget

Originally Posted by 9999

^ I've seen an Asus in the mall looks like that one with a detachable keyboard. If it has USB the keyboard is a bit redundant IMO. I like the look of the ones that will have 2 screens and you can make either one a keyboard display, though apparently this is proving a headache for Android coders and developers.

The keyboard/docking station has its own battery, which is what gives this the alleged 16 hour battery life.

^ Ok yeah, I could see how that is defo a bonus then that's some serious battery life.

I'm sure someone on here has a Transformer, perhaps if they read this they could give us their thoughts?

it's nice to see manufacturers working hard to beat Apple gadgets,

the sooner the better, even though I believe that without the glamour of apple marketing, it will just be another batch of stupid boring toys for boring and bored geeks

The Samsung Galaxy S II shits all over apple. What edge does the iPhone 4 have over this phone (besides sound)? I can think of plenty of advantages to SGS II even the original SGS was better.

I did play a bit with a Galaxy, I like the simple interface and easy navigation, Apple iOS is full of non-sense, typical Apple, or more precisely, typical logic ala Steve Jobs

the price is uncompetitive though, and since it's a fucking toy, I would rather buy Apple and have the full toy experience with them, at least it's their business

Originally Posted by Butterfly

I did play a bit with a Galaxy, I like the simple interface and easy navigation,

The stock firmware is shite I agree, you need to put a custom ROM on there. So even more play value in that. I don't see what the Apple offers in toy experience that the SGS doesn't, though I did think they were around the same price.

Hey techies,
So I have had my Asus Transformer for about a month now. I wanted a 7-8 inch tablet but just couldn't hold back when it became available on the Best Buy website. A 3.0 device, gorilla glass, 16GB (the 32GB wasn't out yet) and only $399 USD. GPS, wifi only, good sound and plays HD well. No usb but the keyboard dock has USB so I asked the wife to buy me the keyboard for Christmas. I'll remind her about November... I can use it to citrix into my company and do some work if I must... all round a nice toy with a good battery life. It claims 9 hours but I only got 6 hours with GPS off and wifi on. I guess it could do better with the wifi off.

While everyone is busy talking about the level of penetration that Android devices are making in the smartphone world (not so much in the tablet world, huh?) the 800 lb. gorilla in the room is where Android has fallen way short: the Android Market.
Well, if you are to believe the hype from the Google Mobile blog this will be a welcome change:
The Android Market has been a bit of a joke until now and Android users (like myself) have simply tolerated it. Some (myself included) have turned to the cleaner and supposedly safer Amazon Android AppStore (much to the chagrin of Apple but who cares really).
The blog continues to hype tell us:

You’ll be delighted to find we’ve overhauled Android Market to make it faster, easier, and more fun to discover great apps, movies, and books. We’ve created more space to feature some of the most interesting content of the week on the home page. We’ve added more top charts, with newer, more relevant items, and we’ve made it easy to swipe through these charts as you browse the store. We’ve also introduced new collections of great content, like staff picks and Editors’ Choice apps.

As with anything else, until you get to see the finished version this is all just nice talk. One thing that Google has going for it, though, is that it is a near impossibility to make the market worse than it is currently. When you’re in the “nowhere to go but up!” mode, your first attempt to get better could make you like a hero.
The update will be for Android users with version 2.2 or higher and should be showing up over the next few weeks.
Let us know if you see it and what you think!

I haven't had a single problem with the market. All the apps I downloaded and used worked okay for me. True that most apps are not optimized for tablets but they work fine. Android is a new OS that is still growing, I would expect a few bumps in the road along the way. You can't blame Android if a company sells a phone and doesn’t provide the upgrades for it. The OS needs some adjusting depending on the hardware you use and there are way too many different manufactures for Google to do it for them.

One thing that gets my goat, for example, is I am on Google Plus but I can't use the Android application because it isn't available in my region.

That's just fucking stupid.

July 20, 2011
Lenovo unveils three tablets, two running Android
The 16GB ThinkPad Tablet with Wi-Fi is aimed at business users and comes with 2GB of free cloud storage and an optional keyboard portfolio carrying case
By Matt Hamblen | Computerworld

Lenovo today announced a family of three 10.1-inch tablet computers, including two that run Android 3.1 and one that runs Windows 7.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 is expected to be available in the U.S. in August.

The two Android machines are dubbed the IdeaPad Tablet K1 for consumers and the ThinkPad Tablet for business users, Lenovo said.

The 32GB version of the K1 with Wi-Fi can be ordered starting today online and at some stores for $499, but won't be generally available in the U.S. until sometime in August. Availability will follow later for the rest of the world, Lenovo said.

The 16GB ThinkPad Tablet with Wi-Fi sells for $479 or for $509 with an optional digitizer touch pen. The ThinkPad will also be available for order today and generally available in the U.S. next month. A 3G wireless version will be available "at a later date," Lenovo said.

The Windows-based tablet, dubbed the IdeaPad Tablet P1, also uses Wi-Fi and will be available in the fourth quarter. Pricing has not been announced.

Lui Jun, a senior vice president of the Mobile Internet Digital Home business group at Lenovo, said the the family of tablets has "something for everyone."

The Android tablets are certified to play Netflix movies. All three tablets have 1,280-by-800-pixel resolution.

The K1 and ThinkPad tablets feature Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processors with built-in Flash, while the P1 will run an Intel 1.5GHz chip. That combo appears to continue the Windows-Intel alliance for desktops and laptops.

Both the K1 and ThinkPad will weigh about 1.65 pounds, with the P1 slightly heavier at 1.75 pounds. The P1 has the same screen size as the other two, but the device itself is slightly larger.

One of the biggest differences in the devices is battery life. The consumer-focused K1 will last up to 10 hours with a two-cell battery; the business-oriented ThinkPad gets up to 8 hours, according to a Lenovo spec sheet. The P1 has the shortest battery life, with up to six hours using two battery cells.

Lenovo executives said they talked to 100 business customers in designing the ThinkPad, which comes with an optional keyboard portfolio carrying case for $99 as well as the optional pressure-sensitive pen.

Included with the ThinkPad is 2GB of free cloud storage, a standard USB port and an SD card reader. Presentations can be viewed through an external monitor connected to the ThinkPad's mini-HDMI port. Dual HD cameras provide video conferencing over apps including ooVoo.

SD card encryption, anti-theft software and the ability to disable a lost device are provided as well. Lenovo also offers ThinkPlus Support for access to technicians with Android experience.

Android 3.2 - Official

Google’s latest update to its Android Platform is all set to come to a tablet near you. The new version is an incremental release which adds several new updates for developers as well as users. The new version includes many changes to the Android API.
A few highlights for the new version:

• Support for multiple screen sizes which allows developers to create apps for various screen sizes, not just 10.1 inch.
• A new compatibility mode which renders applications in a smaller screen area and then stretches the rendered image to fill the screen.
• Media files can be directly loaded from the SD Card in apps that use them and a new module that allows applications to use the system media library.
• An extended screen support API that allows developers to have precise control over the user interface across the range of Android powered devices. It also allows developers to target specific screens based on their dimensions.

Motorola has already begun to roll out the 3.2 update to its Xoom tablet. Other tablet candidates for the 3.2 update include Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1, Acer’s Iconia Tab 500 and Toshiba’s Thrive. Huawei made an announcement last month for what it claims to be the worlds first 7 inch Android 3.2 Honeycomb Tablet which has a dual-core processor.

Read more: Android 3.2 All Set For Release On A Tablet Near You | iGyaan.in Android 3.2 All Set For Release On A Tablet Near You | iGyaan.in

Microsoft has yet to launch its tablet-optimized operating system and yet slates running various versions of the Windows operating system still managed to outsell Research In Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook last quarter.

According to market research firm Strategy Analytics’ latest report, Windows-powered media tablets owned 4.6% of the global market in the second quarter of 2011. In the same period, RIM’s PlayBook made up just 3.3% of the market.

The firm also shows that competition may finally be heating up in the tablet space. Apple, which owned more than 94% of the market in the second quarter last year, saw the iPad’s share slide to 61.3% according to Strategy Analytics.

Over the same period of time, Android tablets jumped from a 2.9% share to a 30% share last quarter. Strategy Analytics’ report comes just one week after rumors surfaced that RIM may soon discontinue its current Wi-Fi tablet. RIM would later adamantly deny the rumors, saying it had “no plan to discontinue” production of its Wi-Fi PlayBook. RIM stated last month that it shipped 500,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in the fiscal first quarter following the tablet’s debut this past April.

Link

Most Android phones consume so much battery life. In case you are out, you need to charge is atleast after 6 hours, based on my experience. Though I don't use all the applications all at once, the battery life is so poor for my Samsung galaxy.

Originally Posted by johna may

Most Android phones consume so much battery life. In case you are out, you need to charge is atleast after 6 hours, based on my experience. Though I don't use all the applications all at once, the battery life is so poor for my Samsung galaxy.

Have you had a look at what is using your battery so quickly?

Originally Posted by johna may

Most Android phones consume so much battery life. In case you are out, you need to charge is atleast after 6 hours, based on my experience. Though I don't use all the applications all at once, the battery life is so poor for my Samsung galaxy.

Have a look through this thread and find my post on the 'juwe' ROM. With this custom firmware my SGS phone lasts about 2 days with normal usage. The stock firmware is like you say, but anyone using stock firmware is robbing themselves of the full potential of their phone. This is the beauty of open source OS. If you're not going to use a custom ROM you'd be better off with an Iphone.

There is a free trial and it reverts to the "lite" version if you don't want to buy it:

PowerMax is a mobile application that will help extend the battery life of your mobile device. When you’re on the go and notice that your mobile is about to die or when you know it’s going to be a while until your next charge – turn on PowerMax. PowerMax optimizes power management and conserves your battery.

PowerMax allows you to quickly switch your mobile between normal usage and Power Saver Mode – no hassle or multiple settings to change.

PowerMax QR-Code

Simply download PowerMax to your Android phone from the Android Market, from our website or by using this QR-code:

Also, check out the PowerMax introduction on YouTube!

PowerMax is free to try for 10 uses or three days. Then you can either keep the lite ad-supported application or upgrade to the full version for $1.99 (other prices internationally).

PowerMax is listed on Appbrain and in other fine App directories.

How does PowerMax work?

When you install PowerMax, the free trial starts. Credit card information is not necessary in order to use the free trial. Once your free trial expires, you will be asked if you would like to purchase PowerMax through Android Market.
If you do not wish to purchase PowerMax, then your mobile device will revert to PowerMax Lite. You will never be charged unless you actively purchase a key license. PowerMax Lite is 100% free to use and will not expire.

Separate article:

A simple mobile phone (tongue in cheek “dumb” phone) can last two weeks on a single battery charge. But most smartphones are stacked with power-hungry applications that typically drain batteries in less than eight hours.
Volt-Up’s patent-pending technology controls how a device’s many radios – 2G/3G/4G, WiFi, FM, GPS, Bluetooth – are managed. PowerMax by VoltUp (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/f...isk/cellphones) puts these radios to sleep when the user wants to trade functionality for battery life..
Limiting a cellphone’s radio frequencies also bodes well for the controversy surrounding the use of cellphones causing brain tumors, although the National Cancer Institute ( http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/f...isk/cellphones ) found this link “inconclusive.”
PowerMax by VoltUp analyzes personal usage patterns, essentially learning how the owner uses the phone. The app reads information on how fast the battery is discharging and lets users know how much battery power is being saved and used.
PowerMax by VoltUp offers a free version and can be downloaded from Android Market by visiting this website: https://market.android.com/details?i...oltup.powermax . A permanent license can be purchased once the free trial concludes. Over 300,000 copies of PowerMax have been installed (as reported by Flurry).

Originally Posted by 9999

f you're not going to use a custom ROM you'd be better off with an Iphone.

custom roms are optimised for battery life , use the latest versions of android and allow much more functionality for your phones