Samsung TV Sets To Come Integrated With Android OS
Samsung has indicated that it is contemplating on building new television sets that could come integrated with Google’s open source mobile OS – Android. The integration will give Samsung customers an ability to access a plethora of third party entertainment and media applications from the Android marketplace right from their televisions.
The idea itself is nothing new considering that Google is already known to be working with companies like Sony, Intel and Logitech in the development of an Android supported television set-top box system. The fact that Samsung is keen to join Google in its new venture could give the television manufacturer a head-start against competition in a new segment which could potentially generate millions of revenues in the future if it takes off.
Officially though, the South Korean company is being contemplative. Yoon Boo Keun, the head of Samsung’s television business has simply said that they are reviewing the Android platform, but has refused to confirm anything beyond this.
Coby MID810 Android Tablet Review Of Features And Price
Coby is pretty well known for their netbooks and we have recently reviewed two of their products – the NBPC1022 and NBPC1330. Now, after last week’s IFA at Berlin, we also know that they want to be known for their tablets. The company is coming up with a new 8-inches Android tablet that will apparently launch in the second quarter of 2011 and will be available at a price of around $179.
From what we hear, the Coby MID810 comes with an 8″ TFT display with a resistive touchscreen. But there is also mention of a capacitive touch control though it is not clear how this will exactly pan out. Besides this, the features that we know about for now are a 1.3-megapixel camera, a built-in flash memory, stereo speaker and an integrated FM radio.
This is not exactly the most attractive offering at sub-$200 price point since we have already seen those manufactured by the likes of Augen that are cheaper and offer better specs. Nevertheless, let us wait for an official unveiling to get a hang of all the functionalities and prices.
Official Samsung Fascinate Price & Launch Date Announced
The official launch date and price of the Verizon-bound variant of the Samsung Galaxy S handset is finally out. According to a media statement, the Samsung Fascinate will be available in the stores starting September 9th and for those who have pre-ordered the device online, the handset will start being available from September 8th. Price – very much on the expected lines. The new Samsung Fascinate will be available at $199 and that is along with a mandatory two-year Verizon contract and a $100 mail-in rebate.
The announcement finally brings the much touted Android phone from Samsung to the Verizon network. As you are aware, Samsung Galaxy S was already available with AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint under the names Captivate, Vibrant and Epic respectively.
All set for the new phone? Check out the latest Samsung Fascinate commercial from Verizon.
Custom ROM For Motorola Droid 2 Now Available For Download
If you have a rooted Motorola Droid 2, now is the time to go ahead and install custom ROMs. Matt4542, the developer who was responsible for the EPIC ROM for the original Motorola Droid has released an updated custom ROM for the new Motorola Droid 2. The stock Blur theme still exists; however, the script includes a lot of new scripts and is deodexed (allows theme customizations,etc.) and optimized.
For those who are yet to root their Droid 2, you can check out our earlier article on how to root your D2. Also, don’t forget to check out the new bootstrap recovery method. BUT, please do remember that rooting your handset is extremely risky and you stand to lose your warranty besides bricking your phone. So, please proceed at your own discretion.
Don’t forget to write down your experience though.
Listen To Free Internet Radio On Android With TuneIn Radio App
If you are an Android phone user who is crazy about internet radio, chances are that you are already aware of the $1.99 RadioTime app that is available on the Android marketplace. Now, if you think spending two bucks for an Internet radio Android app is not worth it, then RadioTime has launched an alternative service that will offer a free version of the same.
The new TuneIn Radio Android app will let you search for internet radio stations by location or genre and tap away to start listening. The app does not require users to create a RadioTime app. However, since this is a free version, the app is supported by ads and so do not expect the same clutter-free interface of the original RadioTime app.
The app has some interesting pointers to note. Firstly, if you have a RadioTime login, you can use it to sync up your presets so that they can managed from the RadioTime website instead of from the app. Secondly, the app can also pull your location to suggest you locally relevant radio stations. There are over 40,000 streams from different genre available and hence expect a good assortment of listings.
Curious to check out. Use the QR code below to get started.
[via Mobiputing]
Viewsonic Dual-OS ViewPad Tablet Review Of Features
Viewsonic is coming up with a tablet that can give Acer’s Aspire One D255 dual-boot netbook a run for its money. Like the Acer AOD255, the new Viewsonic ViewPad runs both Android and Windows 7 Operating systems. The specifications on the device include a 10″ LED display that renders content at 1024×600 pixel resolution, an Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz processor, a 1GB RAM and 160GB of hard drive storage. The device is equipped with a G-sensor, A-GPS and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Connectivity through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are available as well.
A deal breaker probably is the version of Android OS running on the ViewPad – Android 1.6. If you look at it, new tablets running advanced OS versions are already being released and there is not much possibility of a future upgrade on offer as well.
But that apart, I think this is a good piece of hardware that is worth more than just a cursory look.
Samsung Galaxy Player50 To Take On The New iPod Touch
So, the Android rival to the recently announced iPod Touch 4 has arrived. The new Samsung Galaxy Player 50, as you guessed, is a portable media player that will run on the Android OS. Android 2.1 to be precise. The device comes with pretty much everything that you see on modern day smartphones, including access to the Android marketplace, except of course the voice-call part. But this is a pretty impressive device from what you can see from the specs.
Firstly, this is a 3.2″ display – smaller than regular smartphone displays, but reasonable – that is equipped with a WQVGA LCD screenwith multitouch capability. Other specifications include a storage space of 8GB and 16GB with microSD card expansion of up to 32GB, a 2-megapixel camera and Wi-Fi connectivity. One gripe that you may have is that the device runs on Android 2.1 and not FroYo. But the device otherwise comes with all the bells and whistles that Android smartphones come with. There is no word on the price, but we expect it to effectively counter the iPod Touch 4.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Gets Rooted
Till a day back, nobody was even sure if the hyped Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet was mere hype or a reality. Samsung finally unveiled the device in Berlin yesterday and guess what, less than a day later, the device stands rooted. At least that is what being claimed.
According to reports on a German website, the hackers have been able to root one of the several prototype devices that have been doing the rounds. While this news definitely deserves to be taken with a grain of salt, it is worth noting that the device is basically a larger version of Android smartphones and hence it is not all that implausible.
Nevertheless, we at least know that a root can be expected soon after the Galaxy Tab goes on sale in a few weeks from now. In Europe at least.
Justin.TV Android App For Mobile Video Broadcasting Now Live
Justin.TV, the popular live streaming service has released a new Android app that will let users stream video live from Android phones. The application joins the ranks of other apps like Qik and UStream that have similar services already in place for the Android platform. Justin.TV CEO Michael Seibel has indicated that a similar service for the iPhone will be launched shortly. At present, iPhone users can only watch videos streamed from elsewhere.
The app is free to download and primarily contains three buttons that let you to record, share and chat. Videos can be captured on landscape or portrait mode and the app will take advantage of hardware video encoding so that the battery does not drain too much. Also, the bitrate of the video will be adjusted depending on the quality of wireless network the user is on.
Use the QR code below to download the app and let us know how it works.
Samsung Fascinate Vs. Motorola Droid 2 – Features Comparison
Rumors are doing the rounds that Samsung Fascinate (from the Galaxy S series) could be launching on Verizon by next week – September 8 to be precise. So, if you are a Verizon customer looking for a nice Android phone, which one should you go for – Droid 2 or Fascinate? After all, these are two hot Android devices in recent times. Here’s a features comparison
Display
Droid 2 features a 3.7″ display with 854×480 pixels. On the other hand, Fascinate carries a 4″ display with 800×480 pixels. Speaking in terms of ppi (pixels-per-inch), Droid 2 is just marginally better than Fascinate.
Winner: Droid 2
Hardware
Both devices come with a 1GHz processor. However, while the Droid 2 carries a 8GB ROM with a 512MB RAM, Samsung Fascinate only comes with a 512MB ROM and 336MB RAM. Not too bad, yet on a relative scale, Droid 2 scores. Besides this, there is not much to pick between the two. Both devices carry a 5-megapixel camera with flash (Dual-LED on Droid 2) and support for up to 32GB storage. Of course, Fascinate comes with an additional 2GB storage memory, but that I think is not too significant for Fascinate to out-score Droid 2. So, considering the memory specs alone, Droid 2 is slightly ahead.
Winner : Droid 2
Software
Again, nothing much to pick between the two. Droid 2 does have Flash pre-installed, but Fascinate is expected to get the feature by the end of the year – around the same time when it is expected to get an OS upgrade to Android 2.2 (Droid 2 already runs Android 2.2). Other functionalities include video capture (HD on Fascinate, DVD-quality on Droid 2), maps, natively installed applications and 3G hotspot capability. Neither device carries a HDMI Tv output.
Winner : None
Here’s a quick summary of all features. Overall, I would pick Motorola Droid 2 over Fascinate. How about you?
This is a guest post by Vineet Singh, a Mechanical engineering student at Mumbai University