DBC Network

Monday 30 May 2011

Android Tablet/Phone Combo (Videos)

Padfone: Asus Officially Announces Its Android Tablet/Phone Combo (Videos)




Today, on the first day of the yearly Computex Taipei exhibition in Taiwan, Asus took the wraps off the Android tablet/phone combo it teased last week. Dubbed Padfone, Asus is relatively mum on details (specs, pricing, availability) at this point.



But the general idea is to dock the handset in the tablet for a wider view, charging it through the tablet’s bigger battery or making use of the phone’s 3G connection on the tablet. Users can also avoid data transfer and sharing hassles between phone and tablet.
Asus says that the layout of applications running on the phone adjusts automatically once you place it into the tablet to get an expanded view (see clips below).



Cell phone sex video

Cell phone sex video clears man of rape charges

 

The sheer volume of amateur cellphone sex videos on the Internet’s porn site — while certainly culturally edifying — illustrates the new truth about sex in the 21st century: don’t let anyone record it, or everyone will be enjoying it.

But sometimes, the all-seeing and voyeuristic eye of consumer video culture has a happy ending: a businessman who recorded himself having sex with a university student was recently cleared of the charges after the footage was shown in court.

Before the footage was presented as evidence, the judge warned both the gallery and the jury: “You are going to see a clip which from what I have been told you may find extremely distasteful.”
Despite this warning, though, the defense failed to exhibit a scene from Dustin Diamond’s sex tape, but instead a rather traditional recording of an enthusiastic coupling.

After the tape had finished playing, the judge ruled in the favor of the defendant. “You and Mr Taylor were very familiar with each other and comfortable in each other’s presence.”

There’s the possibility, of course, that the judge made the wrong decision: there could have been drugs involved. But score one for the good guys. A lot is made, rightfully, of the eradication of privacy in the digital age, but when it can help a man avoid wrongful imprisonment and the total ruin of his life, there’s a bright side.
The moral? If you’re actively swinging, pony up for a cell phone with a good camera. And PornHub commenters say, the more megapixels, the better.

Friday 27 May 2011

Netflix updates Android app







Netflix updates Android app, expands device support


Tired of content providers bossing you around, telling you what you can do with your own phone? Good, because Netflix is sick of telling you kids to keep off its lawn. Following a recent update, the outfit's Android app now officially supports the LG Revolution, Motorola Droid, Casio G'zOne Commando C771, and any unsupported device that just happens to work on its own. In addition to adding official support for the aforementioned trio (and of course, some minor bug fixes), the stream king removed a device check that previously blocked unsupported handsets from attempting playback. Your mileage may vary, but the folks over at Droid Life are reporting success with both the Droid X and Droid X2, as well as the Xperia Play. That's no guarantee for you and your unsupported device, but at least you have the freedom to fail. That's nice, isn't it?

 

Thursday 26 May 2011

Official Android app BBC

Official Android app BBC Android app


BBC announced the availability of its free mobile news application for Android on Wednesday. The application provides quick access to BBC’s top stories complete with pictures, videos, and the option to share stories on Facebook or via email. Other features include breaking news notifications, pre-cache viewing, background sync, and a compact widget for viewing headlines from your home screen. There’s even an option to stream live BBC News video content, provided you’re running a phone with Android 2.2 and Flash pre-installed. BBC News for Android is available for free in the Android Market now. Update: for now it’s only available to U.K. residents.

 

iPad 3





Watch a Guy Build an “iPad 3″ in Two Weeks
 



To anyone wondering why on earth you’d want to build an “iPad 3″ from scratch, you better ask this insane geek since he spent two weeks time to build an awesome looking white tablet and he call it as the “iPad 3″. From picking the parts, to mounting the motherboard and then installing the OS (Windows XP!), you got to watch his solid step-by-step guide to build the tablet. I love the small, medium and large sizes of Apple stickers he got!



 

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Dell Streak hacked

Dell Streak hacked successfully, runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb

 

Hats 

off to DJ_Steve from the XDA developers forum who has managed to successfully make Android 3.1 Honeycomb run on the Dell Streak – this is no mean task, considering the operating system was optimized for tablet use, making it a quantum leap of sorts from the Streak’s standard Android 2.2 Froyo operating system. Needless to say, the hack isn’t perfect – but it works. There are still a fair number of bugs to be worked out, and we do hope that additional details on the hack will be shared in due time.
Among the bugs involved include the 7″ tablet’s low native resolution of 800 x 480 pixels – that would mean having the Streak revert to an Android 2.3 user interface which is hidden within Android 3.1, hence making it necessary to increase the pixel density – this is normally the reversal that is done with Android devices. Apart from that, there is a not-so-urgent issue of the Streak being unable to awake from its slumber whenever it isn’t plugged in – this means you will need to turn it on again or go ahead for a reset.
There is also an older version of the Market and Music app which isn’t the same as the one on the Motorola Xoom and Transformer, while a messaging app has been built right into it as well. You willing to give it a go?

Acer's 10-inch Oak Trail tablet







Acer's 10-inch Oak Trail tablet running Android 3.0 rumored for July delivery

 

 
Paul Otellini already told us that we'd see new Android tablets running Intel silicon at Computex. Now DigiTimes is quoting loose-lipped upstream component makers who claim that Acer is set to launch its 10-inch Android 3.0 tablet built upon Intel's Oak Trail platform in July. Mind you that's the retail date, making the May 31st kickoff of Computex the perfect event to demonstrate the unARMed Android tablet for the first time in public. Of course, Acer was early with its Android-based netbook back in 2009 so it's no surprise to see the company with another Google first in 2011. And really, without a suitable Microsoft tablet OS available until 2012, you can bet that Intel's going to be pushing the Honeycomb port to x86 hard over the coming months with rigs from Lenovo and ASUS also tipped by DigiTimes. Oh, and for whatever it's worth, the Taiwanese rumor rag also says that Acer is "evaluating" an Oak Trail with MeeGo tablet. Which version, we wonder?

Sunday 22 May 2011

Kindle Reader Gadget

The Gadget kindle reader  

 

Amazon Kindle 3.JPG
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by  Amazone.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media. The Kindle hardware devices use an E Ink electronic paper display that shows up to 16 shades of gray, minimizes power use and simulates reading on paper.
Several hardware devices support this platform, including a main "Kindle" line and a parallel "Kindle DX" line. The most recent Kindle device is the third incarnation of the main line, officially named "Kindle", but usually referred to as "Kindle 3". Kindle 3 was released on August 27, 2010. User reports indicate that the new display on the Kindle 3, with E Ink Pearl technology, is noticeably superior to that of prior generations.

 

Gadget Models Ferrari

Gadget - Ferrari Formula 1 Models

 Ferrari


Over the last few decades thousands of Ferrari models have been produced by hundreds of model car makers the world over, some of these models are made very well showing both good quality and detail but there are other models that really do leave a lot to be desired.  We have ourselves collected Ferrari models for many years and we have come across many of the diecast models produced by the various makers.
However, recently we have been introduced to, and now stock, some of the very best 1/43rd diecast models of Ferrari that we have ever seen.  These models are the Ixo La Storia Formula 1 Ferrari models.  Each brilliant model of a Ferrari Formula 1 car covers the history of both the car and it’s driver.  The models are all limited edition and the complete series are collected over a five year period, coming out every month.

The presentation of these models really are second to none!  They each come in a very clever ‘tin’ book which can be stored away on either a shelf or in a bookcase, just like any ordinary paper book, they can then be taken from the shelf and opened, just like any book and used for reference.  Accompanying each beautiful model is an illustrated booklet covering the history of the driver and his car.
The drivers in this series include such great names in Formula 1 as Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, John Surtess and some of the later drivers such as Michael Schumacher.
If you enjoy collecting cars and/or ephemera from either Formula 1 Racing or, if you enjoy collecting Ferrari diecast models, then this series is a must for you and definitely not to be missed.

 

Android Market Decives

Android Market's new movie rental service blocked from rooted devices

 

Biggest GoogleFail ever

We can't make this up people.  According to Google, who gets to make the rules since it's their service, rooted devices are not supported by the Android Markets new movie rental service "due to requirements related to copyright protection".  You'll even see a specific error message when you attempt to try -- "Failed to fetch license for [movie title] (error 49)". 

So now people who root their phones, whether to get rid of the crap "open" that's forced down their throats, or to have a current version of Android, are punished and lumped in with folks who steal movies.  Nice move, Google.  That makes me want to buy more of your products and use more of your services, so I can be treated like a criminal just because I'm smart enough to get rid of CityID, or want a safe version of Android on my phone.  And of course, I'd much rather steal movies streamed with a poor bitrate at a low resolution to my phone than use Google to search out any of the thousands of places where I could steal them using my computer. Facepalm.

Of course, the Android community will find a way around this.  I already have some ideas, and I'm sure others will, too.  But we shouldn't have to.  And once we do, I'll download one (and only one) movie from the Market for the satisfaction of defeating this stupid move by Google, then be sure to never use the service again.  Redbox doesn't care if I want to run a custom ROM on my phone, so they'll get my $4.00.

 

Monday 9 May 2011

In Genius Of Android

Phones At Every Price Point



Right now, you can pick up a new Android phone for less than $100, or you can spend $840 on a Honeycomb-equipped tablet, and there are dozens of options in between. And that right there sums up the biggest advantage of Google’s open-sourced approach to smartphones: it can offer something for everyone.


This week, Google’s I/O developer conference is taking place in San Francisco, and it’s inevitable that we’ll be hearing about some cool new Android features as a result. In celebration of that event, we’ll be focusing on Android all this week, looking at what’s currently available, what’s coming in the future, and how to make the most of Android as a phone buyer and an app consumer. And in kicking off that coverage, it seems worth celebrating what has proved to the biggest advantage of Android: the range of devices on which it is available.
For Australian consumers, this hasn’t always been the case. When the initial tickle of Android devices began in the US, it was barely a dribble over here. Early attempts to launch bargain-basement phones (such as the planned Kogan Agora) ultimately came to nothing, and for much of 2010 we still only had a limited range of carrier-supported phones, many of which were stuck on version 1.6. While there was always a whole lot to love about Android phones — easy Google integration, no need to sync with a PC, and a range of apps in an open app store environment — device and network choice took a while to come to fruition.

If you examine the current Android space, though, there’s no doubt that choice has finally arrived. The cheapest Android phones now provide a realistic competitor to bargain-basement supermarket phones, and a competitor which provides way more functionality. In the main market, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson offer a massive range of options. And in the tablet space, the arrival of Honeycomb has kick-started a market which last year consisted of a handful of devices, many of them decidedly minimal in their feature set.

That’s certainly not to say that Android is perfect. A quick but probably not exhaustive list: carriers can still provide an unpleasant roadblock to getting updates; the open market approach can pose security challenges; manufacturer enhancements are often a waste of time; and we’re still seeing a lot of hardware hit Australia rather later than elsewhere in the world.

Nor does that mean that the non-Android choices aren’t viable. Indeed, the competition between Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and Symbian is a key reason why smartphones have got as good as they have so quickly. But I can’t imagine Apple (for example) working hard on building an iOS-enabled device that sells for less than $100.

 

Al Jazeera Android

Al Jazeera English Lands on Android and BlackBerry

In a recent push by Al Jazeera the Middle East’s largest news Network has released two new smartphone apps for the Android and BlackBerry in a shift from its standard Live Streaming model provided for iPhone users.
The launch comes a couple of months after the first Al Jazeera English Live Android app quietly hit the market this year raising the Al Jazeera smartphone app stack to 4 apps running on BlackBerry, Samsung Wave (Widget), Android, and Nokia.
The Android app has a simple and slick design providing access to the grid making up the landing screen of the app. Categorizing its content into 9 blocks: News, Opinion, Features, Video, In Pictures, Programmes, Blogs, Spotlight, and ‘Your Media’.

Al Jazeera English Home Screen

Home Screen
The landing screen also has a ‘Breaking’ heading to display whatever breaking news that’s available on the network which when not available is replaced with a link to Al Jazeera English’s Live Stream when clicked launches the Al Jazeera Live android app, or otherwise do nothing, which I think Al Jazeera have either overlooked or are feeling overconfident that whoever’s installing the new app has the steaming one as well (at least not this guy).
We put it up against other global news network apps to compare focus on content and functionality and the differences are striking. Comparing it to CNN’s Android app (but is inaccessible to many countries in the Middle East for some reason) that was released only last month, Al Jazeera has an entirely different target audience if its app has any say on the matter.

Video
With one block of the landing screen dedicated to video, it’s quite a disappointment when the user is taken to a screen containing a news piece with yet another icon to click only to be asked whether the video be displayed via browser or YouTube.
Al Jazeera should remedy that by providing the app with some native video streaming capabilities instead of sending users on their way to get the rest of the day’s news from YouTube.

Social Support
The least I can say is that the app is antisocial. The first thing I did was attempt to share a story with friends I found it to be an impossible task. This means users will have to use the network’s mobile web version that surprisingly provides multiple options for sharing on Facebook and Twitter.

Offline Access
The app does have a Preload articles functionality that’s displayed in the Setting’s tab (which cannot be disabled) that allows users to preload the apps articles minus images which can be a bit confusing when launching the app without Internet access for the first time.
Al Jazeera Android App Blogs


Citizen Journalism
The recent uprisings in the region helped Al Jazeera catapult into a global position not before displayed by the Doha based network, with a large part of its coverage attributed to event bystanders providing their opinion/footage via mobile phone video cameras.
Al Jazeera Android App Your Media

Your Media
For this reason an Android app is expected to contain functionality to upload a video or image file without leaving the app. But again, the ‘Your Media‘ tab only includes a button to send Al Jazeera content through the device’s default email app which launches when clicked.

Conclusion
It appears Al Jazeera released this version of the app to give its viewers/readers a quick way to read the latest news with the least possible clicks as oppose to its online mobile web version. For now they’ve successfully done that, and nothing more.

 

android news

The Week in Android News

Boom. Website redesign. Device reviews. Tons of Android news, and so much fun this week. Next week we will be live at Google IO, and we expect tons of fun and awesome news to come from that as well, but first if you happened to miss anything be sure to check below, especially if in the market for a new device since we reviewed a TON!

General News

Hardware News

Tablet News

 

Best of 2011: Beauty Gadget in India

The Best Android Phones Coming to India in 2011

The Android revolution began about 3 years back and its stunning growth has dwarfed the growth of even iOS (iPhone) as a mobile platform. It is now the most popular mobile OS in the US, and is on its way to becoming the most used mobile OS in the world. It is expected to overtake Symbian soon, and will soon be the Windows of the mobile world.
Unlike Apple which always ignores India when launching new products, most Android manufacturers have made sure that they launch new Android smartphones in India at the same time as the worldwide launch.
As I’ve said before, 2011 is going to be the year of Android. We have seen a lot of exciting devices at CES, MWC and CTIA 2011. Most of these devices will either be launched soon, or have been launched already.
In this post, I will show you the best Android phones that money can buy. Despite the title, the list is relevant to users around the world, not just Indians.
1. Samsung Galaxy S 2
This is definitely the best Android smartphone that money can buy. It has received the best reviews yet, and offers the best overall package, compared to any other Android phone. It is the successor to the most popular Android phone of 2010 – the Samsung Galaxy S.
It has an excellent 4.3 inch SuperAMOLED Plus display which has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It comes with an 8 MP camera which can record 1080p video, a 1.2 GHz dual core Exynos processor, 1 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with TouchWiz 4.0.
It is expected to be launched by the end of May 2011 and will be priced at around Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 35,000.
Samsung Galaxy S 2
2. HTC Sensation
The HTC Sensation is probably the only phone which can rival the Samsung Galaxy S 2 in terms of specifications and features.
It will come with a 4.3 inch S-LCD touchscreen display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels. It will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and has the HTC Sense 3.0 UI, which is widely regarded as the best third party Android UI.
It has a dual core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, an Adreno 220 GPU and 768 MB RAM. It also comes with an 8 MP camera with dual LED flash which can record 1080p video at 30 FPS. It has 1 GB internal storage, and is a bit heavier than the Galaxy S 2, at 148 gms. It will likely be launched soon, but we have no idea about the pricing.
HTC Sensation
3. LG Optimus 2X
The LG Optimus 2X was the first Android smartphone with a dual core processor. While it was launched some time back, it is still one of the best Android phone options in India. In the US, you can buy the T-Mobile G2X which is identical to the Optimus 2X, and comes with pure Android 2.2 Froyo.
It comes with a 4 inch LCD touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It also has a 1 GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor (Tegra 2) and offers 1 GB RAM. It has an 8 MP camera and can also capture 1080p video at 24 FPS. Though it’s not as good as the Samsung Galaxy S 2, it is much cheaper. You can get it for as much as Rs. 28,000.

LG Optimus 2X
4. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc was recently launched and is probably the most stylish Android smartphone to date. It is extremely slim, and has a very sleek design. It comes with a 4.2 inch display and has a 1 GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor, an Adreno 205 GPU and 512 MB RAM. It also offers an excellent 8 MP camera, which makes it the best Android camera phone. It is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and has the Sony Ericsson custom Android UI.
It is available for Rs 28,000.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
5. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is another notable Android phone. It deviates from the touchscreen only trend in Android phones, and features a unique gaming keypad which slides out from under the display. It has the same hardware as the Xperia Arc – 1 GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor, an Adreno 205 GPU and 512 MB RAM.
It also has a 5 MP camera and Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but the main attraction is the library of exclusive PSP games which it supports. If you are a gamer, and want an Android smartphone, the Xperia Play is the device you should get.
It is priced at Rs. 30,000.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play6. HTC Incredible S
HTC was the top dog in the Android arena an year back, but since the launch of the Galaxy S, Samsung has become the dominant player. HTC, though, has been trying to get back to the top.
The HTC Incredible S is one of the best Android smartphones by HTC. It comes with Android 2.2 Froyo and the HTC Sense 3.0 UI, probably the best third party Android UI. It will definitely get an upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread and comes with a 4 inch, 480 x 800 pixel display. It has a 1 GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor, 768 MB RAM and comes with the Adreno 205 GPU as well. It has a very good 8 MP camera which can capture 720p video.
It is the cheapest of the lot. It is priced at Rs 26,399.

HTC Incredible S
We might see many more Android smartphone launches soon, but for the next 2-3 months, this list should guide you well, should you want to buy the best Android smartphone in India, or the world, for that matter.

 

Thursday 5 May 2011

LG Optimus Pad Android tablet

Gadget : LG Optimus Pad Android tablet available at £799 on Carphone Warehouse


LG Optimus Pad is a new Andriod powered tablet with 3D technology. Although it has a lot of attractive features, the tablet is currently priced at £799 at The Carphone Warehouse. It’s two times more expensive then the new basic Apple iPad 2. Even the highest version of the Apple iPad 2 costs less then the LG Optimus Pad.
LG Optimus Pad is the first tablet that allow you to record and playback full HD and 3D videos via two 5MP cameras. The tablet is powered by Android 3.0 Honeycomb and an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor. Therefore, you can enjoys many Android features at the same time. All these functions come at a cost, as the LG Optimus Pad is available as sim free, you will have to spend a lot of money in order to enjoys these features. They may release a contract deal later which costs less for the tablet itself.

android 3.0 available

HTC Lead and SE Azusa Outed, Thunderbolt Update Delayed, And More

 

The Android Robot huffed and puffed and tried to blow our site down with Android news, but we McGyvered him and trapped all the airborn shrapnel on this here post. Throughout the day we covered what we thought you’d find most interesting, informative, relevant and entertaining, but you can’t please everyone. So for those we haven’t yet pleased, see if the items below will quench your Android thirst.