Dell Streak Android 2.2 update
Dell has updated its 5-inch Dell Streak tablet-come-phone to Android 2.2 this week, and Pocket-lint has managed to grab a handset off Dell for a quick review to see what’s new and what the update brings users.
The biggest change is the introduction of a new User Interface called Dell Stage, that sees apps, songs, web pages, and photos bundled into collections and then presented as “Stages” for you to access.
There are eight stages at the moment and these are: Contacts, Email, Gallery, Home, Music, Social, Web.
Users can add to remove them how they see fit, and underneath the skin is still the standard Android looking tiles that allow you to place your favourite apps.
Also new is the addition of quick launch buttons with the emphasis on being quick. Press the small dots in the bottom corners of the screen and you’ll have about half a second to touch the correlating home tile.
Beyond the Dell Stage skin users will be getting a whole host of additions which include: improved performance & memory management, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, support for more apps like the native Twitter client, Skype for Android, the Firefox Beta browser, Live Wallpapers, the ability to create a portable W-iFi hotspot, an improved more-responsive phone dialler interface and enhanced Microsoft Exchange support.
Doom-themed live wallpaper for Android turns your phone into a playground of carnage
Okay, so maybe this isn’t the best choice for businessfolk sporting their new Droid Pros, but if you remember Doom as fondly as we do, you’re probably going to want to check this out. A dev over on xda-developers has posted information on his new Doom-themed live wallpaper — it doesn’t actually draw from the game itself, but he’s taken the bad guys (the important part) and reused them on a flat, stationary playing field of his own design. Basically, your hero strolls around battling baddies as they spawn; when he finally succumbs to his countless festering wounds, he respawns in a different room ad nauseam. It’s available in beta form for free in the Market right now — question is, are you tough enough to load it?
Sony Ericsson CEO suggests February reveal, perhaps the PlayStation Phone?
Plausible deniability seems to be Sony’s strategy when it comes to the PlayStation Phone, and that apparently goes for Sony Ericsson as well — once again, without actually confirming the existence of the Android-based gaming handset, its manufacturer is hinting strongly at an impending reveal. “There’s a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere,” CEO Bert Nordberg told the Wall Street Journal, adding that some sort of new Sony Ericsson product will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress this Februrary. While that particular item could easily be the 4.3-inch Anzu slate rather than a PlayStation slider phone, the chief executive didn’t seem to shy away from video games in a series of additional quotes. “I haven’t dug into that history, but the future might be brighter,” he said when asked why the company didn’t make a PlayStation Phone years ago, and later suggested that gaming might be the ticket to help SE diversify its offerings. “Sony is of course a very strong brand, and why shouldn’t we use that?” he asked the Journal. We can’t think of a single compelling reason, Mr. Nordberg. Bring on the games.
Xperia X10 To Get Pinch-to-zoom in Q1 2011
Since the release of the Xperia X10, perhaps even before, there has been a lot of discussion as to whether the Xperia X10 would be capable of multitouch. As you know, the answer turned out to be a resounding no. At one point, Sony Ericsson declared that the hardware of the Xperia wasn’t able to handle multitouch. Today finds the handset maker issuing an about-face.
Yes, dear folks, you’re reading it right. Multitouch is on the way but it will take some time and it will be pinch-to-zoom only. You see, when the two fingers cross each other on the X- or Y-axis, the phone starts to behave weirdly. Those of us across the pond, and those of us on AT&T don’t care. It’s still brilliant, and welcome anyway!
Chinese ePad – iPad, Internet Explorer and Android, all on one box
When Chinese manufacturer/retailer Wise Technology came up with the marketing strategy for its ePad, it created a mood board of all the rival products and software… and then stuck it on the box.
The packaging and tablet take inspiration from the iPad, the “e” in the name is from Internet Explorer, and an errant Flash logo has appeared on, what is obviously, an Apple-inspired home screen – signifying that the ePad runs on Android. Even in the accompanying photos, it physically transforms from an iPad-alike into a Samsung Galaxy Tab.
We suspect that the truth is that the nice flock wallpaper shots of the device are the best indication of what you’ll get in the box; something fatter but similar to Apple’s hugely successful device. While the other pics possibly show off the operating system, as the ePad itself is operated on Android 2.1.
In fact, the spec list of the bizarre knock-off is reasonable, possibly even impressive. It sports a 10.2-inch (albeit resistive) touchscreen, with a 1GHz CPU. There’s 256MB of RAM and 2GB of flash storage (upgradable by up to an extra 32GB through memory card). And there’s two USB ports.
But its biggest attraction, apart from being able to pass it off as a genuine iPad to your mates (if they’re looking at a peculiar angle, and in the dark) is that it costs $174.99 (£110 UK).
The company also has a 7-inch version for $139.99 (£88 UK), but there’s not quite as much mimicry at work with that one.
Google Docs now supports mobile editing
While Android and iOS aren’t short on productivity applications for cobbling together a .doc and sending it on its way, we’ve been really hankering for native Google Docs support since pretty much day one. Google is finally ready to deliver, and it looks like they’ve actually put some thought into the UI, particularly on the phone end of things. Edits show up in near realtime across platforms, and you can even edit tables embedded in documents — though don’t try to get too fancy, the tools still look pretty basic. Android also allows you to insert text using voice recognition. Currently Google Docs will be supporting Android devices with Froyo and iOS devices with 3.0 or newer (including the iPad), with the functionality rolling out over the next few days. There’s a video after the break demonstrating the new features.
Onkyo outs 3G Windows 7 tablet for Japan only
Onkyo’s outed a new Windows 7 tablet — seems to be all the rage these days — with KDDI 3G onboard. The 11.6-inch TW317A7 tablet (which is essentially a re-badge of the ExoPC Slate which we reviewed) boasts a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, plus Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, and stereo speakers. The 11.6-inch multitouch display has a 1366 x 768 resolution, and the tablet brings with it Onkyo’s new custom ExTOUCH software which is apparently designed to enhance finger input in the OS and boasts a dedicated app launcher. The TW317A7 will be available in Japan very soon — as in this week — but Onkyo has yet to announce pricing.
LG's 4-inch Android phone with dual-core Tegra 2 and 1080p video coming in early 2011
Wow. LG did say it’d bring some heat to its Android Optimus line and here’s our first look at it, folks! An 8 megapixel camera-wearing, 1080p video-recording, dual-core superphone to appease all the spec fanatics out there. Aimed for release early next year, as the very first dual-core Android handset, this device will finally bring NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 into the smartphone realm. Our tipster tells us it’s codenamed Star internally, though that’s certain to change in the final product nomenclature. You might think that massive Google logo on the back would imply stock Android and you’d be right — we’re told it’ll be a nearly untouched representation of the Google OS, though it’s still not clear which version it’ll be. We’ve also spotted a front-facing camera on the front, while the innards include microSD memory expandability, microUSB connectivity, and a 1500mAh battery.
Official Google Voice app for iPhone hits the App Store
A few weeks after third-party apps started filtering in, Google’s launched its own Google Voice app for the iPhone, and it looks to have all the most important features: call and text support, push notifications, and voicemail access (including transcriptions). It’s available right now — US only at the moment — on iPhones with iOS 3.1 or higher as long as you’ve got a valid Google Voice account set up… so get to it.
Panasonic says it will start selling Android-based smartphones in Japan next year, overseas in 2012
Panasonic may not be new to cellphones, but it has sat out of the smartphone explosion of recent years — an oversight that it’s now apparently looking to correct. Speaking at a news conference today, the head of Panasonic’s mobile division, Osamu Waki, said flatly that the compmany “misjudged the speed at which smartphones would be taken up in the Japanese market,” and that “with the rapid shift to Android, we want to catch up quickly.” Exact details on how it plans to catch up are expectedly still a bit light, but Panasonic’s phones will indeed be based on Android, and it apparently hopes to differentiate them by emphasizing their networking capabilities with other Panasonic products. As for when the first ones will roll out, Panasonic plans to kick off sales in Japan sometime next year, with overseas markets set to follow in 2012.
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