Android leads smartphone market share, data use [Report]

Google�s Android smartphones are top of the heap for popularity and data usage, according to a new report from Nielsen. In April, 37% of mobile consumers owned a smartphone, according to the study. Of those, 36% have an Android device, while 26% have an Apple iPhone and 23% have a RIM BlackBerry.

Android users gobbled up 582 megabytes of data in the first quarter of the year, compared with 492 megabytes used by iPhone owners, according to Nielsen�s analysis of nearly 65,000 cellphone bills in the U.S.

However, while 79% of iPhone users downloaded apps in the last 30 days, just 74% of Android owners did the same. And 46% of iPhone owners streamed online music or mobile radio, compared with 43% of Android owners. Video or mobile television watchers included 37% of iPhone users and 35% of Android users.

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Microsoft gets $5 for every Android phone made by HTC [Report]

Microsoft Corp. receives $5 for every Android phone made by Taiwan-based HTC Corp., according to a Citigroup report on Microsoft.

The report released Friday said that Microsoft gets the money as part of a patent dispute settlement with HTC, which manufactures smartphones and tablets powered by Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows operating systems.

The Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant is also seeking to sue other Android phone makers, the report says, and is aiming for "a $7.50 to $12.50 per unit license to settle alleged infringement of Microsoft patents."

Any settlements would bolster Microsoft's claim that Android infringes its intellectual property and could potentially squeeze the margins for Android-backed gadgets, making tablets and smartphones running on Microsoft's operating system more attractive, the report says.

[Source]

The PlayStation Phone, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, hits Verizon on 26th May

Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play also known as PlayStation Phone hits Verizon this May, 26th 2011. Pre-orders for the device, which features a sliding screen that reveals touch-sensitive directional pads and buttons for playing video games on the phone, begin May 19, Sony said.

Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play will be sold for $199.99 with a two-year contract and will run on a modified version of Google's Android Gingerbread operating system

The Xperia Play is the first "PlayStation certified smartphone," and will allow owners to download games for the device through both Google's Android Marketplace and Verizon's V Cast app store.

Seven games will come pre-loaded on the phone in the U.S.: Madden NFL 11, Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, The Sims 3, Star Battalion, Crash Bandicoot and Tetris. More than 50 other games will be available via V Cast when the phone launches, Sony said.

Past PlayStation games will soon go on sale in the Android Marketplace, in the form of Android apps, and Sony will use Android as the OS to power its next portable PlayStation gaming console, currently nicknamed the NGP. Sony hasn't said whether it will have the NGP, Xperia Play or future PlayStation certified phones use the recently relaunched PlayStation Network to buy games and apps, as is used on the PlayStation 3 video game console.

Most notable features include 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 4-inch touch screen, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a VGA camera on the front for video chatting. You will also be able to connect your PlayStation phone to internet via 3G or Wi-Fi signals.

New Adobe Flash Player 10.3 for Android

There is good news for all adobe and android lovers as Adobe have released the latest version of Adobe Photoshop for Android phones. Users can now actually download and enjoy the usage of the latest version from Android Market.

The special characteristic in the latest version is the usage of Flash player 10.3 which comes as a surprise because no one was expecting an update about Adobe Flash Player in near time.

Adobe released the following statement on its official website.

The current build number for Flash Player 10.3 for Android 2.2 and above is 10.3.185.21.  Flash Player 10.3 is a production GA (General Availability) release for Android 2.2 (Froyo), 2.3 (Gingerbread), and Android 3.01 (Honeycomb) devices.

Following are the latest and selected updates in the latest version.

NEON optimizations for OMAP4 based devices has been enabled. Mostly carried out the solution for the video error in Samsung Galaxy S. Apart from solving Samsung Galaxy�s video issue, it has also fixed HTC EVO video crash as well.

ViewSonic ViewPad 7x Honeycomb tablet

The upcoming Android tablet is likely to become the company's flagship tablet in the 7-inch range, as it will be delivered with Honeycomb out-of-the-box. Furthermore, it appears that it's not only the software that will make the tablet attractive, but its hardware as well.

So how does the tablet stacks up comparing to other Android tablets ? Let�s take a closer at its specifications and connectivity options. The specs of the ViewPad 7x include a Nvidia Tegra2 Graphics core , HSPA+3G  2 cameras and enhanced features in the connectivity chapter. The tablet is weighing only 380 grams and will Provide an HDMI connecter and DLNA support for Video Playback Via wireless connections to compatible TVs with this Technology.

An official release date in not confirmed yet but ViewSonic ViewPad 7x tablet should arrive in stores/shops no later than june. The sale price is unknown, but with a little luck, it should be lower than price of the HTC flyer which is expected to be launched in the same period. According to reliable sources, the ViewSonic viewPAd  7x.is expected to be unveiled at the trade show in taipei. Expect more news Soon !

Specifications of  ViewSonic viewPAd  7x !
Device type: Tablet 
Network:     GSM 850,900,1800/ UMTs 850,1900,2100
Data:           EDGE/UMTS/HSPA
Design:        Demensions 7.05 x 4.33 x 0.45(179x110x11.5mm)
Weight:        13.23oz(375g)
Display:       TFT/480x800 pixels/ 7.00inches
Battery:       3240mAh
Software:    OS Android(2.2)
Processor:   Qualcomm MSM 7227/600Mhz
Memory:      microSd, microSDHC 32Gb

Google releases Android 3.0-optimized 'Earth' app

New version of Google Earth [tablet] has been released. Featuring stunning 3D images and fast-loading street-level photos, the new app delivers an experience to bring the power of the world's satellites to the powerful Android 3.0 platform. Google says

"When we launched Google Earth in 2005, most of us were still using flip phones. At the time, the thought of being able to cart around 197 million square miles of Earth in your pocket was still a distant dream. Last year, that dream came to fruition for Android users when we released Google Earth for Android."

New  Google Earth version also features "action bar," which makes it easier and more seamless process to visit favorite and saved locations with Google Eart's service. You can also view other data on the screen, like Wikipedia tag, Google Places data, or photos from Panoramio, overlayed on top of the Google Earth pictures.

How To Install Android 2.3.4 On Google Nexus S

This tutorial will show you how to manually Install Android 2.3.4 On Google Nexus S. Just follow the instructions below

Step 1: First, Download Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread (GRJ22-from-GRI40)

Step 2: Connect your Google Nexus S to your computer via USB cable

Step 3: Copy the file you downloaded from the above link and paste it in the root of your Internal SD Card. [Note: Don't extract or rename that file]

Step 4: Disconnect USB cable connection and turn off your Nexus S.

Step 5: Boot your Nexus S into recovery mode by pressing and holding the �Volume Up� key and �Power� button simultaneously.

Step 6: Once in the recovery mode, choose apply update from /sdcard

Step 7: Select the file you downloaded (GRJ22-from-GRI4...zip) and �Power� button to flash it.

Now wait till you device is being updated. After it's done, your Nexus S will reboot and you will be on Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. 

Source

Guide to install Android 2.3.3 on Google Nexus S

Previously, I wrote a guide on installing Android 2.3.3 on Nexus One. This guide will teach you how to install Android 2.3.3 on your Google Nexus S. Please keep in mind that you are going to do this at your own risk. I am not responsible for any kind of harm to your device.

Just follow these simple steps below to install Android 2.3.3 on Google Nexus S.

• Download Android 2.3.3 (GR140)
• Rename the file you downloaded above to update.zip
• Connect Nexus S with your computer via USB cable and mount the SD card
• Copy and paste the �Update.zip� file on the root of the SD card.
• Turn off your Nexus S.
• Now you have to be in the bootloader menu. To do so, turn on Nexus S by pressing and holding power and Volume Up button
• Now go to recovery in Bootloader menu by using Volume keys and select it by using power button.
• When you see an exclamation mark on the screen, simply press the Volume up button and then the power button.
• your device is now in recovery mode. Select �Apply sdcard:update.zip� in order to update your phone by using the �Update.zip� file from SD Card.
• Now let the update finish its task. Once the process is done with the update, restart your device and congartulations, your Nexus is now running on Android 2.3.3

Guide to install Android 2.3.3 on Nexus One

This guide will teach you how to install Google Android 2.3.3 on your Nexus One. Please keep in mind that you are going to do this at your own risk. I am not responsible for any kind of harm to your device

So let's move on. Just follow the steps below to install Android 2.3.3 on your Nexus One

• Download Android 2.3.3 (GR140)
• Rename the downloaded file to 'update.zip'
• Connect Nexus One with your computer via USB cable and mount the SD card.
• Now copy and paste the �Update.zip� file on the root of the SD card.
• Turn off your Device
• At this step, you have to enter in the  bootloader menu. So to do this, turn on Nexus S by pressing and holding power and trackball button.
•  Now go to recovery in Bootloader menu by sing Volume keys and select it by using power button.
• When you see an exclamation mark on the screen, press the Volume up button and then the power button.
• Your device is now in recovery mode now. simply select �Apply sdcard:update.zip� in order to update your phone by using the file from SD Card. 
• Now let the update do its work. Once the update finishes, retart your device and congratulations, your Nexus One is now running on Android 2.3.3.

To check the version 2.3.3, go to your device's settings.

Firefox 4 Final Version For Android and Maemo

Earlier, Mozilla Firefox launched  the RC Version of Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo. Now the final version of Firefox 4 for Android and Nokia Maemo is available to download. RC version had many bugs for both Android and Maemo and now final version comes with many bug fixes and with much better improvements. 

With Firefox for Android, you can synchronize your history, bookmarks, tabs and passwords between all your computers and mobile devices. Discover and install add-ons right from your phone or tablet to customize your browser exactly the way you like. Type less with the Awesome Screen, which gives you one-tap access to your bookmarks, history and custom list of search engines. Tabbed browsing allows for easy navigation and fast switching between Web sites with just one swipe of your finger

Download  Firefox 4 Final Version For Android and Maemo

Adobe to launch Flash for mobile 10.2 next week

Adobe Systems, working in an impassioned manner to disprove Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs' belief that the Flash Player is not a good match for mobile devices, will release its second version of the software for Android devices on March 18.

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Samsung Introduces Galaxy Pro

BlackBerry users looking to make the switch to Android might be interested in taking a look at Samsung's latest smartphone, the Galaxy Pro.

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Android 2.3.3 update for the Nexus S and Nexus One

Google has announced that an update to Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread is now available for the Google Nexus S and the Google Nexus One. Nexus One users has waited for so long as Gingerbread has been on the Nexus S for more than 3 months now.

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Samsung Galaxy S II now available on pre-order

Samsung Galaxy S II - is now available for pre-order at UK Stores. Retailer says that you can get Samsung Galaxy S II on 31st March for �650.

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Samsung Galaxy Mini Deals - One of the Smartest Samsung Phone

Samsung Galaxy Mini is one of the latest gadgets launched by Samsung. This gadget from Samsung is also equipped with some exiting features such as its 3.14 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen displays 256K color with a picture resolution of 240 x 320 pixels along with some enticing features such Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, TouchWiz v3.0 UI, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Swype text input method etc.

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HTC Salsa Android phone

The HTC Salsa Android phone includes a dedicated Facebook button that attempts to provide easier interaction with the social networking service. It is a similar handset to the HTC ChaCha, except the Salsa lacks a physical keyboard and has a much larger display.

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Guide on how to install Android on your iPhone

If you've got an iPhone and your interested in Google's Android Operating system, you can dual boot with Android and IOS side by side on your iPhone in few relatively simple steps. All you need to get started is an IOS Device. iPhone 3G is being used in this video guide

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What is Android 3.0 Honeycomb - Everything about Android Honeycomb

Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) is Google�s new OS for touch-screen tablets. Currently, Android seems to sit on the top layer of Google�s pyramid, which is designed to seamlessly run all of its available services (Google Search, Gmail, Youtube, Gtalk and many others), while ensuring a high degree of mobility. The Honeycomb is Android�s latest iteration after the recent Gingerbread. To understand Honeycomb fully, you need to take a step by step approach. Google has shown us what the future of the tablets should be, some experts even believe that now the iPad ceases to become a serious device and turns into a toy when compared to Honeycomb, and perhaps, but there are plenty of reasons for this statement.

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How to install Android 2.2 froyo on HTC Hero

This tutorial will teach you how to install Android 2.2 froyo on HTC Hero. The first thing you need to do is to download the froyd ROM from here. Then Put that file onto the root of your phone's SD Card.

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Install Android NAND ROM On HTC HD2 [How-to Video Guide]

This video tutorial will show you how to Install Android NAND ROM On HTC HD2. Just did by hour ago and it was barely easy to do. There are only few steps and it took about only 10 minutes for the whole process. As you can see in the video that mobile running the latest version of Android and it is really fast and smoother.

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