Author: AndroidGuys

Details are starting to emerge (translated) about a forthcoming Android-based smart phone from South Korean handset maker LG.  From the sounds of it, the LU2300 will fit well with some of the newer “super” phones like the Nexus One and Motorola Droid.

Considering they were a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance, LG hasn’t done very much with Android.  As mentioned on last night’s AndroidGuys podcast, we’re not even sure this phone will hit a US carrier.

Look for the this device to arrive in Korea sometime in April or May with the following specs:

• Android 2.1
• 1 GHz Snapdragon processor
• 3.5-inch AMOLED 800×480 touch display
• Sliding 4-row QWERTY keyboard
• 5 megapixel camera
• 720p HD DivX compatible playback
• WiFi, GPS, DMB tuner

Are there any US-based LG fans out there pining for an Android phone?

Anyone following Android can tell you that current holder of worst kept secret is Verizon’s forthcoming handset, the HTC Incredible.  The tiny bits of information hitting the internet have gone from a slow trickle into a downpour.  Late last week, the Incredible was found in the Cellebrite system. The last time this happened, it was for the Motorola Devour.  A few short weeks later, the phone was formally announced by Big Red.

Over the weekend, we saw a handful of tweets from Verizon’s VZWOffers account with references to the handset.  Without officially confirming anything, they do nothing to play dumb or pull the old “We cannot comment on products that have not been announced” deal.  Today sees us getting a screenshot of some activation instructions for the phone.

At this point, it’s just getting silly.  C’mon Verizon, announce the phone and get it over with.

According to a TmoToday tipster, accessories for the Nexus One handset have started arriving at T-Mobile retail stores.  The picture above shows gel skins and protective covers designed to fit the handset with official T-Mobile branding on the packaging.  Does this hint at an the Nexus One ultimately ending up in stores?  Not necessarily.  It just means you can head to your local store and buy custom-made accessories…  For now!

Thanks Armo!

The first Android-based television set has been unearthed and it comes from an unknown Swedish hardware maker. The company is called People of Lava and the TV will be in beta testing later this summer. Available in 42, 47, and 55-inch models, the sets will be internet-connected and loaded with apps like YouTube, Google Maps, Weather, Time, Calendar, and of course an web browser. There’s no word yet as to whether or not we’ll see Google certifying the TV’s with Android Market access. Side loading apps from alternate sources could be a real pain in the butt and may not be worth the cost. With prices starting at $2,700 a piece, these Android-based TV’s are more than a little expensive.

For more information, check out the People of Lava website and press release.

The team over at Cooking Capsules has released their much anticipated followup application. After taking a top 20 spot in the first Android Developers Challenge with Cooking Capsules Taster, this weekend finds Cooking Capsules Brunch landing in the Android Market.  Like its predecessor, Brunch offers videos, grocery lists, and step-by-step recipes.  Download it today and have some Eggs Benedict for breakfast tomorrow!

Grab Cooking Capsules Brunch for $1.99 out of the Android Market today!  If you have your Android handset on you, scan the barcode and get it immediately.

Click/Scan to Download!

T-Mobile certainly loves Android and the NBA.  Every time we turn around, they’re doing something that ties the two together.  This week saw the release of a T-Mobile sponsored app called The Knicks: T-Mobile Live.  Designed with hardcore (and local) Knickerbocker fans in mind, the free application is broken down into three categories and feature Knicks related content and information whether you are in attendance or not.

For those of you who are at The Garden to take in a game, the app offers recommendations and concession line tips. Type in your section number and find the closest concession stands, restrooms or stores.  Taking things one step further, the app provides special discounts and offers for merchandise.  You’ll also find maps and listings of all amenities at Madison Square Garden, and directions, parking, transportation and even local dining suggestions.

T-Mobile will manage a live twitter feed through games and offer up extra tips such as beating the lines for food and drinks.  And finally, what good would a Knicks app be without current news, pictures, and videos?

You can download The Knicks: T-Mobile Live from the Android Market for free today of by scanning/clicking the barcode to the right!  The only problem we see with this app is that it’s limited to local fans.

Scan/Click barcode to download Knicks: T-Mobile Live

According to the market description, “Knicks: T-Mobile Live content is only accessible within 75 miles of NYC. If you are located outside of this area, this app won’t work.”  As The Dude would say, “Bummer, man.”  Here’s hoping an app gets rolled out for every team!

The over-the-air (OTA) update that started rolling out to Droid owners across the country earlier this week appears to be choking the performance out of the handset.  Phil Issler of Tesuji Games noticed that video play back was being cut in half, going from 60 frames per second down to 30.  ZDNet’s Ed Burnette also noticed that his Droid was behaving in a choppy manner when playing a few games.   Below is a video breakdown of their findings when running a test on two Droids.  One had Android 2.1 while the other was on 2.0.1. 

If early comments are any indication, this aren’t isolated incidents.  Let’s hope a maintenance releases or minor update follows right behind the 2.1 rollout.

Earlier this week Google announced their new AdWords for mobile for Android, iPhone, and Palm Pre devices. Designed to streamline the AdWords experience, the mobile website gives users quick and easy access to alerts and statistics and allows for snappy changes while your away from the PC.

It’s recommended that you log into the website from a computer prior to going mobile. This way, you can set up preferences, flag keywords, and create reports you want to keep an eye on. For instance, it’s possible to create an alert for when your campaign has reached a specific percentage of its daily budget. If you need the full on AdWords experience, it’s as simple as switching to desktop version at the bottom of the screen. As of now, the new AdWords for mobile is the default setup for a small percentage of English language advertisers. Down the road additional advertisers and languages will be supported. If you just can’t wait, you can always head to http://adwords.google.com/dashboard/Dashboard and check it out.

Holland9, a company that specializes in low level android software development and hardware design, has announced that they are training Tieto to develop new Android devices. For those not familiar, Finland-based Tieto is international software development company with offices in over 25 countries.

“The era of Android is here and it’s critical that we meet this technology challenge by building up the competences of our mobile devices developers with a broad range of new skills and competencies.  This program, together with internal training, will support Tieto’s plans to roll out Android related products and services in the coming years. ,” Sami Dahlman, Tieto

Two new courses were created to deal with the training needs of Tieto as well as the overall IT service industry. It’s expected that the competencies achieved by these courses will go a long way to help develop new, innovative Android products and services.  The graduate-level curriculum deals with integrating features like Telephony, GPS, Wi-Fi, Audio, Video, Bluetooth and Camera of Android with Linux device drivers.

Previously, Holland9 was in the news for bringing the Miniclip game Monkey Kick Off to Android.

Skyfire, one of the best web browsers one can find for Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 is on headed directly for an Android release.  The official blog announced yesterday that they were seeking a limited number of alpha testers as they near the completion of their web client.  If you are interested in helping out, you’re advised to email [email protected] with your name, type of Android device, and country.  We were happy to learn that the app will run on Android devices with 1.5 or higher.  Great news for those of you with “older” handsets!

BlueAnt released their BlueAnt Q1 Android application yesterday which pushes Bluetooth capability another step forward.  Using the free app, it’s possible to have your text messages read aloud directly into your Q1 headset as they are received.  While the headset already provides the ability to make phone calls and use voice commands, this first of its kind app further improves the hands-free experience of the Q1.

This BlueAnt Q1 Android application revolutionizes the mobile phone and headset relationship providing seamless integration between both devices.  Now Q1 users will be able to hear text messages received on their Android mobile phone, further enhancing the truly hands-free experience BlueAnt is known for. – Taisen Maddern, Executive Chairman of BlueAnt Wireless.

Scan/Click to download BlueAnt Q1

You can find the app in the Android Market for by scanning/clicking the barcode to the right.  Be advised that this only works for Android 2.0 and above.  If you’d like to pick up a Q1 headset for yourself, we recommend grabbing one out of the AndroidGuys store!

As companies like HTC and Samsung continue to push Android forward with high-end device like the EVO 4G and Samsung Galaxy S, other handset makers are reacting with their own super phones. LG appears to be waking up to Android’s potential and finally getting to work on their own powerhouse. This comes as welcome news as the Eve and Swift aren’t exactly knocking socks off around the world.

It’s being reported on tweakers.net that the South Korean manufacturer is prepping a C710 Aloha phone with a physical QWERTY. Other specs peg the phone with an 800×480 resolution screen, Android 2.1, GPRS, UMTS, HSDPA and HSUPA connectivity, and support for 802.11n WiFi. Be sure to check back as we’ll pass any future details along as we can get them.

Two of the latest HTC handsets, the Desire and Legend have been promptly rooted. Paul of Modaco forums is at it again, doing his part to provide full access to Android phones. As evidenced in the photo above, he’s found his way in.  While Paul’s not done with the finishing touches, he plans to make the process public before long. Any of you guys planning on picking up one of these handsets? Rooting it?

It looks like Google isn’t the only one looking to address Android fragmentation. Word on the street is that Motorola has scrapped future MOTOBLUR plans in favor of (wait for it) HTC’s Sense UI. Now we understand why there’s been a rather long delay in getting handsets like the T-Mobile Cliq updated to Android 2.1.  According to sources familiar with the matter, the handset maker had been mulling this over right around the time the Espresso screens leaked. 

They (Motorola) realized it would be in their best interest to adopt their (HTC) build rather than compete head to head.  As part of the deal, HTC has agreed to integrate some of the MOTOBLUR widgets into Sense UI with added customization.  Further, the remote wipe and backup features will be included in future builds of Sense.

Looking back, we can’t say we’re surprised. Remember seeing Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha at the release of the Nexus One?  Apparently that’s when official talks started between the two.

It started out as a light joke right before Chou took the stage.  Afterward, the two shared a few drinks and got the ball rolling.

Thanks for the heads up ArlosPiflo!

UPDATE: Androinica is reporting that AT&T will continue use of MOTOBLUR in a limited-license deal.

You tell us!

Is this a good move or a bad one?  Does a Devour or Backflip sound any better to you if it had Sense on it?

CTIA came and went without any Android-related Verizon news.  After watching Sprint and a few others walk away with all the green robot glory, we’re waiting for Big Red to drop something on us.  According to an AndroidForums thread, we could be seeing something in the next few weeks. Allegedly, the screen your looking at is from an inventory system that shows 156,709 units “On Order”. It’s said that this status indicates they’re in a warehouse, ready to go.

You tell us – Is Verizon gonna drop the Incredible on us any time soon?

See what we did there with the title?  It’s a play on words!  Google has announced their latest Android application, Translate for Animals. Building off other their other translation apps, this one lets users record their favorite animals “speaking” and get it translated back to them in English!  So far, the animals supported are cat, dog, bird, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, tortoise, horse, chicken, sheep, donkey, and pig.

Be advised, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.  For starters, results are only converted to English as of right now.  Future builds will allow for Mongolian, Hindi, Cantonese, and Pig-Latin.  Before you go running off to record your the bray of your neighbor’s donkey, you’ll want to read the instructions.  It’s real important that the animal is calm.  You may wish to stroke it or pet it as you bring your Nexus One up to its mouth.

Scan/Click to Download Translate for Animals!

Unfortunately, Translate for Animals is only available to Android 1.6 handsets and above.  You can grab it out of the Android Market for free today or by scanning/clicking the barcode to the right!  We were amazed to find out that our cat was thinking about food and naps!

When it comes to converting and synchronizing media with Android phones, nobody does it better than doubleTwist. For nearly a year now the “iTunes for Android” solution has made it easy for users to back up and sync pictures, video, music, and more. Today sees doubleTwist adding Android Market functionality to the application. The app lets users browse through and search for Android apps in rather clean and clutter-free interface.  Each result brings up descriptions, comments, and QR codes that can be scanned with your handset. Yes, we know it’s a lot like Cyrket, AppBrain, and Androlib. We’re hearing, though, that a future version will add the ability to download apps over the air, without QR codes.

We’ve integrated the Android Market into doubleTwist to help users search, browse and discover new apps. The launch of the doubleTwist Android Market finally brings Android on an equal footing with the iPhone by enabling users to discover apps and view ratings and comments without being limited by the small screen real estate of their phone. With the Android Market integration doubleTwist ties together apps, music, photos, videos and podcasts for Android users. – doubleTwist

If you’d like to check out the app search capability for the Android Market, you can head to apps.doubletwist.com and get started.  If podcasts are your thing, you can also try out their podcasts.doubletwist.com as well.

With today’s economy making it difficult to put any extra coin in your pocket, apps like Toshl are doing their part to help out.  If you are an Android user who cares to learn more about their finances and spending habits, we recommend you download this new mobile expense tracking application.

Timeline lets users take a look at past finances so you can get a feel for where your money is really going.  Bet you didn’t think all those $4 coffees added up so quickly, did you?  Tracking is done chronologically and can be broken out by day or month.

It’s simple to add expense from your phone; Enter the price, add a tag, and then “Add” it.  If you want, you can also add a description or change the date for your entries.  Users can tag and categorize their expenses so it’s possible to itemize spending.  Tags are remembered and suggested each time you add a new expense.

All of your expenses are backed up in the cloud and can be viewed through Toshl.com.  The application is available for free whether you have a basic or Pro account.  While the free account offers quite a bit (export to .CSV, view by tags and time, and basic graphs), the Pro edition provides additional functionality and features.  For $19.95 a year, users can export specific month or tags, export to Excel, PDF, and Google Docs through Toshl.com. Further there are more detailed graphs available, automated email reports, expense searching, and more.

Scan/Click to download Toshl!

Download Toshl from the Android Market today at the low cost of free. If you have an Android phone you can scan the barcode to the right or click on it with your handset!

For over 15 years Match.com has been doing their part to help single ladies (and guys) put a ring on it. Today they’ve announced the extension of their mobile experience with the new application for Android. Much like visiting the mobile version of match.com, this new app allows users to view matches and favorites, wink at members and more.  Further, the Android app allows members to take and upload pictures to their profiles right from the handset.

“Our goal is to continue to make it easier for our members to create meaningful relationships, wherever they are,” said Greg Blatt, CEO of Match.com. “The launch of our Android app gives Match.com coverage across all major smartphone platforms on the market. No other dating site comes close to that coverage.”

While we haven’t been able to confirm every detail made the Android version, other features of matchMobile include:

• Browse singles near you right from your phone.
• Show interest by sending a FREE wink.
• Send and receive emails (subscription required).
• Edit your profile anytime, anywhere.
• See who’s viewed your profile.
• See your Daily 5 matches.
• Check who’s Favorited you.

Scan to download Match.com for Android

With Computex only a few months away, Taiwan-based ASUS has confirmed plans for a pair of “iPad killers”. In an interview with Forbes’ Elizabeth Woyke, ASUS revealed that they are prepping “at least two tablets” and are expected to unveil them at the June event. Chairman Jonney Shih thinks there is room for tablets somewhere in the mix between netbooks, smartphones, and e-book readers.

Although it hasn’t been confirmed, one device is expected to be Windows-based while the other is either Android or Chrome. The Google based unit will be centered around content consumption with a focus on media whereas the Windows unit will be more powerful. If anyone can put out an inexpensive tablet, it’s ASUS. They debuted the Eee PC back in 2007 and essentially kicked off the low-cost netbook era.

We’ll find out in early June as to what ASUS has up their sleeves.  Be sure to keep an eye on AndroidGuys for the latest information as we can gather it.