Mereja

Author: Juan Gomez

  • Microsoft Tag Reader Available for Android

    In its bizarre fight against an already established technology like QR Codes, Microsoft released today its Tag Reader for Android.  As opposed to QR Codes which is an international standard (ISO/IEC 18004:2006) to encode information in 2D barcodes, Microsoft uses its own proprietary technology called High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB), based on the use of clusters of colored triangles instead of the square pixels traditionally associated with 2D barcodes.

    Engadget points out in its article, that releasing the technology to as many platforms as possible is the key strategy for Microsoft to achieving at least some degree of customer adoption, but we really think it’s unfortunate that a company tries to push its own proprietary technology over a widely adopted standard (at least internationally).

    As our loyal readers know, here at AndroidGuys.com we’re firm believers of the potential of 2D barcodes and the limitless possibilities behind this promising technology. we’ll wait and see who comes out victorious from this fight, but in the mean time, here’s the link to Microsoft’s Tag Reader AndroidGuys style!

    qrcode

    Or you can just type http://gettag.mobi on your mobile browser

    Via Engadget

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  • NTT DOCOMO to Launch SE Xperia X10 in Japanese Market

    NTT DOCOMO, the Japanese telecommunications giant, announced today their launch of the Docomo Smartphone Xperia™, manufactured by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications.  This is the handset known as the Xperia™ X10 in markets outside Japan. The astonishing Android handset will be available on the Japanese market starting April and offering two variants “Sensuous Black” and “Luster White”.

    Docomo Xperia

    The spec sheet provided on the press release outlines the same specs as the western version of the Xperia, a 4.0 inches WVGA (854 x 480) screen, 8.1 megapixel shooter, 1 GB of ROM, 384 MB of RAM, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, HSUPA/HSDPA data communications and 801.11b/g wireless access.

    Unfortunately it also confirms that this Japanese version of the handset will be launching with Android 1.6, which is disappointing given the amazing hardware Sony Ericsson has put together for this device and the fact that by the time it launches half the Android world will be rocking version 2.1.

    You can continue reading the press release or take a peek directly at the spec sheet (PDF ).

    Enjoy!

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  • Maintenance Update for Sprint’s Samsung Moment

    Sprint just announced through their twitter account, and their support forum, that they have released a Maintenance Update for their Samsung Moment handset.

    Pleased to announce Maintenance Release CL14 is now available for the Samsung Moment. Details here – http://bit.ly/7shVpY. – Sprint via twitter

    If you’re like me and you’re already hitting the update button on your phone like a maniac, you’ll be disappointed to find out two things. First, this is NOT the Android 2.1 updated promised by Sprint last month; and second, this update is only currently available by visiting a Sprint retail location with a Repair Center.

    But don’t despair.  Sprint says that “The ability to download the update directly on your Moment will be available in the near future”.   That’s good news for those of you who don’t enjoy long lines on Fridays with people paying their cell phone bills.  Before you hop in your car and run to nearest Sprint store, here’s the complete list of goodies contained in the update:

    • Network Assist GPS to allow indoor location fix
    • Updates to several third-party apps, including Visual Voicemail, NFL, NASCAR and Sprint TV
    • Change to Emergency Dial on lock screen
    • Hard reset available in recovery mode: remove and reinsert battery; press volume down, send and end keys until reboot option pops up; scroll to wipe data/factory reset; press OK
    • Various improvements to battery life

  • Samsung Moment Showcased at CES with Live Mobile DTV Chip

    samsung-moment-dtvIn the style of the best Russian hackers, Samsung Mobile basically modded its own “Moment” handset and inserted a mobile DTV chip into it along with some circuitry and an Android app to control it.  The resulting concoction is being served at CES with mixed reviews.

    The news was broken by Samsung Mobile US on their twitter account accompanied by a press release and quickly followed by a hands-on video from Engadget.

    An excerpt from the press release:

    [Samsung] Moment was selected because of its 3.2-inch AMOLED display screen, which delivers crisp colors, bright pictures outdoors, and wide viewing angles.

    Unfortunately no launch details for a Mobile DTV version of the Android handset have been announced, but Samsung did confirmed that is rolling a “Consumer Showcase ” of the device, involving Sprint customers in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore markets during the first quarter of 2010.

    So what do you think? will this eliminate the need of an Android version of the Sling Player? chime in at the comments section!

    Via Phanrdoid, Engadget


  • Saygus Vphone Runs On Android, Claims it Can Make Video Calls Over CDMA or EDGE

    Chances are you’ve never heard of Utah based manufacturer Saygus.  If you’re deeply involved in Android (like us),  you learned about them back in November when leaks of an FCC filing for an Android phone got the buzz rolling about them. Even with that, we know little of the handset.  Well prepare yourself to keep hearing that name, as they get ready to roll out their first handset, the Saygus VPhone (V1).

    Saygus VPhone (V1)

    In the specs department, it features a 3.5-inch screen, a 624 MHz Marvell processor, and a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. While the camera may seem standard for most Android handsets lately, the cool feature about this one is that it is a front facing camera.  Using the company’s proprietary video algorithm, it  allows them to transfer video data at 18-22 frames per second over video challenged technologies like CDMA or EDGE.

    Unlike HSPA(UMTS), the technology used by AT&T and T-Mobile on their 3G networks, CDMA (Verizon, Sprint) is not natively equipped to allow for video calling.  It’s up to the phone to pack and send that video through the data network. Other technologies like EDGE that predate UMTS are not equipped for video calling either and that’s where Saygus is hoping to make big business.

    The first version of the VPhone is for CDMA networks and Saygus is close to signing on with a major carrier, said CEO Chad Sayers, That would likely mean Verizon or Sprint in a month or so. A GSM version (T-Mobile, At&T) is also in the works for the second quarter and will allow video conferencing over EDGE.

    Via GizMondo, SFGate


  • Dell Officially Announces Android Handset for AT&T

    Dell Mini 3After months of speculation, finally today at CES, No. 2 PC-maker Dell confirmed it’s launching an Android handset for the U.S. The not-so-surprising news is that the carrier behind this launch is the iPhone’s own home network: AT&T.

    There are no details about hardware specifications, price or availability, but from previous rumors we’re expecting it to feature a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen display, with a resolution of 640×360 and a 3 megapixel camera. We’ll keep you posted as details become available.

    A copy of Dell’s press release can be found over at SlashGear

    Dell is not a new comer to the handheld market and this is technically not their first Android offer either.  This smartphone will be a revised version of the Dell Mini 3i that’s being sold in China and Brazil. They are also highly regarded in the industry by their very successful line of PDAs back in the early 2000’s the Axims.  A little, yet ironic fact is that those were manufactured by the then unknown HTC, marketed under the Dell brand.

    Via USAToday


  • Mobile Browsing Explodes in December, Android Big Winner With 54.8% Gain

    Mobile browsing now accounts for 1.3% of all web browsing, according to the latest figures released by NetApplications yesterday. A brief post on their web site claims that mobile devices were the biggest usage share winners this past holiday season. All major mobile operating systems attained large percentage gains; with Android leading the pack obtaining twice the gain of the competition!

    Browsing by Device Category Trend

    1.3% market share might not seem like a lot at first, but when you think that’s more than half of Opera’s market share, it really helps put that figure in perspective. These are the numbers for each of the leading mobile platforms:

    Mobile O/S Percentage Gain (November – December)
    Android +54.8%
    Blackberry +22.2%
    iPhone +20.1%
    Symbian +19.0%
    Java ME +15.6%

    A detailed look at Android’s worldwide trend, shows solid growth throughout the year, but a definitive spike on Novemeber and December, indisputably ignited by US events like Droid’s ad campaign, the holiday offers on most Android devices and the fact that is now carried by 3 of the 4 nationwide mobile operators.

    Browsing trend for Android

    Net Applications measures browser usage share by tracking the systems used to visit the 40,000 sites it monitors for clients, which results in a pool of about 160 million unique visitors per month. Their numbers have been widely used to measure the pulse of browser usage trends.


  • Engadget gets its very own Nexus One

    Three full days before Google’s official event, Engadget managed to get their very own Nexus One.

    Besides the obvious bragging, they don’t mention how they got the device which should probably hint at Google distributing a few actual units to the media, before and probably during the launch event.

    The good news here is that we’ll FINALLY have plenty of high resolution pictures and video of our favorite device, at least for this three agonizing days before the device becomes available to the general public.

    Go ahead an indulge yourself with Engadget’s first impressions article.


  • Nexus One Rooted Already

    Well, the title kind of says it all. The high honor is being claimed by MoDaCo’s founder Paul O’Brien, who reported on a thread back at his site, he had created “Superboot”.

    Superboot is a boot.img that when flashed, will root your device the first time you boot

    The news was broken by Engadget yesterday afternoon, they included this picture from forum user Stericson as confirmation of the achievement.

    Rooted Nexus One

    If it weren’t for Paul’s reputation on the mobile space I would say this is totally bogus, especially since Stericson is already saying on his Twitter account that the root hack won’t work on the device once it goes on sale

    I hate to kill everyone’s high, But the root that we managed to get on the Nexus root Probably will not work on the shipped phone.

    Only time will tell…

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  • ABI Research: iPhone’s App Market Share to Shrink, Android to Benefit

    ABI Research, a marketing research firm based in New York, released a study about the future of the mobile app market in the next five years. The firm expects application downloads to reach five billion by 2014, up from an estimated 2.3 billion in 2009.

    The remarkable part of the study is their prediction of Android as a heavyweight challenger of Apple’s reign. Their dominance will peak next year, but only to start its decline into the following years ceding ground to Android’s aggressive offer.

    Here’s an excerpt of the press release:

    “The iPhone’s share of the app market will contract from its 2010 level during the latter part of the forecast period, but it will remain the leading platform for applications…The big beneficiary will be Android, which will see its market share of total application downloads increase from 11% of the market in 2009 to 23% in 2014. This rapid growth is driven by the mass adoption of the Android OS by both vendors and consumers from 2009 onwards. There are now more than 14 phones that run the Android OS, and many more will launch in 2010. This, coupled with the rollout of application stores from both smartphone vendors and network operators, will see the iPhone’s share of the total market shrink between 2010 and 2014.”

    You can read the entire press release here

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