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May, 2009 Articles

Manually Update to 1.5, No Root Required

by Tyler Miller on May 19th, 2009

Thanks to a tip off from one of our Android Forums posters, Superatim, U.S. users can download and install the already released UK version of Android OS 1.5 (cupcake). You will be giving up some of the U.S. features of 1.5, but will gain them back once the U.S. version of 1.5 is released and [...]

Samsung Galaxy: The i7500 In France

by Rob Jackson on May 18th, 2009

French Mobile carrier Bouygues Telecom has just issued a Press Release announcing they will be launching the Samsung Galaxy, the first Samsung Android Phone, in early July. With specs identical to the already announced Samsung i7500, it is pretty obvious that “Galaxy” is simply France’s carrier branded name for the phone. Will others use i7500, [...]

T-Mobile USA: G1 Cupcake Update Delayed 1 Week

by Rob Jackson on May 18th, 2009

For T-Mobile G1 owners, Cupcake has been an enigma, and it will remain so for at least 1 more week. Following up on T-Mobile’s May 7th announcement that Cupcake would be launching the end of that following week, T-Mobile is now saying the Cupcake rollout has been delayed 1 week. Furthermore, the rollout will occur [...]

ARCHOS Event June 11th Hints Andriod MID

by Rob Jackson on May 18th, 2009

We know that ARCHOS is working on Android but its been a hot second since we’ve caught wind of any details. Worry not – ARCHOS themselves will be filling everybody in on June 11th in Paris, France. Whether or not this concerns Android remains to be seen, but the robot green background and partly transparent [...]

Samsung i7500 vs. HTC Magic

by Rob Jackson on May 18th, 2009

The Samsung i7500 and HTC Magic, the two most highly anticipated Android Phones of 2009 (thus far at least), have gone head to head in a 9 round picture battle courtesy of CNET Asia. The winner? Everybody! Both handsets have a lot to offer and it will likely come down to a matter of preference. [...]

Browser Flash Coming To HTC Hero, Android?

by Spencer Gardner on May 18th, 2009

As we recently reported, popular hacker and custom-build master Haykuro from XDA Developers has ported a fresh, leaked build of the HTC Hero firmware onto the G1 (not yet available for public download). He subsequently gave us a video preview of some slick and smooth new UI improvements and extra features that will be on the HTC [...]

13 Android Irritations By MobileCrunch

by Rob Jackson on May 17th, 2009

Late last week, I saw an article called “13 Things That Bug Us About Android – Cupcake or No Cupcake” hit my RSS Reader (Google Reader, of course). I overcame my reluctance to click, assuming I would be overwhelmed with a tone of iPhone fanboism. But like it or not, Devin Coldewey produces a pretty [...]

HTC Hero Firmware Build on G1 (Haykuro)

by Rob Jackson on May 17th, 2009

Haykuro from XDA-Devs has somehow gotten his hands on the firmware for the upcoming and unannounced HTC Hero, ported it over to the T-Mobile G1 and put together a little video showing off some new features that are Android bound. It didn’t have any sound so I voiced over it: I don’t how he got [...]

GeeksPhone ONE: For The Sake Of Inclusion

by Rob Jackson on May 14th, 2009

A bunch of Android/Mobile/Tech related websites have been posting information about a supposed upcoming Android phone called “ONE” by a company called GeeksPhone. I’ve got a bunch of emails asking why I haven’t addressed this topic… so now I am. I’ve been reluctant to write about GeeksPhone for many reasons, first and foremost, because the [...]

Android Digital Photo Frame By Macnica

by Rob Jackson on May 14th, 2009

Android is primarily a mobile phone OS at the moment, although other types of products have been discussed in great detail. Most of the chatter has surrounded Android Netbooks but one product scarcely mentioned, if at all, has already been developed by a Japanese company – an Android Digital Photo Frame. Macnica Inc and Fujitsu [...]

Alpha 680 Android Netbook Poses For Camera

by Rob Jackson on May 14th, 2009

The universe (minus some) eagerly awaits the arrival of an Android Netbook. When we first told you about the Alpha 680 last month, it was one of many Android Netbook rumors floating around. But this one has gotten much more concrete. First a video spotlighted the software: Now, pictures of the product in action appeared [...]

Barcode Scanning With Google Product Search

by Rob Jackson on May 14th, 2009

Great Barcode Scanning applications are already on the Android Market – nod to ShopSavvy – but Google has just added that function to their own stable of services within Google Product Search. A post published on the Official Google Mobile Blog highlights the addition. Here are the quick and easy steps: 1) Visit Google.com 2) [...]

Trent Reznor: NIN Android App On The Way!

by Rob Jackson on May 13th, 2009

When Apple rejected the Nine Inch Nails iPhone application, Trent Reznor flipped out, calling Android cool but pointless in the process. It appears Mr. Reznor has changed his mind as he recently tweeted that a NIN Android Application is on the way, coming right after a BlackBerry app. He must have read that article about [...]

Rooting Your Phone: T-Mobile Disclaimer

by Rob Jackson on May 13th, 2009

Many eager cupcakers have decided NOT to wait for the official update and have instead “rooted” their phones and installed the cupcake software themselves. A user on the T-Mobile Forums provided a 3-part Video Tutorial via Youtube, teaching How To Root Your Android Phone. T-Mobile added the following disclaimer above his post: WARNING: T-Mobile does [...]

Samsung i7500: Switzerland For $630 Without Contract In July

by Rob Jackson on May 12th, 2009

The Samsung i7500 is locked and loaded as the first ever Samsung Android Phone and we’re eagerly awaiting its launch. Samsung has already announced its availability in Europe starting in June but now we’re getting price details from a foreign language Samsung site. So what do we learn? The Samsung i7500 will be available in [...]

Google Sky Map Now Available In Android Market!

by Rob Jackson on May 12th, 2009

Yesterday we posted an article about Star Droid, an Android application being developed by Google that will allow you to use your Android Phone to identify the stars your looking at in the night (or day) sky. That application has JUST launched but under a different name: Google Sky Map. Here is Kevin Serafini, software [...]

Google Looking for Guinea Pigs for Netbook Study

by Tyler Miller on May 12th, 2009

We’ve all heard the rumors and fanfiction regarding Android on netbooks, and part two of the issue is always "just how usable would it be?". It seems that Google is just as curious as us and wants to find out. Hiding amongst ads for old chairs and casual encounters, Google has posted an ad on [...]

Android Cupcake, Donut, Eclair and Beyond…

by Rob Jackson on May 12th, 2009

The legend of Cupcake… how it go so ridiculously popular I am not sure. But the Android loving masses wanted a touchscreen keyboard and when the name “Cupcake” surfaced, people never took their eyes off it. They wanted it. They needed it. But now they are going to Homer Simpson it. The next dev branch [...]

Android 2.0 Donut, Samsung Bigfoot, Samsung Spica And More Rumors!

by Rob Jackson on May 11th, 2009

The rumor mill is pumping at a furious pace. Not an hour after we learned the T-Mobile G1 Bigfoot might be manufactured by Motorola rather than HTC, we come across a slew of rumors on the well-respected Russian website Mobile-Review suggesting the Bigfoot is a Samsung species. Sorting it all out is going to be [...]

T-Mobile G1 Bigfoot… Made By Motorola

by Rob Jackson on May 11th, 2009

Yes. That is the answer to the following question posed by BGR: Our question of the day is, does anyone care what I just wrote? I suppose you want to know what he just wrote: The T-Mobile G1 version 2, also known as Bigfoot, is not an HTC phone. The T-Mobile G1 Bigfoot is made [...]