2011: Year of the iPad 2!

[roundcorners]

The Express does look interesting... great form factor and great price... someone should review this, this would be a great device to ween a few BB users I know... certainly worth recommending...

Here are some respectable specs:

PRODUCTIVITY
? Android 2.3, Gingerbread featuring Sprint ID customizable user interface
? Full QWERTY keyboard
? 2.6-inch capacitive touchscreen
? 3G hotspot capability for up to five devices simultaneously
? Wi-Fi b/g/n capable
? Large battery for maximizing phone?s potential (1500mAh Li-Ion)
? Telenav GPS navigation enabled with turn-by-turn directions and point-of-interest searches
? Full suite of Google applications and services: Google Maps?, Google Talk?, Google Mail?, YouTube?
? Bluetooth? 2.1 enabled
? Touchscreen and integrated, backlit QWERTY keyboard makes sending email and editing documents fast and familiar
? Corporate email (Exchange Active Sync) and personal email (POP & IMAP)

ENTERTAINMENT
? 3.2MP camera and camcorder to capture the moments instantly
? Android Market providing access to more than 200,000 apps
? Sprint Zone ? a one-stop source to access your wireless account, phone tips, news, a list of top apps and more.
? Sprint Football Live ? Get the live game center play-by-play action, keep up with real-time stats, scores and customizable alerts.
? NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile ? Listen to live radio broadcasts of the race, get real-time stats, leader boards and telemetry data
? Sprint TV & Movies? ? Watch live broadcasts, special mobile programming and exclusive full-length, on-demand episodes.
? 3.5mm headset jack

SPECIFICATIONS
? Dimensions: 4.47 x 2.47 x 0.46 inches
? Weight: 4.76 ounces
? Display: 2.6-inch QVGA touch display with 320x240 TFT
? Battery: Standard removable 1500mAh Li-Ion battery, providing up to six hours continuous talk time.


I still do believe in the Brick & Mortar... your local B&N is an institution for many people and they will still spend $ to keep it alive...  Yes, I order Amazon books, but we will always get coffee, toys, gifts and children books there... I do gravitate towards the Nook form factor and I think I would hold up better hardware wise than the Fire...

I'll try to dig up the latest developments over the weekend on which device is making the most custom ROM progress...

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Thanks for the mini-review.

Your point about the home button and physical volume controls is also one of my concerns. I do think that you can do without the home button... but I do wonder what Amazon was thinking when getting rid of the volume ones... the Playbook had them, so why not just leave them in?

BTW... RIM cut prices by on the Playbook... if not for the lack of apps and native email, $199 for the 16gb is very good. It has better hardware than the Kindle and it's supposed to eventually have Android App compatibility. RC, if I were to pick a $200 tablet to hack Android onto, I would pick this up instead of the others... you could probably get ICS to work on it eventually.

And while I have no doubt that Amazon will sell tons of Fires... you can walk into any BB and see a bunch of them stacked on the floor... you never saw that a few days after the iPad released.

It's not a tablet market... it's an iPad one.

(just wanted to make RC *un*happy )

 

[roundcorners]

stuck in the office today... my days out in the field might be numbered... ???

thanks for the review Star... I hear that those things shipped logged-in & ready to buy...!  1-click purchasing sounds dangerous...


BTW... I'll be checking out more Google Videos this weekend for just .99...https://market.android.com/movies


BGR thinks... Ipads will still rule into 2014
http://www.bgr.com/2011/11/23/tablet-owners-in-the-u-s-expected-to-total-89-5-million-in-2014-apple-to-own-68-of-market/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBoyGeniusReport+%28BGR+%7C+Boy+Genius+Report%29

IHO... did you see this... Transformer Prime... might drop next week...!http://phandroid.com/2011/11/23/gamestop-pushes-asus-transformer-prime-release-date-up-to-1128/

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Oh slobber... next week? It's funny Gamestop packs a contoller... I've been using my PS3 controller with my TF playing some old console games... pretty cool.

Trying to decide between the TFPrime and one of those new superthin ultrabooks... gah.

My wife likes shoes/clothes/bags... I like gadgets... not sure who spends more though.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

If anyone sees the $199 16gb Playbook locally (Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, OfficeMax)... please PM me... I'd like to pick one up.

 

[roundcorners]

Busy morning here in NY... really nice weather...  ;-) seeing a bunch of people walking around with their newly minted Kindle Fires...

The kid and I brave the crowds on BF at the Best Buy in Torrance.. saw the Fire and the new Galaxy Tab 7 plus... two really nice devices.  If only the Tab can be had for the Fire price... The G-Tab 7+ at $399 puts it at striking distance for the Transformer Prime... bla...

So each device the Fire, Nook Tab and G-Tab 7+ & Prime all have their respective niches & prices... bla.. I'm this guy with the wife all weekend...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B7jJdIvCV0[/youtube]

But the wife is not relenting so no tablet for the RC household (just yet..)... the kid is already hooked at BB on Need for Speed driving games; and he will spend plenty of time in his childhood playing video games so we did decide on a Marble Run set to keep things Analog for this Christmas...

Besides... the Touchpad here works great for shows at least for now...

IHO... before you sell your TF... try and port ICS...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HgJKqI3Nfh8[/youtube]

 

[roundcorners]

In other... iPhone 4S news... has your Lithium Battery catch on fire yet...?

http://avherald.com/h?article=446c4f7f&opt=0

was enroute when a passenger's Iphone started to emit smoke followed by red glow. The flight attendant managed to cool the Iphone down and stop glow and smoke.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG_UuPmLO1c[/youtube]

Android... removable battery... again ...FTW!!

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Android... removable battery... again ...FTW!!

Not all of them... I believe the RAZR is integrated.

I hear ya on the 7 Plus.... I don't know how any 7" tablet can compete with the Fire at $199 and the Playbook "temporarily" priced at $199. Even at $299... it's going to be a tough sell.

This is for ANY smartphone:

 

[roundcorners]

I like where Google is taking all this Galaxy Nexus marketing... how cool is this commercial?  Now if only the phone were out... everyone on G+ would stop complaining...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DAlO9Mt7-XA[/youtube]

On a more sober note about video conferencing... breaks my heart seeing the kid so sad when I try video chatting with him, wife and I almost don't want to do it anymore, it reminds him how much he misses me, when I'm gone... anyone else have the same issue with their two year old...?



I was calling some local Targets last night... when I saw this special... but I guess different stores make their own decisions on pricing... was probably a mistake...

Galaxy Note coming to the US?  I saw the Galaxy 5" Player at BB and yeah... it's huge, so it will be hard for a daily driver...


ok.. after a couple of months... we have Siri's answer...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SeDZ4Trn_jk[/youtube]

not the most glowing review...http://www.androidcentral.com/video-hands-cluzee-not-quite-siri-competitor

But I'm guessing most Android users are over the whole talking thing...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dd5Nex63qQY[/youtube]

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I tried to find that $123 Kindle Fire... doesn't seem like any SoCal stores are honoring the price.

And still haven't found a $199 Playbook.

I'm getting tablocked.

 

[roundcorners]

IHO... just got my Google Maps Update... of indoor spaces...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P42INh3QATs&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

this has to be the coolest update yet... just in time for X-mas shopping... I'm walking around at the convention hall and it's dead accurate... now Google can see where I shop...! (yikes..)


Yup... works great looking at the Macy's at SCP, even has location of departments within Macy's...!  Gotta show the wife this... not that she's interested... she has that place scoped out for years, always blows my mind how she know where to park for which store...!

 

[jvna]

Haven't tried it, but Cluzee has bad ratings/comments in the Market.  It doesn't support all phones yet either.

 

[roundcorners]

Did anyone else see this from Toyota..?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxat4x7VhMU[/youtube]


Galaxy Tab 7 Plus Rooted and http://phandroid.com/2011/11/30/samsung-galaxy-tab-7-0-plus-root-method-available/

Kindle Fire gets CM7 - no word on the Nook Tab yet...

Very nice... um... the Prime's Camera that is..   confirm being release Dec 8th...!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F_7thh_KUzs[/youtube]



Take a peep... Galaxy Nexus Guts..

Gotta run into a meeting this morning... funny thing, I'm in the office in front of a computer more than ever now, but I just don't feel as productive as on the robot out in the field... maybe it is the fact that I've got 5 programs running at the same time, with a combination of 16 browsers tabs open; 2 spreadsheets, one powerpoint and three email clients...

Somehow, the robot just knows how to simplify the interaction and only bring me information I really need and the little guy just knows how to pace the multi-tasking so that I don't tackle more than a couple of things at the same time... bla... time to jump on the old htc even while I got the 18" monitor on...

 

[roundcorners]

Happy December everyone... was pretty engrossed last night at the Carrier IQ scandal that broke this week... I finally make it through the entire video...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T17XQI_AYNo[/youtube]

This was about the time the winds started to blow last night, and things turned really creepy all of a sudden.  The lights even went out in and out at our house in the ghetto neighborhood...

Been trying to read as much as possible... and although there are a lot to be scared about I don't think it is anything new.  iPhone Rene over at tipb has a pretty good prespective...  BTW... one more good reason to be rooted and running CM7...!
http://www.tipb.com/2011/12/01/carrier-iq-customer-insight-mining/

We'll hopefully get more word out soon... it's just interesting cause; even now with the new Google Maps update along with Latitude, my wife can track me in real-time at home as I wind the labyrinth of the Macy' isles during the mad rush of Christmas shopping...


In other Android news...

The old G-Tab 7 for $199 - this morning... hopefully, we'll see another price drop before years end...

http://phandroid.com/2011/12/01/woot-has-7-inch-galaxy-tab-16gb-for-199/



It's in... the TF Prime reviews...http://www.androidcentral.com/asus-transformer-prime-review
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN9MSTvZffM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]



I'm frankly sick of Galaxy Nexus news... it's December & still no word... but cool screen saver...??? what? Screen savers so sooooo 1990s!!!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8ILnUmHVNtc[/youtube]

 

[roundcorners]

If I could be anywhere in the world this weekend; it would be...

AndroidLand...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KGwFphUxJ2k[/youtube]


But... I guess it's time to turn the home heater to full blast, bake some Trader Joe's Gingerbread and start the X-mas decorations...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9X2tj_uEz_s[/youtube]


what the wife got...

Hey... since GB is on more than 50% of devices now... I can't help it if the kit turns out more like this...!http://phandroid.com/2011/12/02/and...ow-baked-into-50-of-android-devices-and-more/

At this rate... it looks like we could see ICS CM9 for Christmas...http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/uZlBuISkDXY/story01.htm

Lastly... how cool is this...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdTOtVXFjcA[/youtube]

 

[roundcorners]

Christmas Lights  -  check
Christmas Tree -  check
Christmas Decoration - check
Gingerbread Man -  check
Cold Weather -  check
Galaxy Nexus - 

Samsung wants you to walk around to all the ladies&...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f4AhTiQkWwk[/youtube]


$99 - MIPS ICS Tablet...

Looking good for 7-inchers this morning... ZiiLabs Tab
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReI5y4Ju5cA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]


HTC Flyer gets ICS...

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Only because RC likes to do it:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/samsung-skyrocket-gets-too-literal-lights-up-mans-pocket/

Burning batteries is not just an i thing.

 

[roundcorners]

I know... sloooow Android news day... yeah, I saw that too... yeah I guess it would be pretty difficult to remove the battery once you discover that it is already burning a hole in your pants!!


Don't forget about the Thrive 7" this Holiday...http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/toshibas-7-inch-thrive-goes-on-sale-a-little-early-insists-it/

the mythical - white box...  :'(

 

[roundcorners]

One AC reader said it the best...

It has been confirmed that Verizon has officially not released any confirmation of an official release date for the already officially confirmed Galaxy Nexus.

It is, however, speculated that Verizon hates me, runs puppy mills, and is, in fact*, linked to baby seal clubbing incidents abroad.

*facts are neither official nor confirmed

Now the Friday date is in question; although I never put too much weight on it...  How is it that we can pin-point to the day 8 months in advance when my wife would give birth and Verizon can't even say when a phone will drop?  Continuing with the pregnancy analogy; this baby robot is already 2 months overdue and the mom is another 20 pounds heavier, another 2-feet rounder and still no contractions...



Some other random Android activities & news to pass the time...

http://androidphonenamegenerator.com/

I saw a Radioshack ad for $199... thought about it for about 1:99 seconds...
ICS on PB...

Edit:  sorry,,, did I say Playbook?  Kindle Fire... they look so identical...
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/kindle-fire-gets-unofficial-ice-cream-sandwich-port-mixes-tempe/
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg819ZqLMIY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]



PB gets rooted... more Android Apps available... ok gave a little more thought...http://www.androidcentral.com/blackberry-playbook-root-allowing-android-market-access

G-Note to hit ATT...http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/galaxy-note-for-atandt-hits-fcc-for-cups-of-tea/

Not Android related... but I had this idea for years now...http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/magnetu-connects-you-with-similar-people-in-your-area-because-d/

 

[roundcorners]

Tis' the season... Friends and family get together; time to wind down the year by sitting around a "real" (wood burning) fireplace, sipping hot chocolate, under the glow of the Christmas tree.  Some friend we haven't seen practically all year, and the inevitable question comes up, so whats going on?

Instead of trying to recall some random anecdote, guys especially like a little show and tell.  I spent literally no more than 10 minutes and simply pick a few pictures that highlighted our year and picked a song (or playlist) and came up with a 2-3 minute slideshow on the Android.

Your Android can already do that under the Gallery function; but it'll play ALL your pictures randomly and you can then manually open the Music player and start any song.  The kid and I did just that and we must have watch a totally random slideshow with whatever song was next in cue for at least half an hour.  The robot completely on the fly totally entertained and engrossed a two year old and brought a few tears to my eyes looking back at all of our precious memories.

There isn't much transition effects you can pick from; but each picture fades in & out smoothly and each picture slowly zooms in before transitioning.  Yeah, I can see where the single core CPU lags a bit but it isn't too noticeable.