tablets

Android Atlas Weekly 7: How to root your Android phone (podcast)

The new Droid X is released...with a kill switch, anyone can create apps for an Android device, and special guest Darren Kitchen of Hak5.org shows us how to root an Android phone. Plus, we cover how to packet-sniff with your rooted droid, and share a tip on how to make that stock touch-screen keyboard more useful!

EPISODE 7News

The Motorola Droid X could brick itself if tampered with

Motorola spells out its reasons why...in February

...and it's all potentially a non-issue anyway… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1270: MP3: the gateway drug (podcast)

On today's show, Buzz Out Loud gets you a tiny bit high ... using a sine wave. Could it be!? Also, we continue our long slog through the Story that Wouldn't End: the iPhone 4 antenna issue. Press conference tomorrow! Also, will the Droid X self-destruct if you try to mod it? Maybe, maybe not. But it seems like the phone world is all about picking your poison these days.

HP shelving its Android tablet?

Hewlett-Packard is working on a variety of tablet PCs, running a variety of operating systems. Among them, an Android device that was supposed to arrive at market in the fourth quarter of 2010. But no longer. Sources in position to know tell me that HP's Android slate has been delayed and won't ship before the end of the year as planned.

Why? That's not entirely clear, but evidently the tablet has been tabled--at least for the time being.

Perhaps HP has decided to focus its resources on the future WebOS slate PC that its new Palm unit … Read more

Velocity Micro readies three Android tablets

So far, the anticipated wave of Android tablets competing against the Apple iPad has been little more than a trickle. The unfortunately named Dell Streak--though promising--has yet to show its face in the U.S., and the dated Android 1.5 OS on the Archos 5 and Archos 7 Home Tablet leaves plenty to be desired.

The recently announced Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet renews our hope for an agile, inexpensive Android alternative to Apple's runaway hit. Due out in September with a 7-inch capacitive touch screen and an affordable price of $299, the Cruz Tablet delivers a (mostly) complete Android OS 2.1 experience, including compatibility with Flash 10.1.

You also get 802.11n Wi-Fi, an SDHC memory card slot with an included 8GB card, 4GB of integrated memory, 800x480 native resolution, multitouch, accelerometer control, a front-facing camera, speaker, microphone, headphone jack, and plenty of media playback support (music, video, and e-books).

Unfortunately, the caveat with the Cruz Tablet is the same for all current Archos Android tablets, which is the inability to use Google's Android Marketplace app to browse, purchase, and download any of the thousands of apps made for Android. Like Archos, Velocity Micro offers their own integrated storefront for apps they've handpicked for the Cruz, but the pickings are presumably slim and the idea of limited access sorta goes against the whole ethos of Android.

Regardless, it's good to see another horse in the race, and Velocity Micro isn't stopping with just one tablet.… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1268: You've been served...a microcell (podcast)

We're hearing from more folks that AT&T is giving our free microcells to make up for its lousy service. Oh, and so is Verizon. Plus: Apple's Toyota moment, Windows XP gets a reprieve until 2020, and the undead crash their car.

A 3D display made of droplets

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded: Outlook Social Connector gets Facebook and Windows Live Messenger integration A New York man claims the rights to 84 percent of Facebook Research In Motion is rumored to be working on a tablet device running BlackBerry OS BMW integrates the iPod Out feature of Apple's iOS4 for in-dash iPod/iPhone control Barnes & Noble announces NookStudy for digital coursework Professors at Carnegie Mellon University show off 3D displays made of water droplets

Buzz Out Loud 1267: Fix your brain! (podcast)

Consumer Reports says it can't recommend the iPhone 4 because the antenna issue can be replicated and is, in fact, serious. Fanboy response: suck it up and buy a case. Molly response: epic rant. Also, the RIAA's wildly inflated file-sharing damages are smacked down once again, and Reddit begs for money.

Android Atlas Weekly 6: 2GHz phone coming soon? (podcast)

A 2GHz Android phone from Samsung, how to get a free Droid X, and Froyo trounces iOS4 in Javascript speed tests. Plus guest Molly Wood reviews the Kindle for Android app, and we discuss how to wipe the data from your phone.

Android 2.2 demolishes iOS4 in JavaScript benchmarks Yahoo! Launches Android Apps Report: More than half of Android apps are free Qualcomm unveils augmented reality platform for Google Android phones 21 Droid X phones are hidden waiting for you to find them … Read more

Puma phone for posers

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Netflix announced a deal with Relativity Media to stream movies soon after they are released to DVDApple has agreed to waive the restocking fee on the iPhone 4 for up to 30 daysLG is claiming to be working on an Android tablet, set for launch at the end of the yearFacebook is slowly rolling out software to help you tag your friends in photosSony drops the price on the entire lineup of Sony ReadersPuma launches the Puma phone but not in the U.S. unfortunately

LG announces plans for Android-based tablet

LG Electronics plans to release an Android-based tablet computer by the fourth quarter, the company announced Monday.

The South Korea-based company said in a press release that it will use Google's open-source operating system but provided no pricing or technical details. The tablet is part of an upcoming line of about 10 smart devices and smartphones that the company plans to release by year's end, LG said.

The press release stated that the first tablet LG plans to release will be based on the Android operating system. It's unknown whether the new tablet will replace or compete … Read more