Entourage shuts down Edge content store, devices reportedly discontinued
It seems natural selection has finally caught up with the Entourage Edge. When we first reviewed the combination touchscreen/E Ink “dualbook,” we wondered whether its neither-fish-nor-fowl design would catch on — especially priced at $500. That price dropped substantially with its successor, the Pocket Edge, but neither device truly found its feet, in part because of a lack of applications and no updates beyond Android 1.6. And now comes word that the Edge store has officially closed, with customers having until May 27 to download any purchased content. It all points to RIP for the Edge family, and Good E-Reader claims to have recent confirmation from the company. In its goodbye message Entourage steers users toward the Amazon app store, where it notes “you will now have access to a lot of Android Apps that Google would never give us access to.” Obvious bitterness aside, the team reportedly has a new device in the works, this time in the typical slate model.
[Thanks, Roy]
Entourage shuts down Edge content store, devices reportedly discontinued originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dual-booting ViewSonic ViewPad 10 gets Android 2.2 upgrade, patient owners join 2010
Good things come to those who wait. If you bought the dual-booting ViewSonic ViewPad 10, Android 1.6 be damned, we have some good news — the tablet’s getting an upgrade to Android 2.2. Just to refresh your memories, that leap from Donut to Froyo means ViewPad 10 owners will now get updated Gmail, Calendar, Google Maps, Gallery, and YouTube apps, a refined onscreen keyboard, compatabilty with newer applications, and a healthy dose of sorely needed eye candy. New customers can choose one that also runs Windows 7 Home Premium and has 16GB of flash storage ($599) or one with Win 7 Professional and 32GB of space ($679). As for those of you champing at the bit to upgrade, ViewSonic is keeping things interesting by compelling you to download Froyo onto a thumb drive, and then plug both it and a USB keyboard into the ViewPad to install the update. Then again, something tells us the kind of person who would opt for the ViewPad 10 over other ViewSonic tablets might actually enjoy the challenge.
Dual-booting ViewSonic ViewPad 10 gets Android 2.2 upgrade, patient owners join 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Xperia X10 review
The Xperia X10 is a continuation of every smartphone aficionado’s love-hate affair with Sony Ericsson. It’s a combo of exceptional hardware and build quality, with poorly implemented software that is taking far too long to get updated. By the latest standards, it’s no powerhouse, but the specs are still good and were top of the line when we first saw it at CES in January 2010. But the software. Oh the software — especially the fact that it’s still running Android 1.6 is so hard to swallow. Hit the break, and have a look at the impressions, both good and bad, that AT&T’s version of the X10 left on me.
Posted originally at Android Central
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Dell Streak $299 after contract; $549 outright; Aero is $99 on contract
Dell has announced the prices for the much anticipated Streak and Aero Android phones. The 5-inch Streak will be $299.99 with an eligible two-year AT&T agreement, and $549.99 if bought outright. It’s normal-sized little brother, the Aero, will run you $99.99 with contract, and only $299.99 off contract.
For the Streak, you will need to sign up for the pre-sale opportunity, which gives you a spot in line, free shipping and a $0.99 cent Plantronics Bluetooth headset. Those who register will receive a special purchase link sometime on July 27, and if you don’t use it before July 28, the deal disappears. No such deal for the Aero, which will be available at the Dell website on Aug. 9. [Dell]
Posted originally at Android Central
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The Samsung Behold II is getting updated
Tired of Cupcake on your Behold II? T-Mobile is rolling out an OTA update to Donut (Android version 1.6), which is supposed to be the final version add for the phone. Sure, Android 1.6 may not have been the version you were all hoping for, but it comes with a number of bug fixes, Google Apps (Google Voice Search, Google Maps, etc.) and support for Swype. Do you wish the Behold II had more of a sweet tooth for the heavier desserts? Post a comment if you wish it did or if you’re fine with the more mild sweets.
[via TmoNews]
Posted originally at Android Central
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Another Android tablet straight ‘outta Shenzen — now with 20% more bezel!
Resistive screen? Check. Outdated version of Android? Check. Familiar looking box and logo? Check. Yes, all the makings of a cheap knockoff are in there. Some people call them ‘KIRFs’ (Keeping It Real, Fake). We call them …. well, we call them lots of things — most of which aren’t fit to print. This one’s a bit more interesting though. Not because of the internals (they’re still lackluster), but because of the lengths manufacturer Sanxi went to making this a complete clone of that other tablet. Even the box is a pretty close replica. If you’re wandering the streets of Beijing be on the lookout. If you’re not, just hit the source link for a chuckle or two. [Tech, Travel and Tuna via Engadget]
Posted originally at Android Central
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Commtiva Blaze passes the FCC, is headed for Cincinnati Bell
Everyone seems to be getting into the Android spirit. We learned today that the Commtiva Blaze passed through the FCC, and is headed for Cincinatti Bell. No word on processor or memory specs quite yet, but what we do know points to the Blaze being another solid entry level phone. Quadband GSM and dual band 1700/2100 HSDPA (which means it would also make a great pre-paid T-Mobile handset), Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, WiFi 802.11 b/g, 5 MP camera with LED flash and autofocus, GPS and aGPS, and a 1230mAh battery all wrapped up in what looks to be a slightly customized version of Android 1.6.
While it may not be a screamer, it’s always nice to see new handsets — especially when the smaller carriers are beginning to get into the game. [via CellPhone Signal]
More details on the Lenovo LePhone
More details have become available for the Lenovo LePhone, and not all of them are pretty. Previously thought to be running Android 2.1, it now appears to be running a highly-customized version of Android 1.6 that is being called LEOS (LEnovo OS?).
Despite some quirks such as a proprietary data cable and a back with "striped texture feels like a touch rusty iron in the same chip," the reviewer seems to like the phone quite a bit. The source is all in Chinese, but it’s worth a look even with a poor translation. [CNbeta.com]
Google Gesture Search now available for Android 1.6
You may remember when Google announced Google Gesture Search, and many of you were sad to find out that it was only available on Android 2.0 and higher. We did a video walk through of this in action for all those who were unable to use it due to device restrictions, but today has become your lucky day. Google now has released a version of this that will now work on Android 1.6 and above. The release unfortunately is still only the English version, although they have made some minor performance improvements, as well as fixed some bugs they had run across. For all those that have not been able to try it out yet, check it out in the market place and let us know what you think. [via Google Mobile Blog]
Browser bug forces Archos to pull Android 1.6 update
Whoopsie. No sooner than did Archos post an Android 1.6 update for the Archos 5 Internet Tablet, it apparently had to yank it. As you can see in the pic above, there was "a last-minute major issue with the Web Browser." The update was to bring improved video playback, better GPS fixes and some other Donut improvements. Archos hasn’t re-released the update yet, so stay tuned. [Pocketables via Slashgear]