Android Tablet Comparisons

Brandon Orndorff
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Android Tablet Comparisons

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show brought promises of Android tablets from nearly every company in the industry, although the selection of tablets making it to has grown substantially the differences in function are very small. The biggest difference will be company backing, popularity and the overall look and feel of the devices.  Android users will still find plenty to like here and there are still some differences between today’s android tablets to be aware of.  These are your four best bets for an Android tablet to rival and even beat out the iPad.

Acer Iconia Tab A500
acer iconia tab a500

First on our list is the Acer Iconia Tab. Acer is best known as a PC maker. These skills are helping them come out with some interesting phones, and when it come to tablets the company’s expertise in the PC world comes in handy. The Iconia Tab is the only current Android 3.0 tablet with a full-sized USB port, which can be used for external USB storage and even keyboards. The A500 has two of the best tablet speakers of any tablet, with built in Dolby support.  Although they are rear-facing, they easily out perform the iPad. This tablet is a bit larger than most of the other ipad rivals but for a 10.1-inch tablet, you’re not getting anything less than extraordinary. It matches most of the tablets on the market with a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 16GB of storage, and 1GB of RAM, as with all other tablets the Wi-Fi version costs much less than the 3G version.

Motorola Xoom
motorola xoom tablet

The Xoom is not a the best of the best when it comes to tablets, but two of the most important features, Flash support and 4G, weren’t available at initial release. Also, if you already purchased the 3G version of the Xoom, you will have to ship it off to get the 4G upgrade. This being said, Verizon’s 4G LTE network is worth the wait. Though its $799 3G version without a contract is on par with the 32gb 3G iPad.  If you have $599 to spend, the Wi-Fi version of the Xoom is fine for home and office use. Once Android 3.1 comes out we will see how it effects this device.

T-Mobile G-Slate
T-Mobile G-Slate

The T-Mobile G-Slate, also known as the LG Optimus Pad, requires T-Mobile data service which is a definite drawback. With a contract, the tablet costs $750, but you’ll get a $120 instant discount and $100 mail-in rebate, making the final price $530, plus the monthly cost of data. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network is decent, but it is not the true 4G experience that an LTE network like Verizon’s provides. The G-Slate is an 8.9-inch tablet running Android 3.0. It’s a little easier to handle than the Iconia Tab and about an inch skinnier than the Xoom.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7
Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7inch

Galaxy Tab still runs Android 2.2 Froyo, but Samsung recently announced that a 2.3 upgrade is coming soon. It’s not one of the more stylish tablets, but the 7-inch Galaxy Tab is in every way more stable than Android 3.0 Honeycomb Tablets, which still has some real issues. Only the BlackBerry Playbook offers 7-inch competition for the Galaxy Tab.

HTC Flyer Tablet Released

Brandon Orndorff
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0
HTC Flyer Tablet Released

This Tablet seems to be a standard Android Tablet.  Its a clean easily used device although comes in with a price point of $499.  It has a 7″ screen which seems small with all of the new tablets coming out with 10″ displays.  Although this device will have a HTC backing it which in itself means good things.

Product Features

  • Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system
    With HTC Sense allows you to stay connected and productive.
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n network
    For Internet capability on the go (additional fees may apply). HTC Watch allows you to rent or buy movies and watch them instantly.
  • Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP capability
    For wireless communication with a Bluetooth-enabled stereo headset.
  • 7″ color touch-screen display
    With 1024 x 600 resolution for easy navigation of features.
  • 16GB internal memory
    Along with a microSDHC card slot allows you to store or transfer media (card not included).
  • Front-facing 1.3MP autofocus camera
    Along with a 5.0MP high-definition autofocus camera for capturing video.
  • Media player
    For viewing photos, listening to your favorite tunes or watching videos. Supported formats include AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MP3, WMA, WAV, 3GP, 3G2, MP4, WMV, AVI and XVID.
  • Snapbooth
    Allows you to capture, stylize and share photos.
  • HTC Notes
    With Time Mark and synching audio, photo and notes capability adds more useful functionality to your mobile phone.
  • Kid Mode by Zoodles
    Provides a safe and secure experience for kids.

 

Netflix App Finally Released on Android Market

Brandon Orndorff
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0
Netflix App Finally Released on Android Market

Finally, Netflix has come to the Android platform. Or some of it, at least.

The company announced Thursday afternoon that its Netflix application would be available as a free download on the Android Market immediately, complete with “Watch Instantly” streaming support.

But there’s a catch: Only a handful of Android phones will be able to run it.

As of today, four HTC model phones (the Incredible, EVO 4G, G2, Nexus One) and the Samsung Nexus S are the only devices capable of running the app.

We tried sideloading the app onto our Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, as well as onto an LG G2X smartphone; No dice. The G2X wouldn’t even open the app. We were able to access Netflix’s web store through the Galaxy Tab, but we weren’t allowed to stream movies on the unsupported device.

Netflix product team member Roma De explains the holdup in a blog post. Essentially, the sheer number of different Android devices available is problematic, because Android lacks “standard streaming-playback features that the Netflix application can use to gain broad penetration across all available Android phones,” De wrote.

Of course, the iPhone has had this capability for the better part of a year, and Netflix works as well on the iPod Touch and the iPad. Even Windows Phone 7 support exists. This makes sense, however, because Netflix would only have to deal with a small number of devices on these platforms.

But developing streaming-playback support for the entire Android platform — host to over 300 different Android-powered devices — is a major ordeal. “In the absence of standardization,” wrote De, “we have to test each individual handset and launch only on those that can support playback.”

A Netflix spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

It makes sense, however, for Netflix to push its application out to the Android platform even in such an incomplete state. At its I/O developer conference in San Francisco this week, Google announced the debut of movie rentals through Android Market, directly from Google. Starting at just two bucks, you can rent from a list of thousands of current and older releases from Google’s Market store. After you pay for your rental, you’ll be able to watch the movie on any Android device you want, as well as your desktop.

Obviously Google’s deal isn’t as lucrative as Netflix’s flat monthly fee of $8 a month. But with Google pushing its new movie rentals product to a gigantic market of more than 100 million activated devices, Netflix needed to act fast. So — however hurried — a launch like this and the ensuing frustration makes a certain amount of sense.

 

 

Original article can be found at: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/netflix-android-phone/

Root Method for Samsung Fascinate

Brandon Orndorff
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0
Root Method for Samsung Fascinate

This is for those of you with using the Samsung Fascinate.  Rooting your phone is a simple process but be sure that you read through all directions and download the files before you begin to be sure you have everything you need.

1. Download and Install Samsung Drivers:  64bit Drivers or 32bit Drivers

2. Enable USB Debugging mode (Go to Settings > Applications > Developement > Enable Debugging

3. Plug your phone into your computer via USB

4. Download the Fascinate Root Files here and extract them.

5. Run START_ROOT from the extracted folder

6. Be patient and don’t touch your phone until the process is complete.

If you have any troubles running this 1 click root method then please follow these guidelines.
1. Check to make sure you installed the Samsung Drivers
2. Make sure your phone is connected using the original cable that came with the phone
3. Verify that debugging is enabled.
4. Try to run it again
5. If you are receiving errors then your phones drivers were not installed
6. If you are having a different please post here so we can help you.

Finally if you need more immediate help then check on irc.freenode.net #samsung-fascinate

How To Remove Root

adb shell
su (its going to ask you for permission on your phone so hit allow)
mount -t rfs -o remount,rw /dev/block/stl9 /system
rm /system/app/Superuser.apk
rm /system/xbin/busybox
rm /system/xbin/su
rm /system/bin/su
rm /system/bin/busybox
mount -t rfs -o remount,ro /dev/block/stl9 /system
exit

 

As always Android Advice is not responsible for bricked or damaged phones as this is for informational purposes only.  Although we know you are here because you want to root your fascinate, you take on all risks associated with doing so.

Motorola Xoom vs Archos 101

Brandon Orndorff
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0
Motorola Xoom vs Archos 101

There are many tablets on the market today but which ones are actually worth looking at? Currently there are 2 that spark interest in the Android community, one being the Motorola Xoom and the other being the Archos 101 Internet Tablet. While Both of these tablets run the android OS there are a few differences.

1. Price Point
The Archos 101 wins in this category due to the fact that its starting price is only $299 for the 8gb model and $350 for the 16gb model making it one of if not the most inexpensive tablet on the market.  The Motorola Xoom starts at $600 for the wi-fi only version and $799 for the 3G model.

2. Storage Space
The Motorola Xoom wins here due to its large 32gb on board storage where the Archos only comes with 8gb or 16gb onboard (although there is an expansion slot for up to 32gb more space with a microSD card.

3. Overall Speed
While the Xoom has a much faster dual core 1ghz processor and a bit more memory it tends to be much slower than it should be since its running Honeycomb.  The Archos with the slower 1ghz processor keeps up since its running the more stable Froyo OS.  This category is a tie unless you go through Honeycomb and clean it up for speed.

4. Physical Attributes
The Xoom has a weight of 708 grams for the wifi only version and 730 grams for the 3G version with a height of 249mm, width of 167.8mm and a thickness of 12.9mm.  The Archos 101 has a weight of 480 grams which is almost half that of the Xoom and a height of 270mm width of 150mm and thickness of just 12mm.  This makes the Archos a much lighter & slightly thinner tablet.  Although this ultimately is a preference as the Xoom has more of a standard look and the Archos is Widescreen making this a tie since its only preference.

Ultimately the decision would be preference, the Archos 101 Internet Tablet for those of you interested in price and only need wi-fi connections although if you want 3G access you won’t get this with the Archos and will have to go with the Xoom.

 

Android Market Force Closing Fix

Brandon Orndorff
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1
Android Market Force Closing Fix

After playing with my phone a bit and installing / uninstalling apps and games I noticed that the Google Android Market started force closing every time I opened it.  This is a common issue with android devices in general but the fix is very easy.  Follow the steps below and everything should be fine again.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Applications.
  3. Select Manage Applications.
  4. Select Market
  5. Select Clear cache.
  6. Back out of the screen and select Download Manager.
  7. Select Clear data.
  8. If your market still isn’t working clear data for Google Apps, Google Talk, and Checkin Service. These generally aren’t the issue but in some cases they can be as they are associated with the market as well.

The Android Market should now work again (you will have to re enter your credentials so be sure you know what they are.

Please keep in mind that there are occasional updates by Google that causes issues with certain devices but they tend to fix these issues within a few days.  There was one recently that lasted only a few days and there was absolutely nothing you could do to get it to stop besides waiting patiently.

UPDATE: August 2013 (6th-13th) The Google Play store was giving people the dreaded “Market Force Closing” message and this is one of those cases where the process above will not fix it as its not a device issue but a Play Store issue.  This was one of the longer outages I have seen with this error although it was fixed just the same.

In most cases the methods above will fix your issue although you should look around and see if many others are having the issue before doing something drastic like wiping your device.

Root Samsung Galaxy, Captivate, & Vibrant

Brandon Orndorff
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0
Root Samsung Galaxy, Captivate, & Vibrant

Most Android users are somewhat tech savy otherwise you’d just get an iPhone right?  So you’ve bought a Samsung Galaxy, Captivate, or Vibrant and want to run free tethering apps and cool file managers but have no idea how to root your phone to allow you to run these applications.  Well here it is.

That said you may want to experiment with your Samsung Galaxy S or some of its variants like the Captivate or Vibrant and get root access on your phone.

PC Instructions

root samsung galaxy captivate vibrant
how to root samsung galaxy captivate vibrant
  1. Download the rooting application from (mirror link).
  2. you need to have .Net Framework version 4 – you can grab it from Microsoft’s website if you don’t have it already.
  3. Install Samsung Drivers if you don’t have them already – download link.
  4. Extract the contents of GalaxyS_Vibrant_One-Click_Root.rar to a folder.
  5. Connect your phone to your PC via USB port
  6. Make sure your phone is in USB Debug mode (MENU -> Settings -> Applications -> Development-> USB debugging = Checked )
  7. Launch the file “T-Mobile Vibrant One-Click Root.exe” file.
  8. Click the “One-Click Root” button.

Un-Rooting Instructions

If something goes wrong or you need to return your phone for some reason you can always un-root. The instructions are the same, except that in this case you press the “Unroot” button. It is suggested that you restore the phone back to stock ROM before even needing to unroot.

The process above has been tested on Samsung Galaxy S phones with Android 2.1 Éclair. The following versions of the device should work as well: GT-I9000 (the original Galaxy S), Captivate SHG-I897, Vibrant SGH-959, GT-I9000M and Epic SPH-D700 (untested but should work just fine).

Rooting adds few files to your system and unrooting removes them:

  • /system/xbin/busybox (version 1.17.1)
  • /system/xbin/su
  • /system/app/Superuser.apk (version 2.3.1)
  • and links /system/bin/su to /system/xbin/su

 

As always Android Advice is in no way responsible for any damage to your phone and you root your phone at your own risk.  This article is for informational purposes only.

 

Original article can be found at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=739304

Root Atrix 4.1.83 (AT&T)

Brandon Orndorff
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1
Root Atrix 4.1.83 (AT&T)

Root your Atrix with GladRoot v4.2 on AT&T 1.83

Before you begin your phone must be rooted previously using GladRoot and phone must be running 4.1.57.

If you aren’t rooted and already updated to 4.1.57 or 4.1.83
1. If you have already updated your phone to 4.1.83 and its not previously rooted using GladRoot please follow these instructions to get your phone back to stock so that you can flash your firmware back to 4.1.26.

If you are Running firmware 4.1.26
2. After you have flashed back please follow these instructions to root your phone using GladRoot and then update to 4.1.57.

If you are running firmware 4.1.57 and currently rooted using GladRoot
3. All you have to do once your Atrix has firmware version 4.1.57 and rooted is update your phone to 4.1.83 and run the afterupdate.bat in your Gladroot folder again.

Your all done (yes its that easy)

 

As always this article is here for informational purposes and Android Advice cannot be held responsible for any damage to your phone.  Rooting your phone is against your TOS and while we do not condone this we want you to be informed.

GladRoot your Motorola Atrix (AT&T)

Brandon Orndorff
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0
GladRoot your Motorola Atrix (AT&T)

Root your Atrix with GladRoot v4.2 on AT&T 1.57

  • This will root your phone. There is no need to run aRoot before this, and you should NOT be running SuperOneClick anymore Gladroot will root the same way aroot does and cleanup the SuperOneClick.
  • This has options to enable sideloading and the tethering APN. Enabling sideloading will not add an Unknown Sources checkbox.

If you are already on 1.57 and do not have root, you MUST flash back to 1.26 for this to work. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Installation instructions: 1.26 to 1.57

  1. Download the script – link to download GladRoot
  2. Extract the GladRoot folder and files to C:\. Do not install anywhere else. Having it inside a folder with a space will cause the script to FAIL.
  3. Make sure your device is 1.2.6 and is not running any mods, I recommend a fresh SBF flash of 1.2.6. Download links and installation instructions here
  4. Enable USB debugging (Settings -> Applications -> Development).
  5. Connect your phone via USB
  6. Run gladroot.bat and follow the on-screen directions (If you’re using Windows 7, run as admin by holding down control and double-clicking).
  7. Verify that there are no errors before updating.
  8. Go to Settings -> About phone -> System updates
  9. Follow the on-screen instructions. First download the update (you will need a Wi-Fi connection for this), then it will prompt you to install.
  10. The update will reboot the device and install itself. If this part fails it’s because you are not on stock 1.2.6 firmware. Start over and read the directions.
  11. When it boots back up, verify USB debugging is still on. Some users report that disabling and re-enabling USB debugging solves a few issues with the script detecting your device (Settings -> Applications -> Development).
  12. Run afterupdate.bat (If you’re using Windows 7, run as admin by holding down control and double-clicking).
  13. Make sure you allow the superuser request on your phone or it WILL fail.
  14. All done! Enjoy your rooted Atrix on 4.1.57!

 

As always Android Advice is in no way responsible for any damage to your phone.  This is for informational purposes only.

 

Original post can be found at: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1016060

 

Flash Motorola Atrix back to Stock

Brandon Orndorff
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7
Flash Motorola Atrix back to Stock

Flash your Motorola Atrix back to stock.  This is used for either fixing a bricked phone, if you need to return a rooted phone, or flashing back so that you can root and update your phone from scratch.

WARNING – DO NOT FLASH ON BELL ATRIX

Flash Guide (Instructions)

  • Turn your phone off and remove the microSD and SIM cards
  • When you turn the phone on hold the volume up button until your screen shows RSD
  • If the phone says “Starting RSD protocol support” you have done it correctly
  • Run the RSD Lite program you downloaded earlier on your computer
  • Press the “…” button to the right of the Filename box.
  • Load the SBF file that you downloaded and extracted earlier.
  • Plug your phone into your computer via USB
  • RSD Lite should now recognize your phone and say “Model: NS Flash Olympus” and “Connected”
  • Press the Start button and be patient as its about a 20 minute process give or take
  • YOU’RE ALL DONE (enjoy you phone again)

Reported Issues or Problems

  • Some users experiencing WiFi connectivity weirdness
  • SIM-unlocked devices may still have WiFi problems
  • Market might not show all applications (easy fix on the way)

As always we aren’t responsible for anything that happens from this information as its just a guide for people who have already bricked or messed up their phone some other way.  We don’t condone using this guide we have just posted it for those that want to play with it.

 

Original post can be found at: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=991072

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