Chris Burns

Author: Chris Burns

Google Offices Raided by Korean Fair Trade Commission

By Chris Burns
on 6 Sep, 2011

It appears that Google's Seoul offices have been raided today by Korean trustbusters looking for information on the possible stoppering of search opponents in the company's mobile operating system Android. Search engine company NHN (popular in the area) and Daum Communications this past April asked the country's Fair Trade Commission to investigate Google's mobile search business practices. It appears that this request may well have been the source of the raid this week, and Google has responded with compliance and assurances to the public that they've got no ill willing code in play that would make their OS an unfair playing field.

Android Update Alliance Put Under Microscope, Gingerbread Found Missing

By Chris Burns
on 6 Sep, 2011

Remember back at Google I/O when the folks at Google announced an alliance between manufacturers that would all but guarantee you'd have updates sent to your Android devices up to and including 18 months after its inception date? Have you heard anything about that group since? Not just a whole heck of a lot, right? Well check it out, the folks at AndroidAndMe have done a study taking into account every released device at this very moment and have found which devices have the most current OS (and we're talking only about smartphones here, not tablets), that OS being Android 2.3 Gingerbread right this moment. What they've found, first of all, is that HTC is in the clear lead with 13 devices on Gingerbread while Samsung is the closest behind with 9 devices on Gingerbread in total.

IFA 2011 Wrap-Up

By Chris Burns
on 5 Sep, 2011

As you may already know, we were live and in action this year in Berlin at IFA 2011, and without a doubt it was a year for tablets on the Android front. Samsung, Toshiba, and ViewSonic brought the heat while Lenovo brings on the candy-coated goodness. Then there's what many have considered the superstar of the whole show: the Samsung Galaxy Note; not a smartphone yet not quite a tablet - kind of like the Britney Spears of Android mobile devices, if you will. Take a dunk with us as we get hands-on looks at everything under the sun.

Muffin Knight App Review [Video]

By Chris Burns
on 5 Sep, 2011

It's time for a great app, a brand new app, an app that's going to change your LIFE - this is Muffin Knight, a game in which you shoot arrows, black holes, and belched-up food and guts in order to gain access to a set of muffins which you must return to a sorceress who's taken your life away from you for your sin of hunger. Sound like the game for you? Delve in with me to a world where it's not the muffins you eat, it's the on-fire pigs that you burn to death with you additional dragon flames and/or flaming arrows. There's even a gnome with a shotgun!

PowerSkin for HTC Sensation 4G and ThunderBolt Review [Video]

By Chris Burns
on 5 Sep, 2011

For those of you wishing to get a whole heck of a lot of battery life out of their smartphones, your time has arrived. If there's one system that's working right now that, besides is obvious added bulk, will make your smartphone into a easy day's worth of workhorse at least, that being PowerSkin rubberized case and smartphone battery charger attachment. What PowerSkin offers you is a bit of protection and one whole heck of a lot of additional battery power in the form of a constant charger. You plug the microUSB in the slot, slip the smartphone in the skin/case, and you're on your way. You're able to go about your day as per normal then, charging the charger and the device up with a new port that you'll see coming out the side of the charger, and a powering you shall go!

Sony Tablet S Available for Pre-Order Now, Ships on September 16

By Chris Burns
on 5 Sep, 2011

It appears that Sony's latest Android effort, that being the Sony Tablet S, will be on sale soon, currently showing up in several online shops for pre-order and shipping on the 16th of September. This device is one that we've reviewed in full here on Android Community and whose close cousin the Sony Tablet P we've also got a full hands-on with as well. Lucky you, the first of these two tablet devices will be in your hands in less than a month if store information proves to be completely correct. Will the awesome uniqueness of this tablet set offset the costs which rival all other Android tablets?

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 up for sale at Vodafone UK

By Chris Burns
on 5 Sep, 2011

It appears that one of the only carriers in the entirety of Europe to get their Galaxy Tab 10.1 shipment before the massive Euro ban of the tablet, Vodafone UK, has now got their stock up for sale, thanks to the courts suspension of said ruling outside of Germany. This device of course is also for sale in some other bits of the world including the USA and Australia, but has certainly suffered some losses in potential sales due to the court ruling. Meanwhile the rest of the UK is more than likely awaiting shipment of their Tabs so that sales may resume across the English side of the ocean.

HTC Sensation ROM provides 1.56GHz Overclock

By Chris Burns
on 5 Sep, 2011

It appears that the developer known as mike1986 has created a lovely new ROM for the HTC Sensation specifically which bumps the device's processor speed up to 1.56 GHz. While this device's original dual-core processor speed was clocked at 1.2GHz, this ROM provides the device with the original stock speed of its MSN8660 chipset, that being 1.51GHz by default, here controlled automatically by built-in O/C Daemon. In addition to this speed boost, you'll find that there's only speed boosts and power optimizations across the board: that means your device will look and feel exactly the same, it'll just be BETTER!

Verizon Labor Day Sales include XOOM, ThunderBolt, Galaxy Tab, Continuum

By Chris Burns
on 3 Sep, 2011

There's a big handful of devices on sale this weekend up until Labor Day including more than a couple of our old favorites on the Android front. All of these sales are online exclusives and each of them requires a 2-year activation, but beyond that you're in the sweet, sweet discount world. First there's the HTC ThunderBolt which is now $149.99 - this is the only LTE-capable smartphone on the whole list, and buying it here will mean it's pre-owned. Then there's the Motorola XOOM for $299.99 - note that this is a pre-owned model you'll be getting - this is the only LTE-capable tablet on the list. There's a couple of LTE mobile modems on sale too but I'll let you check those out for yourself since they're not Android-based.

Motorola Droid BIONIC Given Hands-on Treatment, Unboxing, Benchmarks, and more in bworly65 Videos

By Chris Burns
on 3 Sep, 2011

It appears that at least one Android superfan has gotten his hands on one of the next big magnificent pieces of Google mobile operating system, the Motorola Droid BIONIC. This device is set to be the first dual-core smartphone on the market with Verizon's 4G LTE connectivity. Today what we're seeing is a fellow going by codename bworly65 filming every little hands-on video you could ever hope for.