James DeRuvo

Author: James DeRuvo

Google Adds Movies to Android Market

By James DeRuvo
on 10 May, 2011

Google announced at Google I/O's first keynote that they'd be adding movies to their repertoire, allowing you to rent anywhere and watch movies anywhere. This feature is live at market.android.com, and is available for Android 2.2 and higher. Users will have a choice of over 3,000 Hollywood feature videos. Rentals will start at $1.99.

Google I/O Keynote 1, Part 1: Momentum

By James DeRuvo
on 10 May, 2011

Vic Gundotra was the first person to step on stage at Google I/O this year, his speech beginning with talks about the history of the conference. He basically instantly sent a fight call out at Apple with a lovely illustration of an Android eating a piece of well-chosen fruit. He went on to talk about viewing parties taking place now all around the world, regardless of the time. The first person Gundotra called on stage spoke on how 100 Million Android activations have taken place worldwide. The three main points of the keynote were three M's: Momentum, Mobile, and More.

Droid X Gingerbread update approved

By James DeRuvo
on 9 May, 2011

Last week, we reported a rumor that a Droid X Gingerbread update could be coming May 13th after being submitted to Verizon several times for approval. The update had originally been slated for an April release, but that slipped since Verizon wanted a few changes before signing off. The word now is that Gingerbread for the Droid X has been approved and will be coming out as an OTA update as early as Friday, May 13th. So while still a rumor, it takes the next giant step out of the shadows.

NOOKColor humming on Gingerbread thanks to CyanogenMod7

By James DeRuvo
on 9 May, 2011

The flexibility of the Barnes and Noble NOOKColor shows itself again as the Android eReader has been rooted to become a full-on Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) tablet. The mod, based on CyanogenMod7, has completely wiped out the BN ebook reader overlay and has also overclocked the NOOKColor's 800 Mhz processor in order to get it run smoothly. The only real issue appears to be a hardware limitation, since Gingerbread requires multiple hardware buttons and the NOOKColor only has a single button plus volume controls. But other than that, the NOOKColor is humming along rather nicely at 1.1 Ghz speed.

Google Accused of using Android Compatibility to Close Off Competition

By James DeRuvo
on 9 May, 2011

Google is in a unique spot that only Microsoft can hope to appreciate. This spot entails having an extremely popular operating system and balancing compatibility with numerous manufacturers who operate it. Where Microsoft went wrong is since they worked with so many hardware manufacturers, compatibility and security became epic problems. Where Google may be going wrong is learning from that and seeking to control compatibility to the point of being anti-competitive. That's the theme of a recent lawsuit between Skyhook and Google which gives us an inside look at Google's efforts to keep their OS both open and compatible.

Android Community covering Google I/O

By James DeRuvo
on 9 May, 2011

The time is almost here for Google I/O. Beginning tomorrow, the annual Google confab will run through Wednesday and Android Community will be there to cover it. LIVE! You can expect up to the minute coverage of everything coming out of the conference. Look for fast links from our Facebook Page, and via Twitter, along with more in depth coverage here on AC. Here's a quick look of what to expect ....

HTC’s 10 inch tablet known as Puccini

By James DeRuvo
on 9 May, 2011

A rendering of HTC's new 10 inch tablet has been leaked, as well as it's working name. Code named "Puccini," the Flyer's big brother looks to be one of the first tablets coming for AT&T which will connect via 4G/LTE. Other than that, we don't really know a lot. Interesting that the rendering doesn't appear to have the stylus incorporated with it, but there's talk it will support the Scribe capacitive pen. Other specs? At this point, it's anyone's guess.

Amazon drops the price on the Droid Incredible 2 another $20, now $79.99

By James DeRuvo
on 8 May, 2011

Amazon is getting seriously competitive in their pricing for the HTC Droid Incredible 2. They are currently listing it for $79 with a new two year contract from Verizon. That's $120 cheaper than Verizon's best price! And it hasn't really been around that long either.

The Amazon Tablet is a rumor that refuses to die

By James DeRuvo
on 8 May, 2011

DigiTimes is reporting that Taiwan based Quanta Computer has received a monthly order from Amazon for up to 800,000 tablet PCs at peak production. The tablets are expected to ship in the second half of 2011, making an Amazon Tablet ready to hit the market just in time for the holidays. Quanta is no stranger to tablets, being an OEM partner for both RIM and Sony. So, is it a credible rumor? Well, the touch screens are expected to be made by E Ink Holdings, which provides the screens on the Kindle. They use an electrophoretic display supported by Fringe Field Switching technology, which is just a fancy way of saying they've got great color gamut and bright, bold colors, according to Wiki.

Android T-Shirts are geek chic

By James DeRuvo
on 8 May, 2011

T-shirt makers who are Android obsessed are bound to incorporate their love for the Bot into all their other obsessions. And the geekier the better. That's why these Android T-shirts are so cool, they incorporate so many pop culture references that their almost an inside joke for those cool enough to appreciate. And they cross generations as well as geography, too, which makes them even cooler.