As you almost certainly know, the vast majority of Google’s proprietary apps for Android employ a black-on-white color scheme, the better to aid visibility. If your phone uses an OLED or AMOLED screen, XDA modder “rujelus22″ presents his alternative: color-reversed “dark” apps that allow for a high degree of contrast (with admittedly slightly lower readability) and maximum battery-saving black space on the screen. The modified collection of Gingerbread apps includes the standard Gmail, Google Search, Android Market, Google Talk, Music player and Google Plus apps, with Google Voice, Documents, Translate, Twitter, Facebook, DropBox and the Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard thrown in for good measure.

The bad news is that you’ll need to get rid of the apps already on your phone in order to install them – for most of the core Android apps, that will require root access. And the apps are designed for Gingerbread, so while they should work on Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, they won’t be ideal replacements for the tablet or phone apps those users already have .There’s no conclusive numbers on how much battery power you can save with the modified files, but I’m sure some flashers are eager to take a few measurements. The modder says he or she intends to add more themed apps to the collection over time.

By the way, don’t install these if your phone’s screen uses an LCD, unless you just like the look. They won’t save any battery power at all. If you’re unsure of what technology your phone uses, check our Device.ac database.

[via MoDaCo]

But what are quantum dots, you ask? They’re semiconductor nanocrystals that glow brightly when exposed to light or current. Depending on the material and size of their form, they glow different colors. Because of the pureness of their color tied to the fact that the power they consume is relatively low compared to today’s mass produced methods, they’re bound to become a hot commodity in the next few years. But how much more power does an LCD screen use than a quantum-dot display? About 5 times as much. And what else could there possibly be to add to this simple equation? Quantum-dot displays are going to last longer than LCD screens and will cost less than half the amount of money to produce!

This technology is good, but still isn’t as powerful as OLED. Why not just keep using OLED? Cost. It’d cost a large amount more to produce OLED displays on a large scale than it would to produce quantum-dot. Also at the moment the quantum-dot technology combo being used isn’t quite up to spec: only lasting around 10,000 hours before these displays begin to lose brightness. Seth Coe-Sullivan, cofounder and chief technology officer of QD Vision, a fellow quite familiar with the goings-on in the business of creating quantum-dot displays, says the technology is around 3 years away from real implementation.

[via OLED-Display]

The LiveView is a 1.3-inch color OLED display that hooks up via Bluetooth to your Android smartphone, and thanks to a companion app that runs on the handset can send message and call updates, alarms and other information to the battery-powered screen.  More information here.

[via SlashGear]

That Ticker can be used for news, weather, RSS or other alerts, phone notifications, time/date and as shortcut controls; it’ll also work as a media playback control bar, and show new Facebook updates.  Swiping from side to side shows different control panes.

Meanwhile there’s a 5-megapixel camera, externally-accessed microSD card slot, dedicated camera key and TouchWiz; Verizon have also switched out Google for Bing, which is likely to disappoint a few people.  No word on how much this will cost, nor when it will arrive, but it’s certainly a curious device.

This handset features a feature a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display, 5MP camera, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Android 2.1. There’s also a T-DMB mobile TV tuner but this feature may be omitted if it does make its way out of South Korea. There also appears to be a front facing camera, all of these specs are subject to change. It is listed as “coming soon” after all.

[via engadget]

A recent Bluetooth filing from Samsung points to a MID is currently in development. This MID goes by the design name YP-MB2. The YP in this title stands for Yepp which Samsung use in classifying their music players. The MB2 part suggests that this is the successor to the MB1. Other rumors have this device outfitted with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, an AMOLED screen, a web browser and unnamed version of Android. We’ll stay on top of this rumor and see if any more information is leaked.

[via samsunghub]

Looks like T-Mobile is not done with the Sidekick branding. HTC will be the manufacturer of this device, and it will be another Android 2.1 phone. It will have a 1 GHz processor, a front facing camera and a 4.3 -inch Super AMOLED screen. The goodies don’t stop there though, this handset will also have 16GB of onboard storage. That’s right folks, not a preinstalled SDcard, built in storage like the Incredible.

There is currently no information regarding pricing, this phone is expected to release in the summer. We will stay on top of this story and let you know when more information is leaked out. This is shaping up to be a good for T-Mobile and it’s about time they stepped it up.

Korean carrier SK Telecom is expected to be the first carrier of this tablet. Also, there is a desktop dock being manufactured as well that will function similar to the one that is available for the iPad. Samsung is already taking shots at the iPad by saying this device is more powerful and will have more connectivity options than the iPad. This tablet will have a few apps installed, an eBook reader and the Samsung App store will provide access to more apps. A release date is not known or pricing.

[via slashgear]

Hungry for more Android info? How about a peek at some specs for the gorgeous HTC Desire including a 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen display, 5 MP camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, Android Market and an 8 GB microSD card. How about news of a launch date around July? We’ll need to make sure our rigorous testing is complete before you can get your hands on this sweet phone. Stay tuned here for more exclusive Android updates!

The quote above was taken from US Cellular’s Facebook page. Like the rest of US Cellular’s phones, this will be a CDMA based device. This may be good news for you Verizon and Sprint owners. If they can get a CDMA version, maybe the big boys can too. This phone was also rumored in the past to make its way to T-Mobile.

[via ubergizmo]

This phone is promised to feature Flash 10.1 and it will include its own Hulu app. Not much is known about how this app will work, my guess is it will function similar to the YouTube app that is included with Android. It has a 4.1 WVGA OLED screen. And like most new phones, it will be heavily social network integrated. Not much else is known about the specs, it should be packing nothing less than a 1GHZ type CPU and 512 RAM at the minimum. This phone is set for a release on AT&T, yes AT&T later this year and an LTE version will follow it sometime early 2011.

[via engadget]

Like all Nexus One’s, this phone will be sold exclusively by Google on their phone site. The Nexus has officially made its way onto all the major US carriers. Let’s see how this affects the sales figures now. Google may have made a few mistakes but it looks like their plan is falling into place. There’s no mention of this being subsidized by Sprint, so far T-Mobile is the only carrier to offer a discount on this device.

Here are the specs for those of you that have been hibernating all year.

• Google Maps(TM) Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
• Email: multiple Gmail(TM) accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
• Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook(R).
• Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
• Android Market(TM): access to more than 30,000 applications.
Hardware features of Nexus One include:
• Display: 3.7″ AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display
• Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
• Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
• Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
• Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
• Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
• Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
• Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
• Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
• Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive
In addition, Nexus One offers new functionality and software enhancements including:
• Enter text without typing.
• Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
• Tell your phone what you want it to do.
• Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
• Take personalization to the next level.
• Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
• More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
• Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
• 5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
• View pictures and Picasa Web Albums(TM) in the new 3D Gallery.
• Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube(TM) with one click.
• Read your voicemail messages.
• Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice(TM) integration, without changing your number.

[via slashgear, sprint]

The Galaxy Spica offers a 3.2″ AMOLED HVGA capacitive display, 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.6Mbps HSDPA/UMTS, 800MHz processor and up to 7 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby. It has Android 1.5 preinstalled with the promise of being updated to 2.1 in the future. That may come sooner then expected, although in the video it seem pretty unresponsive or maybe because its two guys trying to demo the same device.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ3zbzrcS9k&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

April 12th is the date they are expected to start delivery. This phone comes unlocked and SIM free.

Complete Specs (rumor til release):

* CPU Speed: 1 GHz
* Platform Android 2.1 (Eclair) with HTC Sense
* Memory ROM: 512 MB
* RAM: 576 MB
* Dimensions: (LxWxT) 119 x 60 x 11.9 mm (4.7 x 2.36 x 0.47 inches)
* Weight: 135 grams (4.76 ounces) with battery
* Display: 3.7-inch AMOLED touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution
* Network: HSPA/WCDMA:: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz: Upload speed of up to 2 Mbps and download speed of up to 7.2 Mbps
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.)
* Onscreen navigation: Optical Trackball
* GPS Internal GPS antenna
* Sensors Proximity sensor
* Ambient light sensor
* G-Sensor
* Digital compass
* Connectivity Bluetooth 2.1 with FTP/OPP for file transfer, A2DP for wireless stereo headsets, and PBAP for phonebook access from the car kit
* Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
* 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
* Standard Micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0)
* Camera: 5 megapixel color camera with auto focus and flashlight
* Audio supported formats: Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma,
* Recording: .amr
* Video supported formats · Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv
* Expansion Slot microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
* AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
* DC output: 5 V and 1 A
* Special Feature: Friend Stream

[via play.com]

The phone was originally named the Halo and although the name change isn’t solid its now known as the Beam. This phone offers an 800 MHZ processor which is an updated version of that found on Omnia 2 and is said to be faster. An AMOLED screen, it also has an 1800 mAh battery installed which has a larger capacity of any stock battery that I am aware of. This phone is great for displaying videos, slide shows, presentations and more.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVaAUwroLs0&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[via hdblog]

As mentioned before this phone is very similar to the Nexus One except it features an optical trackball and well as HTC’s custom interface, Sense UI. In this video you get a look at the slight chin which is paying homage to the original Android device(HTC Dream/G1) and it is also dubbed a “superphone”. Sense UI looks great on the large AMOLED screen. The only thing I wonder about is the support for accessories. If this phone will have its on desk and car dock, my Nexus may be up for sale.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltSyVNO5tvM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Along with the updated name comes updated specs. the originally leaked 256 RAM has been bumped up to 576. There is also an optical trackball, FM radio and Sense UI. Full specs are as follows:

* CPU Speed – 1 GHz
* Platform – Android™ 2.1 (Éclair) with HTC SenseTM
* Memory – ROM: 512 MB, RAM: 576 MB
* Dimensions – (LxWxT) 119 x 60 x 11.9 mm (4.7 x 2.36 x 0.47 inches)
* Weight – 135 grams (4.76 ounces) with battery
* Display – 3.7-inch AMOLED touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution
* Network – HSPA/WCDMA:
o Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz
o Upload speed of up to 2 Mbps and download speed
of up to 7.2 Mbps
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
o 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.)
* Onscreen navigation – Optical Trackball
* GPS – Internal GPS antenna
* Sensors -
o Proximity sensor
o Ambient light sensor
o G-Sensor
o Digital compass
* Connectivity – Bluetooth® 2.1 with FTP/OPP for file transfer, A2DP for wireless stereo headsets,
and PBAP for phonebook access from the car kit
* Wi-Fi® – IEEE 802.11 b/g
* 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
* Standard Micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0)
* camera – 5 megapixel color camera with auto focus and flashlight
* Audio supported formats
o Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma,
o Recording: .amr
* Video supported formats
o Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv
o · Recording: .3gp
* Battery – Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
* Capacity – 1400 mAh
* Talk time:
o Up to 390 minutes for WCDMA
o Up to 400 minutes for GSM
* Standby time:
o Up to 360 hours for WCDMA
o Up to 340 hours for GSM
* Expansion Slot – microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
* AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency – 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
* DC output – 5 V and 1 A
* Special Feature – Friend Stream

[via android.modaco]

Along with the integrated DLP Pico Projector this phone has a 3.5mm head jack, stereo speakers, DLNA support as well as DIVX and XVID support. This device will be shipped to Europe and Asia with Quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri band UMTS with 900/1900/2100 frequencies and a US version is slated for release at a later date.

This will be an Android 2.1 phone and love it or hate it, Samsung’s TouchWiz is also present. But, it has been enhanced by Samsung’s new Bada UI so the graphics of this second generation TouchWiz should look a whole lot better. Click here for a more in-depth look at the specs.

[via engadget]

Turns out that this will be a 5 part mini series look at the behind the scenes making of the Nexus One. In this series it shows you how the 3D architecture work and the AMOLED screen.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7-p15xbXB4&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Head over to our earlier post for more information on the device. For now enjoy this beautiful phone on video, enjoy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxzQvyPU4N8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kCD_9rOs90&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[via eNuri]

Let’s all hope that the specs of this device turns out to be true Samsung will add another beast of a phone to the Android lineup of already a strong group of phones releasing this year. It is outfitted with a 1GHZ Snapdragon, yes folks this is another Snapdragon will be in the lineup. And if you take into account that Samsung has the ability to tweak CPU’s and storage this could turn out to be a really interesting phone. Here is some of the suspected specs.
- 1 GHz Snapdragon
- 3.7 inch AMOLED touch screen
- 5 MP camera
- 32 GB internal memory
- Android 2.1
- 3.5 mm jack
- and of course all the other goodies that make a decent smart phone, like GPS, Wi-Fi and such.

[via androphones]