First Look: ELocity’s Android Tablet Makes Great Media Player

Stream TV is an unlikely player in the Great Tablet Race of 2010, but its new Android tablet might just find a niche among media-hungry consumers who want the option of throwing their games and movies up on a big-screen HDTV.

I got a chance to test-drive the eLocity A7 recently at Stream TV’s Philadelphia offices, and it looks like a solid, versatile tablet with a lot to offer, especially as a portable media player. (Philadelphia has plenty of telecoms and pharmaceutical companies, but not much in the way of consumer tech, so I was lucky that the company is just 12 blocks from my house.)

The three key phrases that will get geeks excited about the A7 are “Froyo,” “NVidia Tegra,” and “1080p output.” Translation: the A7’s shipping with the newest Android OS, a processor chip optimized for gaming, graphics, and video processing, and it spits out true HD video, so you can plug it into a TV.

Look at the hardware controls on the picture above: They are the standard control buttons that appear on every Android phone (plus a volume button), but they’re oriented for landscape mode. Some people knocked the iPad for being a media player rather than a portable computer, but eLocity is clearly aimed directly at media consumers.

One way to think about this class of tablets: imagine a more-versatile Apple TV, with a built-in touchscreen, that also plays video games, runs apps, and browses the web. Oh, and you can carry it around with you.

Because of the NVidia chip and 1080p, the A7 shines when it’s hooked up to an HDTV. (eLocity’s including an HDMI cable and Bluetooth-fob keyboard with the A7 in its $400 kit.) Because it uses Android, it can play almost any file format. You don’t have to worry about buying video in different resolutions for your portable device and your set-top box. We watched an HD trailer for Avatar, some clips from Shark Tale, including a Blu-Ray rip, and all looked great.

You can also play video games on the big screen while hooked up to your TV — we played the racing game Asphalt 5 — but here the HDMI cable was really awkward. Cables and accelerometers do not mix. The gameplay was much better when using the tablet like a PSP, without connecting it to a TV. It’ll be even better once there are more Android games that take advantage of the tablet form factor.

The other hurdle to clear when the A7 is hooked up to the TV is inputting data. You can walk over and use the touchscreen, but that’s very pre-remote. There’s the included keyboard, but it is just the teensiest bit awkward using a device that big when you’re not at a desk or conference table. It worked fine — I just wonder whether people who aren’t me will enjoy sitting back, relaxing, and pulling out a big keyboard to watch a movie.

Part of the problem is that there just aren’t many good peripherals for Android devices yet. The keyboard eLocity is including is branded for Windows (“We’ll include an Android sticker to put over the Windows logo,” company reps told me), and there aren’t any Bluetooth mice, trackpads, or remotes, although clever people might get something unofficially supported to work.

The hardware keyboard is also an acknowledgment that software keyboards for these tablets are fine for casual use, but not knocking anybody over just yet. My editor called it “a deconstructed netbook,” and that’s not far off. But again, part of the appeal is that it can alternately be a tablet, netbook, and set-top box as needed.

It also makes for a fairly slick e-reader. It’s not as light as a Kindle, but smaller and lighter than an iPad, and the touch controls and Aidiko e-book software worked great. You’ve can also get the Nook and Kindle apps for Android. Instead of using Pages to read PDFs, you’ve got Adobe Reader (or whatever other PDF app you can find). It also supports Adobe Flash. (Add your cheers/boos, as you’re so inclined.)

The company’s shipping the devices with Facebook, Documents to Go (the trial/read-only version), Twidroid, and other popular apps preloaded, so it’s ready to use out of the box. I didn’t see anything that looked like bloatware. Unless you really, really hate mobile Flash.

Now, some caveats. I did not get to test the device that’s actually shipping this fall. It will be available for exclusive preorder with Amazon after Labor Day (probably September 8), and will ship after mid-October. The demo unit was basically identical to the Compal- and Aigo-branded tablets that appeared at some consumer shows earlier this year, right down to the metallic red body and Android 2.1 OS. The unit that’s shipping will have 2.2, which has finally been pushed out. It will also be black/graphite, like the photos above.

It’s Wi-Fi only, since StreamTV still doesn’t have carrier deals in place. But it only has 802.11 b/g networking, not n. It outputs video in 1080p, but on-screen resolution is 800×480 — much less than the current iPad, and almost certainly much less than the next-gen iPad. There are some things it does not do well; there’s a 1.3MP front-facing webcam, which is pretty low resolution for video chat. (It looks way worse when you take video of me and blow it up on an HDTV.) But it’s there if you want it.

The A7 might be more comparable to the Motorola Stingray or Toshiba Folio 100 (née “SmartPad”) than the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Tab. The Stingray will also be sporting an NVidia Tegra II chip and will actually have better on-screen resolution than any other tablet we’ve heard of so far (1280×780). But it will also be huge (10″), packaged by Verizon, and isn’t coming out until after Android 3.0 is released (rumored as early as October, but nobody knows for sure).

There’s also the question of scale. StreamTV is not Samsung; they can’t crank out their own accessories, and there’s no way of knowing how many of these they’ll be able to ship. (“Not enough,” I was told.) But I can definitely say that if it’s any indication of what the Android tablet ecosystem is going to look like, this is going to be very exciting for makers, retailers, carriers, and consumers. You’ll see a lot of devices that will all be very versatile, some of which will be good at specific things. If it wasn’t already, tablets just became the new wild West.

Images courtesy of StreamTV.

First Look: ELocity’s Android Tablet Makes Great Media Player

Google drops out of JavaOne

Very disappointed to hear that google has cancelled all their talks at JavaOne. Kinda has that "I'm going to take my football and go home" feeling to it.

In the post, Josh Bloch says:

Like many of you, every year we look forward to the workshops, conferences and events related to open source software. In our view, these are among the best ways we can engage the community, by sharing our experiences and learning from yours. So we’re sad to announce that we won't be able to present at JavaOne this year. We wish that we could, but Oracle’s recent lawsuit against Google and open source has made it impossible for us to freely share our thoughts about the future of Java and open source generally. This is a painful realization for us, as we've participated in every JavaOne since 2004, and I personally have spoken at all but the first in 1996.

We understand that this may disappoint and inconvenience many of you, but we look forward to presenting at other venues soon. We’re proud to participate in the open source Java community, and look forward to finding additional ways to engage and contribute.

By Joshua Bloch, Google Open Source Programs Office

I'm aware of the patent infringement action, but don't remember Oracle suing the open source community. A little whiny.

I have seen Josh speak many times at JavaOne and his talks will definitely be missed. The puzzlers talk was great. I also see that Crazy Bob Lee dropped out in support. A quick twitter search shows a lot of activity.

For the record, I will be at JavaOne.

Fennec Alpha Available For Android 2

Fennec, the mobile version of Firefox, has released an Alpha version for Android phones running Android 2+. You can download it by hitting this page from your device. There are some cool new features like pinch to zoom, contextual menus, desktop  Firefox integration, personalized start pages, and awesome screen.

It’s still in Alpha of course, so you might have to battle with it a little to get it to function, or it might just flat-out not work. Still, we can’t wait to see this thing in action when it finally comes out in a complete version.

If you get it up and running, let us know in the comments!

Full list of changes after the jump:

Fennec is the codename of Mozilla’s mobile project, however, the official product name is Firefox. For pre-beta releases of Firefox, we refer to it by the project’s name, Fennec. This is an alpha release of Fennec.

Built on the same technology platform as Firefox 4 for desktop computers, Fennec is designed and optimized for browsing on a mobile device, yet ships with many of your favorite Firefox desktop features like Firefox Sync, Add-ons and the Awesome Bar. This alpha release brings Fennec to the Android platform, the fastest growing smartphone platform in the world.

The foundation of this release is based on enhanced responsiveness and increased stability, in conjunction with new and improved features that focus on customizing the browser to fit the individual exactly:

Get Up and Go

Shipping with the Firefox Sync feature built-in, Fennec synchronizes your Firefox history, bookmarks, open tabs, passwords and form data between your desktop and mobile. Just login with your Firefox Sync account info and Fennec gets to know you right away, taking you to your favorite parts of the Web with barely any typing. Don’t worry about switching to a new phone, or having to type long URLs or passwords again. You can even leave your desktop in a moment’s notice and pick up right where you left off on your mobile phone.

Add-ons

Fennec is the world’s first mobile Web browser to support add-ons; pieces of software that let you change or add features, functionality and the look of your Fennec to fit your browsing lifestyle. You can search for and install add-ons directly to your Android phone or Nokia N900 from the Add-ons Manager located in your browser tools.

Personalized Start Page

The Start Page gives you a snapshot of your online life while you’ve been away. Pick up where you left off with instant access to your Firefox desktop data, the tabs you had open last time you were browsing on your phone, and get suggestions for useful add-ons. Comign soon: See alerts of recent activity from your email

accounts and your favorite social media sites!

Awesome Screen

The Awesome Screen pops up just by tapping on the Awesome Bar (location bar). It gets to know you and instantly brings up a smart list of your favourite history items and bookmarks and lets you easily select a search engine for your desired search. You can also customize your search engine list for maximum efficiency.

Touch Friendly UI

Swipe to the left or right of your screen to access your tabs, browser controls and tools, which are stowed out of the way while you browse the Web. Typing on a phone is hard, that’s why you can bookmark a site with one tap, view tabs as thumbnails to easily see and open the page you want, and use the Awesome Screen to get to where you want to go in just a few a keystrokes.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness is one of the major focuses for this release. We’ve redesigned Gecko to allow us to run the UI in a separate process from the web content which enables us to react much faster to user actions like scrolling and zooming.

More personalized than ever before, Fennec is packed with your favorite features and great improvements. Other highlights include:

Pinch-to-zoom (Android), double-tap, or use the volume rocker (Nokia N900) to zoom in and out

Tabbed browsing in thumbnail view lets you easily see and open the site you want

Location-Aware Browsing gives you content and info relevant to your location

Save to PDF in the Site Menu lets you capture important content, like driving directions or a boarding pass, to view offline

Find in Page in the Site Menu lets you quickly find text on the webpage

Share Page in the Site Menu lets you send content to email, Facebook, Twitter and Google Reader

Forget Password in the Site Menu tells a website you no longer trust to forget your private data

Add Search Engine in the Site Menu lets you quickly add a new search engine to your Awesome Screen

Context Menu lets you Open in New Tab and Share by long tapping and holding a link

Smart Tapping lets you tap on links, widgets and other Web content with accuracy

Password Manager lets you choose to remember site password to avoid typing

Lookout -- a full security solution for your Android phone

Here at Android Central, we don't just report the Android news and review the new gear. We actually use Android phones, so we're always searching for apps and tools that make our own phones work better for us. Lately, it seems like security issues (or overblown non-issues) are crawling out of the woodwork, so the search was on for a solution that takes care of any concerns, without getting in the way.

After all was said and done, Lookout seemed to rise to the top. Not only does Lookout address any concerns you may have with malware, it turns out that it's an excellent backup and tracking solution. Follow after the break, while I take a good look at Lookout and even put it through the paces a bit.

Some background

Nobody cares as much about your Android phone as you do, but rest assured that we care almost as much. With the recent influx of users comes malware scares, data backup solution questions, and remote security concerns, so we decided it was time to act and try to do the homework so we can provide the answers you need. During the evil wallpaper scare that really wasn't, we got to talk to the good people at Lookout a bit. Co-founder and CTO Kevin McHaffey was quick to put everything into perspective, and it looks like a case of Bloggers gone wild was the real story in that case. When they offered to talk with us about mobile security, and help us with the resources and tools to demonstrate their excellent all-in-one security solution for Android we knew that this was something we had to do, and I hope you guys find it as useful as I did. Also I'd like to thank everyone at Lookout for taking the time to answer questions and spend time with us, and a special thanks to Erika for going the extra mile.

Let's start with a video

We live in the modern age of digital living, and most times a video can substitute for a whole string of words. Check it out.

Pretty cool, isn't it? I think of it as a mash-up of find my iPhone, BlackBerry desktop manager, and a full featured virus/rootkit scanner all rolled into an easy to use and lightweight package. And this is coming from a guy who has been the world's biggest skeptic when it comes to Android security, so that has to count for something. Now that we've seen an overview, let's dig into each part of Lookout a bit.

Anti-Virus

Easily the most visually impressive part of Lookout. There's something really satisfying about seeing a virus or other piece of malware get caught, killed, and wiped off your phone. We saw a really good demo of it in action in the video, and here's what the web interface to the virus scanner looks like.

click me and I'll expand!

This is the part of Lookout we had the most questions about, and likely you do, too. Kevin and co-founder and CEO John Hering answered our questions with nary a snicker or giggle. Here's the keynote from our little meeting:
The 1999 factor -- smartphones today are like desktop computers were in 1999
Think back 10 years or so ago. Computers and the Internet were in the beginning stages of what we see today. Malware and trojans were showing up with more regularity, and there were few easy solutions for the uninitiated to take charge of computer security. Come back to 2010, and mobile broadband and smartphones have taken the place of desktops and the wild west Internet of 1999. People being what they are, there's going to be more than a few who get cheap thrills at the expense of others. Even worse, there will be a few people or groups who take things to a higher level and cause financial or data loss to ordinary people like you and I. Lookout is taking what we've all learned from the desktop, and applying it to our phones before things get that bad -- and they will, no matter how much we dislike the idea.
Lookout considers the Android Market's security model innovative
While most people want to label it good or bad, Lookout realizes that the Marketplace is different from anything we're used to. Combined with the fact that Android attempts to educate it's users about security by being up front with all application permissions before downloading or installing them, and innovative fits pretty well.

Differences between the AppStore and the Android Market, according to Lookout

Android Market	AppStore
Community policed	Curated by Apple
Google advertises application permissions	Apple only advises if an application uses push services or location
Google holds a kill switch, and can delete apps if needed	Apple checks applications before publishing

Look at the above table, and you can see that while each has its advantages, Android users like you or I will simply have to be more diligent about what we install. Add in the fact that applications that may be harmful appear alongside trustworthy and reputable applications in the Market, and you see that there is a need for an automated system to keep things in check, much like there was for the desktop in 1999.

Mobile threats are different from desktop threats, and the system to monitor them must be as well

Your desktop machine would have no problem with a 100-plus-megabyte virus scanner application. That simply can't happen on a mobile device. Lookout uses cloud based data in tandem with the installed application to keep the footprint small, and the application light and unobtrusive. (And it works. I'm not seeing any measurable impact from running Lookout on my phones.) Sometimes Skynet is our friend, and this is one of those times.

Data backup and restore

While malware and virus protection is in the news a lot lately, Lookout is much more than a virus scanner. You saw how easy it is to set up automagic backups in Lookout, as well as creating a backup on the fly. The web interface is the real jewel here though. Check out this series of pics of the web interface at mylookout.com

Possibly the worst thing about losing your phone -- even worse than losing the phone itself -- is the loss of your data. Sure, contacts and e-mails can be saved at Google, but not everyone wants the big G having a list of everyone they are in contact with. And let's face it -- pictures are priceless. We buy these phones at least partially because of their media functions, and keeping all those once-in-a-lifetime memories safe is a godsend. Being able to do it without digging out cables and sitting in front of a computer is just icing on the cake, too. As you can see from our snapshots, you can selectively restore any or all of your data, at any time. Because I like to save the best for last, have a peep at this:

the restore web console

Yeah, when you switch phones, install Lookout, fire up your computer's browser, and click a button. Bam. Call log, contacts, and pictures come from the tubes and go right back where you had them. Combine this with the ability to remote backup a lost or stolen phone, and your data is safe. I like safe.

Oh, Snap! I lost my phone!

If you haven't lost a cell phone yet, you will. It happens to everyone, and it sucks. Of course having your data safe and sound in the cloud is nice, but getting back that $500 phone would be nice too. In the video, we saw the Scream. If you think there's a chance your phone is hidden under your car seats, or in the couch cushions, make it scream. If it's within earshot, you'll know it. Everyone will know it.
But if someone has your phone, you might not want them to know that you know it's gone. Enter the tracking ability of Lookout. You saw in the video how Lookout keeps tabs on a roving Android phone, down to the latitude and longitude. Lookout even sends you an email you can forward to interested parties with a direct link to your phone on a map.

I've had a cell phone stolen. I don't wish it on anyone -- you feel violated, because you just lost a big file full of personal information. Lookout can't ride shotgun and keep someone from stealing your phone, but it can help you find it again. I have no idea how that feels, as I didn't have Lookout installed when I was robbed, but I bet it feels pretty damn satisfying :)

John and Kevin from Lookout also shared their ideas and goals of what they wanted Lookout to be, and they make a great way to wrap this up.

"[Lookout was designed to] give protection and digital security against malware, protect your data, and protect your device if it's lost or stolen, while keeping it simple for the end user and easy on system resources."

In this writers opinion, it worked. If this makes you feel like giving Lookout a try for yourself, you're in luck. The app is in the Android Market, and it's absolutely free.

Download Lookout via AppBrain

Verizon announces it's pushing Droid update to enable Flash

Verizon this morning made it official: The update for the original Droid that will enable you to officially run Adobe Flash is being pushed out. Here's the word:

Verizon Wireless has begun pushing an update today to the DROID by Motorola (introduced November 2009) that will allow customers to download Adobe Flash 10.1 via Android Market. Flash Player 10.1 provides access to millions of sites with rich content including animations, casual games, videos, rich internet applications, audio and much more.

HTC Droid Incredible for Verizon Getting Android 2.2 on September 1st, Rumors Suggest

With the Motorola Droid 2 having launched with 2.2, and the original Motorola Droid having received at least two different OTA updates for Froyo over the last few weeks, there’s plenty of people out there wondering when the Droid Incredible, manufactured by HTC, will get the prodigal update. Considering other HTC devices featuring Sense UI, like Sprint’s EVO 4G, have already received their official update, people are beginning to scratch their head. And after plenty of other rumors, here’s a new one to whet your appetite for at least a little while.

A tipster has suggested to Droid-Life that the Incredible’s update to Froyo is actually coming next week, and will begin its roll out starting September 1st. While an OTA update isn’t specifically mentioned, we can probably safely assume that’s how the update will happen. The source also mentions that the Verizon marketing team is already preparing to start pumping out new Incredible commercials next week, to promote the device’s new features.

Those features include 720p HD video recording, better voice calls, and 3G mobile hotspot. Nothing new, as we’ve heard plenty of those features listed in the past. We’re not looking forward to all the bloatware that’s supposedly coming along for the ride, too, but beggar’s can’t be choosers, we imagine. If this does indeed turn out to be true, we should start seeing leaked documents outlining the update process soon enough, so stay tuned. Though, we don’t think anyone’s going to start holding their breath quite yet.

HTC EVO 4G for Sprint with Android 2.2 Now Rooted

That didn’t take long at all. Not that it should have, considering the amount of work being put into rooting all the Android devices out there. Well, maybe not all of them — just the good ones, right? In any event, it’s just become known that the EVO, manufactured by HTC and Sprint’s first 4G device, has just been rooted. And that means that the official Android 2.2 build for the handset has been cracked, and super user permission is now permitted.

As usual, the folks over at XDA managed to get the root over and done with, but since this is the first root for the latest build of Android on the device, it’s not your simple “click this and your done” method. You’ll have to follow the steps outlined through the source link if you want to get your root on, but as usual, please be careful. You never know what may happen.

Polaroid making a comeback with PoGo 3×4 and Android app

Some companies refuse to adapt. They usually end up failing. As digital photography started to take off Polaroid, makers of instant cameras, started to decline. The company twice filed or Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the latest in 2008. They’re making a comeback now with a product that fits the company image perfectly. The PoGo is a small, portable printer that can instantly spit out photos from your digital camera, computer, or yes, even your mobile phone. For Android users it might be just a bit sweeter thanks to a bout of nostalgia.

While the new PoGo 3×4 will print out your pictures using its ZINK (zero ink) technology, the Android app gets the ability to add that white border that made Polaroid so famous. You can even add text at the bottom, though you could go completely old school and just write it in with a Sharpie.

The photos will go from snapped to printed in about a minute, and there won’t be any shaking involved. The pics come out dry and ready for whatever it is you do with your photos. In other words, it combines the convenience of digital photography with the instant gratification that for so long defined Polaroid.

Just how big is the device? If you don’t have a good idea of the proportions from the image above, here’s one that will give you a better perspective.

It sounds like the device will drop sometime during the holiday season. It will cost £99.99 for the device and £12.99 for a 30 pack of photo paper, which translates to roughly $155 for the device and $20 for the refills. As for the Android app, you can get that now in the Market, though it’s not a perfect app right now, and it’s rather large at over 17MB.

Droid X Comes Out on Top in Android Phone Battery Life Comparisons

Ever since the first Android phone appeared, we’ve been developing a battery test that would accurately gauge their endurance, and lend some objective data to our anecdotal tests.Finally, we’ve come up with one, and, after testing it on a number of phones, now feel confident in the results to share it with you.

The results, shown in complete form below, may surprise you. Motorola’s two flagship phones, the Droid 2 and the Droid X, ruled the roost, but phones with attractive AMOLED screens clearly fell behind the pack. The worst phone for battery life that we tested was the HTC Droid Incredible, which managed an average of only 4 hours and 33 minutes, compared to the Droid X’s 7 hours and 42 minutes of endurance.

How We Tested

The test itself is fairly simple. Avram, our tireless Web director, modified the Notebook batteries provide power to the system whenever it’s unplugged.
Learn MoreLAPTOP Battery Test we use for notebooks, and created an Android App that does much the same thing: It opens the phone’s Web browser to one of 60 popular Web sites, remains there for 60 seconds, closes the browser, then reopens the browser to next Web site on the list. It does so until the phone’s battery dies, all while recording the time elapsed.

 

Here’s how we set up the phones before we tested them:

1. First, we download My Settings and Advanced Task Killer, two free apps that are useful regardless.
2. Then, we open My Settings, and do the following:
3. Turn screen brightness to 40%, and turn off auto brightness.
4. Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS location, cell location, and auto sync.
5. Deactivate screen timeout; that is, make sure the screen stays on indefinitely.
6. In the Web browser, we turn off Flash support and plug-ins.
7. We placed the phone in an area that was receiving at least 4 bars of service.

To the right is a screenshot of the app on the Droid X, after it completed the test once. Since it’s a new test, we ran it at least twice on each phone and took the average. We know this doesn’t take into account things such as texting, making phone calls, and using multimedia apps, but we feel it gives a fair indication of how long one phone will last compared to another under similar settings.

Complete Results

Motorola’s doing something right: Both the Droid 2 and the Droid X lasted much longer than competing devices from Samsung and HTC. Even with its larger screen, the Dell Streak lasted longer than most smart phones. Considering the Samsung Captivate and Vibrant are essentially the same phone, it’s no surprise that their battery life was nearly identical. However, their AMOLED displays, coupled with a smaller form factor, seem to have negatively impacted their endurance. The Samsung Epic 4G and HTC Evo 4G (running Android 2.2) came in just under the average, and the Incredible, as suspected, fared the worst.

So should you steer clear of AMOLED phones if you care about endurance? Not necessarily. OLED technology uses the most power when displaying white, which is why Samsung chose a black background for the app menus on its Galaxy S phones. Since our battery test surfs web pages, most of which have a white background, both the Galaxy devices and the Incredible were at a disadvantage. It really comes down to what you view most often on your phone.

Motorola MB520 Kobe / Diablo for AT&T in the wild

Remember that midrange, Android-equipped MB520 Kobe from Moto we told you about a few days back? Well, it's stepping out for the first time this evening with a little help of our dear brother from another mother, Mr. Blurrycam. As we'd heard before it's definitely destined for AT&T bearing Android 2.1 with Blur (complete with Blur logo on back), though our tipster tells us we can expect an update to 2.2 over the air. Along with "Kobe," the codename "Diablo" is apparently being tossed around internally, though decisions have been made on what to call it when it hits shelves. A Droid X competitor it's not -- but coming off the Backflip debacle, it's baby steps for Moto's Android relationship with AT&T, right? Hit the break for more shots.

Galaxy S is First Android Phone to be DivX Certified for HD

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DivX, Inc. (Nasdaq: DIVX), a leading digital media company, and Samsung Electronics Co. LTD, a leading mobile provider, today announced that the Galaxy S™ is now DivX Certified® for HD video playback at 720p resolution. The Galaxy S is the world's first Android™ mobile phone that is DivX Certified for HD and the second overall DivX HD Certified phone, following the successful launch of the Samsung Wave.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081124/DIVXLOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081124/DIVXLOGO)

Now available in the United States, Europe and Asia, the Galaxy S has a large 4-inch super AMOLED display, which delivers an unrivaled screen quality for a better viewing experience. Powered by a 1GHz processor, the Galaxy S dazzles with amazing 3-D graphics, faster upload and download times, and a rich multimedia and gaming experience. As an Android-powered device, the Galaxy S also provides access to the more than 70,000 applications from Android Market.

To enjoy DivX video on the Galaxy S, consumers can load their video libraries of both standard definition and HD 720p movies in the DivX format on the internal and external memory (expandable to 32GB) and then watch their collections anywhere they choose. In addition, the Galaxy S can connect directly to other DivX Certified devices, such as HDTVs, turning it into a powerful mobile set-top box in the living room. The Galaxy S will also support the secure playback of major Hollywood titles in the DivX format from leading studios.

"The Galaxy S has exploded in popularity, and we are very excited to join Samsung in promoting its new DivX HD capabilities," said Kevin Hell, Chief Executive Officer, DivX, Inc. "We're pleased that Samsung recognizes the importance of the DivX brand in providing their consumers with a seamless, high-quality entertainment experience."

"Samsung continues to launch feature-rich devices packed with innovative technologies," said Younghee Lee, Senior Vice President, Samsung Electronics. "By obtaining DivX HD Certification of our new Android-powered multimedia smart phone, we're giving our customers the freedom to enjoy their DivX videos up to 720p at home and on the go."

DivX Certified phones are all tested to guarantee high-quality DivX video playback. DivX technology produces highly compressed video that requires minimal storage for the highest quality media experience on a mobile platform for viewing anytime, anywhere.

Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure a high-quality DivX media experience, including reliable video creation and playback, interoperability with other DivX Certified devices and the visual quality users expect from DivX.

For more information about DivX, visit www.divx.com.

About DivX

DivX, Inc. is a leading digital media company that enables consumers to enjoy a high-quality video experience across any kind of device. DivX creates, distributes and licenses digital video technologies that span the "three screens" comprising today's consumer media environment—the PC, the television and mobile devices. Over 300 million DivX devices have shipped into the market from leading consumer electronics manufacturers. DivX also offers content providers and publishers a complete solution for the distribution of secure, high-quality digital video content. Driven by a globally recognized brand and a passionate community of hundreds of millions of consumers, DivX is simplifying the video experience to enable the digital home.

On June 2, 2010, DivX, Inc. and Sonic Solutions announced a proposed merger transaction. Sonic Solutions has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus in connection with the proposed merger and both companies intend to mail a definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents to Sonic and DivX shareholders following such time that the registration statement is declared effective by the SEC.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of US$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 188,000 people in 185 offices across 65 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature constitute "forward-looking statements." Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding DivX's visibility within the investment community and the potential DivX Certification of new products. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause DivX's actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: the risk that customer use of DivX technology may not grow as anticipated; the risk that anticipated market opportunities may not materialize at expected levels, or at all; the risk that the Company's activities may not result in the growth of profitable revenue; risks and uncertainties related to the maintenance and strength of the DivX brand; risks associated with DivX's ability to penetrate existing and new markets; risks regarding the effects of competition; the risk of DivX's dependence on its licensees and partners; risks related to the effect of intellectual property rights claims; risks that the DivX ecosystem may not grow as anticipated due to failure of partner products to qualify for DivX Certification; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of DivX's most recent report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. DivX is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Additional Information

This press release is not a solicitation of a proxy, an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of Sonic Solutions, and it is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other filings that may be made with the SEC with respect to the merger. In connection with the proposed merger, Sonic Solutions has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a joint proxy statement/prospectus of Sonic Solutions and DivX. Investors and security holders are urged to carefully read the Registration Statement on Form S-4 and related joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Sonic Solutions and DivX, because they contain important information about Sonic Solutions, DivX and the proposed transaction, including with respect to risks and uncertainties that could delay or prevent the completion of the transaction. Such documents are available free of charge at the SEC website (www.sec.gov), from Sonic Solutions and its corporate website (www.sonic.com) or from DivX and its corporate website (www.divx.com).

Sonic Solutions, DivX and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of their management may be deemed to be soliciting proxies from shareholders of Sonic Solutions or DivX in favor of the merger. Investors and stockholders may obtain more detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests in the merger of persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of these shareholders in connection with the merger by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus described above. Additional information about the directors and executive officers of Sonic Solutions may be found in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on October 1, 2009. Additional information about the directors and executive officers of DivX may be found in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 20, 2010. Such documents are available free of charge at the SEC website (www.sec.gov), from Sonic Solutions and its corporate website (www.sonic.com) or from DivX and its corporate website (www.divx.com).

Dell Aero Android-powered smartphone

Dell has jumped on board the Android train, releasing their first smartphone for the American market: the Dell Aero for AT&T. It’s available for $99 on a two year contract through AT&T, or $299 for the phone outright, available through Dell, and soon through AT&T.

To put it bluntly, this device is incredibly underwhelming. They’ve taken the three required hardware buttons for Android, and moved them to the side of the phone. It runs Android 1.5, but using a complete re-skin, so you can’t even tell what it’s based on. 5MP camera, 3.5-inch (640 x 360p) capacitive touchscreen, and 624Mhz Marvell processor. In its favor, I kind of dig the styling, and Dell claims it’s one of the lightest Android smartphones, at 3.67 oz. That’s pretty good, I suppose.

It’s just that it’s running an old OS, thoroughly out of date hardware, and the product demo video below? The most boring launch video I have ever seen. Dell, if you want to get seriously into the smartphone market, you’re going to have to do substantially better than this. Hopefully Thunder and Lightning will blow us away.

Android running on iPhone

Apps Organizer Makes Better Home Screen Folders on Android

Android only: Creating folders on a home screen, then finding and dragging apps into them, isn't quick or precise. Apps Organizer, and its broader cousin Folder Organizer, make creating and accessing batches of apps, contacts, and bookmarks much easier.
Rather than creating a folder and having to do a whole lot of scrolling and dragging to fill it up, Apps Organizer lets you create "Labels," which you can then add apps to from a single list of your device's apps. The organizer comes with a few labels pre-loaded, but you'll probably want to create your own, give them a unique icon (from stock choices or your own images), and place an icon wherever you'd like from the Shortcuts or Widgets menus. If you want to quickly change up the rotation of a particular label, you can create a shortcut to a Starred Apps label.
When you want to get even geekier with your home screen labels, you can download the same developer's Folder Organizer app, "Lite" or full, to create auto-updating labels and widgets that contain apps, bookmarks, contacts, and whatever else you can fit on your home screen:

Apps Organizer is a free download for Android phones only.

Android App Development is “a Viable Revenue Stream”

Arron La, developer of Advanced Task Manager, recently posted information about that app's revenue in an effort 'to highlight how Android is a viable revenue stream after reading countless stories that it is not.'

La published the paid version of the app in February, 2009, followed by an ad-supported version in November of that year. In about a year and a half, the app has generated a total of about $80,000 in revenue for La, with about $50,000 in purchases (at $0.99 each, after Google's 30% cut) and about $30,000 in ad revenue from the free version. This July alone, he saw more than $10,000 come his way, with more than half coming from ad revenue on the free version.

While Advanced Task Manager has benefitted from appearing on the Market's lists of featured apps, it also occupies a space with several competitors. La cites issues with the Market and Google Checkout as holding his (and others') apps from more revenue:

'Discovering applications is a problem right now. With these additional lists, users can click through them to find other high quality apps - unlike the 'Top Paid' list right now which is very arbitrary and is not an indication of the true top applications in Android.

'Google Checkout is also a big problem since it doesn’t accept payments in a number of countries causing Android to only support around 13 countries compared to 90 on the iPhone. This is inexcusable. The reporting feature on Google Checkout is also horrible. It was quite painful to generate tax reports.

'With that said, Google is doing a number of things to improve the situation. Paypal as a payment option will be extremely helpful. A website to browse Android applications and to send it to phones for installation will most likely raise applications discoverability and revenue significantly.'

He also acknowledges that improvements in the Android OS have removed much of the need for his app, but notes an overhauled new version is in the works that will add significant new features, such as backup capabilities and more app management tools.

Vodafone UK Pushing Out Android 2.2 to HTC Desire Owners

Nice and brief this one – the HTC HD Mini and the HTC Desire have been spotted making an appearance in the April edition of the O2 monthly magazine. This magazine is one that is effectively a polished-up sales brochure, which you’ll find in most, if not all, O2 stores. Anyway, moving on to big ticket items here – HTCs latest devices finally appear to be getting ranged on the O2 network!

O2 haven’t really shown their hand as regards the latest in the HTC range (HD Mini, Desire, Legend), but then again this isn’t a new approach from O2 – they do tend to want to get things ‘just so’ before making announcements, and I can some other handsets/devices previously where this has been the case. Now you could of course regard this as a good thing, since it points to more QC testing, but it’s not great when your mates on other networks have had their handsets (for weeks, or sometimes months) and are ‘taking the mickey’ out of you.

Let’s hope that going forward we see more and more HTC devices come out on O2, because right now they really are leading the pack in terms of features/hardware/services innovation!

Motorola clamps down on Droid X's leaked Android 2.2 upgrade with cease and desist scare

Hoping to spoon-feed your Droid X some Froyo before the official OTA rollout? You'd better do it now -- Motorola's sending out cease and desist emails in an attempt to shut the leaked ROM down. We can't say whether it's just red tape or to protect customers from a EVO 4G-like non-final build, but for whatever reason Motorola's director of information security is asking sites like MyDroidWorld to remove the files ASAP. Given the company's recent history with the mod community, however, we imagine there's some sort of walled-garden reason behind it.

Samsung Galaxy S gets vanilla Android 2.1

Love your Galaxy S phone but hate TouchWiz 3.0? Fear not Galaxy S users, for there are some very crafty people working on getting vanilla Android 2.1 working on your precious Hummingbird driven devices. It’s not exactly working 100% though, with the biggest bug being the camera. It doesn’t work… at all. But anyway, once all of the kinks get worked out, who’s ready to jump on some plane-jane Android for their Galaxy S?

Oracle lawsuit is making Android developers unhappy

The recent suit brought against Google by enterprise database management behemoth that is Oracle is causing some unrest among members of the Android development community. Oracle is claiming that the Android OS is infringing on the intellectual property of their Java Platform and has violated Java patent and copyright protection.

Silicon Valley Android Developers group organizer David Cao called the group “very, very unhappy”, but remains optimistic that Android will prevail in-spite of these allegations. Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu Linux distributor Canonical, also chimed in by saying that “Oracle has significantly undermined its relationship with the open source and developer community.”

On a positive note, Android developers do not appear to be shying away because of the suit, and in fact appear resolved to continue supporting Google. However, the suit poses a concern to manufacturers, who are less inclined to want to get caught between Google and Oracle and could potentially halt the adoption of Android by new companies.

This is causing many to predict that Google will settle with Oracle to reassure their partners that continuing to work with the Android platform will cause no risk them. Stay tuned for the latest news about the suit, and the resulting implications which will likely be felt on both sides of the table.

Acer And Motorola Waiting For Gingerbread To Release Android Tablets

If you can’t wait any longer for a quality Android tablet, this may come as a bit of bad news. Both Acer and Motorola are planning to delay the release of their respective Android tablets until the release of Android 3.0, which is expected to feature support for higher-resolution screens.

Acer’s tablet may be pushed back until the first quarter of 2011, which could put a damper on previous rumors that Gingerbread would be released some time before the end of the year. Motorola’s tablet, on the other hand, may see Gingerbread much earlier, as Google is working directly with Motorola to get Android 3.0 working on their 10.1” device (which could be the rumored “Stingray” tablet headed to Verizon). Verizon’s roadmap lists a mid-November release, while Digitimes sources say that the tablet will see mass production by the end of the year.

This is pure speculation on my part, but it’s not hard to imagine this Motorola tablet being the first device (or, at the very least, first tablet) to launch with Android 3.0, just as Google worked with Motorola before to launch Android 2.0 on the original Droid.

App Of The Week: Shelves – Catalogue Your Possessions

You bought an Android phone because you’re into cool functionality, right? Don’t attempt to deny it, something that creates a database of your books, CDs, DVDs and video games is exactly the kind of thing you like.

Here we have Shelves. Putting to use your phone’s camera, Shelves scans the barcodes of your collections and automagically creates a virtual representation of them on your phone, for cataloguing, loaning, or just admiring.

 

Shelves purports to recognize a whole host of item types, seemingly nearly everything that isn’t food. All modes operate identically – you select ‘Scan’ from the pop-up menu, and point your phone’s camera at the barcode of your item. When you are building up your catalogue for the first time, this one-item-at-a-time method is obviously a tedious operation, but thankfully Shelves also includes a bulk-scan mode where you can go directly from one scan to the next.

If your barcode is disfigured or the item can’t be found, you can search for it manually, and choose the item from a list of results within the application.

 

Once you have built up your collection, you can tag your items, rate them, search for them, and also mark them as loaned. This loan functionality allows you to assign an item to one of your phone contacts, and to note a date that it is due to be returned by. This information can even be added to your Google Calendar. This may seem extremely possessive, but the loaning functionality is useful merely as a method to track where all your stuff has gone.

 

It would be generous say that the UI of Shelves is an homage to popular Mac OS X cataloguing client Delicious Library, as it appears to be a direct clone. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, especially if you’re partial to the faux-bookshelf style. Shelves also supports exporting of your database to a format that is easily importable into Delicious Library itself, if you like to keep your desktop and mobile catalogues in sync.

Shelves is available for free from the Android Market, and is in active development. The cataloguing database is quite limited in scope right now, and not everything will be found, especially more obscure books and electronics. However, further updates to Shelves will hopefully increase the information database being tapped into for item recognition.

Download: here

Verizon Bringing Video-On-Demand To Smartphones, Adding Some Cloud Storage

Verizon announced that they’d be releasing an app for a variety of devices that adds functionality for FiOS customers. For example, iPad users can watch TV on the device as long as they’re at home. More relevantly to our purposes, though: they’ll be releasing an app to allow some smartphone users to stream video-on-demand.

There is a catch-22 though: the app only supports select smartphones – namely, those sold by Verizon. While this isn’t stated explicitly (that I can see), the list of supported devices makes it pretty obvious: Droid X, Droid 2, WinMo 6.5, and the BlackBerry Storm. Even better, it seems that any movies purchased or rented can then be viewed on any available device – no limitations to just one device.

They’re also planning on offering cloud storage for FiOS customers. It clocks in at a healthy 70 GB, and from what I can gather the data will accessible via Verizon phones, as well as TVs and PCs. Very cool, assuming you’re a FiOS and VZW customer.

HTC EVO 4G and Apple iPhone 3GS: side by side

The Android Phone is for Porn, Funny Video

First Look: Samsung Media Hub on the Epic 4G

Android App Review: G4 TV

G4 has changed a bit since its birth in the TechTV days, but its new app is absolutely packed with features and awesomeness. Videogame fans have long had to deal with the mobile versions of popular gaming websites, such as Gamespot or G4's own version. These were often clunky and slow even on the latest phone. Navigation was a nightmare and often video was left out entirely. Join me past the break to discover how G4 has shown the gaming press how its done.

Samsung Epic 4G for Sprint Reviewed by SlashGear

It’s only been a few days since we heard official word from Sprint and Samsung when customers would be able to get their hands on the newest 4G capable device coming to market. You should have already got your reserve down, or even your pre-order, with a release date of August 31st set in stone for Sprint. And considering that’s right around the corner, we figured you’d want a review of the device, so you could decide whether or not to pick it up come the end of the month.





As far as Android devices go, there’s plenty to choose from. And while the Epic has plenty of distinguishing features, it’s still just another device in a maelstrom of already released, or soon to be released handsets. So, does it have what it takes to reach the top of the Android pack? Or is it just another superphone? Well, right from the start you’ll notice that 4-inch Super AMOLED display. As with many of the other Samsung Galaxy S variants out there, it’s one of the stand-out features of the device. And with the Epic, that’s certainly the case. Viewing angles are great, and thanks to that Super tag, you can even use it outside with relative ease. Plus, colors and contrast are top-notch, as we’ve come to expect from Samsung’s proprietary displays.



There’s also that 1GHz Hummingbird processor, which coincidentally enough doesn’t seem to lag as bad as the original Samsung Galaxy S. And that’s just a huge bonus in this regard, as it basically means that there’s not much bringing this phone down from its high perch.

What also puts the Epic in a class of its own, as long as we are comparing it to its Galaxy S brethren, is the slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard. It’s a full ‘board in every sense of the word, as it’s a five-row monster. It has great feedback, and works quite well for itself. There’s a dedicated emoticon key, though, that we wish Samsung had discarded entirely. Meanwhile the space bar on the physical keyboard may not be perfect, it’s still usable.





Software wise, there’s Android 2.1 on board at launch. Samsung says that other Galaxy S devices are getting Android 2.2 (Froyo) sometime in September, so we can hope that that’s the case with the other (American) variants. Along with 2.1, you also get Samsung’s TouchWiz 3.0. It’s one of those User Interface skins, and it’s been used by Samsung for way too long. In this case, it brings News, Weather, and Social Networking widgets to the foray (as with so many other skins do). But, it’s in your face, and that’s not going to be to everyone’s liking.





And lastly, features wise, if you’re a movie fan — you’re in luck. Samsung’s Media Hub will bring you plenty of downloadable content with time, which you can put right on your device, and watch whenever you want. The handset is also DLNA supported, which means you’ll be able to stream all of that goodness from your phone, to your TV (which must also be DLNA supported, obviously). You can also use a third device, which can be connected to your TV (like an Xbox 360, for example). It’s a great way to make sure that your handset is always at the center of attention, and one of the reasons that these new batches of handsets are standing out in the crowded market.





If you’re interested in the full review, with all of the nitty gritty, and plenty more pictures, then just head on through the source link. If the Epic 4G is one device you’ve been waiting to get your hands on, then this is one review that you’ll want to check out.