The ST-Ericsson partnership between STMicroelectronics and Ericsson may only be young – the two firms founded the wireless semiconductor development project in February 2009 – but they’re already showing off some interesting wares. The ST-Ericsson U8500 uses an ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore SMP dual-core processor paired with the ARM Mali-400 OpenGL ES2.0 and OpenVG1.1 GPU; together, they’re capable of outputting 1080p HD video in a smartphone form-factor.
Video demo after the cut
We’ve been avidly playing with the Verizon DROID by Motorola since its launch on Wednesday, and while we think it’s still too early to give a definitive opinion on the Android smartphone either way, we wanted to share some highlights. The Motorola DROID could be one of the most important smartphones of 2009, so check out our early thoughts on battery life, the QWERTY keyboard, some camera disappointments and more, after the cut.
Android 2.0 may only have been officially announced last week, but don’t underestimate the speed of the open-source community. They’ve already got a basic install of the new OS running on the original HTC Dream (aka the T-Mobile G1); it’s not optimized yet, which means the handset chugs along rather than whipping through the pages like we’re finding on the Verizon DROID by Motorola, but it’s certainly working.
Video demo after the cut
Back in August HTC confirmed that certain models in their Android line-up would eventually get an upgrade to HTC Sense, the UI debuted on the well-received HTC Hero. Now HTC Asia has pushed out Sense for the Magic; however it appears to be only for unlocked versions of the Magic (and potentially only Asian-language models) rather than carrier-branded versions such as the T-Mobile myTouch 3G.
By now we know that the Verizon Droid not only looks good, but has plenty of technical promise too, and BGR have followed up their preliminary hands-on with a more comprehensive preview of the Android smartphone. The Motorola Droid gets praised for its “sharp, vibrant, bright and really, really responsive” 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, while the keyboard may lack travel and feature closely-packed buttons but it’s good enough for “efficient” typing and is better than the T-Mobile G1. Meanwhile the charging dock/multimedia station (which you can see in a video demo after the cut) automatically turns the Droid into a weather station.
Droid feedback, plus news on AT&T’s Droid and a whole Droid army after the cut
As Motorola have found over the past couple of years, it’s taking an increasing amount to get geeks and gadget lovers to stand up and pay attention to a new cellphone. Right now, one sure-fire way of doing that is by launching an Android device, and so that’s what the ailing mobile giant has done in the shape of the Motorola CLIQ (aka the DEXT outside of the US). Not only does the CLIQ promise to make a splash among Android handsets, it also marks the debut of Motorola’s attempt to corral social networking into a mobile device. In our review we’ll not only be looking at the CLIQ hardware, as Motorola’s first-generation Android smartphone, but at MOTOBLUR and its potential beyond the CLIQ. Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
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T-Mobile USA have confirmed that the Android 1.6 OS update is now being pushed out to owners of G1 and myTouch 3G handsets. The firmware is being delivered as an OTA (Over The Air) update, the release of which is staggered; there is unfortunately no way to prematurely trigger it, so thousands of Android users will have their eyes glued to their phones over the next few days.
Back when people were desperate to get their hands on the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, a pre-order event seemed a reasonable way to stoke the hype. Now that we’re a few models down the line, T-Mobile USA’s pre-announcement for a pre-order of the Motorola CLIQ smacks vaguely of desperation. As of October 19th, existing customers of the carrier will be able to order a CLIQ for $199.99 with a new two-year agreement, though they won’t actually get their new phone until November 2nd when it goes on sale generally.
In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, there is a line from the Red Queen, in which she states, “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” In evolution, this is a theory that is also known as an “arms race to nowhere”, in which two different species evolve in tandem, one after the other, in an infinite loop. The reason, is because as one system evolves, then the other must evolve with it, just to keep pace.
And so the system is unending and essential for the survival of a species.
It’s no different in the technology ecosystem. In fact, it’s a lot more evident there, as we can see the fruits of these evolutionary developments as clear as day. We watched as the iPhone became the iPhone 3G, and while it may not have been leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor in a lot of ways, we witnessed the 3G become the 3GS. And in turn, we saw almost every other major phone manufacturer develop phones to counter the iPhone. You’ve heard of them: the mythical iPhone killer.
Here we go again with another week in review for your perusal. A mystery Android-powered MID tipped up this week looking very much like those renderings of the Apple tablet to my eyes. It’s cool to see android showing up on so many devices. Logitech unveiled an update to the coolest racing wheel ever, the G25, called simply enough the G27. The new wheel promises more accurate force feedback effects and keeps with the slick clutch and gated shifter we loved from the G25.
Chrome OS: Waiting Is The Hardest Part…Though Necessary
Apple is no longer the Nordstrom of Tech, they’re the “New Nordstrom”
Can Anything Replace Windows XP As the Best Netbook Operating System?
Hey, Premium Notebooks or Netbooks, Get the Basics Right!
SlashGear Japan
