Cell Bytes

Browser preferences are a very personal thing and many people tend to be pretty die-hard about their browser of choice. For Opera users with Android devices, this has been rather frustrating. The company announced the beta of their Opera Mini for Android browser back in March, and updated the app in July, but still lacked many features of standard Android browsers like pinch to zoom. Not anymore.

At Up North Web, the company announced they were hard at work on Opera for Android and would launch the browser within a month.

The release comes with 3 main improvements:

• A new name: Opera for Android sounds a lot better than Opera Mini 5.x if you ask me
• Pinch to zoom: previously there were only two levels of touch and zoom in/out
• Hardware acceleration: essentially allows Opera to run at “lightning speed” so they’ve improved performance

You can’t quite download Opera Mobile for Android yet, but they assure us that it will be available “within a month”, so mark November 14th on your calendar and if you haven’t heard anything by then, let the inevitable complaint storm begin.

Grooveshark has quickly become one of the most popular streaming music services in the Android market, and yesterday they released a big update in the Android market to appease their customers. Alongside a bunch of bug fixes (those are always welcomed), we’ve been treated to a host of new features that should win over a lot of new customers (and keep existing ones happy.) Here’s the full list of changes:

Subscribed playlists – You can listen not only to playlists you’ve made, but ones you’ve Favorited while using Grooveshark.
Genre Radio – If you *really* don’t know what to listen to, we’ve added a bunch of Radio stations created by genre. Pick one and go.
User stations – You can save a Radio session as a playlist and come back to it.
Repeat Options – Repeat a single song, or an entire queue.
Queue is remembered across app restarts – The songs in your queue will remain there, even if you restart your phone/app.
Last.fm scrobbling support. I don’t think I have to explain this one to you fans out there.
Bluetooth support for play, pause, next and previous song controls.
Bugs We Fixed:
Playlists will now sync!

Wifi-only songs are now playable over cellular networks, if you like.
Using Shuffle won’t cause the app to crash anymore!
Fewer “Lost connection to Grooveshark” messages, and significantly saved battery.
QueueService (the player code) now manages its life-cycle properly, and shuts down when not in use.
Removed the Quit button—it’s not needed anymore.
 The app frees background resources when a the last song queued plays, or the current song is paused.
 Quitting the app now happens when the phone’s home button or back button are pressed enough.
Now Playing didn’t always clear when the app wasn’t in use; this is fixed.
After a force close, sometimes songs wouldn’t play and the “Unknown
Media Player” error was displayed; this has been fixed.
*
For some Android phones, music would stop playing when the app went into the background; this has been fixed.
Skipping between songs frequently would eventually cause the app to hang and force close.
 Not anymore!
After favoriting or unfavoriting a song in Now Playing, the song’s state was not updated in any widgets—and vice versa. This has been fixed.
After an extended period of no use, pressing play from widgets 
wouldn’t start the last song; this has been fixed.

Offline Song Fixes
Now stops and starts when needed which saves battery.
It prevents the phone from sleeping while any downloads are queued or active—so they won’t fail.
Songs being downloaded to Offline Songs during a connectivity transition (e.g. 3g to wifi) will seamlessly download the song.

Sounds like they’ve been quite the busy studio. Scan or touch (on your Android browser) the QR code below to get started, or just search “Grooveshark” in the Android market.

Best Buy’s getting even more white phones and the Dell Streak soon, it seems. A new leak from AC shows that the Samsung Fascinate on Verizon and the Xperia X10 on AT&T will be getting makeovers for a re-release exclusively for Best Buy. For the Fascinate, the entire back of the phone will be white, while the front bezel of the Xperia X10 will be white as well (I can’t imagine that the back wouldn’t match up.) The Dell Streak isn’t getting that same makeover, but this will mark the first time it’s been available at a third-party retailer here in the states.

All of these phones will be available October 24th and Best Buy has already begun taking pre-orders for the devices. Throw $50 down and your name will be on the list for one of these in a week and a half.

We know you love you some Android, and the mobile OS has become pretty darn dominant over the past three years, but it’s no secret that Google has some other tricks up their sleeve besides Search Engines and Androids. While Chrome Browser hasn’t taken off in terms of adoption and market share like the search giant had hoped, it IS one of the primary options of an oligopoly driven market. And if you can remember, it wasn’t too long ago that we were talking about Chrome neck-and-neck with Android, wondering if one of them would swallow the other one in the long run.

This is a friendly reminder that while Android seems to have taken over mother earth recently, Chrome could be a dark horse this holiday season. Last night we saw the launch of Sony Internet TV, essentially an iteration of Google TV, featuring Android 2.1 and eventually featuring Android Market. But Google TV is also pumped full of Chrome juice, something that you can’t really miss when searching your Google TV (Omnibar FTW).

I’ve been surprised at the lack of excitement for Google TV in the Android universe but I think the phans will come around once the product is in the streets. And when Android Market lands on the units – watch out. But while Android and Chrome combined to form their Google TV love child, it doesn’t say much about Google’s overall Chrome initiative.

What initiative you might ask? A little something the world forgot about called Chrome OS. To jog your memory, perhaps you should watch this video from November 19th, 2009 where they show sample products and promise Chrome OS products in one year time, including launch plans.

It’s almost a year later and Google has confirmed that Chrome OS hardware will launch before the end of the year:

In terms of Google Chrome OS schedule, we are very happy with the progress of Chrome OS and expect devices will be available later this year. We’ll have more details to share at launch.

In August, Google filed for the Speedbook Trademark, and it’s looking like Chrome OS Tablets could be included in the mix along with Netbooks. I’ve said before that the launch of the iPad will only help Android and Chrome have success on Netbooks, Tablets and other form factors. But now, as Chrome hardware waits silently and patiently in the shadow of Android, I think it’s a great time to revive the discussion about the intersection of Android Avenue and Chrome Court.

While Sergey Brin said they “will likely converge over time,” Eric Schmidt had this to offer:

In fact the Chrome OS is a different product and a different target market. One way to think about it is that Android is really targeted towards people who are phone centric… and we all understand what phone-centric means: it’s a mobile device, it has a Wi-Fi connection and you carry it. If it isn’t a phone it’s something like a phone – a tablet or something like that.

The Chrome OS is really targeted at the PC/Netbook-centric user. And that’s somebody who is at a desk, they’ve got a keyboard or something like that, they’ve got a reasonable screen and a they’ve got a good processor.

The uses are different and we don’t think the two completely overlap.

That was November 23rd, 2009 and things were a lot different then. That’s when Google still thought they could revolutionize the method of mobile phone buying. They’ve since abandoned that and more recently taken a different approach that pretty much admits defeat in terms of selling phones direct.

Android has, up until now, been mainly featured on smartphones with 4.3-inch screens or smaller. With the launch of Google TV, the biggest takeaway was that the largest screen in your house wasn’t getting the attention it deserved. Google TV would make better (and awesome) use of your television… with the help of Android and Chrome together. But what about screen sizes in between? What ABOUT netbooks? What ABOUT tablets?

Android netbooks have, thus far, failed pretty miserably. Android tablets it appears, with offerings like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, could become pretty popular. It’s clear that the use-case for Chrome OS is different than that of Android, but might creating Android this and Chrome OS that further confuse consumers who are still trying to figure out what “Droid” really means? Or could Google be working on a hybrid solution for larger devices that makes use of both Android and Chrome, similar to the nature and integration of Google TV?

I don’t have all the answers, but if Google makes good on their promise to release Chrome OS products later this year we won’t have long to wait. But as we saw with the Nexus One experiment, Google isn’t too proud to admit they miscalculated and take a newer and re-calculated approach, and they should be applauded for that. Either way, until we know the bottom line, I’m asking you again one year later…

What will we see from Chrome and Chrome OS this holiday season and how will it affect Android?

Ladies and gentlemen, this is history in the making. Someone finally got internet TV right. OK, so technically Google TV got internet TV right, and the experience mirrors the Logitech Revue almost identically (more on that later), but when you package it in some beautiful Sony hardware it’s enough to make a grown man turn into a comatosed drool machine. That is what will set Sony’s offering apart from the likes of the Revue, right on down to the beautifully designed, PS3-inspired remote.

You may have already read Rob’s boyish gushing over the remote controller, and hopefully this isn’t the last time we see Google TV and PS3 associated, because a next-gen console with the Android-based service would probably be so awesome it would create a blackhole and suck the universe we know directly into it. But enough of my incessant rambling, we want demos!

So, like I said, you can see what you are getting inside the box is pretty much the same Google TV we saw hashed out from Logitech. But let’s talk a bit more about Sony’s hardware. For starters, Sony’s line of Google TV-enabled devices all feature 8GB of internal flash storage. From what we gathered, this space is reserved for apps, bookmarks, and other OS-related functions rather than media, but that doesn’t mean you can’t access stored files from a network drive. The media player lets you get your pictures, images, and videos right on a beautifully crafted HD screen.

And speaking of that screen, the Sony Internet TV will be available in four sizes: 24 inches at $599, 32 inches at $799, 40 inches at $999, and 46 inches at $1399. No monster 50+ inch set, but still a serviceable range for almost any use. Need one for a bedroom? The 24 inch and 32 inch couldn’t be better. The 40 and 46 inch sets are perfect for the living room. All but the smallest iteration feature LED backlighting bringing out the gorgeous picture on their LCD screens. And believe me, Sony didn’t cut any corners in terms of build quality and picture reproduction. Just because the focus is on the “Internet” part doesn’t mean Sony overlooked the “TV” part. These sets will rank right up there with other high-end HDTVs from the company.

But what if you just bought a new HDTV? No problem, that’s where the Blu Ray player comes in, though at $399 if you already own a PS3 or BRD player, you are probably better off grabbing the Logitech Revue to score the exact same functionality for a hundred bucks less, though I am almost tempted to justify an extra BRD player in the living room and an additional portrait of Benjamin Franklin simply to secure Sony’s remote, which will only be compatible with Sony’s devices. Still, aside from some stylish looks and the ability to play HD discs, the Blu Ray option doesn’t offer much in the way of unique features.

If I was in the market this would be my next HDTV. Hell, I might jump into the market just to pick one of these up. The 32-incher would look perfect in my room. If somehow Google TV flops I will be surprised, because the hardware and software are just too darn well-executed for this thing not to be a success. Check out a little walkthrough and hands-on below.

Turns out TweetDeck’s recent statistics were teasing more than just a few unreleased devices and the Gingerbread update to Android. The full app is now available free-of-charge in the Android Market for all to download, enjoy, and tweet away. The release appears to be for the most part the same as the most recent beta release of the app, which, by the way, you will want to uninstall before downloading the final release from the market. The new version won’t overwrite the beta and you will be dealing with the confusion of two identical applications. Grab it with the QR below.

[via DroidLife]

It’s hard to argue with people who have actually gotten the G2 OTA that provides Wi-Fi calling and Internet Tethering but T-Mobile isn’t ready to admit anything. The carrier provided an official response to Phonescoop regarding the purported push, which was the close relative of the “no comment” kin:

“Wi-Fi Calling and tethering/Wi-Fi sharing are not currently supported on the T-Mobile G2. T-Mobile knows these features are important to consumers and we’re working to deliver them to G2 users in the future. We have nothing further to announce at this time.”

At least they:

• Acknowledged people want it
• Said they would deliver it

As for details? Nunca.

I’m not bothered by the vague nature of the response when considering the alternative: they make a promise with a timeline, something goes wrong in testing, they have to delay, people start flipping out and you’ve got another “XYZ doesn’t care about their customers” fiascos on your hand. So all-in-all, well played TMO…

But seriously, you can start rolling that out whenever. As in… wait for it… NOW!

Sony Internet TV was just announced, and while it’s awesome, it’s mostly awesome because of what Google TV brings to the table. The four actual TVs are nice and all, and the Blu-Ray player is great, but it’s what Google TV allows you to do that makes them great. So what separates Sony Internet Television from other Google TV offerings like the Logitech Revue?

The remote.

The design of the Sony Internet TV remote was modeled after the Sony Playstation 3 controller and it isn’t surprising – this thing makes operating your TV fun and almost game like. The navigation is natural, and while a few nuances take a bit getting used to, mostly anyone who has played Playstation or XBOX will jump right into the experience and forget that learning curves exist.

Check out how familiar this looks/feels in the hand:

Just like a gaming controller, each hand clutches a side of this remote with your thumbs doing most of the work. The layout is compact enough so that you can easily reach every button yet large and spacious enough so that typos and mistakes are pretty much non-existent.

The bulk of the main area is taken up by the full QWERTY keyboard which I absolutely loved. Get familiar with that little dedicated search button in the lower left, because with the Omnibox searching everything from the TV Schedule and your DVR to the web and YouTube, you’ll find yourself using it an awful lot. That’s part of what makes the Google TV experience so great… browsing TV is redefined into a Matrix-like experience with tons of options flying by you, selecting whatever you desire.

On the top left you’ll see the D-Pad which allows you to navigate through menus and options. On the top right you’ll see Android’s familiar Home, Menu and Back buttons along with a fourth “Dual View” button that, for all intents and purposes, provides picture-in-picture with whatever you’re currently doing. Those buttons encompass a trackpad that allows you to operate a mouse for clicking and selecting links and actions that require a bit more precision. I’m hoping you can change the tracking of the mouse to speed it up a bit as it was a tad slow for my liking, but that’s a minor complaint.

The top of the remote has L1 and R1 trigger or bumperish buttons. These buttons are supposedly to aid in scrolling (the left side) and zooming (the right side) but I never found an instance where I was manipulating them properly. Even so, I can anticipate they’ll be used quite often and their placement, because of the similarity with gaming, makes them pretty impeccable.

If you were to look at pictures of the remote itself you might not realize how perfectly sized it is. We pulled out the Nexus One and took a mini-photoshoot comparing the two so you could size it up at a few different angles and we think you’ll agree – especially when you get it in your hand – that it has the makings of an awesomely fun TV experience.

Just like many other gaming remotes, this bad boy is powered by your regular old Double A batteries and actually, a picture of the back battery pack opened up also gives a good indication of the size:

Beau-tee-full.

Keep in mind that this remote, at least with the Sony TV experience and Dish TV, works with RFID. That means no matter where the remote is or which way it’s pointed, your actions are still going to properly control the TV. No more pointing your infrared laser at just the right angle or trying to bounce it off walls.

If you ask me, this is hands down the Best TV Remote in the World. The Sony Internet TV Remote is an awesome piece of hardware that simply gets it right. The size is just right, the layout is familiar and usable, the QWERTY is large and spacious, yet the total package is compact and simple. It’s organized in a way that you will likely feel like you’re riding a bike and just start Googling and navigating away, but for those who need a helping hand, this remote doesn’t seem overwhelming or complex. Getting the hang of it is simple.

I’m 98% sure I’ll end up either buying one of the medium sized Sony Internet TVs or at least the Blu-Ray player, simply because I want the remote so bad. I think it will optimize my experience with Google TV. If you’re in need of a TV anyways I would strongly consider buying the Sony Internet TVs and if you don’t yet have a Blu-Ray player, you should snag this one because it just became the best Blu-Ray player on the market. It’s tough to explain without sounding geeky, but I love this remote and along with Google TV it is – in my opinion – the World’s Best TV Remote. At least for the time being.

By the way… when and if Sony starts including Google TV with their PS3 and next gen consoles? Pshhh… game over. Those things will fly off the shelves like whoa.

The recently leaked Android 2.2 ROM for the Dell Streak has to mean the official update is coming soon right? Well if you haven’t installed it already, Froyo isn’t too far off though Dell won’t commit to anything other than their “before the end of the year” stance. The timeframe was reconfirmed, but users are promised the update will come “much sooner” than December 31st.

In fact, due to the additional resources necessary to get Froyo ready for its push to the Streak, Dell is calling off any future Android 2.1 updates and ceasing to push the update to users who have yet to receive it. That’s a bummer, especially if Android 2.2 manages to get delayed. However, it’s a small price to pay if it means we will see Froyo that much sooner.

[via StreakSmart]

Another rumor to start the early week off. According to Android Police, a source of theirs has let loose that the SDK for the update to Android Gingerbread (2.5? 3.0?) will make its way to the internet next week. I question the validity of this claim considering Google has yet to say a word about the forthcoming iteration. It’s not often that we see them (intentionally) release the SDK before formally announcing the new version. (And I do discern the difference between SDK and the source code here.)

If this does somehow turn out to be true, it doesn’t mean that a release would be on its way right afterward. It could be weeks before we hear more about it, but it’d at least give us an early look at what Google’s looking to do with Android going forward. Rumor has it that this new version will either be tailored for tablets or will be a good starting point leading into that before Honeycomb.

While source code from the AOSP would still be miles off, we’ve seen the geniuses from XDA create full-fledged ROMs based on the SDK image before. If we do end up getting an SDK release next week, expect no different (especially considering everyone’s excited to see what Google’s done UI-wise after grabbing ex-Palm user experience leader – the man directly responsible for webOS’s polish – Matias Duarte.)

Let’s just try to not get too excited before we’re actually able to confirm or deny this rumor. I guess we’ll all know by the time next Friday rolls around.