Fennec Alpha now available for Android 2.0+ Mobiles
Mozila on Friday released the latest version of its mobile browser, Fennec for Android 2.0 and higher and Nokia N900. According to Mozilla, Fennec is the first mobile browser to offer add-ons and is built using the same technology that powers Firefox.
This Alpha release includes Electrolysis, which allows the browser interface to run in a separate process from the one rendering Web content. By doing this, Fennec is able to react much faster to user input while pages are loading or CPU intensive JavaScript is running. The upcoming beta release will start taking advantage of Layers to greatly improve performance in graphic intensive actions like scrolling, zooming, animations and video.
Motorola & Verizon launch DROID X
Motorola’s Android-based Droid X smartphone was unveiled today during a joint press briefing with Verizon. The device, which ships with Android 2.1, will be available to Verizon customers in mid-July. The DROID X comes with a 4.3? screen and HDMI out support, plus Motorola says it’ll receive Android 2.2 and Flash 10.1 via an over-the-air update that’ll hit “in the latter half of the summer.” Behind the phone is some sort of 1Ghz processor, an 8 megapixel camera and DLNA and HDMI support.
Specs:
* 4.3-inch 854×480 touchscreen
* 8mp camera with dual LED flash and image stabilization
* 3 microphones
* HDMI output
* 3G connectivity with Mobile Hotspot ($20 month)
* Pinch to zoom
* 1Ghz Omap processor
* 7 customizable home screens
* 8GB built-in storage
* GPS
* 8 hour talk time and 220 hour standby time
Motorola Droid X preview
If you are a Android Mobile Fan, than here is the Motorola Droid X Preview. Today Engadget posted some exclusive hands-on goodness of the Motorola droid X. In their post, they make it very clear that the device is running Android 2.1, and not 2.2 (aka Froyo). The upcoming Motorola DROID X features a 4.4 inch screen with resolution of 854 x 480, topping the Sprint device by one tenth of an inch. The DROID X will come with a Blockbuster app standard and a new form of Motoblur on top of Android 2.1. The camera is 8MP with 720p video capture.
Some of the highlights…
* Hardware: Looks slightly bigger than the EVO and has far more exterior details.
* Screen: Might actually be 4.4? and is incredibly crisp.
* Motoblur: Running Android 2.1 and not what anyone expected but seems to be solid.
* Camera: 8MP is nice, but the actual camera button made pics unclear at times.
* Keyboard: Official Swype comes preinstalled and includes multi-touch.
* Performance: The speed is remarkable.
Via- Engadget
Manually update your Nexus One to Android 2.2 Froyo
Now Google is rolling out the Android 2.2 update for the nexus one, Now the manual update is available from Google servers for Nexus one. The safe way to get your Nexus One updated to Android 2.2 is to wait for your phone to notify you that the over the air update is available, Do the manual update at your own risk.
This works only on a Nexus one running ERE27 firmware Android 2.1 and should not be rooted or running any mod.
1. Download the update zip file from Google.
2. Rename the file to update.zip.
3. Copy the update.zip file onto your microSD card.
4. With your Nexus One off, hold down the trackball and press the power button.
5. You’ll be booted into a white screen with three Android robots on skateboards. Select “Bootloader.”
6. On the next screen, select “Recovery.”
7. Your phone will reboot, giving you a picture of the Android robot and an exclamation point inside a triangle.
8. Now press the power button and volume up button at the same time. It could take a couple of tries.
9. Now (using the trackball this time) choose “Apply sdcard:update.zip” and let things run their course.
Google Android 2.2 Froyo officially announced
Google just announced Android 2.2 “Froyo” at I/O, and the big addition is a just-in-time compiler, which brings a 2-5x speed boost to the system. Froyo (following Google’s adorable alphabetized dessert naming convention) is the latest iteration of Android, Google’s mobile operating system. Google has announced a number of very significant improvements will be coming to the next version, numbered 2.2 but nicknamed “FroYo,” which address key issues Android has dealt with in the past.
1) Improved Speed — Just as it was rumored, the next version of Android will have a JIT compiler, responsible for a significant (2x-5x) speed boost.
2) Better Enterprise Support – The platform has lagged behind Windows Mobile and BlackBerry in terms of enterprise functionality, but FroYo will include over 20 new enterprise features. These include better Exchange support, with auto-discovery, improved security, and GAL lookup, and new device admin APIs.
3) Cloud-to-Device API – Google services, Chrome extensions, and soon-to-be released Chrome apps will be able to sync with your Android device. If you need directions from Google Maps, it can be sent directly.
4) Tethering — This was also a rumored feature for a few weeks. The feature will be in the “settings” menu, and clicking “portable wi-fi hotspot.”
5) New Browser — The Javascript interpreter in Chrome will be used in FroYo’s native browser, offering a 2x-3x Javascript performance boost. Google’s Vic Gundotra said it will be the fastest mobile browser available.
6) Install apps on SD memory – One of the main problems people had with Android was that you could not install apps on your removable memory card, you were limited to the device’s physical memory, which in some cases was quite limited. In FroYo, apps can be moved to, and launched from, the phone’s SD card.
7) Flash 10.1 and AIR support — This one is not a surprise, as Adobe and Google have both said this would be coming.
Web-based Android Market — Without a doubt one of the weakest aspects of consuming apps on the Android Platform was that you were limited to only seeing what was shown on your mobile device’s screen, which in most cases is not very appealing.
9) App auto-updating — When an app you downloaded gets updated, you would get a notification that there was an update available in the Market. You’d have to navigate to the market and click OK three or four times per update just to get it installed. In FroYo, there will be an “Update All” icon, and the ability to check “allow automatic updating” when you download a new app. Apps can be purchased on the Web-based store and synced down to your Android device.
10) Music Sync – Even though it’s got a decent media player, Android devices have never had the music power that iPhone has with its built-in iPod functionality. With FroYo, however, users will be able to sync their local music collection with their Android device and stream wirelessly.