Three Reasons to Wait on Buying an Android Tablet (ContributorNetwork)

Comment | Do not look now, but you might think to remember to buy an Android tablet without it.

Ask yourself this: "Did I seriously considered buying a tablet as the iPad or BlackBerry playbook?" Then, think what you were probably one tablet with Google's Android operating system, like most PCs run on Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Well, they are not necessarily bad ones. I'm kind of liking for Xoom. But you might want to wait until later this year, if you have your heart set on buying one. Here's why:

The current program is flawed

Do not take it from me, ask the people who bought a Xoom, it was the first tablet tablet version of the Google Android operating, called Honeycomb, and still have some issues to take care of them.This means annoying insects interfere with their games and surfing.

Google is difficult to correct errors, while bringing many of the characteristics of honeycomb Android smartphone version. The result is a new version of Android, called Ice Cream Sandwich, which runs on both tablets and smart phones and hope that has the bug fixed. Should be later this year in time for the holidays.

Think of it this way: honeycomb is Windows Vista and an ice cream sandwich will be Windows 7. Believe me, it is better to wait.

There is almost no applications

It is true that there are thousands of programs in the Android Market. However, most of them are for Android smartphones. More than 65,000 applications designed just for that, and shows no signs of losing momentum.

Applications, it is a tablet, it is likely that you can do what you want and the less likely you will be left behind when the most recent and leaves. So for now, it might be better to wait and see how large the selection grows before committing to buy a tablet Android.

The tablets are much closer to leaving

As the transformer Asus 2, based on the surprise success of Asus Eee Pad transformer. Android These tablets are priced $ 100 less than the iPhone 2, and an additional $ 150 you can buy a dock with a keyboard and a touchpad (in addition to the extra battery life of the transformer). It's like a tablet that becomes a laptop … in contrast to the Atrix Motorola, which was essentially a laptop that works with high-end smartphone plugged into it.

The transformer 2 is expected to have a quad-core processor, and – of course – will run the ice cream sandwich instead of a honeycomb. If you keep the same price of the first transformer, which is not to love? And as it should be out in the fourth quarter, not too long to wait for a more powerful and less buggy compressed.

Jared Spurbeck is passionate about open source software, Android phone that uses a laptop and Ubuntu. It 'was written about technology and electronics since 2008.

Lodsys switching tactics, now going after Android developers (Digital Trends)

Last week decided to keep Lodsys patent for developers to take on Ios for the use of their supposedly patented in-app-payment technology. Immediately shot back, saying Apple's licensing rights to the technology is expanding its developer.

But undeterred Lodsys can: today the filing of the same complaints against Android problem. Company The Cult of Mac noticed a forum thread where Android developers Lodsys of the claims were approached via a. "We recently implemented in-app purchasing for our Android application and a couple of weeks later we received a letter from Lodsys, claiming that we infringed their patents, a developer of control "Markusn82 says.Also, wisely, asked if any of your colleagues have experienced the same thing and more importantly, if Google is not going to do something about it.

Google has introduced the application of the payment plans for Android in a few months, two, and developers have used the system.

It is assumed that Google is less demanding with regard to the defense of its developers, as some think it is the most practical approach with Android Apple does with IOS. Lodsys was aimed at developers, their platforms rather than because of his financial difficulties and inability to combat this kind of litigation. But if it is a consolation for developers of Android, Google has licensed the technology itself as Apple has done, so if you decide to fight for Lodsys tell by their developers alone can.

Whatever Google chooses to do, certainly say that, after telling of being lost by Apple Lodsys was moved to its next target.

Guinness Awards Gaming Records to iPhone 4, App Store (PC World)

The Guinness Book of World Records has bestowed the honor of fastest-growing gaming system upon Apple's iPhone 4, as well as noting that the App Store itself and several games in it also have set records.

An estimated 1.5 million iPhone 4s were sold on launch day, far eclipsing any other gaming system. Guinness noted that the PlayStation Portable only sold 200,000 units in its first day, and it was a full week until the Nintendo DS pushed 500,000 consoles out the door.

"The release of the iPhone has not just changed the mobile industry, but the video game world too," Guinness' gaming editor Gaz Deaves says in a statement. The organization also noted that Apple's App Store holds the record for the largest downloadable video game store with 37,362 titles available.

Guinness did not provide numbers from the Android Market for comparison purposes, but noted the App Store was well ahead of other competitors including Xbox Live Arcade (around 1300) and Wii's Virtual Console service at 576.

Angry Birds is also receiving honors for being the "Top Paid-For App Store Game in Most Countries." The title is the top paid download in 67 countries on the App Store with an estimated 6.5 million paid downloads.

Other records for iOS games include Tap Tap Revenge for the most popular App Store game in history with 15 million downloads, and Plants vs. Zombies set two records in the strategy category. It was the highest grossing launch with $1 million in revenue for developer PopCap in the first nine days, as well as the fastest selling with 300,000 downloads in that same period.

For more tech news and commentary, follow Ed on Twitter at @edoswald and on Facebook as well as Today @ PCWorld.

Sony lets loose pair of Xperia Mini smartphones (Yahoo! News)

Sony's gaming division is working tirelessly to sew up the loose ends of its PlayStation Network, Sony Ericsson, smartphone the company branch, without such a misery. Today they unveiled a few new Android smartphones on the company's Xperia handset line in connection. Xperia Xperia Mini and Mini Pro takes a special touch to the diminutive handset Sony offers – as the spring has done for HP.

Both standard Mini and Mini Pro 2.3 runs Android cake right out of the gate remarkable feature considering a large part of the Android Market is a still using version 2.2 Froyo.The phones sport 3-inch touchscreen, 720p HD video recording capabilities, integrated functions, Facebook, and Sony's DLNA connectivity technology that enables users to make phone submitting your media to compatible BRAVIA TVs.

Pro model ups the ante, adding slide-out "Smart Keyboard", which automatically predicts what you will use. For example, if you surf the net and slide open the keyboard cursor automatically to the search or address bar. No word on a specific launch date was given, but Sony expects to release the new couple in the autumn.

(Source)

Five free tax apps for preparing and filing your 2010 returns (Digital Trends)

It’s that time of the year again, when you have two days left and you’re taxes still aren’t done. Luckily, mine are, so I have time to share a few apps with you. We’ve compiled five of the best Android and iPhone apps (and one for BlackBerry) for managing different aspects of filing your taxes on the go. Some of these apps help estimating taxes or checking on refunds, one will actually file your taxes, and two contain helpful reference material. In any case, make sure you e-file your taxes if you’d like to get your refund within 10 days.

IRS2Go

The IRS needs to learn how the Web works. It does not yet know how to remove the “www.” from its Web address (heading to http://irs.gov is a dead end). With that said, it’s lack of Internet prowess hasn’t stopped it from releasing an official IRS smartphone app this year for Android and iOS devices. While the app is pretty bare bones and doesn’t allow you to file your taxes on your smartphone, it does let you check the status of your tax refund and get updates from the IRS. It also has numbers and times when you can call and ask questions. If you e-filed your 2010 taxes, you can check on their status in this app within 72 hours. You can download IRS2Go for free on the Android Market and iPhone App Store.

H&R Block Tax Central

If the IRS app isn’t doing it for you, H&R Block has a free, more fully featured, app available on Android and iPhone. Tax Central will let you check your refund status, but also has a Help section full of terms and answers to basic tax questions and a checklist feature that helps you create a tax filing to-do list for yourself. Many users have complained that the Tax Estimator is a bit inaccurate. We recommend you use it for broad purposes only. The Tax Quiz is purely there for entertainment. Still, if you have some basic questions that you want to research on the go, H&R Block’s Tax Central may be a good option. More information and links to download it on the various app stores can be found here.

TurboTax SnapTax

If you’re taxes are excessively simple (just one job, one state of employment, no deductions, make you less than $80,000, etc), the TurboTax SnapTax may be the best way for you to file your taxes. It allows you to answer some basic questions, make a profile, and take a photo of your W-2. In theory, you could finish your taxes in minutes. Not sure if you’re qualified? It’s a free download and after you answer some basic questions, it will tell you if you can use the mobile app to continue or if you need to use the full online version of TurboTax to proceed. If you are capable of using the phone, you’ll have to download a $19.99 key to file.

The only downside to SnapTax is its simplicity. Sometimes the app doesn’t explain, in full, why it has rejected your application and it only gives you two options once you finish: continue online or start over. Starting over erases all of the, admittedly short, work you’ve just done. Still, SnapTax is the best option (and possibly only) for filing taxes on a smartphone. It is available on the Android and iPhone app stores. Download SnapTax here.

Another thing to keep in mind: if you’ve been rejected from the smartphone app, TurboTax does have a fully-featured iPad app that will let anyone file complex tax returns. It is available in the App Store.

BNA Quick Tax Reference

Like IRS2Go, this app isn’t pretty and it doesn’t explain itself well. However, it does provide some valuable reference material, should you need it. Mileage rates, corporate tax rate schedules, individual tax rate schedules, standard deductions, retirement plan limits, and more are all in here in unfiltered tables. The best thing about Quick Tax Reference is that it’s available on BlackBerry as well. Head here for links to download or to learn more.

TaxCaster 2010

Yes, this is another TurboTax app, but it is a bit easier to use and more detailed than H&R Block’s Tax Central Tax Calculator. TurboTax is the leader in its category for a reason; its apps are functional, pretty, and easy to use. Obviously, this is an app for those with relatively simple taxes and a single job. You don’t have to sign up to use it. Simply enter your wages, marital status, earnings, and deductions and TaxCaster pumps out a quick estimate of what you kind of refund you might receive. The app is available on Android and iPhone, but if you’re bored, an online version is available as well.

That’s about it…

While we’re impressed by the array of smartphone apps that TurboTax offers — SnapTax, MyTaxRefund, and TaxCaster — no other apps currently offer the ability to file using your phone. We’re not quite sure you want to file on your smartphone, but with more and more larger-screened tablets on the market, it’s a shame that only TurboTax offers a tablet app. Few apps available are useful, and fewer still are useful for anything outside of excessively basic questions. Hopefully app makers will get on the ball when 2011 tax season rolls around.

Why Does Android Have No Killer Apps? (ContributorNetwork)

That's basically the question John Gruber tried to answer, in his essay, "Where Are the Android Killer Apps?" Because while Google makes some compelling reasons to go Android, if you leave out Google's apps there aren't any that make you feel like you're missing out if you don't have an Android phone. They're either available for the iPhone too, or they just aren't all that compelling.

Why is that?

Fragmentation

That's the word most people use to describe the diversity in the Android world. See, they're used to the iPhone world, where Apple makes everything. But in the Android world, handset makers like HTC can use the Android operating system to make phones without paying Google a license fee. So it seems to outsiders like Android is "fragmented" between manufacturers, when the reality is that it's a freely-available component that companies use to make phones.

The problem starts when you compare Android phones with each other. Can the low-end HTC Wildfire play Angry Birds? Can the Atrix buy apps from Amazon's "Appstore?" If you think that's confusing, it's even more confusing for app developers, who get flooded with reviews saying "it doesn't work on my phone."

You'll find most "name-brand" apps on Android, because big companies can afford to pay people to deal with this problem. Indie app developers are turned off by it, though, and the developers who do write apps for Android consider it a problem. Partly because it means more work for them, and partly because the compromises they make — to put apps on phones with wildly different screen sizes and processing power — often result in apps that look terrible.

Monetization

For a variety of reasons (although some of these have changed over time), people just aren't making as much money on the Android Market as they are on the App Store. A lot of the money they are making comes from ads on free apps, instead of app sales, suggesting that Android phone owners aren't as willing to part with their money.

That's all on the Android Market, though. It's not the only place to buy Android apps, and the Amazon Appstore is adopting a lot of the policies and features that made Apple's profitable, plus combining them with Amazon.com's massive marketing engine. It may become a force to be reckoned with. It's unlikely to replace the Android Market anytime soon, though … for now, it's just another part of the "fragmentation" problem.

Differentiation

By that, I mean "what sets Android apart." And the problem is, it's not much, or at least not much that's easily explainable. Hardware keys? Home screen widgets? Open-source programming code? How do you tell anyone why they want these things, if they don't already know?

App developers are facing the same problem. What reason is there for them to write Android apps, instead of apps for anything else? Is there anything they can do on Android that they can't anyplace else? As it turns out, there is, but it involves low-level system things like making the home screen look different. And while that's a boon to manufacturers like HTC, which use custom-designed home screens, it's not the kind of feature that makes you want to run out and buy an Android phone.

The upshot is that the only non-Google apps that are only for Android are the kind that wouldn't work anyplace else, and they tend to only be attractive to hardcore customizers. Android is a haven for them, but there's a lot else that it's missing out on.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Celebrity tracker ‘app’ for Android smartphones (AFP)

famous tracker "application for Android smartphones

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – The start Scoopler was inviting the owners of Android smartphones to install an application that promises to alert each time a celebrity is spotted nearby.

The OSS was JustSpotted available online Android Market.

"There is another application that provides real-time alerts, such as this, with thousands of spots on our site every day," said co-founder AJ Scoopler Asver AFP in an email.

"If you're in a metropolitan area, you will be pleasantly surprised by its proximity to the world of celebrities."

JustSpotted.com was identified in October with an online map, the celebrity of the movements in real-time updates on public social networking star Facebook and Twitter micro-blogging service based start.

just potted members also contribute sightings.

While by some as a potential source for stalker just potted, settled branded itself "celebrity friendly" and as said, the stars can make arrangements to use the service to promote their images or messages.

"We do not have any complaints from celebrities," Asver AFP. "We have actually been approached by people to promote upcoming movies."

He said that a tailored version of the iPhone just potted subjected to an Apple was approved and was expected to be available in the App Store at the end of the month.

Google Music: Coming Soon, Kinda-Sorta-Maybe (PC World)

Hot on the heels of the launch of Amazon’s Cloud Drive, new signs of Google’s music-streaming service are showing up around the Web.

A website called TechFrom10.com — which has been offline since Tuesday morning — received a copy of an apparent development version of a new Android Market interface for phones. Within the updated Market, the site found a new music player app for Android. It’s not complete, by any means, but the app runs relatively smoothly on Android 2.3, the latest smartphone version of Google’s mobile OS.

Big deal, right? It sounds underwhelming, I know. But what’s noteworthy about the discovery is the presence of cloud-based streaming features within the music player application.

When you dig into the settings of the new Android music app, you find a handful of options that seem to be tied to the long-discussed Google Music service. One allows you to select a Google account to connect to the application; another lets you temporarily cache streaming music files to help improve performance. All told, the app is actually quite similar to another Android music player leak we saw about a month ago, though the software seems to have evolved into a more stable and polished form since that last appearance.

Google Music and Android: The Bigger Picture

So let’s put this all into context: We first (officially) heard about Google’s plans for a cloud-based music streaming service last spring, when Google gave us a sneak peek at the aptly named Google Music during its 2010 I/O developers’ conference. Since then, we’ve heard rumors upon rumors of a pending launch — including one that surfaced a few days ago — but no real signs of anything beyond the standard blogosphere-based hearsay.

The sudden appearance of this new Android music player, then, is certainly interesting. Remember, Amazon launched its own music-streaming service just last week. In doing so, it beat Google to the punch — potentially snagging hoards of Android streaming customers who may never look back. Now we have a tiny little reminder that, hey, Google has something on the way, too.

The situation gets even more interesting when you consider how the folks from TechFrom10 supposedly got their hands on this new Android music app. According to the site, the software randomly showed up on a writer’s Galaxy S phone via an over-the-air update. Now, are they telling the truth — and if so, does that mean this was some sort of intentional leak? We’ll likely never know for sure, but the possibility exists. (It could also, of course, have been a coincidentally timed mistake, or there could be more to the story than what we’ve been told.)

In terms of timing, there’s one other important piece to this Google Music puzzle. The latest round of rumors suggests Google is now testing its music-streaming service internally, with a possible reveal set for the company’s I/O developers’ conference — yep, the same event where we first heard about Google Music — next month.

This year’s Google I/O takes place May 10 and 11. Only time will tell whether all these clues are leading up to something, or whether they’re just red herrings in what’s starting to feel like a wild-goose chase.

JR Raphael is a PCWorld contributing editor and the author of the Android Power blog. You can find him on Facebook, on Twitter, or at his geek-humor getaway: eSarcasm.com.

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Amazon Launches Appstore for Android Despite Apple (NewsFactor)

As a platform for Google Android is increasing, and the possibility of acquiring applications. In addition to Google’s Android Market, which is now about 170,000 applications, users can upload games, music players, e-readers, cards and much more for Verizon Wireless ‘V CAST and Amazon.com’ s new Android Appstore.

The Amazon site went live on Tuesday, offering a promotion of a free (mostly free) application per day, starting with a new version of the game birds Angry Rio. The inventory contains the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Zagat To Go, Lookout Mobile Security, Shazam Entertainment, Sports and CBS.

Remains above the

Android has recently increased share of the U.S. smartphone market, Apple and IOS something for Research in Motion’s BlackBerry, according to NPD.

And with a bunch of pills Android – including new versions Galaxy Tab Samsung unveiled Tuesday – in competition with Apple iPad, the request for applications for phones and tablets has never been greater.

“This also gives a definition of Amazon and the ability to differentiate new and emerging products based on its Android as a Kindle / tablet,” said Charles King, an analyst at IT-PUND.

Kindle is Amazon’s first e-reader only with a limited browsing capabilities in the latest version. But the king said: “A device that seamlessly combines the best of both worlds would be a great product differentiator for Amazon until now, none of the tablets I’ve seen are as good a player as the Kindle ..”

However, only a handful of applications optimized for Android are currently using the Tablet PC.

Boutique Approach

But too many stages for Android applications is not necessarily a good thing, said another analyst.

“There will be more, much more” sellers offer [applications], “said Ken Dulaney at Gartner Research.” I do not think that’s an advantage. In fact, a slight disadvantage, because you look so much ”

He compared the approach adopted by Google for “Moving the model department stores to boutique shop. But that approach is necessary because Google is not willing to take on the role of applications for better characterization. They could easily all applications run through further tests before publication. That’s what Amazon has let most of Google is not on their App Store. Amazon and Google to take someone that role. ”

Android is still pale against Apple’s App Store in iTunes, now more than 400,000 applications. And Amazon faces another battle with Apple: a legal challenge.

According to Bloomberg News, despite the slightly different spelling, Apple filed a lawsuit in federal court in northern California on 18 March claims Amazon.com has violated its App Store brand, asks a judge to order the name of Amazon AppStore removed and damage.

source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20110322/bs_nf/77817

Amazon’s Android App Store: Steve Jobs Just Doesn’t Get It (PC World)

Roll out the welcome wagon, Android fans: It looks like you'll soon have a new place to shop.

Amazon may be days away from launching its Android app store, if recent signs are any indication. The company briefly had its storefront online this week, as discovered by German website AndroidNews.de. The blog had the bright idea to pull up amazon.com/apps; there, it found a page entitled "Appstore for Android" with a list of 48 "top-selling" applications.

The page has since been taken down, but from its brief stay, we learned that Amazon's Android app store will have apps that aren't available in the main Android Market (beyond just the Angry Birds Rio exclusive Amazon had previously announced). It looks like the store will also offer cheaper prices on some common applications; several programs were marked down by as much as a couple dollars below their Android Market rates.

Amazon's Android App Store: Differing Viewpoints

In the grand scheme of things, the launch of Amazon's new app store signifies an exciting step forward for the world of Android. Think about it: This kind of high-profile competition will bring richer and more diverse options for us, the customers. And, as competition tends to do, it'll encourage competitive pricing. Remember, too, that Amazon is offering its own incentives to developers, which'll help attract new talent and drive innovation on Android even further. And the best part: If you don't like the way Amazon approaches app sales, you don't have to use its store. It's just another choice — the first of many on the way.

What's fascinating to me is that some people, such as the CEO behind a certain competing smartphone platform, like to characterize multiple app stores on Android as a bad thing. Remember Steve Jobs' anti-Android rant from his company's earnings call last fall?

"In addition to Google's own app marketplace, Amazon, Verizon, and Vodafone have all announced that they are creating their own app stores for Android — so there will be at least four app stores on Android, which customers must search among to find the app they want," Jobs said.

"This is gonna be a mess for both users and developers," he went on to proclaim.

Amazon's Android App Store: The Jobs Perception Problem

Here's the problem: Jobs, as usual, is looking at this through his Apple-tinted glasses. As I wrote in a friendly letter to the turtlenecked one last year, most markets — virtual or otherwise — do allow people to buy products from multiple providers. Choice doesn't lead to chaos (nor does it lead to unstoppable scary-virus-monster attacks, by the way — but that's another story).

Let's translate this into a more traditional retail scenario for some perspective. Say there's a giant shoe store with thousands of shoes on its shelves. It has something for everyone; its selection is unmatched.

Now, would any of us look at that store and say it should be the only shoe store anyone's ever allowed to visit? Of course not. It may be large, convenient, and the de facto option for many families. But competing shoe stores will add diversity into the mix, offering different items and maybe better prices. They'll take advantage of their own strengths to create new kinds of value for shoppers — better customer service, for example, or easier ways to check out. Why wouldn't we want that choice?

Competition may not be good for the retailer — particularly when the retailer is a giant tech company that makes loads of money by owning the only store its customers can utilize — but competition is almost always good for the consumer. For users, choice doesn't equal chaos. Choice equals power.

Android's app selection is already growing at an alarming rate — more than three times the rate of Apple's, according to a recent analysis. The introduction of high-profile supplementary app stores like Amazon's is only going to speed up that growth, while simultaneously expanding the marketplace in new and interesting ways.

Apple can slant things however it wishes, but mark my words: This is the beginning of something big.

JR Raphael is a PCWorld contributing editor and the author of the Android Power blog. You can find him on both Facebook and Twitter.

source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20110317/tc_pcworld/amazonsandroidappstorestevejobsjustdoesntgetit