Android Smart phones

[Klaus]

The update to the Android Facebook app that CEO Mark Zuckerberg detailed this morning is now live in the Android Market. New features include:

Groups - Share posts with small groups of friends.
Places - Share where you are with your friends, see where friends are, and discover places nearby.
Improved notifications - view comments and updates within the app.
Update in the Android Market, or hit up the download links after the break.

[Klaus]

[gigi]

Does anyone have sprint and has used the Evo HTC phone? I'm thinking of getting one of those as my next phone upgrade. What's slowing me down is the G4 area up here in the hills isn't that large of an area yet. So I'm just wondering if that phone on G3 and sometimes G4 coverage is worth it.

[Klaus]

Straph, Ixidor, Naya (as you know them) all have the EVO. Hauser/Liger has the Epic 4G on Sprint.

[gigi]

ok thanks i will wait and see what they say.

[Klaus]

I downloaded this new Youtube Remote app last night and tried it with my laptop logged into www.youtube.com/leanback and I gotta say it's pretty handy if you use a computer hooked up to your bigscreen etc. Check it out.


YouTube Remote app released, controls Leanback on GTV or PC from your Android phone

We weren't completely in love with Google TV's YouTube Leanback experience when we gave the platform a run through, but that could change now that the YouTube Remote app has been released to the Android Market. Users pair the devices simply by signing into YouTube Leanback on the TV or PC and the app on the phone with the same account, then select a video on the phone and send it to the bigger screen with a press of a button. At least, that's how it should work. TechCrunch got a hands on with the new app and a new Topics sorting system for the site during a demo and found some potential, however trying it on one of our devices elicited a slew of crashes before we eventually got everything synced up and working. QR code's after the break so you can have a go of your own.

Update: Once we got everything rolling, we were able to get a better impression of the app. While it was a bit slow to open on our Galaxy S phone, once it is up, it worked smoothly, scrolling side to side through various queues of types of content and our favorites list. While the task of pulling up Leanback in a browser window or even on a Google TV device makes it ill-suited for viewing just one video at a time, where it excels is building a up a queue of videos and sending them over all at once. It will work on multiple screens at the same time as well, but there's no Airplay-style syncing to be had, if one of them starts to slow down or buffer it will simply continue lagging behind, and without any volume controls or ability to reach other functions, you'll still need to keep other remotes handy.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/09/y...nd-google-tvs/

[Ender]

I like the Evo. Battery only lasts a day at most though, so you need to charge it every day. Not sure if the Epic is better in this category or not... Hauser could tell you.

[Klaus]

Michelle just picked up a Samsung Fascinate to replace her waterlogged Droid Eris. Pretty badass phone - the Samsung Galaxy S line of phones are really nice. Super AMOLED screen, 1Ghz hummingbird processor, iPhone form factor, Android 2.1 yuck, 720P video recording, etc etc

[Chadwick]

I like the EVO mainly because of the size, phones were getting way to small. The big touch screen is great. Android 2.2 with the new features including ActiveSync is fantastic for me as a small business guy. Blackberry was terrible in that arena. The voice recognition is really well done, and is great for use with google maps. Lots of other great features. Battery life is acceptable. Just gotta charge it every day, as long as you get used to plugging in your phone while you are at your desk at work and/or before you go to bed it is not a problem at all.

[Klaus]

The EVO and Droid X size screen is starting to grow on me a bit. Rumor is Verizon is coming out with it's version of the HTC EVO (HTC Incredible HD) that will have a LTE (4G) antenna in it sometime in Q1 2011, I might look into that. I saw the Samsung Galaxy S 7 in tablet today at Best Buy, pretty cool large format Android device. I could see picking one up when the price drops..... a lot ($599).