Software and games

Sony Ericsson, after already promising Ice Cream Sandwich for the 2011 Xperia lineup, provided new details today for exactly how the software update will happen.

Specifically, the company's blog posted a timeline as to when various models will get the Android 4.0 update. And as we might have expected all along, the newer releases like the Xperia Arc S and Xperia Ray will see the update before older devices such as the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play.

The first batch, which includes the Arc S, Xperia Neo V, and Ray will get the update beginning in late March. … Read more

Is it finally time to say good-bye to the Symbian name?

Nokia announced on its blog today that the Symbian Belle operating system it has been touting over the last several months has been renamed Nokia Belle.

"The all new Nokia Belle (previously Symbian Belle) user interface will soon be available for download to some existing smartphones and begin shipping with a selection of smartphones that are already on the market," the company wrote on its blog.

Nokia has been slowly but surely moving away from Symbian. Earlier this year, the company signed an agreement with Microsoft that … Read more

Now that it's launched Ice Cream Sandwich on its Galaxy Nexus, Samsung today became the latest hardware maker to outline Android 4.0 updates for its remaining smartphones and tablets.

A posting on the company's blog tells us that most, if not all, of its Galaxy device lineup from 2011 will see Ice Cream Sandwich. So if you're keeping track, that will include the Galaxy S II, the Galaxy Note, and a number of Galaxy Tab models.

The Galaxy S II smarpthones and Galaxy Note should be at the head of the line for the first quarter … Read more

Google has long offered Android developers a number of resources for creating quality applications and games.

Indeed, whether it's the oft-updated platform version chart or a member of the team dropping by the developer blog to share some code or best practices, there's plenty of official information available.

If that wasn't enough, today brings another valuable set of tools for new and seasoned Android developers with a beta program called Android Training. Presented in a wiki-like format, this collection of classes is designed to help developers create compelling apps.

Initially, there are only a dozen courses offered … Read more

As we near the one-year anniversary of Honeycomb tablets, you might assume that Android 3.0 has led to a proliferation of devices and sales.

After all, considering it was written specifically with large displays in mind, it was sure to revolutionize the tablet industry, right?

Well, not exactly. According to new data from ad network Chitika, Honeycomb only accounts for 1 percent of the Android usage on their system.

Based on data collected from hundreds of millions of ads served over the span of a week, Chitika found that Gingerbread and Froyo still command approximately 95 percent of the … Read more

Keeping true to its word, HTC has begun issuing a Sense 3.0 update to a pair of older smartphones.

Specifically, the two models getting the bump this time are the Incredible S and Desire HD.

The custom interface was introduced earlier in the year and includes a number of aspects that can be tailored by the user. Most notable among the features is the lock screen, which allows for quick access to popular applications such the camera, e-mail, and phone.

Although these Sense 3.0 updates are designed for U.K.-only models at this point, we might safely … Read more

Every time the Android team unveils a new version of the platform, users immediately start asking when they will see the update on their respective hardware.

Of course, the question is quite understandable. It doesn't matter whether your smartphone or tablet is one week old or one year old, we want the hot new Android and we want it now. So we wait. And we wait. And we wait.

Unfortunately, a firm release date, not to mention an answer as to why it takes so long, usually isn't available. That's why I'm glad that Motorola has … Read more

At first blush, Android Beam sounded like it could go the route of face unlocking--one of those fun, breezy gimmicks in the new Ice Cream Sandwich operating system that would last for a party trick or two, but ultimately die down.

With only one review unit in-house, there was no way to know for sure. However, fellow mobile journalist Blake Stimac and I brought our Galaxy Nexus phones together for a little playdate, and it quickly became clear how useful and broad Android Beam can be.

As a refresher, Android Beam uses NFC (near-field communication), a radio frequency technology, to pass certain types of information from one phone to a compatible phone (for starters, both phones need NFC.) Assuming both phones' screens are on, NFC is enabled on both phones, and Android Beam is activated, which it is by default, you can simply press the backs of the two phones together to trigger a beam.… Read more

In case you didn't already know, Amazon really wants you to know about the features on its Kindle Fire.

After touting earlier this week highlighed applications, we have one more reason to consider the 7-inch device.

According to a follow-up to Wednesday's press announcement, Amazon also plans to offer support for Hulu Plus and its library of content. So in case the access to Amazon's standard library of movies, television shows, and music isn't enough, Hulu Plus can offer you more. … Read more