In the scheme of things in the Android ecosystem, the latest iteration of the Google mobile operating system is Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which was announced a couple of months back at Google I/O. As expected, Google developer devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus have already gotten the Android 4.1 refresh because their operating systems have no overlaid custom user interface to complicate the update process. Some high-end devices from last year on the other hand have already been cranked up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean’s predecessor while the others are still stuck in the Gingerbread generation and still waiting for the chance to get a tasty dessert of Ice Cream Sandwich.

However, if you happen to rock a Motorola Atrix 2 from AT&T, you can already say goodbye to Gingerbread and say hello to Ice Cream Sandwich. That’s right, folks! The months of waiting for the official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to land on the Motorola Atrix 2 has finally and mercifully come to an end. As confirmed by AT&T, the ICS update is now rolling out to the handset via the usual OTA manner so be on the lookout for that little notification that’ll let you know of the update’s availability on your device. Barring that, you also have the option of manually checking for the update by going to Settings > About phone > System updates. There has been no solid word as of yet just how large the whole ICS update file for the Motorola Atrix 2 is but it is best to have it downloaded via Wi-Fi once it becomes available.

Actually, we already had an idea that the update was already on its way after reports came out a couple of weeks back that Motorola is already in the process of doing an ICS soak test so it was just a matter of time before ICS gets rolled out to the Motorola Atrix 2.

Once your Motorola Atrix 2 gets cranked up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, it will become more powerful and yet easier to use than ever. The update brings a lot of goodies and treats to the handset and these include:

• Improved page loading, offline reading, tabbed browsing and desktop mode on the handset’s new browser
• Quick-launch lock screen that enables a user to unlock directly to home screen, phone dialer, text messages and camera
• Creation of home folders on the handset’s home screen
• New Peoples app to replace the old Contact app
• Swipe-away notifications bar
• Data usage monitor
• Face Unlock

With this update to Ice Cream Sandwich, the Motorola Atrix 2 which is already a capable device to begin with has become even more capable than it already is.

Source : mobilebloom

Verizon to launch the Motorola Droid Razr HD on October 18?

A couple of weeks back, we saw a lot of smartphone manufacturers hold their respective press events to unveil the latest and greatest devices in their lineups. We saw Nokia come out with a bevy of Windows Phone 8 devices such as the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 while Samsung on the other hand has finally gone official with its second generation Samsung Galaxy Note II phablet. HTC on the other hand unveiled its new HTC One X+ superphone while Motorola came out with a triumvirate of Razr handsets that include the Motorola Droid Razr HD.

During the announcement, Motorola confirmed the rumors that the Motorola Droid Razr HD along with the other two devices, the Droid Razr M and the Droid Razr Maxx HD, are all headed to the shelves of Verizon. Although there was no mention of a specific timeframe as to when these handsets will make their debut in the shelves, the manufacturer confirmed that they will be out “before the holidays.”

However, there were reports that came out last week that intimated that the Motorola Droid Razr HD could possibly be delayed in hitting Verizon shelves because of an apparent issue that concerns the antenna of the handset. According to sources, this issue is caused by the size and location of the handset’s antennas. Not only that, the antennas also make contact with the Motorola Droid Razr HD’s external edges which can cause degradation of the signal every time a user touches the affected surfaces. Motorola on the other hand is said to already be working on getting the antenna issue on the Motorola Droid Razr HD rectified so that it could still release the handset during the holidays.

However, there might be some good news for those eagerly awaiting the availability of the Motorola Droid Razr HD. If certain sources are to be believed, the handset could hit the shelves of Verizon as early as next week. According to these sources, the wireless carrier has already started training its staff about the Motorola Droid Razr HD and has allegedly pegged October 18 as the launch date of the handset. There was no info regarding the handset’s pricing scheme but we are willing to bet the farm that it would come with a price tag of $199.99 with a new two-year contract with Verizon.

As for the Motorola Droid Razr HD, the handset is expected to ship with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich for its operating system but is also slated to get cranked up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in the future. As for its internals, the circuitry of the handset revolves around its QualComm MSM8960 SnapDragon chipset. This brings to the table a dual-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5 GHz and a full gigabyte of RAM. The handset comes with a built-in memory of 12GB which can still be expanded using the microSD card slot of the device. Display-wise, the Motorola Droid Razr HD sports a 4.7-inch SuperAMOLED HD panel with an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels while its camera department includes a rear 8MP shooter and a front 1.3MP snapper.

Source : technobloom

Motorola Droid Xyboard 8.9, 10.1 Ice Cream Sandwich Goes Live At Verizon (Android 4 ICS)

We got some pretty disturbing news at the end of September when we found out that the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Motorola Droid Xyboard 8.2 got officially pushed back, but then just a few days later we also received the good news that, after a bit of effort from Motorola’s part, the Android 4.0 update for the aforementioned tablet might be just around the corner.

Well, whether or not this period of time seemed long or short, the Motorola Droid Xyboard 8.9 and 10.1 at Verizon are now receiving the long-awaited Android 4.0 iteration.

Motorola Droid Xyboard 8.9, 10.1 Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4 ICS)

Here’s the skinny folks, both the 8.9 and 10.1 variants of the Droid Xyboard are now receiving the anticipated Ice Cream Sandwich update. That being said, in case you’re a Verizon customer and you happen to own one of these gadgets, head down to Settings > About Tablet > System updates and fire up the updating process.

The new OS version itself will bring what you would normally expect from an ICS upgrade, including Face Unlock, video chat, Google Voice, the ability to cap data usage and a better, faster browser just to name a few.

In the end, we know that at this point we all crave Jelly Bean, but if Android 4.1 will arrive on the aforementioned tablets, it’s better to wait while enjoying some good ol’ Ice Cream Sandwich, right?

Feel free to drop us a line if you’ve already received the update and let us know if everything works as intended. Enjoy and stay tuned for more.

Source : gforgames

Motorola Solutions ET1 enterprise tablet hands-on review

V3 got its hands on Motorola Solutions' ET1 enterprise-only tablet, checking out how the business-focused Android device compares to its more consumer-focused competitor, the Apple iPad.

Built by Motorola Solutions, the business wing of Motorola which is entirely separate from the mobile phone Mobility wing purchased by Google, the tablet is currently only available on a channel sales model. This means it can only be purchased directly from Motorola Solutions and will never be seen anywhere near a high street store.

Design and build

Speaking to V3, Motorola Solutions Product Manager Andy McBain, explained that the tablet was designed to be useful in a variety of industries including courier, healthcare and government services, retail and construction.

This means that Motorola Solutions really hasn't bothered trying to make the tablet look very pretty. As a consequence the tablet is incredibly bulky when compared to other consumer products, measuring in at 131x224x25mm and weighing 630g.

One positive about its bulky design is that the tablet is very tough and durable. During our hands-on tests we got to bang the ET1 against a table and give it a not too gentle series of "taps" and in both cases it was the table and our hand that came off the worse.

The ET1's great durability carried over to its 7in capacitive, 1024x600 Corning Gorilla Glass screen. Demoing the device we were allowed to rub the screen over a rough wooden table and floor and in both cases the tablet's display came out scratch and chip free - we didn't dare try the same tests on any of the other tablets we had in the office.

The screen as an actual display however was slightly less impressive. While crisp and legible, we did notice that the display's heavy Gorilla Glass coating did make it susceptible to glare issues, even when used in regular indoor lighting conditions.

We didn't get the chance to take the tablet outside to try it in outdoor lighting, but given the issues we saw during our hands on, we're nervous the tablet may be all but illegible in bright sunlit conditions, a problem for businesses like courier companies whose staff spend the majority of their time outside, looking to use the tablet.

Operating system

The tablet runs using the now ancient 2.3 Gingerbread version of Android, though McBain did promise us a Jelly Bean update will be rolled in early 2013.

Motorola Solutions has made a series of customisations to the ET1's user interface, making it look incredibly bare bones when compared to consumer tablets. This is largely due to the company's decision not to overload the UI with widgets or unwanted apps.

This means that the ET1's interface is one of the nicest representations of Gingerbread we have ever seen. A nice consequence of this is that the tablet is really quite fast, with the lack of unnecessary bloatware leaving the ET1's 1GHz dual-core processor free to deal with important tasks.

That said we're still not convinced Motorola's use of Android for a business machine was a smart one. Android has consistently been listed as the least secure mobile operating system, with numerous security vendors including Trend Micro, Kaspersky and F-Secure listing it as cyber criminals' target of choice.

This is largely due to the fact that the Android OS works on an open as opposed to closed model, letting developers and users customise it. Apple by comparison has a closed model, keeping development of its operating system in-house and checking and vetting all apps applying to be released onto the platform. This means that while it is far easier to develop and mould Android to suit bespoke tasks and functions, the iPad is a likely a better choice security-wise.

Business perks

Despite our questions regarding the ET1's software we did notice a number of perks for businesses on the ET1.

The most noticeable of these is the ET1's series of "expansion modules". These are add-on peripherals that plug into the ET1's USB 2.0 port. Motorola Solutions told us that there are already numerous expansion modules on offer, both from it and third party developers.

The one we saw was a dedicated laser scanner that plugged into the tablet's top, allowing it to scan and extract information from numerous objects. During our demo we were shown how the peripheral could extract and save a contact's name and information simply by scanning a business card.

Overall

From a business perspective, our opening impressions of the ET1 are positive. Motorola Solutions has built a robust tablet, complete with a surprisingly full portfolio of business-focused apps and add-ons.
Our two concerns regarding the ET1 are that it's only available on a channel price model and its use of the Android OS.

Being on a channel pricing plan, the cost of the ET1 is subject to a number of factors, including what industry the buyer is in and how many units they want to order. Because of this the ET1 may prove to be too expensive for a number of small to medium sized businesses.

Additionally, the use of Android may put off security-savvy IT managers and systems administrators, due to the ongoing security concerns over the OS.

Source : v3