The offline map caching is the big feature here as it will help those who rely on app but find they travel in and out of areas of coverage. Google can store the data locally for areas you frequently visit, even letting you interact with them when out of reception. Google Maps Navigation uses the same data and can reroute when you drop into coverage again, making it one step closer to a functional offline GPS application. The best news for Australian Android users is that Google Maps Navigation now works in Australia! So, make sure you give it a try.

The 3D features are more polish than anything, but are certainly welcome nonetheless. A quick copy/paste from the Google Mobile blog has these bullet points.

• Tilting: Drag down with two fingers to tilt the map. Tilt while zoomed in on one of the100+ cities around the world with 3D buildings to see a skyline spring to life.
• Rotating: Twist with two fingers to rotate the map. After tilting to see 3D buildings, rotate around them to gain a new perspective from any direction.
• Smooth zooming: Slide two fingers together or apart, and see the map and labels continuously scale to any zoom level, stopping when your fingers stop.
• Compass mode: Center the map on your location, and then tap the compass button in the top right corner. The map will flip into 3D mode and start rotating to match your perspective, while still keeping all the labels upright and readable.

View the Original article

Meanwhile there’s also support for sharing your reading progress with social networks. The UI has been tweaked, with the option to use your Android smartphone’s volume keys to control page turns, and the chapter title now included in the reader status bar; there’s also zoom functionality for images and graphics.

Amazon Kindle for Android 2.0 is a free download in the Android Market.

View the Original article

Please take heed to the following, this is a working version, and yes, there will be bugs. There are no Google Apps available, or gapps as we call them in the Android community. This is a no frills version of Gingerbread with missing Google luxuries, such as Android Market access. Many apps may not work, like your camera, as you will see in the YouTube video below.

Follow the instructions:

1. Download the Gingerbread build from Mr. Soyers. (link) Copy it to your Nexus One’s SD card.
2. (If you have custom recovery already, skip to no. 5) If you’re running a stock Nexus One, you’ll need a custom recovery to flash the Gingerbread build. Easiest thing to do is to download Amon Ra’s recovery (link), then copy it to the /tools folder in your Android SDK directory. (You’ve already downloaded that, right?)
3. Reboot the phone into the bootloader (turn off, hold trackball and power) and plug into your computer. Make sure your hboot verison is 35.0017. (If you have the latest OTA, you should be good. But double-check.)
4. Type fastboot flash recovery xxxxxxxxxxxx (where xxxxxxxx is the exact filename of the recovery image, including extension).
5. Now enter the recovery (from choose “bootloader,” then “recovery”).
6. Wipe data and cache (always a good practice)
7. Flash gingerbread_passion.ctso.zip
8. Reboot

The latest update, version 1.5, brings in Facebook chat and push notifications. These are the two most anticipated features, and now we can finally utilize them on our Android devices. Other than that the update doesn’t include much, but at least the Facebook application for Android is catching up to its iOS counterpart.

The update is available now in the Android Market.

View the Original article

And they managed to pull it off without slowing down the app, which is pretty impressive. The only drawback is that the new version is only available on Android 2.2 or higher.  We’re seeing a lot of that, and we’re bound to see more as Google updates its core applications to their 2.3 versions.  That’s called progress, folks.  You can’t stop it.  Hit the jump, and see it in action.

View the Original article

First and foremost, you’ll see a carousel of promoted applications on the home and category screens. Widgets and Live wallpapers will get their own categories. The application content ratings will go live, and you will get all of an app’s information on a single page, instead of on several tabs. In addition there will be better filtering for devices – if your phone can’t handle the application, it won’t see it. Now, here is the catch - currently, you have 24 hours to uninstall a paid app and get your money back. But Google says most apps are refunded within 15 minutes, so that is what the new window will be. Remember – you will have 15 minutes to try an application and uninstall it for a refund. You can still purchase an application on a trial basis, it’s just that you’ve got 15 minutes to check out the goods.

Look for the Android Market update soon.

View the Original article

User interface changes

The user interface is refined in many ways across the system, making it easier to learn, faster to use, and more power-efficient. A simplified visual theme of colours against black brings vividness and contrast to the notification bar, menus, and other parts of the UI. Changes in menus and settings make it easier for the user to navigate and control the features of the system and device.

Improved text input

The Android soft keyboard is redesigned and optimised for faster text input and editing. The keys themselves are reshaped and repositioned for improved targeting, making them easier to see and press accurately, even at high speeds. The keyboard also displays the current character and dictionary suggestions in a larger, more vivid style that is easier to read.

The keyboard adds the capability to correct entered words from suggestions in the dictionary. As the user selects a word already entered, the keyboard displays suggestions that the user can choose from, to replace the selection. The user can also switch to voice input mode to replace the selection. Smart suggestions let the user accept a suggestion and then return to correct it later, if needed, from the original set of suggestions.

New multitouch key-chording lets the user quickly enter numbers and symbols by pressing Shift+<letter> and ?123+<symbol>, without needing to manually switch input modes. From certain keys, users can also access a popup menu of accented characters, numbers, and symbols by holding the key and sliding to select a character.

One-touch word selection and copy/paste

When entering text or viewing a web page, the user can quickly select a word by press-hold, then copy to the clipboard and paste. Pressing on a word enters a free-selection mode — the user can adjust the selection area as needed by dragging a set of bounding arrows to new positions, then copy the bounded area by pressing anywhere in the selection area. For text entry, the user can slide-press to enter a cursor mode, then reposition the cursor easily and accurately by dragging the cursor arrow. With both the selection and cursor modes, no use of a trackball is needed.

Improved power management

The Android system takes a more active role in managing apps that are keeping the device awake for too long or that are consuming CPU while running in the background. By managing such apps — closing them if appropriate — the system helps ensure best possible performance and maximum battery life.

The system also gives the user more visibility over the power being consumed by system components and running apps. The Application settings provides an accurate overview of how the battery is being used, with details of the usage and relative power consumed by each component or application.

Control over applications

A shortcut to the Manage Applications control now appears in the Options Menu in the Home screen and Launcher, making it much easier to check and manage application activity. Once the user enters Manage Applications, a new Running tab displays a list of active applications and the storage and memory being used by each. The user can read further details about each application and if necessary stop an application or report feedback to its developer.

New communication options:

An updated set of standard applications lets the user take new approaches to managing information and relationships.
Internet calling

The user can make voice calls over the internet to other users who have SIP accounts. The user can add an internet calling number (a SIP address) to any Contact and can initiate a call from Quick Contact or Dialer. To use internet calling, the user must create an account at the SIP provider of their choice — SIP accounts are not provided as part of the internet calling feature. Additionally, support for the platform’s SIP and internet calling features on specific devices is determined by their manufacturers and associated carriers.

Near-field communications

An NFC Reader application lets the user read and interact with near-field communication (NFC) tags. For example, the user can “touch” or “swipe” an NFC tag that might be embedded in a poster, sticker, or advertisement, then act on the data read from the tag. A typical use would be to read a tag at a restaurant, store, or event and then rate or register by jumping to a web site whose URL is included in the tag data. NFC communication relies on wireless technology in the device hardware, so support for the platform’s NFC features on specific devices is determined by their manufacturers.

Downloads management

The Downloads application gives the user easy access to any file downloaded from the browser, email, or another application. Downloads is built on an completely new download manager facility in the system that any other applications can use, to more easily manage and store their downloads.

Camera

The application now allows the user access multiple cameras on the device, including a front-facing camera, if available.

[via Android Developers blog]

What’s New in Winamp beta (0.9.2):

Wireless Desktop Sync
No need to tie your Android phone down. Enable Wi-Fi sync and leave your cable behind. Now your playlists are also synced wirelessly.

SHOUTcast Radio
Extend your listening experience beyond your own library. Search, Favorite and play over 40,000 internet radio stations.

Android Widget Players & Shortcuts
Now in addition to the standard widget there is a new smaller (4×1) widget. You can also add your favorite playlists to your Android home screen, as well as enable playback control from the lock-screen.

Now Playing
Displays song info, album art and more. Press and hold on the song info to interact with other apps like Pandora, YouTube and the Amazon MP3 Store (requires that these additional apps are installed on your device). Get Artist information like bios, pictures, and more by clicking on the info icon.

Persistent Player Controls
Intuitive interface with player controls that are always available. Quickly pause, change tracks, manage your play queue, see what’s playing and access the Winamp Home screen.

Play Queue Management
The play queue is a temporary track listing that allows you to easily see what’s playing next, jump ahead or change the order of tracks in your queue. And if you like, save it as a playlist.

Scrobbling
Supports scrobbling with the Last.fm app installed (on your Android device). Capture all of your mobile listening history in real time.

Language Support
Brazilian Portuguese, English, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Romanian, & Russian. More to come.

View the Original article

That means that they are making a lot of money via the advertisements. This was thought to be a strange move considering they charge for it on other platforms but as you can seem, it is making them a lot of money and a lot of new users. Take a look at their tweet in the feature image.

View the Original article