Fring launches fringOut calling just as Skype opens up to Android

Fring launches fringOut calling just as Skype opens up to Android: "

Late last month Fring announced fringOut calling -- cheap calls to regular telephone numbers from the Android client. And it's now available (coincidentally on the same day Skype opened up to the rest of Android) in an updated Android app. FringOut allows you to call phones worldwide for as low as 1 cent a minute. Not only does that make their pricing extremely competitive, it also makes it so reasonable that it's hard to justify passing up a deal like that up. Of course, if only Fring and Skype would kiss and make up, it'd make this a much more interesting story.

Posted originally at Android Central

Sponsored by Android Cases and Accessories

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Things that go bump in the night

Things that go bump in the night: "On the Picnik team, Halloween is one of our favorite times of year. We get a bit giddy anticipating our braaaaainstorm session for this holiday. We love dreaming up ghouls and ghosts that bring spooky effects to your photos.


This October, we brought back mob favorites, like Vampire and Zombie, Lightening and Ghostify. And we’ve introduced new effects like eeriness with one click, unearthly textures and heaps of new stickers.

Halloween Effects: Feeling beastly? Our mad scientists created tools to turn you into a zombie, vampire or other creature of the night, and many other effects to give your photo a mysterious cast.
Halloween Stickers: We went up to the attic and dusted off trunks full of stickers, so you can add everything from witch hats, ghosts and jack-o-lanterns to fangs, lesions and tombstones.
Halloween Fonts: We unearthed some of the spookiest fonts around so you can add text to your photo written in skeletons, ghosts or other treacherous text.

To find these fiendish delights, go to picnik.com/halloween. This Halloween, you can dress up your photos without even putting on a costume.
Posted by Lisa Conquergood, Picnik team

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Android WiFi Tether App For Rooted Users Constantly Disconnecting? Try These Solutions To Fix It

Android WiFi Tether App For Rooted Users Constantly Disconnecting? Try These Solutions To Fix It: "

The number 1 Android app for rooted phones out there is undoubtedly Android WiFi Tether, which is a free alternative to all those carrier-bundled WiFi hotspot apps. In fact, it is the primary reason I root every Android phone I own – 2 hours of commute on the train suddenly become extremely productive because of always-on laptop connectivity. I’ve excitedly written about the app before, especially after it added support for Infrastructure mode and WPA2 on the EVO 4G.

Problems

However, after a few months of using the WiFi Tether app, I started...

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AT&T announces BRAVO, FLIPOUT and FLIPSIDE

AT&T announces BRAVO, FLIPOUT and FLIPSIDE: "

AT&T is expanding its Android line up today with the release of Motorola’s BRAVO ($129.99), FLIPSIDE ($99.99) and FLIPOUT ($79.99). (Each linked page offers phone specs. Prices require two year agreement, but no rebate.)



These budget devices might not be too tempting to the hardcore Android junky, but certainly do appeal to the compulsive texter and social hound. Still, it would be nice to see more high end Android offerings in Ma Bell’s portfolio. I suspect we’ll see the big plans AT&T’s got in store for their Android loving subscribers come CTIA.

BRAVO




FLIPOUT




FLIPSIDE

This post shares tags with:

• Backflip unboxing from PhoneDog


• AT&T announces the Motorola Backflip


• AT&T Android Coming Soon


• Is Moto’s Backflip headed for AT&T?


• Heron laid to rest next to Lancaster

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Big Texas Android BBQ Recap

Big Texas Android BBQ Recap: "

The Android BBQ was originally conceived as a party that might attract 40 people to meet-up in Texas and put faces to the names they watched on Twitter, message boards, and Tinychat videos. That didn’t happen. Instead, there was a gathering of several hundred people in Austin, Texas this weekend, making the inaugural Big Texas Android BBQ a great experience for all who made the trip.

And what a trip it was. In addition to some great food provided by Team Smokestack, who collectively didn’t get a decent night’s sleep among them, there were phone giveaways, panels on development and Android as a whole, and general socializing the whole weekend. Event-goers commandeered the Springhill Suites by hanging out in the lobby comparing phones, exchanging apps and tips, and deciding to explore the city together. And that was just Day 1.

On Day 2, people waited in line to get hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy Tab, something most non-journalists and Samsung employees have yet to do. They also played with the G2, an NVIDIA tablet prototype running Unreal, and meeting with development companies poised to do some interesting things with Android.

I decided late in the game to attend this event and I’m very glad that I did. Thank you to all of the Androinica readers and fans of the AndroidGuys podcast who had something positive to say to me, and infinite thanks to everyone involved in the planning or production of this event. Here’s a quick video showing a few scenes from the event.

Recap Video

Charity Auction

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Ben Heck solves HTC EVO power issues like a mad genius

Ben Heck solves HTC EVO power issues like a mad genius: "

I was satisfied with the results I experienced after I first got my Seidio 3,000mAh extended EVO battery, and consistent with the lifetime tests I ran using Juice Defender, I can still get close to two full days of standard usage between charges. I think I found a pretty good solution the the EVO’s battery issues. But I took the dullard’s way out.



Benjamin J. Heckendorn–yes, the Ben Heck who makes laptops out of gaming systems (image embedded below)–has created a hand crank cell phone charger and he chose to demonstrate it on the ever power hungry EVO.



The primary ingredients came from a manual charge flashlight. This guy is a mad genius.

Like a BOSS!



Via Engadget

This post shares tags with:

• MIUI ROM running on the EVO 4G


• HTC EVO software update


• Sprint and OfficeMax kick off partnership with EVO giveaway


• EVO power plan: second cycle


• 24 hours on the EVO power plan

"

Samsung Galaxy Tab Confirmed To Use Gorilla Glass

Samsung Galaxy Tab Confirmed To Use Gorilla Glass: "

Looks like Gorilla Glass is fast becoming the trend among tablets and smartphones – not only is Samsung slapping it on their Galaxy S devices, but the Tab as well. What’s so great about Gorilla Glass? To quote Wikipedia:

Corning attributes the choice of Gorilla Glass superiority not only for "unparalleled damage resistance and protection" but:

• "Thinner form factor: Gorilla Glass retains its performance advantage over standard chemically strengthened substrates even when used in thin form factors. Currently, Gorilla Glass is available as-drawn in thicknesses ranging from .5 millimetres (0.020 in) – 2.0 millimetres (0.079

...

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Glu and GetJar team up for free Android games

Glu and GetJar team up for free Android games: "

It seems that another push from GetJar in support of Android gaming is under way with a recent announcement that they have teamed up with Glu Mobile to offer some of their best paid games for free. A couple of the titles available are Built-a-lot which is a Sim City style game and Stranded: Mysteries of Time which is an action game with Dinosaurs.

Read more...

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T-Mobile G2 camera software, photo and video samples

T-Mobile G2 camera software, photo and video samples: "

I’m impressed with T-Mobile’s G2 overall; I like the materials, I like the way the keyboard slides out from underneath the screen, I feel pretty good about the QWERTY itself, and I love the software. One of the more pleasant surprizes has been the quality of the 5MP camera, so I thought I should record a simple walk through of the camera software and provide some samples.



I tried to capture a wide variety of lighting and movement. All settings remained on the default for still photos, and they have been scaled down from 2592 X 1936 pixels. The video camera is set to the second highest resolution out of the box for some odd reason. I think most people want to shoot HD as soon as they unbox a phone like this. I switched it to HD for all videos. So be sure to select 720p on the you tube player for all but the software video, which is the first below. I also turned on the LED flash for the video in a pitch black room, which doesn’t require the camera be recording to function. This is nice, because some phone cameras don’t let you use the flash until you’re recording, which often means editing out the beginning of your video where you got the shot situated in the light. Here we go.

The Motorola MT716 Could Have Been the Droid of Your Dreams

The Motorola MT716 Could Have Been the Droid of Your Dreams: "

Nice, chunky, hard-lettered keyboard. Check. D-Pad on the left (prefect for gaming). Check. That’s the keyboard on the lower half of the Motorola MT716, a phone that could have easily been the Motorola Droid and then some. The phone landing on China Mobile carries the same keyboard as the one found on the Cliq in a package that boasts some decent specs to boot. 8MP camera with LED flash and 720p video recording, VGA front-facing camera, TV streaming, and an 480×854 resolution LCD. It only lacks in its 600MHz processor. Is this the Droid you dreamt of or a pale imitation?

[via Engadget]

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Skype for Android no longer just for Verizon devices, available in Android Market

Skype for Android no longer just for Verizon devices, available in Android Market: "

Remember awhile back, when you were pouting and pushing out your bottom lip because Skype for Android was only available for Verizon phones? Well pull that lip in, son, or a bird will make a nest on it. (What, your parents never told you that?) Skype is now available in the Android Market for any Android device running Android 2.1 or higher. While it currently works only over wifi here in the states, we won’t complain too much. We’re talking free Skype chat, free Skype to Skype calls, and cheap international calls as well.

Want to check it out for yourself? Of course you do! So be sure to click the application link below to be taken to the page to download and rate Skype’s newly carrier-free baby, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below!

Rate & Download Skype for Android

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Visit TalkAndroid for android news, android guides, and much more!

Skype for Android no longer just for Verizon devices, available in Android Market

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Fring lets Androids share thoughts for only a penny

Fring lets Androids share thoughts for only a penny: "

Fring thinks it’s time that Android users dump those overpriced calling cards – and that other “PC Calling Company” that charges more for its services.

The VoIP calling service from Fring called fringOut costs only 1 cent per minute. That penny will enable anyone to call a landline or mobile phone, over 3G or WiFi, without using up any of his or her monthly minutes. In comparison to Skype PC calling users are able only to use it on Wi-Fi in the United States, use monthly minutes, and pay a surcharge or connection fee.

Using the service requires users to download the latest version of Fring. The company promises that “you can continue to enjoy completely FREE video calls, calls, live chat and more to fellow fringsters and other internet friends. And, yeah, you can also choose to call with SIP.” The paid fringOut service will likely appeal to people looking for an easier way to make cheap international calls to non-Fringsters.

Skype has built a much larger brand and finally has released its Android app to non-Verizon users, so it has an obvious advantage over Fring. But penny-a-minute calls gives the little guy a fighting chance among users who vote with their wallets.

[Fring] Thanks, Gunnar

"

Apps2sd Pro

Apps2sd Pro: "

Apps2sd is a tool for moving apps between phone storage and sdcard, to help you install more apps. Features contains: List movable apps; Sort apps; Move between internal and external storage; Show phone total/available size, sdcard total/available size.

Note: Only For FROYO Users!

Price: Free

AndroidTapp.com Android App Review:

Pros & Cons:

Pros

• Filter which installed Android apps are eligible to move to SD card
• Easily move eligible Android apps to SD Card individually or in bulk

Cons

• Shows some apps which cannot be moved to SD Card (for non-rooted user)

Features:

Apps2sd Pro is a convenient app that filters through all your installed Android apps are eligible to be moved to SD card, thus saving space on internal memory storage on space hungry Android phones. It’s basically a quick filter to point you directly to the “Move to SD Card” screen for a particular app under Applications in the phone Settings menu. The app shows you what eligible apps are installed on your phone, then another tab of what apps are installed to SD Card already, there’s sorting features, total and available internal storage and SD card space, plus features to install all apps to SD Card in bulk.

Please Note: we keep mentioning eligible apps as the developers of these Android apps must declare their app with the capability to install to SD card. Also, this is only a feature of Android 2.2+ (Froyo).

Usefulness:

True iPhones don’t have this internal storage space issue, but for now… Android does. Many of the newer Android phones like Samsung Galaxy S phones, DROID 2, and DROID X are coming with 8GB+ insternal memory storage plus external SD card, but previous Android phones were plagued by low space issues; thus the need for an app like this to free up some space.

Ease of Use:

Simply launch the app and it automatically filters what apps can be moved to SD card, which are already moved, plus calculates total space available and free on both internal memory and SD Card. It’s basically a matter of you selecting individually or all apps to move over. If needed apps can be moved back to the phone too.

Frequently Used:

I foresee this app being used now by consumers of Android phones sold in 2010 and earlier, however, newer phones with more robust internal memory storage won’t be plagued by low space issues.

AndroidTapp.com Rating

(4.3 out of 5)

Should you Download Apps2sd Pro? Have Android 2.2 (Froyo) and need some space for more Android Apps… Then grab Apps2sd Pro!

This content was originally posted at AndroidTapp.com

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