Top Best Music Player for Mac OS X Lion

 Nice info for apple lovers plus music lovers! Get the best performance of your music on Mac OS X Lion..

Mac OS X is one of the most popular operating system (probably due to its robust and cool GUI/applications, it’s is specifically most popular in U.S) on this planet. Few days before, the Mac vs 10.7 i.e Mac OS X Lion was released and available to download/upgrade ( check the system requirements for Mac OS X Lion if you want to upgrade your Mac OS X Leopard to Mac OS X Lion ) from the App store. This post explains not only about the select best music player but also about some other good alternative media players.

There are lot of music players available for Mac OS X Lion and if you want to select the best out of them, then the best answer would be – “it depends“, although some users might recommend a some cross-platform music player or any other media player which is available only for Mac platform.

iTunes : The Best Music Player for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

iTunes is a proprietary media player which basically acts as a front end of Apple’s QuickTime media player. iTunes is used to play and organize music files on Desktop Computer (Macintosh computers), iPad, iPod and iPhone. Although iTunes is also available for Windows but the performance is very poor on Windows 7/vista as compared to the performance on Mac OS X (iTunes rocks on Mac!). iTunes is very popular due to its Sync feature (i.e you can easily sync your music files between your devices), and purchasing music from iTunes Store (Digital Music Store by Apple) is very simple; everything is available right there on your Desktop or iPod or wherever you are. iTunes version 10.4 was released few days before with some new and exciting features.  Download iTunes version 10.4 for Mac OS X Lion

Why iTunes is the best audio/media player for Mac OS X Lion users ?

iTunes is best because of its innovative features and the fact that some other cool music players (usually cross platform apps) are not well compatible with Mac environment. Here are some of the great features of iTunes vs 10.4 :

• it can play a lot of formats such as MP3, WAV, AAC, MPEG 4, AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format), Apple Lossless (or ALAC or ALE is an audio codec developed by Apple for lossless compression of digital music).


• The Sync feature of iTunes is simply great!


• It’s easy to organize and manage all your music collection, with iTunes


• it’s well supported and compatible, because it’s one of the most stable and matured application for Mac OS X


• Smart Playlist


• Library Sharing using DAAP (Digital Audio Access Protocol)


• You can subscribe to any Podcast using RSS feed URL, video podcasting is also supported.

Other Music Players You may want to try

VLC
If any format is not supported by any player, throw it at VLC it will play seamlessly. it’s a free, open source and cross – platform media player (specifically popular for playing video files).

Download VLC for Mac OS X

Songbird
Songbird is a free and open source media player and web browser i.e a web player, available for Mac and Windows (Linux support was dropped in earlier versions). The latest version 1.9.3 is available for download.

Download Songbird

HTC Thunderbolt and DROID 3 on Sale at Amazon Wireless for $49.99

Major retailer Amazon is now offering great deals on several popular Android smartphones, such as the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt and DROID 3, as well as Sprint's Nexus 4G.

Android fans and tinkerers can purchase the Thunderbolt or the DROID 3 for just $49.99 with a new two-year Verizon agreement, while the Nexus S 4G is available for only a penny with a new two-year Sprint contract.

On related news, the retailer has also announced recently a new deal on Samsung's DROID Charge, which is now available for purchase for $99.99 with a new two-year agreement.

Amazon also offers customers who purchase a smartphone with a two-year agreement from Verizon an activation credit of up to $35. The deal is available through August 10.

Furthermore, customers who purchase an Android device from Amazon Wireless get an additional $15 in credits for apps, MP3s and Kindle content.

Those who are not familiar with DROID 3's specs sheet should know that the smartphone features a brilliant 4-inch qHD display, which offers a rich 24-bit color depth and a 960 x 540-pixel resolution.
It appears that the screen is made of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass with a glare-reducing coating.

DROID 3 is a global phone that allows users to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, including more than 125 with 3G speeds.

The smartphone features a slider form factor and comes with a full 5-row QWERTY keyboard that makes it easier than ever to quickly type e-mails, update Facebook or Twitter status, and edit documents while on the move.

Equipped with a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz, DROID 3 enables users the possibility to easily run multiple apps, stream media, talk, e-mail, and surf the Web at the same time.

Unlike DROID 3, which is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Verizon's Thunderbolt runs Google's Android 2.2 Froyo operating system.

It's powered by a fast single core 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and offers a vividly colored 4.3-inch Super LCD multi-touch display.

Other features include an 8 GB internal memory, pre-loaded 32 GB microSD memory card, Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking with Mobile Hotspot capabilities, Bluetooth, integrated speakers with Dolby Mobile + SRS WOW HD surround sound, and DLNA certification.

Samsung Galaxy Mini Coming Soon to Mobilicity

It looks like the low-budget smartphone Samsung Galaxy Mini is about to reach Canadian shores soon via Mobilicity.

The phone has just been spotted by the guys over at MobileSyrup, but no release date or pricing options have been revealed yet.

Apparently, the Galaxy Mini was spotted at a Samsung rock concert in Toronto, inside one of the demo booths, stamped with the “Coming Soon to Mobilicity” tag.

Samsung Galaxy Mini has already been launched on the market in multiple regions, including Europe and United States.

However, the phone is known as Samsung Dart in the U.S. and is available via T-Mobile, whereas in India the phone goes by a different name, as well, Samsung Galaxy Pop.

Although the phone is entry-level smartphone, the Canadian version will be delivered with an improved 3-megapixel camera, instead of the Dart's 2-megapixel photo snapper, which is not available at T-Mobile. 
Furthermore, Samsung Dart is equipped with a low-performance ARM 600MHz processor and runs on Android 2.2 Froyo, with slim chances to be update with a newer Gingerbread version of the operating system.

In addition, the Galaxy Mini features a small 3.14-inch QVGA capacitive touchscreen with 262K colors support, 240 x 320 pixels resolution, accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, TouchWiz v3.0 UI, Swype text input method and proximity sensor for auto turn-off.

Even though it's a low-budget phone, Galaxy mini features HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, along with 160 MB of internal memory and microSD card for memory expansion (up to 32GB, 2GB card included).

Other key features of the smartphone include 3.5 mm audio jack, DNSe sound enhancement, Stereo FM radio with RDS, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP support, microUSB 2.0, GPS with A-GPS support, as well as Digital compass.

The phone is powered by a standard Li-Ion 1200 mAh battery that should provide up to 570 hours of standby time or up to 9 hours and 30 minutes of talk time. 

How to back up your Android phone?

Back up your Android phone

It's a simple article about back up your Android phone. Help Android user to keep the important data.
Android doesn't offer a native backup service, so it's easy to ignore the need to do so. But don't wait until it's too late to start thinking about backing up your phone. Many of us rely on our phone cameras to snap


day-to-day photos of our lives and save text messages to have some of the most important conversations. So before a thief swipes that phone, or a spilled cup of coffee bricks it, follow these tips:


Google has your back. Go to Settings > Privacy, and make sure that "Back up my settings" and "Automatic restore" are checked off. Go to Settings > Accounts and sync, open your Gmail account, and check off all options. With these settings in place, your contacts, system settings, apps, calendar, and e-mail will be restored whenever you set up a new Android phone with that same Gmail account.

Photos. Google hasn't implemented a native photo backup service yet, so look to third-party apps to safeguard your photos. You might want to consolidate your mobile photos with those you already have stored in a cloud service. For instance, Photobucket Mobile will automatically upload newly snapped photos in the background to your Photobucket account. Flickr Companion and Picasa Tool are also free apps that allow mobile uploading but don't do so automatically.

Drag and drop. Back up photos from your Android the traditional way. Connect your phone to your computer via USB, set it in Disk Mode and locate the drive (on the desktop for Mac, in My Computer for Windows). Open the drive, find the DCIM folder, and drag the photos you'd like to back up onto your hard drive.

Text messages. Folks at SMS Backup + figured out a smart way to back up your text messages in the cloud. The free app automatically sends your SMS threads to Gmail and stores them under a new label, "SMS."

Let someone else do it. If you like the idea of having someone else back up your data, download MyBackup Pro. The $5 app backs up everything--SMS, photos, apps, call log, contacts, system settings, bookmarks, and more--to your SD card or its online server at no extra charge. MyBackup also allows you to restore your data, should you

Source: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20054149-285/how-to-back-up-your-android-phone/

Download 'Colosseum' for Android RPG Now

Developed by the popular mobile games publisher and developer GAMEVIL, Collosseum for Android is now available for download from Android Market.

The game has been categorized as RPG, but judging by the gameplay, Colosseum is just a simple, but addictive hack-and-slash game.

Basically, players are challenged to defend themselves against endless waves of monsters, while they are 'confined' in a coliseum, the Roman version of an arena.

Obviously, players will have a wide range of weapons at their disposal to face off and defeat various types of monsters to defeat, including a variety of melee and ranged weapons, such as swords, maces, throwing knives, bombs and more.

Even though it may sound easy to beat, players will have to employ different tactics and master the skills of their various melee and ranged weapons if they want to be successful in this endeavor, otherwise they will quickly succumb against the throng of attacking monsters.

However, mastering weapons is not the only tactic needed to successfully fend off the waves of monster, as the game also offers players the option to use magic effects such as ice, lightning and fire.

“We're excited to finally bring Colosseum to Android and we're also working on new versions too. As part of deal done with GAMEVIL's Partner Fund, COCOSOFT has developed a great pickup-and-play RPG title that has garnered many fans, and we're happy now to bring it to Android so players can finally join in on the fun,” said Kyu Lee, head of GAMEVIL USA.

Furthermore, each slayed monster will give players certain amounts of money that can be used to upgrade their weapons and equipment inventory.

Only after each round successfully completed, victorious heroes will be rewarded with loot for upgrading their equipment and gaining new weapons.

Colosseum for Android is now available for download from Android Market for $0.99 and is compatible with all smartphones running Android 2.1 or newer.

Free Download QuickBooks Mobile for Android

Intuit, the company behind the popular small business accounting program QuickBooks, has just announced the availability of the Android version of the application.

The application provides mobile access to QuickBooks data for the more than 4 million small businesses using QuickBooks Pro, Premier and Online.

According to Intuit, the mobile version of QuickBooks releases data from the desktop and provides solutions designed specifically for a small business owner’s who is on the go.

In addition, Android users will have the ability to create estimates, manage invoices, view customer details and more all from their mobile smartphone.

It seems that QuickBooks Mobile automatically syncs with QuickBooks, which provides users with the latest information available, whether they are in or out of the office.

“The majority of small and medium-sized business owners feel that staying connected through wireless devices is critical to the success of their business,” said Dan Wernikoff, vice president and general manager of Intuit's Financial Management Solutions division.

Other interesting features offered by the Android application include:

- Saves time by checking customer balances and creating estimates while on the move;
- Increased productivity by invoicing at the job site, without having to go back to the office;
- Access to the latest information as customer and sales information syncs automatically between QuickBooks and QuickBooks Mobile.

QuickBooks Mobile access is free for any current QuickBooks Online subscriber and is available to QuickBooks Pro and Premier 2011 customers through a subscription.

“As the demand for mobile access continues to accelerate, we’re working to give customers the solutions they need most so they can save time and make money wherever their business takes them,” concluded Wernikoff.

Furthermore, the application is now available as a free download from the Android Market and is compatible with devices running Android 2.1 or higher.

What's in this version QuickBooks Mobile for Android:

1. Fixed an issue which was not allowing some users to sign into the application

Motorola ATRIX 4G Tastes Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility has just started to deliver a new software update for the Motorola ATRIX 4G smartphone, bringing it up to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The software update is now available for download from Motorola, after being pushed out to beta testers only a few days ago.

According to Motorola, ATRIX 4G owners who would like to upgrade their devices to the new Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS flavor should connect to a WiFi network for that.

The download will be performed only via the WiFi network. As soon as the handset loses WiFi connectivity, the download will pause, and will be resumed only when the connectivity is restored.

The list of changes in the new Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the Motorola ATRIX can be found at the bottom of this article.

The new update will arrive on all devices that sport software Blur_Version.4.1.83.MB860.ATT.en.US. The update will bring firmware version Blur_Version.4.5.91.MB860.ATT.en.US to smartphones.

Before kicking off the update process, users should make sure that their handsets are fully charged. They would also need to have a microSD memory card inside the device, with at least 200 MB of free space.

Android 2.2 should also be on the device. The entire software update should be completed in about 25 minutes, Motorola notes.

Motorola also notes that optimal performance is ensured for handsets that were not modified in any way.

Before starting the update process, users should also have a look at the release notes, available on Motorola's support website.

As soon as the new software update is made available for a specific device, a notification will pop-up on the ATRIX 4G. After connecting to a WiFi network, users can hit the download button to get the software.

Users can also perform manual searches for the new software update through heading to Menu->Settings->About phone-> System updates.

The new upgrade for the Motorola ATRIX 4G on AT&T's airwaves includes:

- Enhancements to the picture Gallery allow you to aggregate all your photos, your friends’ photos and photo comments from social networking and photo sites like Facebook and Picasa in one place for easy viewing

- Enhancements so your Music player is now connected to a dashboard for music discovery. Plus, easy access to all your favorite artists, live, personalized recommendations for songs & videos and news and event updates

- Updated user interface with simpler home screen design, including shift to use of white backgrounds in menus, enabling better viewing experience

- Enhancement that enables easy access to favorite apps at bottom of each screen

- Enhancement that helps you personalize and categorize favorite apps into groups so you can be more efficient

- Enhancement that provides access to social content in one place so you can find out what is happening around you. You can use Yelp reviews and Facebook check-ins to find out what others are recommending

- Enhancement to webtop application includes Firefox 4.0 so you can browse faster than Browsing with previous versions of Firefox

- Enhancement that now enables HD Video Playback in 1080p for better viewing experience

- Create groups for multiple recipient emails so you can communicate faster Emails

- One touch conference Enhancement that makes it easier to dial-in to conference bridges while you’re call access on-the-go

- Enhancement that makes it easier to create, edit & delete tasks, and to assign priorities and reminders

- Enhancements to business ready security features so you can get more work done on-the-go which includes robust VPN, device and SD card encryption, device management via 3rd party console and remote wipe capability

- Enhancement that enables you to dismiss notifications one at a time.

How to Boost Speed Up Your Galaxy S II Usage

Samsung's Galaxy S II is one of the most appealing mobile phones that arrived on shelves with Google's Android operating system on board, with over 3 million units sold in less than two months after its official release.

The handset comes with powerful and fast 1.2GHz application processor inside, complemented by 1GB of RAM, and can deliver increased performance levels, but there is always room for more, that's for sure.

Whether it involves typing on this device, or killing applications to improve battery life, various tricks can easily make the high-end device an even more appealing smartphone.

For example, when the battery is drained faster than it should, users can easily fire up the task manager by holding the homescreen button, where they are able to kill apps that they no longer need to be running.

Also very important on a powerful smartphone like Galaxy S II is the fast access to applications, simplified in a way through the option of selecting the four apps that will have shortcuts displayed at the bottom of the homescreen.

These shortcuts can be easily reassigned to different applications, by tapping on applications at the bottom-right corner, then hitting the physical menu button. Thus, all apps on the handset can be reorganized.

Also for fast access, users can set up a number of seven homescreens on Galaxy S II, each with its own set of applications, organized as users would consider them best fitted.

Moreover, some of the widgets that Samsung loaded on the device enable users to enlarge them a bit, so as to display more info than a regular-size icon would do.

To resize a widget, one would simply have to tap and hold without moving it. Of course, not all widgets would allow resizing.

To easily move between the said seven screens, users can either swipe to the left or right, or pitch the screen to an overview of all of them.

Typing speed on Galaxy S II can also be speed up, through using the Swype keyboard that was loaded on the handset right from the start. When the keyboard appears, users can tap on the settings ‘cog’ in the corner, and then select Swype as the input method.

I hope this tips and tricks can Boost  Speed Up Your Galaxy S II Usage
Try and enjoy it now! :D

Download Zinio Android App for Froyo and Gingerbread Phones

Initially launched on Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets, Zinio, one of the most popular universal newsstands, is now available for all current Android devices, including Froyo and Gingerbread smartphones.

Along with the expansion to Froyo and Gingerbread devices, Zinio gives away to new Android users 12 current issues to popular magazine titles through August 15, including: Bike Magazine, BlackBook, ESPN The Magazine, House Beautiful, Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine, Maxim, Outdoor Photographer, Redbook, Robb Report, Seattle Met, SURFER Magazine and Wine Enthusiast.

Furthermore, T-Mobile subscribers who are new users of Zinio's Android service will be allowed to select an additional 5 free titles from T-Mobile's “Freemium” offering in the USA, which can be found inside the library of the Zinio Android app.

“Our goal is to give every magazine lover worldwide, regardless of platform, an immersive and seamless way to connect to and engage with their favorite stories – creating a comprehensive and compelling newsstand that is controlled by the individual and customized to their interests,” said Rich Maggiotto, Zinio President & CEO.

Zinio Android users can access one of the largest collection of magazines, which includes over a hundred thousand issues from 1,000 major consumer magazines publishers globally, with shops in 33 languages and selling in 20 different currencies.

The application includes issues with enhanced capabilities, such as interactive features and rich media right inside the pages of magazines.

“Extending deeper into the Android ecosystem on a global scale continues to help move us in this direction,” concluded Maggiotto.

Zinio is now available on multiple platforms, including PCs, Macs, Linux, iOS, Android, Win7 (beta) and WebOS, but the company stated that a RIM application would be launched soon, as well.

Those who wish to experience Zinio can find the application as a free download inside Google's Android Market.

Download Android 3.2 SDK Now Available

Google has just announced the availability of a new flavor of its mobile operating system called Android, and also made available for download all of the resources that developers need to get started with the building of applications for it.

The new Android 3.2 Honeycomb platform was delivered as an incremental release and comes with a series of new capabilities aimed both at end users, as well as at application developers.

With the new operating system version, devs will enjoy new API changes. Android 3.2 brings the API level up to 13.

Some of the main enhancements that the new Android 3.2 OS iteration comes with include:

- Optimizations for a wider range of tablets. A variety of refinements across the system ensure a great user experience on a wider range of tablet devices.

- Compatibility zoom for fixed-sized apps. A new compatibility display mode gives users a new way to view these apps on larger devices. The mode provides a pixel-scaled alternative to the standard UI stretching, for apps that are not designed to run on larger screen sizes.

- Media sync from SD card. On devices that support a removable SD card, users can now load media files directly from the SD card to apps that use them.

- Extended screen support API. For developers who want more precise control over their UI across the range of Android-powered devices, the platform’s screen support API is extended with new resource qualifiers and manifest attributes, to also allow targeting screens by their dimensions.

In addition to announcing the new platform release, Google also revealed that a new version of the SDK Tools was made available for download, r12, along with an updated Eclipse plug-in (ADT 12), available here.

Along with these updated resources, developers will also have a new version of the Android NDK at their disposal, downloadable from hereas well, via this link for Windows and here for Mac.

The new Android SDK can be downloaded from here for Windows, while developers using Mac machines will find it here. An Android library and system image were included in the downloadable platform. More info on the new OS flavor can be found on the Android Developers website.

Samsung Chooses VIA over Qualcomm for DROID Charge's CDMA Chip

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics has reportedly decided to use a VIA Telecom chip for ensuring the CDMA radios on its DROID Charge handset instead of launching the smartphone with a chipset coming from Qualcomm.

The DRIOD Charge is Samsung's Android-based smartphone that landed on shelves at Verizon Wireless in the United States only a few months ago.

According to a recent report from DigiTimes, Samsung's move might be the beginning of an assault on Qualcomm's lead on the CDMA markets in the country and in other areas of the world.

At the moment, the DROID Charge is said to include both the said CDMA chipset from VIA, as well as a series of proprietary components from Samsung, such as the baseband chip for 4G LTE radios.

“We have been following Samsung's decision-making closely for some time, and we see a trend towards using suppliers from closer to home, in the East-Asia region,” James Mielke, ABI Research VP of Engineering, stated.

“For example, the RF for both CDMA and LTE in this phone is supplied by Korea-based vendor FCI,” he continued.

The research firm believes that Samsung's decision to adopt another chip for one of its high-end devices would be a significant shift in component sourcing strategy.

Chances are that Samsung would not include the VIA chipset only in the CDMA devices that it plans on releasing on the United States market, but that it would make a similar move for all handsets it launching with this 3G standard on board.

“While the choice of VIA Telecom is not critical if restricted to this one model, if a similar switch away from Qualcomm chipsets occurred across all Samsung's CDMA phone models, it would represent a real challenge to the market's status quo,” Mielke added.

However, Samsung did not offer specific info on the matter, and chances are that DROID Charge would be the only handset it released on shelves with VIA components inside, though it remains to be seen whether new similar devices are on the pipe as well.

Download Facebook for Android 1.6.1

A new flavor of Facebook for Android mobile application is now available for download for the owners of handsets running under Google's Android operating system, version 1.6.1, with various improvements included into the mix.

Apparently, Facebook is determined to make sure that its users benefit from fast and easy access to the social networking site even when on the go, which explains why it is keen on adding more features and enhancements to its mobile clients.

As soon as they install the new Facebook for Android 1.6.1, Android users will enjoy enhancements like:

- Improved Pages support
- View the full list of Pages you Like as well as Pages you admin
- Post as a Page you admin
- Tag Pages in status updates using "@"
- Various bug fixes

The mobile application is available for download via the Android Market from here, and can be installed on all devices that run under version 1.5 or newer of the operating system.

With Facebook for Android, users can stay connected with their friends and family over the social networking site fast and easy.

The mobile client offers access to News Feed, and allows users to chat with their friends, have a look at friends' walls, review upcoming Events, upload Photos, share links, watch videos and check messages. Basically, all the features that Facebook has to offer to them are available with the mobile app too.

We should also mention that the release of this software update for Facebook for Android comes shortly after the company released a mobile application for Java phones.

The said software was pushed out only yesterday, with support for a number of more than 2,500 phone models, Facebook announced.

Of course, Facebook's leading position on the social networking area was threatened by the availability of Google+, and it was only natural for the company to try to make its services even more appealing than before.

Redsn0w 0.9.8b2 Jailbreak Released for iOS 5 Beta 3

The iPhone Dev Team is wasting no time in enabling iOS developers to jailbreak the latest iOS 5 beta. They’ve released a new version of Redsn0w which, according to the hackers, is suitable for a tethered boot.

“redsn0w 0.9.8b2 should fix 50b3 App Store issue (if you're already JB, just use this to boot tethered),” reads a tweet from Musclenerd, one of the more vocal iPhone Dev Team members.

An update on their blog sheds further light on the new Redsn0w for Mac and Windows.

The tinkerers say they’ve updated redsn0w to account for the sandbox changes that affected App Store apps in 5.0b3.”

The new Redsn0w recognizes the IPSWs for all three betas so far, according to their post.

“If you already jailbroke 5.0b3 using the previous redsn0w, you don’t need to re-jailbreak…just use this updated version to boot tethered.  Start pointing redsn0w at the 5.0b3 IPSW starting with 5.0b3,” the Team explains.

There are various reasons why developers may want to jailbreak iOS 5 betas, and the iPhone Dev Team is doing its bit, updating the hack tools with every new release from Cupertino.

Earlier this month, they announced platform-wide availability for JailbreakMe 3.0, the latest and easiest jailbreak tool for regular users.

Accessible at jailbreakme.com, the web app has users installing the Cydia application (the jailbroken alternative to Apple’s App Store) which effectively puts any iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad into jailbroken state.


The iPad 2 is also finally supported.

The cat-and-mouse game will undoubtedly continue even after Apple launches the final version of iOS 5 with the necessary patches to prevent jailbreaking with existing hacks.

However, with this new update from the iPhone Dev team, the latest efforts on Apple’s behalf have already been thwarted.

Xperia neo and Xperia pro with Skype Video Calling

Japanese-Swedish mobile phone make Sony Ericsson is among the companies that offers devices supported by the newly announced video calling feature in Skype.

Two of the company's handsets were announced as being capable to place and receive Skype video calls at the moment, namely the Xperia neo and Xperia pro, and the vendor decided to come up with a demonstration of this capability.

Only four mobile phones were included in the list of supported devices for Skype video calling at launch, though more of them will be added in the not-too-distant future.

In the video embedded at the bottom of this article, you can have a look at Sony Ericsson's devices handling video calling and, by the looks of it, doing a great job.

What the new feature is all about is clear to every one. In addition to being able to speak to a contact on Skype through the use of a mobile phone, users can also see the other person courtesy of live video streaming capabilities that Skype just integrated with their Android application.

“As you probably saw last week, Skype announced that Skype for Android now supports video calling. We have recorded a short video featuring Xperia neo and Xperia pro which are two out of only four phones supported on the initial release,” Daniel Sandblom notes on the Sony Ericsson blog.

“I have to be honest that I haven’t used Skype video calling on a smartphone before, but it was surprisingly simple to make a call and the video quality was very good as well.”

One other interesting feature that is being demonstrated in the said video is the possibility to view the caller on the big screen of a TV.

“In the video you also catch a glimpse of the use case with connecting an Xperia pro to a big screen TV,” the blog post continues.

“To manage expectations, you will not get this in HD quality even though you connect through the HDMI connector, but still, this basically turns your Xperia into a mobile video conferencing system to carry around in your pocket.”

One thing that is certain is that, although the Xperia neo and Xperia pro were launched as mid-level devices, they can still offer features that many high-end smartphones cannot at the moment.

The Xperia neo is already available in various markets around the world, but the Xperia pro has yet to make an appearance on shelves. Some of the latest rumors on this suggested that it will not be out before the fourth quarter of the year.

Video Xperia neo and Xperia pro with Skype Video Calling

Samsung Hercules Possibly Arriving at T-Mobile USA on September 26th

Leaked in a recently T-Mobile roadmap, it appears that Samsung Hercules is in line with the release date specified in the document, September 26th.

Yet unannounced, the Samsung Hercules might be in fact a T-Mobile USA branded Galaxy S II, though there are several hardware discrepancies, such as the size of the touchscreen display.

Samsung Hercules received its Bluetooth and Wi-Fi certifications from Bluetooth SIG about three weeks ago under a different name, Samsung SGH-T989.

As we mentioned above, unlike the Galaxy S II that comes with a 4.3-inch display, the Samsung Hercules will be delivered with a slightly larger 4.5-inch capacitive multi-touch touchscreen Super AMOLED Plus display with 480 x 800 pixels resolution.

Furthermore, the device is allegedly equipped with an APQ8060 dual-core processor manufactured by Qualcomm and clocked at 1.2GHz speed.

In addition, the phone's processor is complemented by a next-generation Adreno 220 GPU (graphics processing unit).

Although the Samsung Hercules is tagged with category 24 HSDPA (42 Mbps) compatibility and category 6 HSUPA (5.76Mbps), it is unclear whether the handset will be delivered with AWS plus 850 / 1900 MHz compatibility for support on AT&T’s 4G network if the merger between the two carriers is completed.

Samsung Hercules is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and features NFC support, but for the moment it lacks Isis mobile payment standard which might be included at a later date.

The handset packs 16GB of internal memory, 1GB RAM, as well as microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB).

It also boasts an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and 1080 video capture capabilities, as well as secondary front-facing camera for video calls.

According to T-Mobile USA's leaked roadmap, Samsung SGH-T989, also known as Samsung Hercules is expected to be released on September 26th at a price that will be disclosed in due time.

GALAXY Tab 10.1 Coming Soon at Vodafone Australia

Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1, the slim tablet PC that South Korean handset vendor Samsung Electronics unveiled to the world during the CTIA conference in March, is set to arrive on shelves at wireless carrier Vodafone Australia in the near future.

The company already announced plans to make the device available for purchase, but did not offer specific details on when it might be released, nor on the price tag is should sport.

This is the upgraded flavor of Samsung's 10-inch tablet PC, following the release of a version that later became GALAXY Tab 10.1v, and which was already launched in various markets around the world on Vodafone's airwaves.

Unlike the original, the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 comes with a slimmer design, and is also more lightweight.

However, the tablet PC retained the large 10.1-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a WXGA (1280 X 800 pixel) resolution, as well as the fast 1GHz dual-core application processor.

The specifications list of this device also includes support for GSM: 850/900/1800/1900Mhz and HSPA/WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 frequencies, as well as WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth: V 3.0 capabilities.

The tablet PC comes with WiFi Hotspot capabilities as well, 2.0 USB, and with 16 GB of internal memory.

Samsung also packed GALAXY Tab 10.1 with a 3-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with LED flash and support for 1280X720 video recording @ 30FPS, as well as with a 2MP camera on the front, for video calling.

The tablet PC measures 256.7 x 175.3 x 8.6 mm and weighs in at 565 grams. It can deliver up to 9 hours of video playing, along with up to 25 days of standby time.

Running under Google's Android 3.1 Honeycomb operating system, the new device also comes with support for various services from the Internet giant, as well as for applications available from the Android Market, not to mention that it can deliver a great multimedia experience, along with impressive web browsing capabilities. 


GALAXY Tab 10.1 Videos

Sony Ericsson Readies Android 2.3.4 for Xperia Handsets

Japanese-Swedish mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson is reportedly set to make available for download a new OS flavor for the owners of its latest Xperia devices out there, namely Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread.

Currently, the leading handset vendor is pushing out the Android 2.3.3 OS version to its devices, but it seems that the latest flavor of the OS should arrive on the market as well soon.

Nothing is officially announced on the matter for the time being, but some reports on this already suggest that the company is now in the testing phase of the new OS flavors.


The new Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread operating system iteration is being prepared as an update for the company's Xperia arc smartphone, as well as for the Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, and Xperia pro smartphones.

While arc was unveiled to the world during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the other three Xperia handsets were launched during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The new software update should bring forth all the fixes and enhancements that Google included with the OS, along with a series of other improvements as well.

Sony Ericsson reportedly included the Sony audio filter technology xLOUD into the mix, as well as some other functionality that would make its Xperia users rejoice.

For the time being, no specific release date for the OS upgrade has emerged, but rumor has it that it would be deployed sometime in October.

Apparently, Sony Ericsson is also testing Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread for the older Xperia X10 smartphone, though no details on whether the software will be made available for this smartphone as well are known.

All the Xperia handsets that were launched in 2011 came with Android 2.3 Gingerbread right from the start, and it was only a matter of time before Sony Ericsson decided to deliver the new OS iteration for them. Stay tuned for more on this

How to Upgrade Cincinnati Bell Motorola Milestone XT720 to Android 2.2 Froyo

Although Motorola decided against pushing any major software updates for the Milestone XT720, it appears that Cincinnati Bell will offer its customers a non-Motorola certified Android 2.2 Froyo update.

It is unusual for a carrier to deploy an unapproved software update, but Cincinnati Bell considered that an important amount of customers bought the Milestone XT720, so it decided to go against the tide and make the update available through its own channels.

Given the fact that this is not a Motorola OEM certified upgrade, all warranty exchanges will need to be completed through Cincinnati Bell and not through Motorola, so if you are not comfortable with this do not make the update to Android 2.2 Froyo.

Because the update is developed and deployed by Cincinnati Bell, the procedure is unusual, so those who wish to attempt it should follow this guide.

Basically, you will need to root the Milestone XT720, backup your data using Titanium Backup, and flash the Android 2.2 Froyo update.

Then you will need to root the device again, restore the data and then unroot it. The whole procedure is explained in the movie below.

In addition, you will need to download the necessary files for the upgrade and save them somewhere on your computer where you can easily locate them.

Make sure you have enough space on your hard drive as the files are approx. 324MB in size.
Also, after downloading the files be sure to open the file named “README.txt” and check the Customer Name and Key that you will be asked to enter during the upgrade.

Have the battery fully charged and close any applications before proceeding with the upgrade.
Even if you backup your data, you will only be able to download the applications purchased or downloaded from the Android Market by accessing “My Apps” in the Android Market.

The Android 2.2 Froyo update will take a bit more than 30 minutes, so make sure you have enough time to complete all steps.

If you think you are not capable of upgrading your Motorola Milestone XT720 by yourself, even after watching the explanatory movie you should go to the nearest Cincinnati Bell retail store and have one of the Wireless Specialists do it for you.

Motrola Milestone XT720 - Android 2.2 Upgrade from Cincinnati Bell on Vimeo.

iPad 2 Jailbreak to Be Unleashed Any Moment Now

JailbreakMe.com, the site rigged by Dev-Team hacker Comex to allow for the simplest possible jailbreaks, has been updated with the familiar be-back-soon sticky sign reminiscent of the Apple online store blackouts, which indicates there’s an update just around the corner.

Relying on a rather old but still viable exploit, JailbreakMe.com 3.0 will be the first ‘tool’ to be able to hack the iPad 2, Apple’s second-generation tablet computer.

So far, jailbreak apps like PwnageTool and Redsn0w have done their bit well.

iOS device owners worldwide have been employing ever newer versions of these tools for months to jailbreak their existing firmware, from iOS 4.2 to 4.3 and even the latest 4.3.3 release.

Against the iPad 2, however, the likes of PwnageTool, Redsn0w, and even the Chronic Dev Team’s GreenPois0n, are of no use.

Jailbreak artist Comex has long confirmed plans to roll out one version of JailbreakMe that can hack Apple’s latest post-PC device.

A user who was concerned he may not be able to jailbreak his second-gen iPad when the next JailbreakMe was to be released asked Comex in June if the iPad 2 would be supported and, if so, under what firmwares.

The hacker replied with a short tweet, saying: “4.2.1-4.3.3.”

However, an exact release date was not, and still isn’t confirmed.

For those who are not familiar with JailbreakMe, the tool is basically a website that features a slider, much like the one used to unlock the iOS home screen.

To jailbreak, the user must access jailbreakme.com, slide and confirm his / her intention to jailbreak. When the device reboots, it is jailbroken. This is arguably the simplest jailbreak around.

Red Sony Ericsson Xperia neo Now Available at Vodafone UK

Mobile phone carrier Vodafone UK has added a new Android-based device to its offering, a handset exclusively available on its airwaves, namely the red flavor of Sony Ericsson Xperia neo.

We already knew that this mobile phone was set to land at Vodafone UK all dressed up in red, as the carrier had it on a coming-soon page, but nothing was known specifically on when it could become available for purchase.

Now, UK users interested in the exclusive red flavor of the device can head over to Vodafone's online store here to purchase it.

The mobile phone is available for free upon the signing of a contract agreement on a monthly plan that starts at £26 per month.

The mobile phone comes with Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system on board, and with a 1GHz application processor inside for increased performance levels.

The Xperia neo was packed with a 3.7-inch touchscreen display with Sony's Mobile BRAVIA Engine, so that it would offer a great viewing experience while on the go.

Moreover, the device comes with an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R for mobile sensor and with HD video recording capabilities, and enables users view content on a TV at home using an HDMI connector.

“The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo gives you great photos every time thanks to its high-quality 8.1-megapixel camera. And when you want to talk face to face in a video call, there's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera,” Vodafone notes on its website.

“The main camera lets you take advantage of face recognition, so everyone in the picture is in focus. There's also Exmor R technology, which is great for photos in even the lowest light. You won't find these features on the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY.”

The handset also comes with social networking capabilities, offering fast access to Facebook and Twitter, as well as fast Internet browsing, and support for various applications and mobile services.