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Opera aims for Android, hardware acceleration

OSLO, Norway--Opera Software announced significant new steps for its browsers today, including the release soon of Opera Mobile for Android phones and extensions technology in the upcoming Opera 11 for computers.

In both those cases--and also in the Opera Mini browser for less capable phones--the browsers will come with a major new feature: hardware acceleration to speed the display of pages and operations such as scrolling and panning. That change is essential to keep Opera relevant in a highly competitive industry.

Android is aligned well with Opera's business strategy. First, Google's mobile operating system, unlike Apple's iOS, … Read more

Samsung Vibrant finally gets GPS fix

Reports started trickling in early this week that T-Mobile was issuing an over-the-air software update to the Samsung Vibrant. Although it's not a major release like Froyo, it will likely be met with great enthusiasm. What's so great about the update? To put it simply, it fixes the GPS.

Readers may recall that early Vibrant owners complained of various issues with the GPS on their phones. Whereas some folks were seeing their device take an abnormally long time to lock on with a signal, others would find their handset reporting a completely wrong location.

Those of you with … Read more

Google Goggles vs. itself on iPhone, Android

As a longtime user of both the iPhone and Android, I was pleased to see Google's Goggles service make its way to iOS devices this past week. Even though it's missing a feature or two compared to its Android sibling, both versions are able to figure out what you've just taken a picture of, and give it back to you as a Google search.

It's one of those simple applications that I keep coming back to, mainly for its speed and accuracy, which can be scarily good. Though, when Google released it on the iPhone, it … Read more

T-Mobile to push Android 2.2 to MyTouch 3G

T-Mobile and HTC are set to begin releasing a much-anticipated Android 2.2 update to their MyTouch 3G handset. According to information obtained by TmoNews, the carrier will start pushing Froyo out as early as today and continue through October 25.

You may recall T-Mobile's CTO, Cole Brodman, pledging to leave no phone behind as it pertains to its MyTouch series of phones. Coming shortly after the official announcement of Android 2.2, Brodman promised that each of the MyTouch branded handsets would be supported at least through Froyo.

As is the case with typical Android 2.2 updates, … Read more

New Lego app lets Androids control robots

File this one under "I wish we had this stuff when I was kid." Lego has just announced a new app for the Android Marketplace that lets people who create robots with the Mindstorm NXT platform control their creations using Android handsets--much like the BlackBerry robot controller app we reported on a while back).

The free MindDroid app connects to the NXT device's "brain," the NXT module, via Bluetooth. Once the connection is established, the app uses the phone's accelerometer to control the up/down and left/right directional controls. There's an action … Read more

Digital City 100: Comic Con costumes and the ultimate video game t-shirt collection

Unless we've miscounted somewhere along the way (a distinct possibility), this week marks the 100th episode of our little outpost on the information superhighway.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Digital City show if everything ran smoothly, so you shouldn't be surprised to find that Scott has been called away on urgent business and is here only in spirit (plus, he sent a note).

Standing in is CNET News reporter Greg Sandoval, who joins the discussion on Windows 7 phones and Google's top-secret music cloud project -- but is stunned into silence by our extreme nerd-out over the past weekend's New York Comic Con.

The rest of us, however, happily narrate our photo galleries from the show, showcasing the usual collections of costumed character and overpriced collectibles.

Speaking of collectables, in honor of our centenary, we're pleased to offer the greatest Digital City giveaway ever. We're sending one viewer/listener a sweet pile a video game t-shirts -- the ultra-rare promo-only items sent to journalists and industry insiders. These are all mint condition, never worn, and include shirts for Dead Space, GTA4, and many more.

To win the Ultimate Video Game T-Shirt Collection just hop on over to the show's Twitter account, @digitalcitycnet and follow us, then RT the post about this episode.

We'll pick a random winner at the end of the week, and there are also a pile of runner-up prizes, including some Red Dead Redemption swag and a copy of the new Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light game for DS.

Special bonus: At long last, download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here!

… Read more

Galaxy Tab price, launch rumors start swirling

As we draw closer to the end of 2010, each of the four big wireless providers is expected to release its version of the Galaxy Tab. Announced last month, the 7-inch Android-based tablet has yet to see an official price tag or launch date from any U.S. carrier, but that may soon change as a handful of Tab rumors began swirling late last week.

First out of the gate was Sprint, which is said to be dropping the device on November 14 with a $399 price tag. Given the hardware inside, this isn't a terrible price for those … Read more

The cool new UI you can't have...yet

SAN FRANCISCO--Generally, OEM software isn't of particular interest to consumer product reviewers, but I couldn't help but be drawn in by the sweet-looking user interface (UI) development being shown off by SPB Software at the CTIA Fall 2010 show. This multiplatform solution, called Mobile Shell, is currently up to version 5.0, which is compatible with Windows Mobile, Android, and Symbian operating systems.

The software is aimed at providing carriers with a way to offer a standardized UI across mobile devices, but the truly compelling part is the front-end user experience, which is pretty fantastic from what I'… Read more

Pioneer's prototype HUD mixes lasers, Android

We've seen head-up displays (HUDs) before in production vehicles like the Chevrolet Corvette and the BMW 5-Series. However, these displays are often small, monochromatic, and use technology that's nearly a decade old. Pioneer aims to change this with a new laser-based prototype HUD, unveiled and demonstrated at Ceatec 2010 in Japan.

Pioneer's HUD uses lasers to project full-color animated maps and images onto a transparent panel, but Pioneer predicts that one day the system could be used to throw maps and turn-by-turn directions onto your vehicle's windshield. The prototype system connects to an Android OS smartphone … Read more