The Epic Android Thread - Page 95 - maemo.org

Capt'n Corrupt | # 941 | 2010-11-03, 19:33 | Report

Looking to win a Tab? Samsung is giving away 100 Tabs! All you have to do is sacrifice your dignity on Youtube discussing 'freedom' and begging for a Galaxy Tab....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLJCZ5wjWmU

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Capt'n Corrupt | # 942 | 2010-11-03, 19:41 | Report

It looks like Bell is releasing the Tab in Canada for $649.99. This is $50 more than I would ideally pay, but it's not terrible. Rogers will likely match this price, though I'm hoping that they do better!

http://www.androidcentral.com/bell-s...-november-16th

The good news is, that it's due out very soon.

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Capt'n Corrupt | # 943 | 2010-11-03, 19:54 | Report

This is REALLY cool: The Galaxy S has been christened WiFi Direct certified by the powers that be.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/03/s...ect-certified/

For those that don't know, WiFi direct is a way to connect devices directly via WiFi for very easy communication. This will make it possible to share files, print documents, stream media, play games, etc without needing a router or complex configuration settings. Your WiFi Direct device alerts other devices in the area that it can be connected to.
More info here: http://www.wi-fi.org/Wi-Fi_Direct.php

I expect that the Tab will get the same treatment.

This is one of those no-brainer features that until now has been overly complex or required deep technical insight to use. Thankfully, this standard should make it very easy to connect two devices together sans wires.

The uses of this tech are mind boggling and go way beyond simple file sharing.

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Capt'n Corrupt | # 944 | 2010-11-03, 20:04 | Report

It looks like the Gingerbread API level is getting bumped to 9!

http://androidandme.com/2010/11/news...erbread-treat/
http://www.androidcentral.com/latest...ad-gingerbread

I'm interested to see the new UI primitives available to developers! I'm hoping that a new, more refined and balanced, default style is available for apps written for this API level!

Last edited by Capt'n Corrupt; 2010-11-04 at 00:14.

etuoyo | # 945 | 2010-11-03, 22:38 | Report

Originally Posted by Capt'n Corrupt View Post

This is REALLY cool: The Galaxy S has been christened WiFi Direct certified by the powers that be.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/03/s...ect-certified/

For those that don't know, WiFi direct is a way to connect devices directly via WiFi for very easy communication. This will make it possible to share files, print documents, stream media, play games, etc without needing a router or complex configuration settings. Your WiFi Direct device alerts other devices in the area that it can be connected to.
More info here: http://www.wi-fi.org/Wi-Fi_Direct.php

I expect that the Tab will get the same treatment.

This is one of those no-brainer features that until now has been overly complex or required deep technical insight to use. Thankfully, this standard should make it very easy to connect two devices together sans wires.

The uses of this tech are mind boggling and go way beyond simple file sharing.

So this works effectively like how blue tooth does? You just find another equipped device and you can connect and transfer? Surely can't be that simple. Great if it is.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 946 | 2010-11-04, 00:13 | Report

Originally Posted by etuoyo View Post

So this works effectively like how blue tooth does? You just find another equipped device and you can connect and transfer? Surely can't be that simple. Great if it is.

Yep, just like bluetooth. But ubiquitous (which modern device doesn't have WiFi?), likely less finicky, and much higher bandwidth.

I'm not sure if there's a battery life savings, though. Additionally, I wonder if WiFi power consumption is reduced in direct mode.

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Capt'n Corrupt | # 947 | 2010-11-04, 10:54 | Report

Here's a video of Opera Mobile being run on the Galaxy S. Even without hardware acceleration, the browser is impressively smooth! The Tab should run this software at a similar clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbJPAPoOZho

Looking good!

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Capt'n Corrupt | # 948 | 2010-11-04, 13:10 | Report

Here's an interesting writup on WiFi Direct and compares it with Bluetooth 4.0 (both use 802.11):
http://www.pcworld.com/article/20877...supremacy.html

One point of interest is the WMM power save that WiFi Direct can use. It is supposed to result in 15% to 40% imrovement in battery life.

Bluetooth 4.0, offers a super-low power mode, though it remains to be seen how these technologies fare in real world testing.

I like the idea of WiFi direct -- use software and existing hardware rather than new chipsets to forge connections between devices. In fairness, Bluetooth 4 uses 802.11 as well, but it remains to be seen if it's implemented entirely in software.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Direct

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danramos | # 949 | 2010-11-04, 19:51 | Report

Originally Posted by etuoyo View Post

I suspect Samsung has effectively set the pricing for high end android tablets by basically copyng like for like Apple's ipad pricing. When the ipad came out people were all saying it was way too expensive. However, it proved to be a huge success so Apple was somewhat justified in its pricing. Now Samsung decided that the general public accepts that as sensible pricing.

Unless the Tab is a huge commercial failure (which with a huge company like Samsung behind it it is unlikely to be) other manufacturers will just follow the Tab's pricing. Which means we are not going to see any sensibly priced android tablets for a long long time. Of course you will still be able to get affordable tablets from people like archos but I am talking of fully speced tablets from companies like HTC, Sony or Motorola.

Shame.

Let's not forget the biggest expense that weighs down on those goddam cellular radios and other components: PATENT FEES. The components and labor may not cost anywhere near as much as the PLETHORA of patents you have to license just to have the right to make your radio work a certain way with a certain frequency to work with certain hardware--and then there's patents on how you even fabricated the thing itself. Ugh. It typically takes a $20 piece of hardware and inflates it up to $200-300. I don't get the sense that Samsung is playing the Apple game. Apple has VERY few patents to contend with (with just one exclusive carrier at the moment) and has comparatively less reason to be so expensive.

Originally Posted by Capt'n Corrupt View Post

Here are some interesting effects with 'spare parts'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npHNq9sZldc

One of the effects is an animated screen orientation rotation, which is neat. Another useful option is font size!

Take a look. It may be a *must have* app for the Tab.

Funny you're talking about this now--but I've used that app for quite a while now. It comes already pre-packaged in with the Bugless Beast ROM for Motorola Droid.

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Capt'n Corrupt | # 950 | 2010-11-04, 19:55 | Report

Originally Posted by danramos View Post

Funny you're talking about this now--but I've used that app for quite a while now. It comes already pre-packaged in with the Bugless Beast ROM for Motorola Droid.

Nice! Not owning an Android device, I'm just learning about this wonderful app. But I'm loving the Tab functionality.

By the way, we've missed you in here!