Tag Archives: Éclair

Android performance tools discovered inside antivirus app

Published on Thursday, December 15th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Avast! Software Mobile Security beta app has hidden depths

Experienced Android handset users will have encountered the problem long ago. The handset which they now own is currently running Android OS v2.2 (Froyo), when it was originally shipped with Éclair (v2.1). Additionally, you’ve loaded up every useful app which came across you path in the last 12 months. The result? The handset has slowed down to a snail’s pace and you’ve no idea why. If you also happen to be a long suffering user of Windows XP (or even worse, Vista), you’ll know the common symptoms. The handset is running out of free memory and its processor is being pressed to the limit. Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile applications, android, mobile security | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Glitch in Froyo upgrade for Motorola Defy

Published on Thursday, October 27th by Tony Dennis

Rating: GoMo News fails to solve mystery

Despite repeated efforts, GoMo News has failed to resolve a problem we have uncovered with the offical Froyo ugrade for Motorola’s Defy handset. It ships as standard with Android version 2.1 (Éclair) but Motorola has subsequently released a software upgrade which takes the handset up to 2.2 (Froyo). However, there appears to be a slight glitch when making regular voice calls. The user cannot hear what the other party is saying. But – and this is very strange – if you place the handset into speakerphone mode, you can hear perfectly well what is being said. We firmly believe this is a software – not hardware – fault. Yet Motorola’s PR department has been unable to identify a technical spokesperson we could talk to. Continue reading →

Posted in Featured, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Motorola | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How to get Google Maps to show London buildings in 3D

Published on Friday, July 22nd by Tony Dennis

Rating: To try it on your Android – use ‘clear map’ option

The blogs and wire services are full of the news that Google has added a facility to view buildings in 3D when you use its Maps app on the latest Androids handsets. GoMo News has tried it and initially couldn’t get anywhere near the resolution on our trusty Motorola Android handsets. We suspected that there was a hidden screen resolution setting that we don’t know about. Wrong. Actually, all you need to do is select the ‘Clear map’ option and it works. The official announcement on Google’s Mobile Blog and can be found here. As it reports, you must ensure that you have installed Maps version 5.nn. Well, we have Maps 5.2 and 5.7 and it works on both. This appears to be a classic case of a Google engineer jumping the gun and publishing before this useful tip could come out. Continue reading →

Posted in Featured, Mobile applications, android, mobile location | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

As ZTE sells over 2m Blades, Froyo update imminent

Published on Thursday, June 30th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Sending coals to Helsinki and Tokyo

Leading Chinese handset maker, ZTE, has announced that it has now sold more than two million ZTE Blade (Android Éclair) handsets – making it one of the top selling smartphones in the world. The company takes particular delight in the fact that this entry level Android phone has done well in Japan and Finland, the home markets for two major ZTE competitors (Nokia and Sony Ericsson). Talk about coals to Newcastle – this is smartphones to Helsinki and Tokyo. Nokia’s decision not to go with Android is looking worse and worse every day. Better still, there are strong indications that an update to Froyo (2.2) will be available this month (June) in Orange’s key markets. So if you own an Orange San Francisco, you can rejoice. Continue reading →

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Update your Motorola Defy to Froyo in 10 mins

Published on Wednesday, June 22nd by Tony Dennis

Rating: Got to be the easiest Android OS swap ever

This is exactly how all Android OS upgrades should be – easy as pie. Here at GoMo News we’ve just upgraded our Motorola Defy (which came with Android Éclair (2.1) as standard) to Froyo (2.2). The process took ten minutes and we have to admit to being surprised at the simplicity. The whole thing happen only a day after first reports emerged that in the UK, Vodafone was now offering the Éclair to Froyo upgrade to its users. See report here. We can see no reason, however, why any Defy owner wouldn’t be able to achieve the upgrade if he or she took the same steps as us. Continue reading →

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Picking the right OS version to optimise your app

Published on Monday, April 18th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Lot easier with Android than iOS

If you’re monetising any mobile app, then logic dictates that you optimse it to run on the most prolific version of the targeted mobile OS. Currently, few would dispute that the two mobile OS most favoured by app developers are Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. So how do you find out which version of the OS is most popular. Well, Google provides a very straightforward answer to this dilemma. It produces stats on which version of Android is most popular with those who have bothered to download an app from the Google Market over a 14 day period. With Apple, it’s not that easy at all. Continue reading →

Posted in Apple, Featured, Mobile OS, Mobile applications, android, google, iphone | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We like Motorola’s Motoblur and Moto Phone Portal

Published on Thursday, December 23rd by Tony Dennis

Rating: Useful software to go with an Android handset

Most news sites review a handset by telling you what tin is inside the box; give you a brief description of its capabilities and may mention what software is preloaded. To break this mould, GoMo News thought it would describe what it has been like migrating from an Android handset updates to2.1 Éclair handset over to another 2.1 device with 2.1 already installed. Both handset are from Motorola – the Dext and the Defy respectively. The exercise showed how useful the Motoblur software is in real life. It also highlighted the fact that Motorola really ought to push the existence of its Moto Phone Portal software a bit more vigorously. Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Mobile applications, Motorola | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Motorola Defy is very definitely next on our wish list

Published on Thursday, December 9th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Android handset previewed on the dance floor

This GoMo News hack had the fortune to show up at Motorola Xmas thrash in the highly fashionable Red Room in London’s West One. In keeping with the party Person’s image for its latest Android handset, the Defy, the party was complete with a fully-fledged dance floor but we didn’t see anyone boogying. Instead, GoMo News took the opportunity to get a run down of all the features the Defy can offer from one of Motorola’s trainers who normally helps out resellers staff. As a result there’s a whole bunch of apps we’re planning to try out. Continue reading →

Posted in App stores, Mobile Devices, Motorola, android, orange | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

ZTE fixes released Eclair source code for Blade

Published on Friday, November 5th by Tony Dennis

Rating: News of its first Froyo, V880, slips out

GoMo News has been tracking a long running saga over the Android source code that ZTE has been releasing for a range of its handsets. The Android fanatics at Android.modaco.com have been champing at the bit to get their hands on working code. The problem was apparently that there is a phone called the Blade in China which is slightly different to the San Francisco released in the UK. As a result the code wouldn’t work (compile). Not any more. The files on the ZTE site have been fixed. In doing so the news of ZTE’s first Android 2.2/Froyo slipped out. It’s called the V880. Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Vodafone, ZTE, android | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brits most likely to drop their mobile into the loo

Published on Friday, October 29th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Survey for Motorola’s DEFY reveals stark truths

In a thinly disguised attempt to plug its DEFY, Android Éclair (2.1) handset, Motorola has resorted to commissioning a survey from the eponymous YouGov research company. The idea was to discover which out of Western Europe’s Top Five nations [,France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK] possessed the most clumsiest mobile phone users. Luckily, the Brits didn’t win. Neither did the Germans. The Spanish and Italians are the worst. Strangely enough, this is exactly the kind of data an insurance company selling a mobile handset policy would have a field-day with. Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Devices, Motorola, android | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Froyo phone for £299 from Acer – that’s competitive!

Published on Friday, October 29th by Tony Dennis

Rating: And it’s SIM-free for use on any UK network

It’s a brand with which we’re not too familiar in mobile phone circles but Acer has just announced an Android Froyo (2.2) powered handset – the Acer Liquid Metal. The handset’s specification are pretty high and tow versions of the Liquid Metal are due to go on sale for £299 (including VAT/taxes). For some reason the brown (ugh!) version will be available first from mid-November with the silver one is set to arrive in early December. So, in plenty of time for Xmas, then. Such a shame that a special Ferrari red version of an Acer Android – the Liquid E – is only Android Éclair (2.1) Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, android | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

ZTE quietly releases Éclair source code

Published on Monday, October 4th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Includes code for ZTE Androids like Racer and Blade

It’s very difficult to predict the implications but GoMo News made the totally unexpected discovery that Chinese handset giant, ZTE, has been quietly releasing the Éclair source code for a number of its Android handsets. The list includes several handsets which are readily available in Europe including the ZTE Racer and Blade models. These are highly competitively priced handsets which should now be upgradeable from Android 1.6 (Donut) to 2.1 (Éclair). It’s now just a question of tracking down the instructions. Continue reading →

Posted in 3, Mobile OS, ZTE, android, google | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

How to migrate an Android handset to Froyo

Published on Friday, October 1st by Tony Dennis

And how 2.1/Eclair from v 1.5 was reached

The whole quest to upgrade an existing Motorola MB220 Dext/Cliq Android handset (which was stuck at version 1.5) was triggered by a reader’s scathing comment on GoMo News here. How could I hold my head high as ‘Tonethefone’, if I couldn’t ‘root’ an Android handset like the rest? How could I ever reach the Mecca of upgrading to Froyo (v 2.2) on an Android device without the ability to ‘flash’ a ROM? Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile Industry Reports, Mobile OS, Motorola, android | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Quest for Froyo “how to guide” launched by GoMo News

Published on Friday, October 1st by Tony Dennis

Rating: Everything you want to know about rooting but were afraid to ask

‘Everything you want to know about xx but were afraid to ask’ style features for those curious about the mobile and cellular applications arena are rare. One terms common in the Android sector is ‘rooted’. To answer this question GoMo News has created a special “how to” guide entitled ‘Our Quest for Froyo’ (See here). Continue reading →

Posted in Mobile OS, Mobile applications, android | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Existing handsets have sufficient power to run Froyo – official

Published on Friday, July 16th by Tony Dennis

Rating: Android 2.2 will work on our current chips say Qualcomm and ARM
The scaremongering over potential Froyo upgrade problems is groundless say ARM and Qualcomm. Both ARM – which designs the chips, and Qualcomm which supplies them have both strongly assured GoMo News that there is no ‘upgrade glass ceiling’.

The rumours first arose during a [...]

Posted in Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, android | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments