Aug 12

Motorola Droid 2 ripped to shreds, where’s an astromech when you need one?

Posted in: Android, droid, moto, motorola, teardown, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

It’s been less than a full day since Verizon’s Droid 2 hit shelves (or two, if you count Sam’s Club) but the fine folks at iFixit have already managed to make their phone explode into… 24 pieces, if we’re counting right. Amazingly enough, the internal construction is almost exactly the same despite Motorola’s near-doubling of the horsepower (and addition of 802.11n) inside. You’ll find a nigh-identical logic board, speaker, camera and LCD screen — not to mention the exact same battery, which means original Droid owners will have a handy swap — and what looks like the exact same steps (but Torx screwdrivers required) to take the clever puzzle of plastic and metal apart. Not that you’d necessarily want to do the same to your new handset — It’s days like this we’re glad iFixit is here to take that bullet for us.

Motorola Droid 2 ripped to shreds, where’s an astromech when you need one? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

Droid 2 R2-D2 edition coming September 30

Posted in: Android, droid, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon

Looks like Verizon and Motorola have finally come clean with the release dates on that sweet Droid 2 R2-D2 edition — a poster next to that demo unit at the Star Wars-themed Celebration V convention in Orlando says it’s due to arrive on September 30. Unfortunately there’s no word on how much more this thing will cost over the regular Droid 2, but hey — Artoo’s worth it, right? Check a couple more high-res shots at the source link.

Droid 2 R2-D2 edition coming September 30 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

Amateurs Fling Their Gadgets to Edge of Space

Posted in: Android, camera, droid, Gadgets, Hacks, Mods and DIY, nexus one, phone, Phones, Today's Chili

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Introduction


A ride to the stratosphere and back has now become a rite of passage for smartphones.

Space enthusiasts are attaching devices such as the Motorola Droid, G1, HTC Evo and Nexus One — not to mention an array of digital cameras — to weather balloons or rockets, then sending them high into the stratosphere and beyond.

With integrated GPS systems, cameras and fast processors, smartphones are computing devices available to all. That’s why space enthusiasts are turning to them to do things that would have otherwise required custom components or a number of specialized devices.

“What you are seeing is a grass-roots initiative to reach for the stars,” says Bobby Russell, founder of Quest for Stars, a nonprofit organization that works with high school students to promote science and technology.

Driving the interest of hobbyists are the latest crop of smartphones and even digital cameras because the devices are cheap and fairly rugged.

“Now, it’s all there off-the-shelf for the taking,” says Russell. “So why reinvent the wheel?”

Photo: A Google G1 phone gets ready to head into the atmosphere, surrounded by members of the Noisebridge hacker space. Photo courtesy: Mikolaj Horbyn, Andrew Gerrand, Christie Dudley.

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Have you tried to launch a gadget into space? Submit a link to a photo and website where we can learn more about it. If we get enough great submissions, we’ll publish a gallery of your submissions! Your photo needs to be on Flickr, Picasa or another website. Give us the URL of the image file (.jpg, .gif or .png), not the webpage containing it.

Show space gadgets that are: hot | new | top-rated or submit your photo

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Aug 11

Droid Eris Phone is Reborn as a Disney Tour Guide

Posted in: Android, app, droid, HTC, mobile, Phones, Today's Chili

HTC’s Droid Eris phone is getting a second lease on life as a tour guide in a Disney amusement park. Disney has taken the smartphone, added a frame around it to turn it into a device running an app that shows wait times for rides, offers discounts and indicates show times at the park.

The repurposed Eris also gives out tips and tricks and coupons for use in the park.

HTC launched the Droid Eris in November as a $100 smartphone (with a two-year contract) on Verizon Wireless. The Droid Eris had a 3.2-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and GPS capability. It also used HTC’s Sense custom skin for Android. In June, Verizon said it has retired the Droid Eris.

Meanwhile, last year Disney also launched its Mobile Magic app for mostly feature phones and non-Android smartphones. The app gives users detailed information about the different Disney theme parks in the U.S. Now with the Android version of the app running on the Eris, Disney hopes to connect with those users who are already at the park.

Check out the video to see the Mobile Magic app on the Droid Eris

Ultimately, the Eris phone running the app may be offered as a free or “low cost add-on” for visitors on the trip, says the MickeyUpdates site.

See Also:

Photo: Mickeyupdates.com

[via Engadget]




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Aug 11

Motorola’s Droid 2 in the wild, looking as blue as ever

Posted in: Android, droid, GoogleAndroid, in the wild, InTheWild, motorola, pre-order, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless

And that, folks, is our first in the wild look at Motorola’s second generation Droid. It’s not officially supposed to hit retail until tomorrow, but that obviously hasn’t stopped a delivery truck from unloading a few at a nondescript Sam’s Club. We’re still waiting to hear back on whether or not they’re actually being allowed out of the store today, but hey, tomorrow ain’t too far away.

P.S. – Nice Sony Ericsson mat.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Motorola’s Droid 2 in the wild, looking as blue as ever originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 11

Disney converting Droid Eris into GPS tour guide (update: video!)

Posted in: droid, gps, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, video, vzw

If you shed a tear when Verizon put the Droid Eris out to pasture, it’s time to dry your eyes; it seems the handset’s found greener fields in Florida, at Epcot Center to be precise. That’s right, Walt Disney World is reportedly testing out Verizon’s HTC Hero as a GPS navigator and tour guide for the entire park, complete with shopping discounts, special bonuses and up-to-the-minute wait times for rides. How or when you’ll get your hands on one is presently up in the air, though the man who snapped these shots told Mickey Updates the phones may be an inexpensive addition to your vacation — perhaps like the $10 BREW-based Mobile Magic application Verizon and Disney introduced last year. Here’s hoping that chunky case includes an extended battery — there’s no way a stock Eris could last as long as Nintendo’s guide.

Update: A video walkthrough of the whole shebang is posted after the break. Thanks, Matt!

Gallery: Disney Droid Eris field testing

[Thanks, Durango Jim]

Continue reading Disney converting Droid Eris into GPS tour guide (update: video!)

Disney converting Droid Eris into GPS tour guide (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 10

Motorola Droid Android 2.2 Froyo OTA updates are go

Posted in: Android, droid, firmware, froyo, motorola, ota, software update, SoftwareUpdate, Today's Chili, verizon

Judging by the deluge of tips that just hit our inbox, it looks like Verizon just pulled the trigger and released the Android 2.2 Froyo over-the-air update for its venerable Droid handset. At least it has for some lucky owners. So tell us, did you get yours?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Motorola Droid Android 2.2 Froyo OTA updates are go originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 10

Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract

Posted in: Android, breaking news, BreakingNews, droid, GoogleAndroid, motorola, pre-order, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless

All together now: “Finally!” At long last, the leaks are being plugged by none other than Verizon itself, who today confirmed that the Droid 2 is more than just a figment of everyone’s imagination. Shortly after hamstringing the Froyo update for the original Droid, Big Red is tossing a tempting upgrade all up in your grille, as the Droid 2 ships with Android 2.2, mobile hotspot (a $20 / month add-on), Flash Player 10.1 and a revised QWERTY keyboard. It also ships with Swype pre-installed, though we’d prefer Swiftkey thrown in for good measure. You already know the specs by now — a 3.7-inch multitouch display, 5 megapixel camera, DLNA streaming, 8GB of onboard memory and a 8GB microSD card — but what you haven’t known is the on sale date. VZW is putting this gem up for pre-sale tomorrow at $199.99 on a 2-year contract, with in-store availability locked for Thursday.

In other news, that R2-D2 edition Droid 2 we told you about last month is legit, and we’re having a hard time containing our excitement just dreaming about the design. Said phone will be available online only in September, and it’ll ship with “exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga.” We’re guessing these will sell out in no time flat, but there’s no price being divulged just yet. Oh, and if you’re wondering how on Earth you’re going to swing this upgrade, Verizon’s allowing any customer with a contract ending by December 31, 2010 to upgrade now (to any other smartphone, including the Droid 2) sans penalty. Sheesh guys, you shouldn’t have!

Update: The R2-D2 edition portal has gone live. And yes, if you click this link, you will hear R2-D2 say “Droid!” Too bad there aren’t any images of the handset, though. Thanks, Eric!

Gallery: Motorola Droid 2 on Verizon Wireless

Continue reading Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract

Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 09

Motorola Set to Launch Droid 2 Phone

Posted in: Android, droid, launch, motorola, Phones, refresh, Today's Chili, upgrade, verizon

Motorola is set to refresh its original Droid phone with the launch of the Droid 2 later this week. The new Droid 2 phone will sport a better keyboard, the latest Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and a faster 1-GHz processor.

Droid 2 will cost $200 with a two-year contract on Verizon Wireless or $600 without a contract, according to Best Buy.

Motorola hasn’t confirmed a release date for the Droid 2 but widespread rumors suggest the phone will be introduced on Aug. 12.

The original Droid phone is now listed as “out of stock” on Verizon’s website.

The Droid 2 refresh comes nearly ten months after Motorola and Verizon launched the original Droid phone. In October last year, the two companies introduced Droid, then one of the most advanced Android devices in the market. The Droid debuted with a 3.7-inch touchscreen display, a slide-out keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera and a 600-MHz processor. Since then, the device has become one of the best-selling Android phones.

In June this year, Motorola announced Droid X, a device that extended the Droid brand. The Droid X, however, didn’t come with a keyboard. With its 4.3-inch touchscreen, the Droid X also sports a bigger display and a faster processor compared to the original Droid.

Droid 2 will now catch up to some of those specs. One of the key criticisms with the original Droid phone was the device’s keyboard. Many users complained that the keys weren’t comfortable to use. Motorola seems to have heard that. In a newspaper ad touting the imminent arrival of the Droid 2, Motorola has highlighted the Droid 2’s “new, advanced keyboard.”

Droid 2 also hopes to be the first phone to ship with Android 2.2 Froyo and support Adobe’s Flash technology for mobile phones — a distinction that shouldn’t matter much now since other devices including HTC Evo and even the original Droid are getting over-the-air upgrades to Froyo.

Another point to consider is that the feature upgrades won’t put the Droid 2 at the front of the pack of Android phones. HTC’s Evo has an 8-megapixel camera, compared to Droid 2’s rumored 5 megapixels. The Evo also has a front-facing camera and HDMI out — two features that will likely be missing in Droid 2.

If that’s the case, it is unlikely Droid 2 can on top of the best-seller charts like its predecessor.

See Also:

Photo: Motorola Droid (Gubatron/Flickr)




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Aug 06

Droid 2 looks confirmed for August 12, Best Buy pits it against the competition

Posted in: Android, BestBuy, droid, exclusive, Google, moto, motorola, rumor, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

We’d broken the news of the Droid 2’s August 12 street date a couple weeks ago, and we’re now getting confirmation of that — at Best Buy, anyhow — thanks to a couple tips we’ve received today, including the screen shot above. An actual launch is going to feel like sweet release after what has become the most thoroughly-leaked phone in recent memory, but if you need yet more fodder for your overactive imagination, we’d recommend you follow the break for Best Buy’s competitive analysis of the phone, which does a commendable job breaking down all the differences between it and its direct predecessor — notably the significantly speedier core, the mobile hotspot support, 802.11n, and the onboard storage (though you get a smaller microSD card in the box). Question is, where can we get that R2-D2 edition?

[Thanks, anonymous tipsters]

Continue reading Droid 2 looks confirmed for August 12, Best Buy pits it against the competition

Droid 2 looks confirmed for August 12, Best Buy pits it against the competition originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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