Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today

Verizon is seriously diversifying its portfolio today with the official in-store launch of four new smartphones. Three of them roll up in Android gear, though they all have major selling points beyond Google’s software. LG’s Revolution is the sole LTE-capable handset of the bunch, bringing with it a 4.3-inch screen and pre-installed Netflix for $250. The Droid X2 undercuts it on price, at $200, but doubles the core count with its Tegra 2 processor and ramps up resolution to qHD (960 x 540). Gaming aficionados can spend the same amount on the Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson, which offers a slideout gamepad and unique PlayStation Certified status. Bringing up the rear is HTC’s well-traveled Trophy, a 3.8-inch Windows Phone that accepts it’s a little late to the party and therefore slices $50 off its asking price, with a $150 levy before the obligatory two-year contract. What say you — buy, try, or keep waiting?

Verizon bonanza: Droid X2, Revolution, Trophy, and Xperia Play hit Big Red today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVerizon (Droid X2), (Revolution), (Xperia Play), (Trophy)  | Email this | Comments

LG Revolution coming to Verizon tomorrow for $250 on contract

That’s right, kids, and we have the press release to prove it: the LG Revolution that we got our hands on at CES is coming to Verizon tomorrow for $250 (with a new, two year customer agreement). Sadly, this handset won’t bring you any closer to overthrowing the established social order, as LG seems to think that “revolution” has more to do with such niceties as HDMI out, the Android 2.2 mobile OS, and a 16GB microSD card. But hey, that pre-installed Netflix app sure does seem nice. Interested? The Nationwide Talk plans begin at $40 a month, with unlimited data for $30. Mobile Hotspot is also included for free — for a limited time. Check out all the important info after the break.

Continue reading LG Revolution coming to Verizon tomorrow for $250 on contract

LG Revolution coming to Verizon tomorrow for $250 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Blocks Rooted Android Devices From Renting Movies

For now, Google is restricting rooted Android devices from using its movie rental service on the Android Market. Photo: Duncan Geere/Wired.co.uk

For many Android enthusiasts, having total control is part of the platform’s attraction. But Google is imposing some annoying new restrictions for those who want to be superusers on their own phones.

Google is blocking access to its new Android Market movie rental service for those using rooted Android devices. If you try to access a movie from the Market using a rooted device, you’ll receive a “failure to fetch license” error message.

Obtaining root access to an Android device gives you full administrative privileges, letting you make changes that wouldn’t otherwise be possible running the stock operating system out of the box. That means anything from installing a custom version of your operating system to deleting the prebundled bloatware that came with your device. A minority of Android phone owners do this, but for those who do, the flexibility and control is an important feature and, for some, a right.

On the help menu of the official Android Market, Google gives a vague reason for the holdup, stating that “rooted devices are currently unsupported due to requirements related to copyright protection.”

Ostensibly, the holdup is coming from the end of the movie studios.

“Rooted devices can probably work around the DRM system that they have set up,” says Gartner analyst Phillip Redman. DRM (Digital Rights Management) systems control the uses of digital content — like movies or music — that aren’t intended by the host of the content. It’s likely the studios are worried that if you’re using a rooted device, you could potentially run an app that would make copies of the movies you’re renting on the Android Market’s movie service.

This restriction isn’t unique to Android movie rentals. Netflix has been available for iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad for months, yet the streaming video service hadn’t extended to Android until this month. And even now, Netflix is currently available on only five specific Android phone models. The reasoning, according to Netflix, has been because of protestations from movie studios.

“The same security issues that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it difficult for us to secure a common Digital Rights Management (DRM) system on these devices,” wrote Greg Peters of Netflix product development in a November blog post.

Google had no further comment on the issue.

As Google only recently launched its movie rental service, it is still in its infancy stage. Currently, you can only watch movies from the Android Market on either your desktop web browser, or on the 3G version of Motorola’s Xoom tablet. The Android Market says support for phones and the Wi-Fi Xoom is coming soon.

We may not see movie rentals on rooted devices any time soon, but if Netflix’s foibles are any indicator, we can probably expect more non-rooted devices to gradually gain access. “There are requirements we must fulfill in order to obtain content from major studios for our subscribers to enjoy,” Netflix’s Peters wrote. “Although we don’t have a common platform security mechanism and DRM, we are able to work with individual handset manufacturers to add content protection to their devices.”

The restrictions bring into question Android’s “open” platform campaign. Google’s Nexus model phones — HTC’s Nexus One and the Samsung Nexus S — both come with the built-in ability to gain root access to the phones. And the Motorola Xoom comes with an unlockable bootloader, which also allows for root access. Yet it seems for the time being, you’ll have to choose between rooting your phone and renting movies from the market.

Until you figure out a workaround, that is. “There’s always a lot of content available out there,” Gartner’s Redman said, “but mostly to those that are more technically savvy and can navigate around the roadblocks put into place by the studios.” And according to one user’s comment on Android Central, “all you have to do is spoof your info,” or conceal your phone’s actual identification information.

But however unhappy these restrictions make root users, it may be the cost of doing business. “If you’re going to build a successful platform,” says Redman, “agreements have to be made. I think this one is entirely reasonable.”


Study finds Netflix is the largest source of internet traffic in North America

In your daily Netflix news, the latest report on Global Internet Phenomena for spring 2011 from Sandvine has called out the movie service as the largest single consumer of bandwidth on the internet in North America. The last report in October suggested it made up around twenty percent of internet traffic during prime time, but this time around the stats say it accounts for 30% of traffic during prime time, and 22.2% of daily internet traffic. Sandvine gets the data from ISPs using its broadband technology and now foresees “Real-Time Entertainment” (which includes Netflix) shooting up over 55% of peak internet traffic by the end of this year. It also reports on net traffic from other regions, noting social networking outpaces YouTube traffic in Latin America, while European subscribers use twice as much data as North Americans. We’ll have to wait and see if these stats are waved in our faces to justify the next round of bandwidth caps or throttling, in the meantime you can click through for more stats or hear about it from Sandvine CEO Dave Caputo discuss them in a video embedded after the break.

Continue reading Study finds Netflix is the largest source of internet traffic in North America

Study finds Netflix is the largest source of internet traffic in North America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Revolution finally landing at Verizon on May 26th

LG Revolution finally set to hit Verizon on May 26th

We thought it’d be here by now. We thought it’d be the first with Netflix. We thought a lot of things about the LG Revolution, but now we’re closer to knowing the truth. According to documents uncovered by Droid Life the phone is coming next week, May 26th, and it is, indeed, shipping with Netflix, which you can watch on its 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen. The LTE-equipped phone will be running a version of Android 2.2 that will surely have seen some cosmetic enhancements, not the least of which is Bing integration. Yes, it’s been Binged, but if the price is right, maybe that’s not the end of the world. As to the price: no word on that yet, but “wireless charging” is listed as a standard feature, so at least you won’t have to pay extra for a chubby battery door.

Update: You can read the manual now too. One less thing to worry about for next week, right?

LG Revolution finally landing at Verizon on May 26th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDroid Life  | Email this | Comments

Netflix seals deal to stream Miramax movies, starting in June

Netflix has just gone and scooped up another big content deal for itself. The movie streaming service has tied the knot with Miramax on a multi-year agreement to allow streaming of films from the latter’s extensive library. Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Kill Bill, and hundreds of others will be added to the Netflix Watch Instantly catalog on a rotating basis, starting next month. This marks the first time Miramax flicks have been available on a digital subscription service. An agreement between these two companies was last rumored in March, with a five-year term and $100 million price being mooted as the likely parameters for getting it done. Neither outfit would disclose the cost to Netflix, but the benefit to you, dear subscriber, is pretty obvious. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Netflix seals deal to stream Miramax movies, starting in June

Netflix seals deal to stream Miramax movies, starting in June originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Workaround brings Netflix to more (rooted) Android users

We’ve already had some success getting Netflix for Android up and running on an officially unsupported phone (a Droid X), but those not able to get it to work simply by transferring and installing the .APK now have another option. As some folks on XDA and Reddit have discovered, you can apparently just edit a few system settings to make your phone (or Nook Color, for that matter) think it’s actually an HTC G2, which is apparently all it takes to satisfy the Netflix app. It doesn’t work with every phone, of course, but quite a few seem to have had success with it. Unfortunately for some, you’ll also need to first root your phone in order to make those changes, but the steps are fairly simple once you’ve done that. Hit up the links below for all the details, and let us know how it worked out for you in the comments below. Just remember: when in doubt, back up.

Workaround brings Netflix to more (rooted) Android users originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Techland  |  sourceReddit, xda-developers  | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with Netflix for Android (video)

Netflix for Android

Netflix for Android is here… finally. It’s been a long time coming and we’re thrilled to be able to bring our instant queue with us wherever we go. Though technically only approved for a handful of HTC phones and the Samsung Nexus S, we were able to successfully get it up and running on at least one unsanctioned device — the Droid X (sporting a leaked copy of Gingerbread). So what’s Netflix like on Google’s mobile OS? Well, it’s a heck of a lot like the iPhone app. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to tell them apart if it weren’t for the tabs being moved from the bottom of the screen to the top. Still, we figured it was worth giving a solid once over and, as usual, you can find our impressions after the break.

Continue reading Hands-on with Netflix for Android (video)

Hands-on with Netflix for Android (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix releases Android app for select HTC phones, Samsung Nexus S

Well, it looks like the LG Revolution won’t be the first Android phone to get Netflix after all. The app has just hit the Android Market and is currently available for the HTC Incredible, Nexus One, Evo 4G, and G2, plus the Samsung Nexus S. As you might expect, there’s not a lot of surprises in terms of functionality — you can resume watching where you left off on your TV or computer, and the app will allow you to manage your instant queue in addition to letting you simply browse movies. On its official blog, Netflix explains that while the app is currently limited to phones with “requisite playback support,” it anticipates that many of the “technical challenges will be resolved in the coming months,” and that it will be able to “provide a Netflix application that will work on a large majority of Android phones.” That’s some curious wording, to be sure, and a notable change from earlier talk that suggested only certain Qualcomm processors would support the necessary DRM for Netflix. Also not supported at the moment: Canada. If none of that precludes you, however, you can hit up the Android Market link below to try it out for yourself.

In other Netflix news, the company has also rolled out a little gift for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users — the iOS app now finally boasts support for subtitles.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Netflix releases Android app for select HTC phones, Samsung Nexus S originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 15:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAndroid Market, Netflix, Netflix Blog, iTunes  | Email this | Comments

Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month

Google’s currently in the process of detailing Chrome OS’ latest improvements and there are a couple of big ‘uns: Netflix and Hulu support will be available right out of the box for the pair of new Chromebooks — one from Samsung and one from Acer. An improved file manager has also been added to the upcoming version of Chrome OS, plus offline versions of Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs — all will be made available for Chromebook users this summer. You can learn more about these improvements in the video after the break.

Far more monumental, Google’s also just announced the cost of these Chromebooks and there’s no upfront payment to speak of. Instead, Chrome OS laptops will be distributed on the basis of a recurring monthly subscription, which will cost $28 per user for businesses and $20 per user for schools. That includes regular software and hardware upgrades. Hardware as a service, folks!

Continue reading Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month

Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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