sandwich

LOS ANGELES--E3 might have left out new hardware this year, but third-party accessory manufacturer Nyko was busy putting together a few items that have a lot of potential.

But perhaps the most promising item is the PlayPad and PlayPad Pro, a result of Nyko's partnership with Nvidia and working with Google that aims to standardize controller inputs on Android's Ice Cream Sandwich tablet platform and beyond.

It's a smart initiative because it not only gives developers the comfort of knowing their Android tablet games will have a proper amount of control, but it also gives players the … Read more

A few weeks ago, we reported that two Verizon products, the Motorola Xoom and the HTC Rezound, would soon be slated for an Android 4.0 update. Lo and behold, it's happening -- at least for the Xoom anyway.

Customers on the Big Red are now able to update their tablets (which won our CES Best of Show title in 2011) to the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

New features include the Roboto system font, panoramic shooting, e-mail search, the capability to save Web pages for offline reading, and a photo editor integrated in the Gallery app.

In addition, … Read more

Last month I reported that Motorola Droid Razr and Razr Maxx users might get to taste the sweetness of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as soon as May 21, while Xoom 3G and 4G owners seemed stuck in Honeycomb thanks to an upgrade holding pattern for the foreseeable future.

That was then. Today, Verizon began pushing the Android update to Xoom users while Razr owners like myself are still hanging out in our digital gingerbread houses waiting for the next course of mobile OS dessert.

I got in touch with a source within Verizon to ask for a status … Read more

Last week, Verizon Wireless officially announced the Android 4.0.4 update for the Galaxy Nexus. Since then, I've been obsessively checking for the update on my Galaxy Nexus with no luck. But thanks to a forum post on Android Central, there just might be some hope to forcing your Galaxy Nexus to update.

The normal procedure to check for an update is to go into Settings > About Phone > System Update > Check Now.

You can force your device into grabbing the update by going into Settings > Apps > All. From there, scroll down and select … Read more

An "Alvin and the Chipmunks"-themed tablet just for kids? Sounds great, but the skeptic in me says it'll be underpowered and overpriced.

At $129.99, the Archos ChildPad definitely isn't overpriced, especially when you consider that "adult" tablets (like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet) start at around $200.

As for power, one could argue that younger kids don't need much. But the ChildPad has decent specs, including a 1GHz ARM Cortex processor, 7-inch screen, front-facing camera, and Android 4.0.

In other words, it's more than adequately equipped for the likes of Angry Birds, educational apps, music, movies, and other kid-oriented stuff. Plus, it's modeled in kid-friendly blue and white, and it comes with exclusive "Alvin and the Chipmunks 3" content (consisting of clips, pictures, wallpaper, and an online game).… Read more

As expected, Lenovo and Intel jointly announced the K800 smartphone today in China -- the second phone powered by Intel silicon to hit the market.

In addition to the 1.6GHz Atom processor, the K800 boasts a 4.5-inch 720x1,280 IPS display, 1.3MP/8MP front-rear cameras, Intel wireless display technology for steaming video to a compatible HDTV, and an Android 2.3.7-based operating system.

The K800 will run on China Unicom's network. The phone supports HSPA+.

Lenovo follows the first Intel phone, the Lava Xolo 900 launched in India last month.

Smartphones running on Intel processors … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners are getting a taste of the latest flavor of Ice Cream Sandwich, aka Android 4.0.4.

Verizon has already approved the latest Android update to start rolling out. The Verizon Web site indicates that the update is coming soon, though a fellow CNET reporter with a Verizon Galaxy Nexus confirmed that he has already received it.

The 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus came equipped with Android 4.0 out of the box, so the new update brings it up the latest version, namely Android 4.0.4. A Verizon spokesman told CNET that the update also … Read more

Some LG smartphone owners will be receiving the latest version of Android early next month.

An LG Korean news item (English translation) points to the Optimus LTE Tag and the Optimus Vu as getting a dollop of Ice Cream Sandwich -- aka Android 4.0 -- starting on June 4.

As Engadget points out, it's a bit tough to decipher the Google translation. But the update appears to include LG's Optimus UI 3.0, which runs on top of Android 4.0. Owners of the Optimus Vu will also receive "additional features."

CNET contacted LG for … Read more

Sony is giving all of its 2011 smartphone owners a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich.

The electronics giant revealed today via a user forum that the latest Android update has started rolling out for all its remaining 2011 smartphones. The models specifically cited by Sony include the Xperia Ray, Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V, Xperia Neo, Xperia Arc, Xperia Pro, Xperia Mini Pro, Xperia Mini, Xperia Active, and the Live with Walkman.

The company provided details for each of the phones showing that the rollout kicked off yesterday. As usual, the Android 4.0.4 updates are being released … Read more