I give up. I can’t keep up. Mozilla Firefox has upgraded their browser to version 10.0. Didn’t version 4.0 come out in March of 2011?!

Most of the updates surround the handling of extension auto-updates and the refinements around the Orion code editor/scratchpad with new page and style inspectors, WebGL anti-aliasing and enhancements, CSS3D transforms and an easier thank you lord! method to sync with other browsers including the updated Android Firefox – also at version 10.0 today too which adds multi-touch gestures and other enhancements.

Simply put, this is a slight upgrade on Mozilla’s new 6 week or so upgrade path. But it’s on the path to an updated tab system in version 12 and leaner memory usage. So far, it is a good update for me. Click the bottom links to download your proper version for your desktop. Download via the Android Market for the upgrade for Android based tablets and phones.

[ Links: Firefox 10 PC, Firefox 10 Mac ]

Samsung and Google have announced the newest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich aka 4.0 and Samsung has popped up with the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus, probably the worst kept secret in history.

4.65-inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD screen
1.2GHz dual-core processor
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
1.3-megpaixel front-facing camera
1080p HD video capture and playback
1GB of RAM
16GB or 32GB internal memory versions
1750mAh battery
Bluetooth 3.0
NFC support
Barometer
8.94mm thick
135g (weight)
Pentaband HSPA+
LTE available by region

There’s USB 2.0, WiFi a/b/g/n, a compass, a barometer!?, and perhaps one of the best looking, high resolution screens on any phone out there. Google Face Unlock also comes with the phone to provide for a cool and secure unlock system.

Rumored prices start at $299 on-contract, no word about the unlocked price yet.

On September 4th, AT&T unveiled its first 4G LTE/HSPA+ tablet, the HTC Jetstream. It’s also the first 4G tablet to run on the Android 3.1 Honeycomb operating system (which is specifically designed for mobile devices and tablets).

The JetStream comes pre-loaded with AT&T Family Map, HTC Hub, HTC Watch, Friendstream, AT&T Navigator and Android Market. Thanks to the Honeycomb OS, the JetStream also includes easy access to Google Talk (including video chat), Chrome browser and the new Google Maps 5.0.

In addition, the HTC Jetstream uses the HTC Sense UX for a high quality graphical interface. The front facing 1.3 mexapixel camera (and 8 megapixel rear facing), in conjunction with the 10.1″ WXGA HD screen makes photography and online printing a breeze.

In fact, the only real drawback to the JetStream is price. Unlike other tablets such as the 32GB 3G iPad, the JetStream retails for $699.99 with a two year contract. Consumers aren’t happy with the on contract price, and with AT&T’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile, fear more price hikes in the future.

Contract Details:
The JetStream is $699.99 with a new two-year contract. AT&T offers two payment plans: prepaid and postpaid.

• Postpaid: $14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB. Fee for going over their allotment: $10 per 1 GB of overage. Charges appear on monthly statements.
• Prepaid: $14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB. Fee for going over their allotment: $25 an additional 2 GB of overage. Charges appear on monthly statements.

You can see full pricing details on the HTC JetStream here.

Adam Costa, our guest blogger. He is the co-author of Business In A Backpack, which explains how to market your business while on the road and a business consultant who helps small and midsize firms create high quality marketing materials, like booklet printing.

Android and Me has noted that Best Buy will sell the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), ever-so-slightly curved 4″ Super AMOLED screen and other goodies that set the Nexus S as the standard for all upcoming Android phones.

Today Best Buy issued another statement to let customers know that all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stand-alone locations will be selling the Nexus S. Despite what your local store might say, this includes every location including those that do not regularly carry T-Mobile devices.

The important thing to note is that if your store does not regularly carry T-Mobile phones and you want to purchase one on contract for $199, you will not be walking out of the store with a device. Instead you will have to place your order online and then have the Nexus S delivered to your home. However, if you want to buy it off contract for $529 then it will of course go home with you on launch day.

Bad news.. T-Mobile only – I’m still on AT&T. Good news… it’s going to be sold in stores all over, much unlike the Google Nexus.

[ Links: Android and Me: Best Buy Will Sell the Nexus S ]

I know what you’re thinking… there’s so many zombie games that incorporate ice cream and humor. I know, right! Wait… no, that’s not what I was thinking. Sure, the zombie genre is “on fire” right now, but when Crawl Space Games went about combining awesome art, incredible humor, addictive gameplay and mixes genres of Scoops, Zombies versus Plants and throws in some of the most awkward sounding, but helpful upgrades – I want a real life cardboard helmet that looks like that, serious – and you’ve got a game that will hold my interest:

Plants vs Zombies meets Scoops in Zombies Ala Mode for Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, and Android devices. Play as a young hard working zombie trying to make a living in the ice cream business. Fill ice cream orders while dodging obstacles and try not to get fired. With three game modes, 50 levels, OpenFeint achievements, leaderboards, and lots of upgrades in career mode, you will enjoy hours of zombie goodness.

Already on sale for the Apple iPhone for $2.99 with the Android and Apple iPad versions upcoming, Crawl Space Games delivers yet again – check out Knife Toss, one of my faves for my Apple iPhone also by Crawl Space Games.

[ Links: Crawl Space Games, Zombies Ala Mode, Knife Toss ]

Netflix’s streaming video application for the iPhone allows users to access their streaming instant queue from anywhere and works surprisingly well whether the user is connected via Wi-Fi or AT&T’s 3G network. The same application was recently announced for Windows 7 Phones, and according to a post on the Netflix blog, it will also launch on Android devices early next year.

The hold up according to Netflix? DRM. The delay was due to “the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android.” “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,” says the company.

Link to the original article…

The iPad is a unique innovation that allows people to access the internet, personal documents, and a variety of applications while on the go. The iPad combines the best features of a laptop and an iPhone in order to offer uses a tablet that is easy to transport, fun to use, and includes a screen just big enough to comfortably watch videos, browse pictures, and even read books. However, while the iPad was the first and currently most popular tablet to be released, there are a variety of others that can compete with its technology.

The Blackberry Playbook.

This tablet offers users a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and all of the capabilities of a laptop. The Blackberry Playbook is great for internet browsing, game play, video, and can even be used for video conferencing. What makes this tablet an iPad competitor is its Flash capabilities and its camera. While the screen is almost three inches smaller than the iPad, users can take pictures and enjoy carrying a lighter tablet.

The Dell Streak.

Currently, at five inches, this is the smallest tablet offered. While this may appeal to some users, others might dismiss this tablet in favor of one offering a bigger screen. However, this tablet is extremely portable, offers a camera, and at $299, is much more affordable than the iPad.

The WePad Android Tablet.

The WePad is an 11.6 inch tablet, offering a 1.66GHz processor, memory expansion options, a camera, and supports Flash. This tablet also has a SIM card slot and two USB ports, which is an upgrade from the iPad. While this tablet offers users a larger number of features than the iPad, it is a bit pricey. These tablets range from $611 to $744, which may just place them out of many consumers’ price range.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab.

This Android tablet will appeal to users comfortable with Google. This tablet is also priced approximately $100 less than the iPad and includes a camera, which the iPad is lacking. While 7-inch tablet may not be as large as the iPad, it supports Flash, offers memory expansion options, and will appeal to shoppers looking for a deal.

The Amazon Kindle 3G.

There are a number of things about the Kindle 3G that makes it a strong iPad competitor. The first thing is its price. The Kindle 3G retails for $189, which is hundreds of dollars cheaper than even the most affordable iPad. The second thing is the fact that the Kindle screen uses e-ink, and can be read easily outside in direct sunlight. While users cannot watch videos or use apps, the affordable price is a huge benefit to many budget conscious consumers with simple needs.

When she’s not getting excited about new gadgets, Britney Baker writes about prepaid cell phones for PrepaidCellphones.net. Her latest article took a look at the GoPhone from AT&T.

After the Verizon data overcharge, how AT&T is still the only place you can get an Apple iPhone without having to do something illegal, among other complaints, observations and gripes with cellphone carriers in the United States they all suck in one way or another, it seems like U.S. Cellular is trying to reverse that with their recently unveiled “The Belief Project”…

Some highlights of The Belief Project:

• We’re the first carrier to eliminate the need for post-pay customers to continuously sign contracts. With the new “One and Done” contract policy, new customers who fulfill an initial two-year commitment with U.S. Cellular never have to sign a contract again.
• Loyal customers have become accustomed to new customers getting the best deals. At U.S. Cellular, all of our post-pay customers can earn Belief Points simply for being a customer. The points can be redeemed for things they actually want: phone upgrades, additional lines, accessories, ringtones and forgiveness of overage charges.
• Customers are automatically enrolled and start receiving points when they sign up for any U.S. Cellular Belief Plan. There are no fees, blackout dates or expiration, and points are easy to redeem in-store, online or by calling customer service. Belief Points are earned based on a customer’s monthly plan, the number of lines on the account, and how long they’ve been a customer.

As you can see, we believe we are differentiating ourselves in an industry with little differentiation amongst customers.

With reward points being given to users that actively decide, not being forced to stay due to contracts or other incentives that actually cost people more than just outright buying an unlocked phone – number portability does not equate to freedom – this sounds like a seriously great step in the right direction.

Way to go U.S. Cellular. Let’s hope that other companies take note and try to actually reward their customers instead of making them feel like they’re locked into a contract that serves only the company and not the person. Take a look around and see if you’re in their coverage areas.

[ Links: The Belief Project ]

I’m writing this while waiting for some work to be done on my car; but if anything I am sitting here reminded how over the last 2 days or so, I have been reclaiming my original setup due to the disastrous OTA by AT&T for my Samsung Captivate.

And celebrating how the Android communities helped me out in more than just a few ways.

So what happened? While out and about, I noticed that the phone was communicating with AT&T and downloading something. Since I am on that ultra-restrictive 200mb data plan per month, I canceled it. Bad thing to do.  According to MANY reports at the XDA-Developers forums, that is the last thing you want to do. In fact that is one action that will actually brick your phone. Not the lag fix, not gaining root access to your phone, not overclocking to 1.2ghz, nor flashing community sourced firmware.

No. Canceling an OTA update may brick your phone. And is there a warning? Nope.

So after a few hours of frantic searching and research, I used Odin to flash back to JF6, obtained root again, installed ROM Manager, used the Clockwork Mod to flash the Cognition 2.1.1 update that included the JH7 OTA update, applied the Voodoo lag fix, recovered from my Titanium Backup of my apps and fine tuned the settings and contacts.

And speaking of the contacts; that service from AT&T sucks. It will overwrite instead of merge each and everytime. Not cool AT&T. Y’all already on my bad side. Due to the restrictive data and a healthy fear of getting overcharged for data of all things.
AT&T… I cannot say that I’m happy with you. Android community; you’re the true heroes in my book.

If the Android community has helped you out, I insist that you donate to them. I have.

Why did you get a smartphone with the fastest processor and huge amount of RAM and a graphics processor that makes a prior generation video game system green with envy? For animated weather, that’s why.

Okay… perhaps not. But still, this application for Google Android phones is real impressive to say the least.

The exquisitely realistic video effects of cloudiness, rain and snow provide the vivid sensation of current or future weather conditions for more than 50,000 locations over the world.

• Animated daily weather forecast
• Realistic Video effects of cloudiness, rain and snow
• Multiple scene backgrounds
• Global world weather
• 50,000+ locations worldwide
• Auto update forecast

Currently on sale from $9.95 down to $4.95 for the Pro version in the Android Market, there’s also a Free version for your phone as well with widgets being promised sooner than later.

[ Links: Animated Weather Application for Android, MobilityFlow ]

After quite a while of waiting, OtterBox has finally unleashes pictures of their Commuter and Defender cases for the Samsung Captivate. Although not on sale yet – feel free to sign up for notification when they will be released – they look nice, sleek and above all protective of your precioussss Samsung Captivate.

Priced at $49.95 for the Defender and $34.95 for the Commuter. I know which one I’ll be getting!

[ Links: OtterBox Defender Case for Captivate, Commuter Case ]

While the 7-inch tablet from Samsung does not share the impressive Super AMOLED screen that the cellphone Galaxy S series possess, the Samsung Galaxy Tab does come with: Google Android 2.2 (Froyo), the same 1Ghz Hummingbird Processor, the same TouchWiz UI changes.

Why did Samsung make a 7” Tablet—because we’re into mobility and know that people are looking for compact communication and entertainment devices they can slip in their pocket and bring on the go. The GALAXY Tab is always connected, lightweight and smart. Its exceptional screen is designed for reading books and magazines, watching movies and playing games. The GALAXY Tab tablet builds on the rich content experience provided by the Galaxy S line of Android smart phones.

With an absolutely huge 4000mAh battery – the average Galaxy S cellphone has a 1500mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy Tab will definitely last quite a bit; I’m just not sure if it’ll have enough usage time to beat the (reported) up to 10 hours usage of the Apple iPad.

Comes with Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi and GPS navigational services; there’s a rumored version for each US carrier just like their Galaxy S series of cellphones. I’m personally waiting on the Wi-Fi only version as opposed to the 3G versions.

[ Links: Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Tab ]