Content ratings coming soon to the Market

Google put up a post on the Android developer blog yesterday which detailed new content rating requirements that will soon be coming to the Android Market. The ratings will be required for all apps, existing and new, will be based on the content of an app, and will come in four levels: all, pre-teen, teen, and mature.

Acer announces Android tablets

Acer announced this week that they are getting into the tablet game. The company unveiled their plans to offer three different Android tablets, a 4.8" version, a 7" version, and a 10" version, all available in April 2011.

The two larger tablets feature dual core processors, which will make them very fast. All are promised to be running Android 2.2, Froyo...though by the time April rolls around, Froyo may be old news. The two larger tablets both feature front and back cameras, and have high resolution screens. No price information was given.

LG Optimus M available today on MetroPCS

Earlier this week, MetroPCS joined Virgin Mobile in offering an Android smartphone on a no-contract plan. The Optimus M is nearly identical to the Optimus T on T-Mobile and the Optiums S on Sprint. The MetroPCS version has a slightly tweaked outer design featuring more metal colored accents and buttons, but is essentially the same device.

Android weekend rumor recap

After a brief posting hiatus, we are back with this weekend's Android rumor recap. This is where we quickly go over the best Android related rumors and leaks of the past week, complete with our commentary. If you would like to follow these rumors as they appear, we recommend any of the great Android blogs listed on the side of this site. Keep reading for the rumors!

Google Docs editing comes to Android

In a move sure to make long time Android users very happy, Google announced today that the mobile version of the Docs website will now allow document editing. Spreadsheet editing has been available for some time, but it too is getting an improvement in the new version.

The new website allows full editing of documents, complete with real-time edits from others. So any edits a friend makes on a desktop will show up almost immediately on your phone, and vise versa.

Mobile payment finally coming to the US

Cellphone based payment systems have existed in other parts of the world for years. Japan, Europe, and Canada all have some form of swipe-your-phone-to-pay system in place, and yet the service has never made its way to the US.

That's all about to change as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are all rumored to be backing the NFC (Near Field Communication) mobile-payment technology. This works by embedding a chip in the phone itself that acts much the same way those tap-to-pay credit cards work. Except that with a phone, you potentially have the option to bill the purchase to your phone bill, rather than a credit card. So it's easy to see why the mobile carriers are interested in this...they'd get a small cut each time someone swiped their phone.

Android Weekend Rumor Recap

The weekend is here once again, and so is another weekend rumor recap! This is where we quickly recap the best Android related rumors of the week, and give our opinions on them. To be on the cutting edge and follow all the rumors as they hit the wire, we recommend any of the fine Android blogs listed on the side of this site. Keep reading for the rumors!

YouTube Remote app now available

Earlier this week, Google pushed a new app to the Android Market called YouTube Remote.  The app functions remote control for video playback on your computer, all powered by the cloud. The app works with YouTube Leanback, which is a desktop version of YouTube that offers fullscreen, continuous playback with large buttons for viewing from a distance. It's watching where you lean back, get it?

Samsung Continuum now available for $199

Earlier this week, Samsung took the wraps off their latest device, a Galaxy S series device, called the Continuum. It has been rumored several times, and is finally official. The device is very similar to Samsung Android phones, and features a 3.4" Super-AMOLED screen, 1GHz processor, 5MP camera, as well as WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, etc.

What sets it apart is the unique second display at the bottom. This secondary screen can be used for multiple functions, including acting as an icon dock for launching apps, showing new text messages or emails, displaying RSS feeds, and even showing the next turn in VZW Navigator.

Verizon Droid Pro available Nov 18 for $179

The Droid Pro, which Verizon made official in early October, now has an official launch date and price. It is available for pre-order starting tomorrow, and will actually be on sale on Nocember 18. The device will cost $179 on contract after a hefty $100 mail-in rebate.

Android weekend rumor recap

It's time once again for a weekend rumor recap here at His and  Hers Android! This is where we briefly summarize the best Android rumors from the past week. To follow the rumors live as they hit the wire, we recommend any of the fine Android blogs listed on the right side of this site. Now, for the rumors:

Google Instant search comes to Android

Google announced yesterday that their popular Instant search is now available on Android and iPhone. Instant search was introduced several months ago and provided a way for desktop users to see Google search results instantly while typing, without waiting for results after pressing Enter.

During the presentation, Google said that Instant would be coming to mobile browsers soon. And now it finally has. To use it, you need to be running Android 2.2, Froyo. Head over to google.com from your phone's browser and look for the new link to turn Instant search on. Once it's on, simply start typing your search query and watch as results begin to come in as you type. As with the desktop version, Instant results are tailored to your location, search history, etc.

T-Mobile Comet launches tomorrow for $10

The recently-made-official T-Mobile Comet, also known as the Huawei Ideos, officially goes on sale tomorrow...and it's even cheaper than we originally thought. When it was first announced, everyone suspected that it would cost less than $100 on contract, maybe even less than $50. But both numbers were wrong, as the device is going to be sold for a mere 10 bucks.