Rumor: Dual Core Android?

Move over Apple!  Androids about to run you over!  Much as PC’s usually have (when built from scratch) greater physical computing power overall, it’s about to happen to the cell phone market.  According to PocketNow, T-Mobile is about to enter into the dual core arena.  What that means is true multitasking with the ability for programs to run multiple threads or even just two applications each having their own dedicated processor core.  Cool!  I knew this day is coming, I just didn’t expect it to come so soon.  What’s really crazy is that processors with such processing power already have the ability if it were in the x86 architecture to run Windows XP.  How’s that for jollies?  Well, exciting things are coming and if rumor is true, we may get to see some dual threading action this coming holiday season.

XDA-Developers Gets a Facelift

Not really earth shaking news, but the second home of a great many Windows Mobile and Android users looks a little different today.  The XDA-Developers forums have underwent a bit of a facelift, receiving a retooled and hopefully more functional theme.  At the very least, it’s definitely more aesthetically pleasing!

DC Comics Threatens To End Marvel’s iPad Dominance

Any good comic book fan knows of the long standing feud between DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Both houses feature action, adventure, and superheroes. DC, of course, is the home of legendary characters like Batman and Superman. marvel, on the other hand is the house that Stan built…Stan Lee that is (along with John Byrne), and his dozens upon dozens of tights wearing, super powered heroes.

In my childhood, the issue of whether Superman would beat the Incredible Hulk (or vice versa) could easily consume an entire afternoon, with no resolution in sight. Today, I suspect that this same issue continues to vex readers, bloggers, and forum posters alike. For the record, Superman would win.

When I was younger, I was a huge fan of Marvel comics, pretty much ignoring all of DC’s offerings…because everyone knew the two were like Superman and Kryptonite…completely incompatible. True fans simply did not cross from one house to the other. Battle lines were drawn, alliances were set, and that was that.

With that background in mind, I was pretty excited to find a Marvel comics app in the opening day offerings on the iPad. I was even more astonished when I started actually reading the comics. Where the iPhone created a cramped environment, in which it was impossible to see more tan a panel at a time, the iPad offered the perfect environment, allowing you to view the entire full color page at once. Now this was something. Frankly, the whole experience left me a little uneasy for what this could do to the value of my own comic book collection, which still resides in acid-free bags, with acid-free boards and boxes. Fortunately, the iPad app has not caught up with all of the back issues yet. If those older tootles and issues made their way to this app, then that could spell the end of comic book collecting as we know it…

But that is neither her nor there. Since the beginning of time (or at least the beginning of the iPad) our 10 inch screens have been dominated by Marvel comics. That all changes now as DC has thrown down the gauntlet, releasing a comic book app of their own.

Interestingly, both apps are featured by Comixology, meaning they are virtually identical in terms of functionality and controls. They also feature an identical layout, differing only in terms of the theme used in each app. With virtually identical apps, however, it makes it easy to focus on the more important question of whose heroes are more interesting. Go ahead, check out a few of the free comics in each and let us know who you think will win this battle of the comic book titans.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lakeridge Software Getting Into Android Development

Chris McKay of Lakeridge Software is starting to diversify his portfolio, branching out into the Android ecosystem.  His first application, a sharp 180 degree turn from the skinning and task managing Windows Mobile utilities Wisbar Advance and Wisbar Advance Desktop, is PIM application TaskIt.  TaskIt is currently in beta form, coming in at version .094.  You can find more information about it below, and jump onto the beta thread for downloading and commenting here.

Here are some of the features:

• Android 1.5+ support
• Homescreen widgets
  TaskIt features 2×2, 4×1, 4×2 and 4×3 widget sizes
• Create a task or project from any app
  If you don’t have it configured otherwise, a long-press on the search button will allow you to create a task or project wherever you are
• Supports sub-projects
  Projects can contain sub-projects for better organization
• Promote a task to a project
  If you decide a task requires more steps, press Menu > Promote to Project
• Projects are completed when the last task is finished
• Tasks can be set to appear in the future
  By setting a start date, the task will not appear in the “Today” view until the start date
• Reminders
  Be reminded about a due task
• Overdue reminder
  You can optionally display a daily reminder when there are tasks that are overdue
• Pin projects to TaskIt’s home screen
  Want easier access to a project you’re working on, pin it to TaskIt’s home screen
• Filter tasks by context or tags
• Share your task with others
  If you want to send a task to another user, “share” it from the task’s summary page via Menu > Share
• Repeating tasks
  Set your task to repeat every day, week, month or year from when it’s due or when you complete it
• Floating tasks
  You can have a task visible on the “Today” view without requiring a due date. It will remain visible until you complete it

Here are a few screenshots:

The “home screen”

The project list. The number indicates the active tasks and sub-projects (it does not include any sub-sub-projects)

The task list with tag, note, context and due date indicators

The task editor

Free App Friday at Handango Brings Memory Optimization

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  free stuff rocks.  We all love it, and scoop it up whenever possible, even if we don’t necessarily need it.  With Handango’s Free App Friday special continuing this week, users of Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Symbian and Android now have an opportunity to get Memory-Up Pro, a RAM booster, for free.  Check out the details here.