Chris Parsons's blog

It seems rather out of the ordinary these days if a device isn't rooted before it hits store shelves but that's exactly what happened with the Logitech Revue. Despite many people in the community attempting to gain root access it apparently wasn't willing to go down without a fight -- until now, that is.

Yes, much like every other Android powered device out there the Logitech Revue has finally been rooted. Custom apps can now be installed and full access to all system files has been achieved. Take note though, the process is not for the faint of hear and unless you wanna end up with a expensive paperweight, you'll likely wanna pass on this one. video of it in action is available after the break. Thanks Teggy6! [GTVHacker]

We've looked at the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc before but Sony has just given it an official announcement at their CES 2011 event. The predictions of it running Android 2.3 have now been confirmed and its 4.2 inch, 854 x 480 multitouch display is packing a mobile version of the BRAVIA Engine. That BRAVIA engine is used for high quality image capture which reduces noise and controls image sharpness of the 8MP HD video capable camera. One other key feature show off was its ability to play video through the HDMI port which I'm sure Sony is hoping you will couple with a Sony television. The sad part though, no music unlimited with this device. Does the 1Ghz Qualcomm processor make up for it?

No surprise here. Motorola and T-Mobile have just announced the previously leaked Motorola Cliq 2. The specs are as expected, in line with that of the original Motorola Cliq series of devices. From the press release:

We are excited to build upon the success of the original CLIQ, bringing the powerful combination of Android and social connectivity to our customers,” said Paul Cole, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “With the addition of new business-ready features, the Motorola CLIQ 2 offers peace of mind with the ability to balance home and work life.

No mention of upgrades coming eventually for the Motorola Cliq 2 but it does indeed ship with Android 2.2. If you're in the market for a cost effective device, this could be the one you are looking for. Full press release is after the break.

Last month when we saw Andy Rubin at Dive into Mobile, he was cradling what's likely the pinnacle of Android tablet technology -- a ten-inch Motorola tablet called the Xoom.  It runs Honeycomb, and has GPS and the new Android Google Maps 5 client, and we didn't know much else. Now that CES is here, we're sitting in on the Motorola press event learning more. That said, Motorola has just announced the name of the device even before the press conference has completed via their website along with some accessories to go with it. Which, we'll surely be stocking some of in the Android Central store. In doing so they also outed an yet to be announced new handset, the Droid Bionic. Stay tuned; we'll be updating this post shortly and bringing you more Droid Bionic info. [Engadget]

Panasonic has just unveiled their tablet to the CES crowd, while details at this point are still rather slim it's said to be powered by Android and will be hitting global markets sometime in the near future. After reading the press release, I'd be lying if I said it didn't sound like anything more then a fancy TV remote but I'm sure there is more to it than that.

The VIERA Tablet is a tablet-type terminal with a small touch screen LCD display. The new tablet is designed to provide creative functions and easy operability in conjunction with VIERA digital televisions to deliver new value that cannot be offered through Internet televisions alone. The tablet will create a whole new viewing style. Its intuitive navigation interface makes it easy for the user to use cloud services. The tablet can also work as a sub-screen for displaying images and information related to the images shown on the connected television.

We're still waiting for details to come forward but if you're interested in learning a little bit more about what, exactly it does the press release can be found after the break. [Engadget]

Whoa! Here we go, this is what we were wanting to see. The Android Developers YouTube account just went live with an Android 3.0 preview video -- and then quickly took that sucker down. That's alright though, you'll find the embedded video after the break to drool over. Sadly, it looks like the rumors of it being tablet only were accurate. [Engadget]

As we're sitting in on LG's CES 2011 conference, it seems the press release for the LG Optimus Black as it's now called has escaped a little early on the LG website. The device may look similar to you as it's been fondled a few times but previously known as the LG "B". As mentioned in the press release the selling points here are the sheer size of the device as it comes in at only 9.2 mm thick and weighs only 109g and the display it's using which LG claims is “designed to be the brightest, clearest and most readable among mobile screens with 700 nits of  brightness for optimal visibility.” Hit the break for the full press release and sit tight we we gather you all some more info. [LG]

Let the fun begin. Ok, realistically the fun never really stops around here since we are an Android blog and something is always happening but that's beside the point. Phil (among others) has now landed in Las Vegas and we're ready to rock. Today got off to a great start with Sprint announcing the HTC Evo Shift 4G and that's just the warm up to CES. Looking towards the forums, it's been busy in there as well.

• HTC Evo Shift 4G Forums - HTC Shift? who really cares about this device?
  
• Rumored Device Forums - LG Optimus One V coming to Virgin Mobile?
• Honeycomb Forums - [Poll] - Hardware requirements - Bogus or rock solid?
• Sprint Epic 4G Forums - Qik vs. Fring vs. Tango. best video calling app?
• Gingerbread 2.3 Forums - [Poll] - Who will get Gingerbread after the Nexus One?

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

Still weighing options when it comes to Android tablets? Well Pandigital is hoping to sway you with their offering of a 9-inch multimedia tablet and eReader all in one. Arriving on AT&T at the end of this month bearing suggested retail price of $279.99. The Pandigital offering comes with an ARM 11 processor, 2GB of integrated memory and an SD, SDHC and MMC card reader that accepts up to 32GB memory in addition to a mini-USB port. On top of all that, included is AT&T wireless connectivity and Wi-Fi built in. Any takers? Oh ya, should be mentioned -- screen is resistive. [Press Release]

Sports fans on Sprint can now get their fill of ESPN coverage with the newly announced ESPN Pack for Sprint ID enabled handsets. The LG Optimus S, Sanyo Zio and the Samsung Transform are among those supported. The ESPN ID pack includes access to:

• ScoreCenter: Keep up with the latest scores and stats from 500 leagues around the world with the ESPN ScoreCenter app. With ScoreCenter, fans never miss another goal, run, or touchdown.
• Video On Demand: Watch news and analysis from ESPN’s experts whenever and wherever.
• ESPN Mobile TV: Catch the latest sports news and highlights, fan favorite studio shows, and more than 900 live events per year.
• Fantasy Sports: Connect to ESPN Fantasy teams on the go. With one-tap Fantasy access, it’s never been easier to check on an injury, make a substitution or accept a trade.
• ESPN Extras: Download wallpaper, ringtones, notifications and alarms from a variety of ESPN programs including SportsCenter, Pardon The Interruption, SportsNation and more.

If you're big on sports then chances are this will be a must have package for you. If you're not, Sprint does offer some other ID packs that may be of interest to you. You can learn more by checking out the direct Sprint ID page or hit the press release  after the break. [Sprint]