StreakSmart

Dell is advertising this Logitech Tablet keyboard as a Streak 7 accessory

When I buy a device, I like to put my investment to work for me. Android has some great productivity apps for people of all professions, but I do believe that most of them are held back by small keyboards and poor ergonomics. 

Luckily for us, third-party accessory manufacturers can help in those areas. Logitech has the solution for Dell Streak 7 users: a tablet keyboard and stand combo for use with Android 3.0+. 

For $64.99, you can get this combo from Dell's online store. The stand is actually seperate from the keyboard, and acts as both a stand and the case for the keyboard. Simply open the stand/case up, take the keyboard out, and pop out the little tablet stand from it. After you complete those very easy steps, you'll be typing your way through theses and legal documents via Bluetooth.

I'm a huge fan of Logitech peripherals. I have a Performance Mouse MX and K800 on my desk right now, and I'm considering adding this accessory to my collection, as well. Let us know in the comments if you pick one of these up!

[Dell Advertisement | Dell Store]

Improve your Dell Streak 5's battery life with this 2430mAh battery [Updated]

If you're unhappy with your Dell Streak 5's battery life, and haven't pulled the trigger on either standard or incredibly massive third party batteries, I give you an eBay posting that's just what you're looking for. 

The 5-inch Streak comes with a 1530mAh battery inside. Although it's not a really big battery by any standards (especially when you consider that it's giving power to a 5-inch screen and some power-thirsty components), Dell does allow owners to open their devices up and swap batteries if they need to. 

Like I said at the beginning of the post, there have been a few third party attempts and battery replacements for the Streak 5, but unfortunately, they were either the same size as the original or way too big to fit in the device. A company called Ecell is offering a Streak 5 battery with almost 1000mAh of extra capacity for just $21.35 and completely free shipping, which puts it in the middle of the two aforementioned batteries. 

The link to the eBay posting is right below. Let us know if you'll be pulling the trigger!

Update: As filotti pointed out in the comments, this Ecell company might not be the most reliable. This post and this post are from xda-forums, where people are complaining about it.

[eBay] Thanks, Bill!

Dell Streak 7 Ice Cream Sandwich ROM released

We have known for a while that DJ_Steve has been working on an Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the Dell Streak 7, and now, it's finally available. Thanks to him and Giveen, you are now able to take part in indulging on Google's latest dessert.

All you've got to do to get the latest version of this ROM on your tablet is download the file linked below and, providing that you have NVFlash drivers installed and your device is in NVFLASH mode, unzip it and install it onto the device. 

Note: This is still a beta release, so if you try to install this and something goes wrong, keep in mind that you agreed to install beta software. If you do get it working, tell us how it went!

[ROM file | TabletROM Forum] Thanks, Giveen!

Dell to release new consumer tablet in late 2012

CES hasn't exactly the biggest source of news for StreakSmart, but we do have a nice little bit of information directly from Dell about the future of its tablet line. 

A few days after the Streak 7 was discontinued, Dell came out and said that it wasn't totally leaving the Streak line of tablets or Android. I was skeptical, especially given Michael Dell's attitude towards Android. But now, I can see that the company is still pretty invested into Google's platform. 

Dell's CCO (chief commercial officer) Steve Felice had this to say about future Dell tablets and which operating systems they would be running:

"We like Windows 8 but we continue to develop with Android as well. We are still going to be more choice-driven, based on the feedback we get from customers."

So, there you have it. Dell's new line of Streaks (or whatever name they pick out) will most likely run either Windows 8 or Android. There's also the option of dual-booting both operating systems, which would be an awesome selling point for a brand that's very easily recognized.

[Reuters] Thanks, Daman!

Dell Streak 7 Honeycomb patch released

I'm sure more than a few of you have noticed that your Dell Streak 7 has been a little buggy since the update to Honeycomb. I've noticed it too, and so did Dell: the company has just released an update that will fix a major glitch that has been appearing on some Streaks. Namely, it fixes the audio cut-out glitch that appears when you plug your tablet into its docking station. 

To get the update before its official release, here's what you're gonna want to do: 

1. Download this .pkg file and rename it update.pkg.
2. Copy it to your SD card or your Streak's internal storage.
3. Turn the tablet off. 
4. While booting up, hold the power button and the volume up button until the stock recovery menu appears.
5. Select the download .pkg file. 

Let us know in the comments if this fixes your audio issues, and any other bugs the update might've squashed!

Thanks, sainthooligan!

Dell Streak 5 will be able to send encrypted messages, surf a secure web

Do you remember that one Halloween day last year when it was announced that the Dell Streak 5 was certified by the Department of Defense for use by its personnel? 

Well, I do, and now a new report elaborates on how the Streak 5 was able to be certified, and what partners Dell may have had to bring the idea to life. A software developer called Good Technology actually helped Dell to make ultra-secure apps for the pocket tablet, and the software is actually what gave personnel a chance to have one as their work phones. 

Now that the DOD has had a chance to see the potential that Good Technology's . . . uh, technology, has for day-to-day operations, the latter company has been given the chance to work with other devices, and other manufacturers, to bring secure internet to a wide variety of new form factors and devices. 

I know that all of you know the Streak 5 is a fantastic device, but it's so great to see that it actually turned a government agency's philosophy on smartphones completely around.

[Nextgov] Thanks, UnlockStreak!

Dell selling refurbished 4G Streak 7 for $179

If you're in the market for a 4G-connected Android tablet and you don't want to break the bank, Dell is offering the perfect deal today. 

The 4G Streak 7 is on sale for just $179, and from what I can tell, it's off-contract. There wasn't any mention of a contract that I would need to sign when I loaded the 7-inch Honeycomb tablet into my cart. 

According to the store, a 15-minute period of inactivity while the Streak 7 is in your cart will cause Dell to yank it out. It's due to "high demand and limited quantity," so if you're interested, I would suggest you click the source link below as quickly as possible so you can take advantage of the deal. 

[Dell Factory Outlet] Thanks, @nutzareus!

Dell Streak 5 makes appearance in Tom Cruise's hands in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

 

If you thought Tom Cruise was sexy before, you'd better watch the video. It's kind of stunning what a bomb of amazing looks a great looking gadget and one of the world's best looking men make together on the silver screen. 

The video is from Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and shows the "Sandstorm Chase" scene. Cruise, who portrays Ethan Hunt in the movies, pulls out his trusty Dell Streak 5 to help him navigate through the blustery desert as he's tracking down his prey. 

It's always a warm, fuzzy feeling when you see one of the gadgets you love on the big screen . . . especially when it's helping to dish out sweet justice to baddies!

Thanks to UnlockStreak and everyone else who sent this in! 

Dell Streak 7 offered by Currys for just $160, in-store pick-up only

Are you wondering what to do with all of the money you got for the holidays? I know it can be a tough decision, but I'm here to help you; that is, if you live in the UK. Currys is offering up the Dell Streak 7 for just £99.97, which equates to about $160 stateside. Unfortunately, you have to go pick the tablet up in-store. 

Still, for that amount of money, it's a pretty awesome deal. The Streak 7, although discontinued, is still one of the better tablets that you can buy. It's got Honeycomb, a Tegra 2, and a sturdy design that will last through plenty of drops and dings. 

Let us know how easy it is to get your new tablet in the comments. 

[Currys] Thanks, Themanii!

It's official: no official Ice Cream Sandwich update coming for Dell Streak 7

Although we knew that an official Dell Ice Cream Sandwich update would never come, the official word always stings a bit. Today, Dell's "Social Media Outreach" Twitter feed, @DellCares, confirmed what we all knew already. 

Here's exactly what the tweet said:

"@giveen Unfortunately, no plans to develop ICS for Streak7. See here if you are interested in unofficial version del.ly/6018RUTp -AB"

The link leads to a DJ_Steve YouTube video, showing off his pre-alpha ICS build for the tablet. 

Even though this is bad news, it was to be expected. That's the beauty of Android, though: developers can do basically anything they want with devices, and oftentimes support them way longer than the original manufacturer had ever even thought of. 

Thoughts? Cares? I honestly don't have many feelings on this issue since it was basically a given.

[@DellCares tweet] Thanks, Giveen!