Retina Display Vs HD Super AMOLED Posted: 16 Feb 2012 01:44 AM PST Rival smartphones not only compete with how fast their processor is or how large their RAM and internal memory are, the screen also has to be as accurate and gorgeous as possible. After all, it’s the screen you’ll be looking at when you use your phone so the one with the better screen will always have that leverage against its counterparts. Determining the best screen, however, isn’t as easy as just pitting the two screens side by side. Case in point, some phones have great screens but when used outside and under direct sunlight, these displays are rendered almost useless. Two of the most often compared screens right now is the Retina Display of Apple’s iPhone 4S and  the HD Super AMOLED found on Samsung’s Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus. The Retina Display, which is more than a year old already, has a resolution of 640 x 960 pixels and with the iPhone’s 3.5 inch screen, this translates to a pixel density of 330 ppi.  The Galaxy Note has more pixels with a resolution of 800 x 1280 but with its larger screen at 5.3 inches, this is equivalent to a pixel density of 285. The Galaxy Nexus has a larger pixel density at 316 ppi with its resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels on a 4.65-inch screen. Pixel density is as important as pixel count as it shows the amount of light that may be used in the display. And the higher the amount the better, generally speaking. For quite some time, Samsung used the Super AMOLED Plus on its phones, especially the popular Galaxy S2, and now, the South Korean company is taking it a notch higher with its HD Super AMOLED. This allows phones with such screens play 720p videos in its true HD resolution. The iPhone 4/4S may be ahead in pixel density but the S2 has you covered with its true HD screen resolution, not to mention the larger screen and ppi count that is very close to that of its counterpart. The higher resolution and true HD playback also requires a lot of processing power, which the Galaxy Nexus has and is capable of, making it a more superior screen, specswise. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Samsung’s HD Super AMOLED Screen: How Important Is Its 720p Goodness? Samsung SHW-M130L Galaxy U Android smartphone with Super AMOLED display announced Toshiba Creates a 498 ppi – 2,560 x 1,600 pixel Display – Take that iPhone “Retina”! This article, Retina Display Vs HD Super AMOLED , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Build Your Own Mobile App for Free with Infinite Monkeys Posted: 15 Feb 2012 08:02 PM PST Building mobile applications need not be costly and can even be free, thanks to Infinite Monkeys‘ app builder called The Machine. The self-service, drag-and-drop platform requires no coding, thus it is a great option for small businesses and independent personalities who don’t have enough budget to keep up with the advertising efforts of popular brands in the market and yet would want to have a mobile presence. All free apps published are available for download in their very own Monkey Market. Getting Started Making apps in The Machine can be done in three steps. Set the title, background image, color settings, and app demographics in Step 1; drag and drop icons of items that you want to be accessible in your app in Step 2; and provide information for publishing in Step 3. For a free app builder, The Machine offers a wide array of tools that you can include: feeds from news sites and your social networks, media like photos and videos, location services, and contact details. Depending on the nature of your business, you can add restaurant menus, music tracks, sports team details, events, and even a community. Pricing Infinite Monkeys also offer paid packages: $49 if one will opt to publish the app in one external market like Android Market and $499 if one does not want advertising included in the app–not bad for creating an app without any coding. Verdict The Machine’s merits is in providing what it promises: no-hassle app building, no coding required, app built in no time. Since the service is free, its limitations like fonts and colors available are expected, but overall, the benefits override the drawbacks, especially considering its target market. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Brilliant: Smozzy Helps T-mobile Customers Browse for Free Free domestic Wi-Fi calling with Vonage Mobile Secure Your Android with Free Avast Mobile Security App This article, Build Your Own Mobile App for Free with Infinite Monkeys , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

7 Best Social Games on Android Posted: 15 Feb 2012 07:57 PM PST Social games have been around for quite some time now. We've all been guilty of playing these deceivingly simple and yet quite addicting apps for hours on end. Now that everything is packed in our trusty Droids, there's a whole new level of mobile interactivity that make these games much more engaging. Skeptical? Check out a few on our list: 1. Japan Life Japan Life starts you off as the mayor of a small oriental town. Your mission is to create enough hotels, hot springs, restaurants, temples, and other attractions that will make it into a tourist destination. Grow your little piece of paradise and watch samurai, geisha and ninjas move in. Invite your friends to visit you – you may just raise your popularity rank on the global list. Japan Life also lets you experience seasonal themes, making the game more interesting. 2. Top Eleven If you're a football/soccer fan, this app is for you. One of the most played sports games on Facebook, Top Eleven turns you into the coach cum manager of your own team – and it's not just about deciding what jersey your squad should wear. You need to train your people, manage their finances, and increase their skills in preparation for different matches. What we think is pretty sweet is that you can actually buy and sell your team members through online bidding with other players, and you can even watch your team's live matches. We wouldn't want to spoil the experience by spilling everything, so just download the app and explore its highly customizable interface. 3. Restaurant Story Design your own online restaurant and let the customers come! Restaurant City boasts of really neat graphics and customizable menus. Keep on cooking to discover literally hundreds of accessible dishes, or create your own secret recipes. For more fun, invite your Facebook friends to be your neighbors. 4. Smurfs' Village Gargamel has managed to destroy their home, and the poor blue gnomes have nowhere to go. Help them by creating a new village. You start out with one mushroom and a plot of land that you need to cultivate. Grow your territory by planting crops and creating other structures like mushroom houses, roads and bridges. Enjoy cute mini games, or connect with your friends' via Facebook to visit their Smurf villages online and send them virtual gifts. 5. Raging Thunder 2 Lite In our humble opinion, this is probably one of the most enjoyable multi-player racing apps on the platform. Compete with friends with nicely animated 3D cars and great environments. Buy upgrades for your ride and make other players bite the dust. Still not enough? Get more goodies with the full version. 6. Words With Friends Imagine a fast-paced real-time Scrabble game on your Droid – that's basically what Words With Friends is. The difference is that you need to be trigger-happy with putting your letters on the board if you want to win, and half the time you don't even have to worry much about your vocabulary. It's all about strategy, a little luck, and a whole lot of patience because you'll most probably get torn between frustration and addiction once you install this app. 7. Parallel Kingdom You've probably heard about Parallel Kingdom because it's been around for some time now, but that doesn't change the fact that it's probably the most innovative location-based massively multiplayer game there is. Using the map of your real neighborhood, you need to conquer as many locations as possible using either diplomacy or war. From there you'll have to build your virtual society and expand your stronghold alone or with friends. Build an entirely new world over the real one, and experience a very deep game interface that supports dungeons, creature encounters, found cities and oceans, and even an economy. We hope you enjoy with these games – just don't blame us if you suddenly find yourselves hooked! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Two New Exclusive Xperia Play Games Available on Android Market Connect2Media to offer 12 Android games Of Dragons, Dice, and Good Samaritans — Best 3 Android App Games for August This article, 7 Best Social Games on Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Google Spending $120 Million on Secret Test Labs + Googleplex Expansion Posted: 15 Feb 2012 06:31 AM PST Google is currently maxing out its credit cards by paying over $120 million for construction projects in its headquarters, Mountain View. At this time, Google is being secretive while they are working on a series of new or even previously secret hardware testing labs. But we know they are trying to expand consumer interest, enough to rival its top competitors such as Apple and Microsoft. Among the projects that Google is working on in these locations is the mysterious product which is believed to have wireless streaming of music or data to other devices. This product has been given a brand name of '@home.' In addition to this, Google is also modifying a lab for its 'Project X;' a secret project in which Apple's former Senior Director, Simon Prakash, is believed to be part of. But most importantly, this expansion includes a 'Google Experience Center,' a 120,000 square foot center believed to be a private museum where Google plans to 'share visionary ideas, and explore new ways of working.' It does sound exciting but we're very curious to know what Google is being secretive about! Any clues? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Google Has a 'Secret Project' with Former Apple Senior Director Google Labs release Listen for Android Google Labs’ Open Spot: A Useful Application That No One Uses This article, Google Spending $120 Million on Secret Test Labs + Googleplex Expansion , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Is Huawei Announcing a Quad-Core Smartphone this Month? Posted: 15 Feb 2012 04:27 AM PST At CES last month, we already got to see Huawei's attempts to boost itself out of the low-end smartphone market. With the unveiling of some pretty awesome high-end units Ascend P1 and the Ascend P1 S, Huawei certainly has hit the spot in the US smartphone market. It is with this continuous streak of good luck that Huawei has decided to change its image. So we do expect highly from them now, particularly with the upcoming Mobile World Congress. A while ago, we heard a rumor that Huawei had plans to release their new series, called Diamond, in Barcelona. Now, our sources are telling us that this series will be offering the 'smartest, fastest and most high-performing smartphones.' Moreover, we have learned from a Japanese blog that Huawei will be unveiling two new devices at the MWC, the Ascend D1 Q and MediaPad 10. Along with this announcement, people are now speculating that the Ascend D1 Q is actually a series of codes; referring to D1 as part of the Diamond series, and Q for quad-core. Considering Huawei's current partnership with NVIDIA, we can but assume that they will be using the Tegra 3 in their new devices. If you're looking forward to quad-core devices, you should stay tuned for the MWC; which will happen on February 26! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Hands-On with the Powerful and Slim Huawei Ascend P1S Android Smartphone World's Thinnest Smartphone Title Goes to Huawei Ascend P1 S Smartphone Huawei announces two new Android phones, Including the World’s Thinnest Smartphone This article, Is Huawei Announcing a Quad-Core Smartphone this Month? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.