Android and Me |
- How to install Android 4.0.4 on the Samsung Nexus S
- HTC One X coming to Sprint as “EVO One” in June?
- Google confirms Android 4.0.4 rolling out to multiple devices, Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus not included
- Android Gaming Weekly: Battlefield 3, Men in Black 3, King of Fighters, Gangstar Rio
- Did NVIDIA’s CEO just hint at the Nexus tablet?
- HTC to make an iPod Touch competitor?
- Android game review: Samurai vs. Zombies Defense
- Android 4.0 update delivers performance boost to AT&T’s HTC Vivid
- Galaxy Note shipments surpass 5 million worldwide
| How to install Android 4.0.4 on the Samsung Nexus S Posted: 28 Mar 2012 07:05 PM PDT  Now that Android 4.0.4 for the Nexus S (i9023, i9020-T) is out, you may be wondering how to get your device up and running with the latest version of Android. Allow us to help. If you’re running stock 4.0.3 or any ROM with Clockwork Mod Recovery, the process to update your device couldn’t be easier. For those of you with Clockwork Mod Recovery flashed, all you have to do is:
If you’re using the stock build of 4.0.3, the steps to flash the update file are just as easy:
Of course, using either method to update your Nexus S is your decision. Only you are responsible for what happens to your device. For any additional help, or more information on the update process, you can use the comments or visit the XDA threads for either the rooted ROM or update file. I’ve been playing around with the rooted but totally stock ROM and so far, and I love it. Everything is very fast and super smooth. No problems yet. And don’t forget, those of you who don’t want to get their hands messy, this update will be hitting your device before you know it. So just hold on tight.
|
| HTC One X coming to Sprint as “EVO One” in June? Posted: 28 Mar 2012 04:28 PM PDT  Last month we heard the HTC One X was coming to Sprint and today Jerry Hildenbrand of Android Central reports the device could launch as the “HTC EVO ONE.” This make perfect sense because Sprint has been using HTC for their flagship EVO brand, and want to keep the series going. The final device name could still be different, because we all know Sprint wants to throw “4G LTE” on the end before it hits stores. Sprint’s version was previously rumored to launch in June, so that month is looking better and better. The global version of the One X is coming to other carriers next month, but it’s likely that Sprint took the extra time to customize the look of the phone (and wait till their initial LTE markets are ready this summer). Sprint already has a press event scheduled with HTC on April 4th and Nick Grey will be headed to New York next week to check out the event. Be on the lookout for his hands on report. Rumored specs of the EVO One include:
If you are on Sprint, does this device live up to your expectations?
|
| Posted: 28 Mar 2012 04:01 PM PDT  Android developer Jean-Baptiste Queru, or JBQ as he’s so lovingly called, has announced today that Android 4.0.4 is finally being pushed into the Android Open Source Project. According to JBQ, Android 4.0.4 features “a few hundred changes over 4.0.3,” and it “matches the update that has been sent to a few devices since yesterday” (more on that below). As previously mentioned by Google, “files related to CDMA devices have not been tested in the context of AOSP.” There’s no solid timeframe for when 4.0.4 will reach all of the various Google Experience Devices out there, but some devices are already seeing the update. The WiFi version of the Motorola Xoom has already been pushed the update, and an update file for the Nexus S has made available online. That’s right, after months of waiting for Google to finally get their act together, an Android 4.0.4 update file for the Samsung Nexus S has finally been uploaded to Google’s servers, ready to be manually flashed over the botched update to Android 4.0.3. Coming in at just 18MB, today’s update for the Nexus S is meant strictly for flashing over Android 4.0.3. It has been confirmed to work on both the i9023, and i9020-T (the T-Mobile Nexus S variant). There’s good reason to believe 4.0.4 should hit be available as an over the air update sooner than later, but if you don’t want to wait to receive it on your stock Nexus S, you can download it directly from Google now. According to those who have successfully flashed the update to 4.0.4, it runs much smoother than 4.0.3, and features quite a few big fixes to well documented problems. To check and see if your Xoom is ready for the update, simply head to Settings > About tablet. For GSM Nexus S users, check XDA for more info. I’ve been running CM9 nightly builds on my Nexus S for quite some time now, but I may revert back to stock to see if the update fixes any major problems. Let us know if you’ve given the update a shot. Update: Google just announced that Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich, is rolling out to mutiple devices. The latest update includes “stability improvements, better camera performance, smoother screen rotation, improved phone number recognition and more.” Some devices are seeing Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time, while others are receiving updates from previous versions of Android 4.x. More devices will be supported soon, but the first wave of devices includes:
Devices we expect to be upgraded in the “coming weeks” include:
Current rumors suggest the Verizon Galaxy Nexus will see a newer Android 4.0.5 as soon as April, so it could be skipping Android 4.0.4 entirely.
|
| Android Gaming Weekly: Battlefield 3, Men in Black 3, King of Fighters, Gangstar Rio Posted: 28 Mar 2012 12:38 PM PDT  Welcome to our new column Android Gaming Weekly, where we recap all the new releases and highlights every Wednesday. We post small bits throughout the week related to Android games, but readers have requested a condensed summary that makes it easier to keep up with all the latest news. Read on for this week's best in Android gaming. Battlefield coming to Android tablets
Early this week on the NVIDIA Tegra Zone blog, I read an article with Electronic Arts talking about a tablet version of Battlefield 3 coming to Android. The article has now been pulled down, so maybe the jumped the gun on this. EA Mobile has been increasing their efforts on Android games, so it’s not surprising to hear that more titles are on the way. Keep an eye out for more info soon. Update: A reader pointed out that the Android game might have been canned already. Battlefield 3: Aftershock was released for iOS, but the game was pulled down after people complained about it. According to Vox Games, EA has “decided to remove Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store and are currently re-evaluating the app in response to the consumer feedback we’ve received.” Gangstar Rio now available in Google Play StoreThis one has been a long time coming, but Gameloft finally released Gangstar Rio for Android. We have been kind of annoyed with all the freemium apps from Gameloft, so it’s nice to see a paid title again. This crime-based game runs $6.99, but it offers over 60 varied missions to complete, which is hours worth of gameplay. It also supports the Galaxy Nexus, so I’m downloading it right now! Men in Black 3 coming to Android in May
Gameloft announced last week that they would be releasing a mobile game based on the upcoming movie Men in Black 3. The movie debuts May 25th, and the game should be available around that time. “Gameloft is ecstatic to have the chance to team with Sony Pictures Consumer Products in working with such a successful franchise as Men in Black on the Men in Black 3 mobile game,” said Karine Kaiser VP Marketing and Licensing for Gameloft. “We see this as a great opportunity to provide a new and immersive way to engage with the films’ iconic characters and distinctive universe.” You never know what kind of game you will get from a movie license, but Gameloft did a pretty good job with The Adventures of Tintin. The King of Fighters briefly appears in Google Play Store
The King of Fighters, a classic fighting series from SNK Playmore, briefly appeared in the Google Play Store this week with a price of $4.99. Old-school gamers were excited to see the release, but it’s no longer available. When it was still listed, the game only worked on the Xperia Play, Xperia Arc HD, Galaxy S II, and Galaxy Tab 10.1. Hopefully the game comes back soon with support for more devices. If SNK uploads it with the same package name, you should be able to grab it from the link below, when it’s available. SoulCraft beta now free to play for allThis week developer MobileBits expanded their open beta of SoulCraft to include more devices. The game was previously available as a Tegra exclusive, but it now works on a wide variety of devices (including the Galaxy Nexus). I tested out an early beta a month ago and grew board with it, but they have continued to update it with new features during this open beta period. Check out SoulCraftGame.com for more details. Sega serves up Virtua Tennis Challenge for Xperia PlayThis week Sega released Virtua Tennis Challenge for $4.99, but it’s only available on the Xperia Play. That’s too bad because this game makes tennis look awesome and the average score from early reviews is 4.8. Sega has been releasing more titles for Android, so we hope Virtua Tennis supports additional devices soon. Infect your friends with Patient Zero
This week someone sent in a tip for a new game that sounded so weird I just had to share it. Patient Zero by EgonDev describes itself as a “virtual pandemic simulator where you get to infect real players.” Infections get transferred by players coming within proximity of each other in the real world and other players infected with your virus will carry it and infect more players. The game only has 5,000 installs, but it’s got an average review score of 4.4 so you might find some enjoyment with it. Flashout 3D to bring futuristic racing to AndroidWatching the teaser video might give you a seizure, but we love fast-paced racing games and Flashout 3D looks to deliver the goods. The game promises gorgeous visuals, an interactive equalizer (music affects graphics), powerful weapons, dozens of levels, and online multiplayer mode to challenge your friends. Look for the game to arrive sometime in Q2. Battleloot Adventure now available AndroidAre you a fan of RPGs? Battleloot Adventure is coming soon to Android for free, so you might want take note. This turn-based RPG is already available on iOS, but the developer just let us know it’s arriving in the Google Play Store next month. The game features 8 big headed characters, 10 maps, 60+ quests, and 200+ pieces of gear. Update: The game is now live in Google Play Store. Top 2 Games I'm currently playingTrial Extreme 2: I never played the original, but this sequel is awesome! Trial Extreme 2 places you on a dirt bike where you must negotiate hundreds of obstacles including ramps, jumbo tires, rocks, planks and more. It starts off easy, but the levels get increasingly hard and I promise you will fail a lot. There are over 36 levels, so I keep coming back trying to finish them off. The paid version is well worth the $1.99 asking price, but there is a free version available if you want to try it out at no cost. Temple Run: I know it’s been around on iOS for a long time, but this game already has me addicted. The controls are stupid simple (swipe up, down, left, and right), but there is something about the quick gameplay that keeps me coming back to beet my high score. It truly is a game that every should enjoy, at least for a couple minutes. What Android games are you playing?Find any great new Android games this week? Share your favorites in the comments below so we can check them out.
|
| Did NVIDIA’s CEO just hint at the Nexus tablet? Posted: 28 Mar 2012 09:28 AM PDT  “We took out $150 in build materials, things like expensive memory,” he said. “At $199, you can just about buy a tablet at a 7-Eleven.” The above quote comes from Jen-Hsun Huang, NVIDIA CEO, in an interview with Quentin Hardy of the New York Times. We don’t know what product they were talking about, but the discussion surrounded a quad-core Tegra 3 powered tablet selling for $199 this summer. Key NVIDIA partner ASUS already announced $249 MeMo 370T tablet with Tegra 3 at CES, but we have heard nothing about the device since then. For awhile, the popular rumor was that Google had struck a deal with ASUS to lower the retail price of this 7-inch Tegra 3 tablet by $50 and turn it into a “Nexus tablet.” Based on everything we know, including the recent comments from Jen-Hsun, that sounded like a viable plan. But then we were told the rumored $199 Tegra 3 product was canned in favor of a $149 Non-Tegra 3 version. At this point everything surrounding a “Nexus tablet” is still rumor and speculation, but NVIDIA’s CEO seems pretty confident that their partners can deliver an amazing Tegra 3 product at the magical $199 price point. Considering the recent Nexus debacle, maybe this $199 Tegra 3 tablet would be better off on its own with ASUS providing the software updates.
|
| HTC to make an iPod Touch competitor? Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:32 AM PDT  PatentBolt has gotten their hands on a new HTC device design which indicates that HTC might be working on a competitor to Apple’s iPod Touch. HTC filed a patent back in early 2011 for a “handheld electronic device” which makes no reference to cellular bandwidths, essentially ruling out the possibility of the device being a phone. The patent application was made public just this month. As you can see from the illustrations, the device would feature complete slide out stereo stereo speakers on the front of the device, making it a multimedia powerhouse. The patent application shows a rear kickstand geared for landscape viewing, perfect for consuming video content. The design is similar to the Windows Phone-based HTC Surround, which came out back in 2010, though it’s clear HTC has gone back to the drawing board with this current device. HTC would not be the first Android manufacturer to make a standalone multimedia player; Samsung has been selling its Galaxy Player devices for a while now. What we don’t yet know from Samsung is how well these devices are selling, and if they have been able to pull a sizable chunk of users away from Apple’s iPod Touch. With this patent application, HTC clearly hopes it will be able to create the ultimate multimedia consumption device. Of course, HTC’s device might never see the light of day, as a patent app does not a product make. Still, we like that manufacturers are more open to challenging Apple in areas where Apple has an extremely strong user base. With Android OS found on about 50% of smartphones in the US, more and more users who are tied to Android’s ecosystem would at least consider Android for their next multimedia device. But whether or not standalone media players will continue to thrive in the era of all-in-one smartphones remains to be seen. What do you think of HTC’s design? Would you buy a standalone HTC media device, or do you want to see HTC bring this technology into its next line of Android smartphones? Gallery
|
| Android game review: Samurai vs. Zombies Defense Posted: 28 Mar 2012 08:19 AM PDT  Editor’s Note: Over the coming weeks, we will begin to feature select user-generated content in our main site feed. Everything is still in beta mode, but we wanted to experiment now. Read on for a review of Samurai vs. Zombies, and let us know how the author did! The Basics: Samurai vs. Zombies (SvZ) was released in March 2012 by top freemium developer, Glu Mobile. This game is a mix of tower defense and action as you get to fight the zombies with your main character, and summon units during combat to help stave off the zombie horde. You will have the ability throughout the game to upgrade your samurai, upgrade the units you can summon, upgrade some of your defenses, and buy special items to be used on each stage. Type: Freemium: The game is free to download, but some upgrades in game cost Glu coins which can be purchased in app. Glu coins can also be earned by downloading and running various titles advertised on the main menus, dropped in game, or by completing offers. The Nitty Gritty: Glu has used many iterations to monetize their freemium games, and this one is no different. One of the permissions is to 'boot at start' which concerned me at first. Sure enough when the game is closed or you reboot your phone, Glu's ad engine starts up and stays running until stopped. This engine has the possibility of pushing notifications to your bar (though I did not see any in three days of playing). I personally like apps to close when I close them, so I frequently closed the 'running' SvZ processes after playing the game. One thing I DID enjoy about this game though, is all the advertisements are in the menu areas only, so once the stage is started you don't have to worry about ads getting underneath your fingers. Gameplay and Strategy:
The object is simple. Waves of zombies will enter from the right side of the screen, and you have to fight them with your character, summon minions to help you do so, and prevent them from getting to your Sacred Gate which is on the left side of the screen. The distance between both sides of the map is pretty far, and it takes a few seconds to run all the way to the right side and back. Your samurai will run faster going towards your portal, then away. One trick to keeping enemy waves at bay is to run up to them so their attack animation starts, then run out of range and repeat. Upgrades and Units:
Once you finish the small tutorial, you will be presented with the main upgrade menu. The first tabs to the left represent upgrades to your character, the second one refers to units, and the third one is for consumables that can be bought with Glu coins. In the first two tabs you will be able to upgrade much of your units and characters' abilities using just the coins you collect in each stage. At certain points even these become capped and must be upgraded with Glu coins. Here is a breakdown of the upgrades worth getting:
Units:
All unit upgrades increase damage and health. All units also upgrade to a certain level with coins before reverting to Glu coins for further upgrades. I started off upgrading archers and sword warriors but in the end pumped all my money into farmers. Keep reading to find out why. There are 4 special units in the game that must be 'found' by collecting random presents that drop from zombies. Each special unit upgrades it's basic partner unit when on the battlefield. The rifleman upgrades archers, Swordsmith upgrades swordsmen, etc. The upgrade is nice, and the special units are low cost to summon, however they only upgrade when they are in certain range of their partner units, and when killed, must be resummoned. Special units cannot be upgraded. Roster and Spells:
After upgrading your units and abilites, you will select your allies roster. These will be the only units available to you during the playing of the level. Early on I only selected Panzer Samurai and archers, as I wanted Divine Intervention to have fewer units to select from at random. Later on though, the Panzers died too fast and took too long to summon so I gave up on Divine Intervention and just used Lethargy and units I could produce fast to slow the zombie waves down.
The next screen lets you choose only two abilities to take into battle with you. From level 30 on, I used just Lethargy and later, Troop Trample. I toyed with upgraded lightning but i almost always died when trying to run close to maximize it's damage. Another important note here is to notice the gate and the zombies in front of it. This is the array of zombies you will face, which can impact what spells you choose.
The final screen you get before you enter battle is the Charms screen. You can buy or pick up charms throughout the game and use them. Once you select one, it will be attached to your health meter to remind you which one you used, and once the level is complete or you die, it goes away and you have to get another one. I didn't use too many of these, but the ones I used the most were Wealth and Peace. Each one is explained when you press it, so I won't go into detail here. HUD and Gameplay Strategies
When in game, you can see a variety of things going on, and it's rather intuitive the way it's set up. The skull represents the % of zombies you have killed for that level. The sword is your health bar. Coins and Glu coins are represented at the top right, and the sushi icon will automatically heal you when pressed if you have sushi in your inventory. The bottom right has your two abilities you chose before entering the level, and bottom left will display up to 5 units you have chosen for your roster along with their leadership cost. The yellow circle displays your leadership and how many points you are accumulating – the two arrows on the bar represent where you can 'upgrade' your leadership for that level, increasing it's max and speed temporarily (effect ends at the end of the level). The summoned units move slowly from your gate to the right, and the zombies move slowly from the right to the left. Let the massacre begin! In the early Levels it's pretty easy to summon a few units, move in and out of danger and slash your way to victory. It's important to note that coins and other loot that drops from zombies do NOT add to your totals at the end unless you COLLECT them! I died many times running into a horde to get that shiny golden box, only to be killed on my way out and lose the gift. When you finally destroy the last few zombies, your character will go into an animation but you will still be able to move him and collect coins. Run him over the loot dropped by the last zombies before the game fades to the results screen! Zombie archers can be a problem, pelting your front units from behind zombie lines – melting them with ease. To combat this you need lots of units crowding the front. Or build up your samurai's melee abilitys, run through the front line and cut the archers down yourself. Later on, enemy healers and buffers will do the same thing, increasing the HP and strength of the zombies in range, and healing them. Run through and cut them down, or do what I did, and just overwhelm the front line with damage. Using lethargy not only slows down the walking speed, but also the animation speeds too, thus reducing the speed at which the healers can heal – and giving you an opportunity to finish off a tough foe if used correctly. Flying units aren't too much of a problem, but it is important to note that your samurai will focus flyers over melee zombies when they are present. If you upgraded your bow, these guys won't be an issue. Level 30 is when this game starts to show it's difficulty. You'll get plenty of waves, with boss zombies (sometimes 3-5 of them) in front, and mass archers, healers, and buffers in back. I used Divine Intervention and Panzer Zombies to keep the front lines stable, and mass produced archers to get through these levels. Around this time you will begin getting the 'bomb' zombies. These guys move very fast and will hit your Sacred Gate before you know it, blowing it up. Lethargy, and other ways to slow them (as well as lots of running back as fast as you can to catch them) are in order to save your Gate from crashing down. Even at max leadership, it becomes difficult to produce large numbers of tougher units like Panzers and Frostie Bowmen for levels 40-50. Especially when the boss zombies one shot kill them. So I started thinking outside the box, and decided that mass producing was better than producing smaller numbers of heavier units. I went with Farmer spam! I could produce a new farmer every 3 seconds, and keep the front lines of the zombies pretty tied up while I waited for my Troop Trample to come off cooldown. For levels 40-50 I simply produced farmers all the time, and relied on my upgraded bow to blow down groups of enemies and let Troop Trample finish them off. It's not pretty, but it worked. Samurai vs. Zombies Defense8 / 10 Overall SvZ is a highly enjoyable game, and the monetization isn't the worste I've encountered in some freemium apps. It's worth the download and 4-5 hours of fun. I give it 8/10 simply because at level 50, I had only half my stuff upgraded, and the game just starts over. Adding more levels to try other strategies would give it a score of 9. It will always lose 1 point for running in the background when the game is closed.
|
| Android 4.0 update delivers performance boost to AT&T’s HTC Vivid Posted: 28 Mar 2012 06:55 AM PDT  Android 4.0 is breathing new life into HTC phones across the globe with improvements to the OS and updated version of HTC Sense. We all love the new features packed into Ice Cream Sandwich, but if you own an HTC phone that is scheduled for an Android 4.0 update you might be more thankful for the phone’s performance improvements. A few weeks ago, we reported that the HTC Velocity’s benchmark numbers spiked after receiving the Android 4.0 update. Now we’ve received confirmation that it was not an isolated case. The Android 4.0 update for the HTC Vivid was pushed out last week by AT&T and delivers significant performance improvements as well. VentureBeat ran the HTC Vivid through a half dozen different benchmarks and found performance improvements across the board. The biggest jump was in the HTC Vivid’s Sunspider 9.1 (Javascript benchmark that processes the coding language as fast as devices can manage). It showed a 66 percent speed increase over Android 2.3. Since the HTC Vivid is skinned with Sense 3.6, which customizes many of the features and applications, it’s hard to say if the new skin or the updated version of Android should be credited for the increase in handset performance. Either way, we’re hoping that all Android 4.0 updates for all manufacturers show similar improvements.
|
| Galaxy Note shipments surpass 5 million worldwide Posted: 28 Mar 2012 06:07 AM PDT  To say the Samsung Galaxy Note is a beast of a smartphone is an understatement. The 5.3″ phone-tablet hybrid is a superphone for the brave-of-heart and not the small-of-hand. The fact that the overly-large phone is a challenge to use with just one hand led many to believe that it would be a niche device and would struggle to find a widespread user base. Color them all tickled pink this morning, as Samsung has announced they have shipped a whopping 5 million Galaxy Notes across the world. Sure, this pales in comparison to the 20+ million Galaxy S II devices Sammy has amassed, but it easily makes the Galaxy Note one of the top-selling Android phones out there. Samsung has only 5 million more Galaxy Note sales to go to reach the lofty 10 million goal it set for itself for 2012, and we actually think Samsung will be able to achieve this goal by the end of the year. Who out there has a Galaxy Note, or plans to pick one up when you’re up for an upgrade?
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android and Me To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment