Posted: 21 Feb 2012 05:37 PM PST  Last year Google launched Flight Search, but travelers on the go couldn’t use the service since a mobile version was left out. Today Google announced that they fixed that problem and users can now search travel deals from their mobile browsers. When combined with the recent launch of Indoor Maps, Google now provides a nice one-two punch for frequent travelers. The Flight Search feature on mobile browsers offers all the benefits of Flight Search on desktop including:
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Posted: 21 Feb 2012 04:38 PM PST  Korean developer Gamevil Inc. is quickly becoming one of the top sources of freemium Android games. Not only do they have a wide selection of genres available, but most of their games are among the highest rated titles on the Android Market. Gamevil is doing so well that they doubled their revenue in 2011. “Having bested our records again, year over year, is especially meaningful as we face changing trends in the market," said Yong Kuk Lee, Chief Financial Officer. “As smartphone adoption continues to grow worldwide, Gamevil will continue to bring entertaining, innovative and more social game experiences to our audience.” We see high-profile developers like EA Mobile struggle to maintain an average review score of 3.5, but most of Gamevil’s games rank an amazing 4.6 or higher. This month Gamevil released a trio of free games to the Android Market and the early reviews are positive. Arel WarsAndroid feels overloaded with tower defense games, but Arel Wars promises to mix things up with more RPG action and online player-vs-player battles. Arel Wars is sure to keep you busy with campaigns spanning 120 stages, 8 battle maps, and 50 unique units. Baseball Superstars 2012Baseball Superstars 2012 is a sports RPG on steroids. The game offers complete control to customize your team logo, stadium, uniform and equipment. Multiple game modes allow you to manage a team to the championship, collect super players, and challenge friends in online matches. Zenonia 4Zenonia is one of the most popular action RPG series for Android and the latest title looks to continue that trend. The biggest addition to the latest installment is HD graphics. New visuals and animations are optimized for high-resolution displays and Zenonia 4 looks great on tablets. |
Posted: 21 Feb 2012 02:08 PM PST  Netflix and Hulu are the kings of the hill when it comes to on-demand video. These services can be used to play movies and TV shows on practically any device. Other services like Crackle and HBO Go have already made their attempts to fight the giants, albeit unsuccessfully. This time, Comcast is going at it with its soon-to-be-released Xfinity Streampix service. The service will launch this Thursday, but Android (and other) apps will not be available until later this year. Comcast is not giving us any more information about the availability of this app, though. For now, it seems like the service will only be available via browser.  Comcast has made deals with Disney, ABC, NBC, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, Digital Distribution and Cookie Jar among others. This will assure access to a good variety of shows and movies in a timely manner, which is essential for such a service.So far, it seems users will need to have a bundled subscription with Comcast in order to use Streampix, or it can be added to your service for $4.99. Many current subscribers will be getting the services included with their current plans, which should be a nice treat. Regardless, you will need to be with Comcast to use it, which makes it much more similar to HBO Go. Stay tuned for more details come Thursday, and let’s wait to see when this app shows up. This one is worth checking out, especially for current Comcast subscribers. Hit the source link for more details, and let us know if you will be using this service. |
Posted: 21 Feb 2012 12:41 PM PST  Mobile World Congress will have a plethora of Android goodness, but this one really calls our attention. We have been trying to find ways to replace the desktop computer experience with our phones. And if this is happening anytime soon, Canonical’s new revelation is what will make it happen. The Linux-based OS makers are ready to deploy Ubuntu for Android at Mobile World Congress, and it is looking very promising. We have already tried to use laptop docks, desktop docks, tablets with keyboards, and some people have gone as far as hacking Android devices and installing full desktop linux operating systems on them. But none of these are able to do the job. You either lose some smartphone functionality, or the desktop functionality is not up to par. Canonical has just revealed that their Ubuntu for Android is almost ready, and it looks like the best option for those that want to unify the smartphone and desktop computing experiences. Unbuntu for Android is mentioned to work in parallel to Android. Meaning that the phone would run both operating systems. Ubuntu will kick in when the phone is plugged into a monitor, mouse and keyboard. As soon as that phone is disconnected, it will go back to its natural Android OS. Think of it as a dual-booting device, with both Ubuntu and Android in its core. This is not an Ubuntu app on an Android phone. Rather, it's a way to have the full Android experience when you use your device as a phone and the full Ubuntu experience when it's docked, complete with the full suite of productivity apps and tools from the desktop.Jane SilberCanonical CEO  What is great is that both operating systems will share the same documents. All of your music, videos, contacts, messages, calls and other data will be accessible from either state, giving the smartphone/computer a seamless and unified experience. Things are not as easy as they seem, though. As Silber states, it is not just an app. Ubuntu will have to come preloaded on smartphones. Canonical didn’t make any statements about any manufacturer partnerships, but this sure seems like a huge step. CEO Jane Silber said “it really depends on them. We’re ready to go.” As expected, this will remain free, so some manufacturers better get up on this soon. There will be demonstrations and announcements regarding Ubuntu for Android, at Mobile World Congress. Next week’s presentations will be based on Ubuntu 11.10 “Oneiric Ocelot,” but the software will be improved by April, with the release of Ubuntu 12.04 “Precise Pangolin.” Definitely stay tuned for this one, as it will likely change mobile computing substantially. Would any of you ditch your computers for a phone with Ubuntu? Do you think there is a chance that Microsoft will bring something similar to its Windows phones, with a full desktop Windows OS when plugged in to a monitor? Now that would make Windows Phone devices enticing. UpdateThe Ubuntu team has gone ahead and put together a nice video displaying what Ubuntu for Android is capable of. We have to say that this looks very promising, but we would have liked to see the presenter test out some non-Android-related tasks. But it certainly looks like a much better and intuitive desktop setting, and we assume things won’t be cut down too much.The video shows how Android apps can be run in the desktop, how the information is shared, and other general demonstrations. So check it out to see what things will be like. Can’t wait to test this out! |
Posted: 21 Feb 2012 11:55 AM PST  After nearly four years with T-Mobile, I switched to Verizon last year on December 15th when the Galaxy Nexus was released. I’ve only been a customer for a little over two months, but Verizon has quickly become my favorite wireless carrier and I would recommend them to any of my family or friends. In our last Verizon buyer’s guide, we shared some current promotions which are set to expire soon. We only refresh our buyer’s guides once per month, so I wanted to make a special post to remind people that these deals are about to end. Double Data Promotion – Expires February 29th Last time when we mentioned Double Data we weren’t sure how long the promo would last, but we now know it expires on February 29th. With the special promotion, subscribers will get 4 gigabytes for $30, 10 gigabytes for $50 and 20 gigabytes for $80. Double Data also applies to mobile hotspot plans where subscribers can now get 6 gigabytes for $50 and 12 gigabytes for $70 a month. I signed up for this deal back in December and I’ve found that 4 GB of data is enough for the average Android user. New tools in Android 4.0 let you easily monitor your data usage and there are also apps like Onavo to help with older phones still on Android 2.x. Most 4G LTE smartphones are still $99 for new subscribers When I purchased my Galaxy Nexus, it was retailing for $299 with 2-year agreement. Now that price is all the way down to $99. In fact, most of Verizon’s latest 4G LTE phones are on sale at Amazon.com and Verizon’s online store. Amazon Wireless
Both online stores include free shipping and a $35 activation fee per line. Seeing that Amazon has slightly cheaper prices and a wider selection of deals, I’d suggest them over Verizon. Final NotesLet’s state the obvious first. Verizon is not a value carrier and their plans will never meet the prices that Sprint and T-Mobile offer. As a long time fan of the smaller carriers, I can’t believe I’m rooting for Verizon but the size and speed of their 3G/4G network cannot be matched.If you are looking for premium Android phones on a premium 4G LTE network, then Verizon should be your choice in 2012. According to our first Android Bowl, our hardcore audience agrees that Verizon is their favorite carrier. Questions or concerns about switching? Leave a comment below and our readers will respond. For questions about shopping with Amazon, check out their FAQ. |
Posted: 21 Feb 2012 11:27 AM PST  Carriers love to boast about their reliable and awesome 4G networks. As the 4G war continues, we are starting to see all major competitors cover the country with the awesome speeds that 4G delivers, though these companies have different technologies, speeds and coverage. We now have 3 out of 4 major carriers claiming to run the “largest 4G network” in the US, which is sure to create some confusion among customers. All companies base their statements upon different sets of norms. First we must consider what constitutes a “real 4G network.” Many of us claim that HSPA+ networks are not real 4G, but very fast 3G, instead. Most people consider real 4G networks to be technologies like WiMAX and 4G LTE.  T-Mobile was the first to make the Largest 4G Network claim. Since it launched “America’s first nationwide 4G network,” the company has had a chance to spread its high-speeds to most of the country. It’s HSPA+21 network now covers 217 markets and 200 million people, while HSPA+42 reaches 175 markets and 184 million people. It was also the first boast the largest 4G network, due to the advantage they had.It is claimed that Magenta’s network is not “real 4G,” though. Regardless, the network is very fast, and HSPA+42 is able to reach speeds as high as even the fastest LTE networks. AT&T was one of the first to call out T-Mobile on the fact that its 4G network was not legit, and have recently laid claim to having the largest 4G network for themselves. AT&T basis this claim on the fact that both its 4G LTE and HSPA+ networks combined cover over 200 million users. Even after giving Magenta a hard time over the same issue, AT&T is now adding HSPA+ to its equation. If we only counted 4G LTE, AT&T’s network would reach 28 markets and 74 million people. AT&T is focusing on a smoother transition that it’s magenta counterpart, however. Their phones will work with both technologies, and if you move out of 4G LTE coverage, odds are you will not need to use 3G, and will be able to use their faster HSPA+ data speeds.  In the third corner we have Verizon and its “largest 4G network.” This one happens to be true. Verizon does have the largest 4G LTE network. Since Big Red does not work with any of the other 4G technologies, it has invested much of its resources to build out its 4G LTE coverage.It’s blazing speeds now cover 196 markets and over 200 million customers, making it the “largest 4G LTE network” in the US. This is quite impressive for being an LTE network, which AT&T and Sprint are barely starting on. Verizon was the first to bring LTE to the US, and has plans to spread it all over the country by 2013. Sprint is still building its 4G LTE network, and WiMAX is definitely not the largest or fastest, so it is staying out of this argument for now. I have always said that the “real” and “not-real” 4G arguments were a bit of a play on words to push each other down. There have also been claims that 4G LTE is not “real 4G.” It is fast, but not as fast as industry standards state that 4G should be. Really, these are all networks that are faster than the traditional 3G networks of yesteryear. Some are better than others, of course, but they are all truly the next generation, a true evolution from 3G technology. Deciding which company has the largest 4G is based on definition, but we must remember carriers are corporations. They need to say such things to make their customers excited. As it usually goes, we would like to know what you guys think. Which carrier do you think has the “largest 4G network”? And do you consider HSPA+ networks to be “real 4G”? |
Posted: 21 Feb 2012 09:31 AM PST  Last year Amazon and Barnes & Noble released their low-priced Android tablets to for $199 and $249 respectively. The $199 Kindle Fire sold an estimated 3.9 million units while the $249 Nook Tablet sold 1.92 million units. Seeing that customers were responding to the lower price point, Barnes & Noble quickly decided to roll out a cheaper Nook Tablet priced at $199. The latest addition to the Nook Tablet lineup includes all the same features as the original $249 Nook Tablet with 16 GB storage, but with 8 GB of storage, 512MB of RAM and a lower cost of just $199. “For any customer who likes to read digitally, watch movies or TV shows, browse the web, or help their kids read and learn through interactive books and apps, our new $199 NOOK Tablet with 8GB is the best product value on the market,” said William Lynch, Chief Executive Office of Barnes & Noble. Starting today, the 8 GB Nook Tablet is available for purchase at nook.com. In the coming weeks the newer Nook Tablet should also be available in Best Buy, Target and Walmart stores. Barnes & Noble also announced that the older Nook Color had been reduced to $169. Now when customers are looking to purchase an entry-level Android tablet at $199, the choice becomes a little tougher. Both devices feature 7-inch ISP displays, 8 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, heavily customized versions of Android, and their own app stores. They also have their own development communities and we have seen custom ROMs that offer the stock Android experience on both devices. The only advantage I can see with the Nook Tablet is the inclusion of a microSD card slot for expandable storage, while I believe the Kindle Fire offers a better overall ecosystem of content. It will be interesting to see if Barnes & Noble can catch up to Amazon in terms of market share. Offering a $199 tablet with competitive specs is a nice start, but they will need to do more to sway customers away from Amazon’s Kindle. |
Posted: 21 Feb 2012 07:59 AM PST  Next week at Mobile World Congress we will see the debut of several Android devices that feature next-generation mobile processors. Companies like NVIDIA, Samsung, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm will show off their latest silicon, and each one will tell us why their processor is the best. Just like I wrote last year around this time, it is too early to tell which companies' next-generation offering might be the fastest, but I don't think it really matters at this point. From what I was shown at CES, all the next-generation of multi-core processors will offer similar experiences, features, and performance. Today Anand Shimpi and Brian Klug of Anandtech posted some benchmark scores for the upcoming dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960). I’m glad these guys were able to benchmark the Snapdragon S4, since a surprising majority of geeks have been ignoring this dual-core processor simply because it wasn’t quad-core. As we reported back in October when we visited Qualcomm, the Snapdragon S4 features Qualcomm’s custom Krait CPU architecture. This CPU core is different than the reference ARM Cortex-A15 core that will appear in upcoming parts, but it still supports the latest ARM instruction set architecture and should offer comparable performance.  Snapdragon S4 vs the current competition in Qualcomm's Vellamo benchmark. What I did find interesting is that each competitors part will have its own small advantages. Intel’s Medfield processor will be slightly faster in Javascript performance and NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 will be faster in graphics performance. And of course the industry moves so fast that these benchmarks will look vastly different in a couple of months. When Texas Instruments releases their 1.8 GHz OMAP4470, they could take the lead in graphics performance. And then a few months after that Samsung will release their Exynos 5250 which should outperform everything else. After that we will have quad-core Snapdragon S4s, OMAP5, and probably Tegra 4. Yes, I know it’s difficult to keep up. No matter how much you research this stuff it will continue to change at break-neck speeds. But for the immediate future, as in Android smartphones shipping this quarter, NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 will generate the most hype and design wins. It’s still based on ARM’s Cortex-A9 CPU core, but it has four of them (actually five) and the OEMs seem to be obsessed with “quad-core”, just like consumers. A perfect example of this is HTC’s new smartphone lineup. They have two devices about to be announced, One X and One S, that feature NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 respectively. Even though Snapdragon could offer faster overall performance, HTC chose NVIDIA to power their flagship device the One X. So why did HTC go with NVIDIA over Qualcomm in their top smartphone? Maybe it was the faster graphics performance, “quad-core” branding, or even NVIDIA’s Tegra Zone, but we don’t have the answer yet. Hopefully at Mobile World Congress the picture will become more clear, because I haven’t seen many reasons for any consumer to be loyal to any one mobile processor company yet. |
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Update - 31
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