Posted: 29 Feb 2012 02:04 PM PST   There’s a new virus inside the Android Market but before you run off to alert Google Bouncer, this is a virus you’ll actually want on your device. Central Core Studios has recently become my go-to-developers for gorgeous looking live wallpapers on my Android device, and where last time, they showed us far off planets and sci-fi worlds — this time, they’re taking things a little closer to home (inside our own bodies, close) with RadiantWalls HD: Zombie Virus live wallpapers. “Central Core Labs” has finally given us the opportunity to see through a microscope, and observe a zombie virus as it infects the human body. Brought to life the developers’ keen attention to detail, all 3 stages of the zombification process are present:
Each live wallpaper (paid version comes with all 3) can be fine tuned and tweaked to provide for optimal performance on your Android device. I can’t even begin to tell you how great these look on my Galaxy S II. Even with maxed out settings, everything is pumping along smooth and without a hitch. Only problem I’ve found is I’ve developed this strange rash since downloading, and have been dragging one of my legs when I walk. I’m sure it’s nothing. I can’t wait to see the next project from Central Core Studios. According to their site, badass vehicles and cute cartoon gnomes are next. You can get infected with RadiantWalls HD – Zombie Virus right now in the Android Market. [$1.50 Paid Version (All 3 Live Wallpapers) | Free Version (Single Live Wallpaper)] |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 12:30 PM PST   You know what time it is. It’s time for another quick bite of some more juicy Android gossip. This time, brought to you from our friends at Android and Me who have it on good authority that, not only will the HTC One S be making its way to T-Mobile later this year, but the HTC One X as well. Not too much of a surprise there, seeing how we expect to see HTC’s latest flagship make the rounds to every carrier in some form or another, but here’s where it really gets good… Apparently, the One could find itself re-branded under T-Mobile’s famous line of “G” devices (G1, G2, G2X, etc.) which means, you guessed it — T-Mobile’s version of the One X could be running stock, vanilla Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. But wait- there’s more. Since the One X wouldn’t need LTE compatibility on T-Mo’s network, the device would retain it’s quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. Things just got interesting. This, no doubt, will have a few of our readers salivating and as much as I love HTC’s Sense UI and am eager to try out version 4.0, stock ICS on the One X could have me switching teams to T-Mobile if this all pans out. How about you? Would you guys consider a T-Mobile move if they launched an HTC G4X? Or is the device not appealing enough to warrant a carrier switch no matter what flavor of Android it’s running? |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 11:13 AM PST   Sprint has just announced that customers in Atlanta, Georgia can now enjoy Sprint’s new upgraded 3G network, providing for enhanced data speeds and better coverage. But that’s not all. Atlanta will also find themselves one of the first of 6 lucky cities to see Sprint’s 4G LTE by the middle of the year. Sprint assures the ATL, “We got you.” Have you guys noticed faster 3G speeds? Feel free to post some Speedtest.net results below. [Sprint] |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 10:11 AM PST   The wait is finally over. After counting down the minutes since last night’s blog post on from the developers site, TSF Shell is now officially available for (most ) Android devices. I have to say, I didn’t believe it would release on schedule, or at all for that matter, but here we are on launch day and — good gawd, the app is $17! Okay, I’ll suck it up and pay. For science.   After giving TSF a whirl on my Samsung Galaxy Note (video coming soon), I’m surprised to say, it performs exactly like it did in the preview trailer. The launcher clocks-in somewhere around 60fps when scrolling, moving or arranging icons (yup, my eyes are that good). I’ll even go as far as saying you probably wont find a smoother launcher anywhere else in the Market. The best part is, while there are plenty of launcher alternatives in the Market, TSF Shell works just fine for devices not yet upgraded to Android 4.0. The high price tag, dare I say it, also gives you this strange feeling of superiority. Like buying a Gucci bad or Prada shoes. You know not every kid is going to have this launcher installed on their phone. You’ll want to show this off to your friends. There seems to be a pretty big learning curve seeing how TSF doesn’t exactly behave like traditional Android. Still for those bold enough to download TSF Shell, it’s a welcome addition to the Market and testament to the versatility of Android. Oh, and damn good programming. Gosh, it’s beautiful. Anyone out there going to give TAT UI — er, I mean, TSF Shell a shot? [Market Link | TSF] |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:56 AM PST   It was a few weeks ago we told you guys that the 1991 classic, Another World (Out of This World in the US) would be getting a remake for Android devices and today, the developer, DotEmu, has finally revealed a launch date for the cult classic platformer. Another World 20th Anniversary Edition will be making its way into the Android Market on March 16th and those that have played the title, it no doubt, holds a special place in your heart. Thankfully, this isn’t some stale rehash of the original, with DotEmu bringing new HD visuals and Bluetooth support for peripherals like Zeemote. Here’s what you can look forward to in the 20tht Anniversary Edition for Android:
[Facebook] |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 07:23 AM PST   It’s a day that only comes along once every 4 years, and to celebrate leap year, Google is having a sale today on some of the hottest albums out with some oldies but goodies thrown into the mix as well. 29 albums in all, ranging from Rhianna, to Lana Del Rey, to Selena Gomez can all be had for the affordable price of only $3 each. Today only, so you’d better hurry!  It’s been reported that Google Music hasn’t been doing so well since it’s launch, so if you were planning on picking up these albums, keep off of iTunes, okay? Who’s album are going to download/add to your Google Music locker? [GoogleMusic] |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:45 AM PST   After numerous “hands-on” and appearing at just about every trade-show/electronics convention, Toshiba has finally revealed the date and pricing of their upcoming “world’s thinnest 10-inch tablet,” the Toshiba Excite 10 LE. If the name sounds unfamiliar, that’s because it was formerly known as the Excite X10 (kinda like that one better) but everything remains the same. Expect the same 10.1-inch 1280×800 LED display, 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP 4430 processor and Android 3.2 Honeycomb (Toshiba promises Android 4.0 is in the cards). The Toshiba Excite 10 LE will be available March 6th at $530 for the 16GB model, and $600 for the 32GB. Has anyone been waiting for this tablet? Full press release below. Toshiba Brings World’s Thinnest 10-Inch Tablet to U.S. Market[PCWorld | TheVerge | Engadget] |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:24 AM PST  There has always been a bit of excitement around here for hands-free gestures on devices. A lot of that is already possible with the most notable example being eyeSight. But this technology doesn’t need a camera – all it needs is the presence of your hand. The display technology by Noalia uses electrostatic fields to track your finger movement. The demo showed examples of handwriting and a simple visualized pointer to show where your finger was being tracked. While I doubt this solution, like eyeSight, is ready enough for practical use, I hope someone can take this technology and put it to good use. I struggled to find some use cases of where I might need to keep my hands off of my tablet, but seeing a plate of hot wings passing by reminded me that I often do use my phone and tablet while eating. Messy fingers no longer an option? Yes, please. See the video demo above. |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:13 AM PST  After schooling you on MHL this morning, we promised to provide you with part 2 this afternoon. Class is now in session. You’ve probably read and watched a lot of device reviews on Phandroid. In these reviews, you’ve probably seen us point out two microphone holes, usually with one on the bottom of the device and one on the top, that provide enhanced audio via noise cancellation. Meet one of the companies that make this technology work: Consumers usually get caught up in buzz words and surface specs such as screen size, megapixel count, and processor size. Rarely do we stop and think about all the different companies producing all the different complex components and chips that make these gadgets work. And we complain about prices, but look how SMALL this chip is, listen to what it does, and think of how many other components are taken into consideration, engineered, and assembled in all the different gadgets you own. It’s actually pretty amazing.  In the land of B2B, earSmart probably gets plenty of accolades and attention. But in the eyes (and ears) of consumers, they’re product is a brandless feature we rarely/quickly mention in passing before moving onto the sexier elements of the devices we love. But in this post, earSmart, we want to recognize your work, in gadgets past, present, and future. Side question/note: one company that has done an absolutely amazing job at turning a relatively unexciting component into a household name and beloved gadget feature is Corning with their Gorilla Glass. Can you think of any other companies who have elevated their brand in such a way? |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:09 AM PST  If you’ve ever come across Chinese symbols/lettering and you were completely lost as to what they meant, we’ve found a pretty cool app for you. CamDictionary for Android makes great use of your device’s camera to quickly and easily identify those words. The app will give you a reticle in which you’ll position the symbol. After a couple of seconds it’ll come back with the word in your language of choice. You are able to translate between 36 different languages, both ways. To take it a step further, they’ll be bringing updates which allow you to string together full sentences this way. While translation is nothing new, this is a great and easy way to understand text in the physical world where you can’t copy and paste things (in a digital sense). Find our very brief hands-on above and the full list of features below. If you like it, be sure to find it in the Android market here. |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:05 AM PST  Sony is making the connected home a reality via several innovations shown off at Mobile World Congress this year. One involves the way we interact with our smartphones once docked for use as a media player to push content to a larger screen. Using only your television’s remote you can navigate a special UI to find music and videos stored on an Android device. In this case we get a demo featuring the upcoming Sony Xperia Ion. This sort of technology exists in other handsets and has been a big focus for mobile engineers and developers at MWV this year. As several products such as the ASUS Padfone demonstrate, we are moving towards a future where a single ultra portable smartphone could replace our computers, DVD/Blu-ray players, and MP3 players thanks to ever increasing hardware power and enhanced functionality. Sony’s efforts make it even easier to use a smartphone as your prime media hub, and with controls mapped to a television remote it becomes more convenient than ever. |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 05:58 AM PST  Canonical was one of our first stops inside AppPlanet here at Mobile World Congress. After hearing about Ubuntu for Android, my personal favorite flavor of Linux, I had to hunt them down. We were showed the app running on a Motorola Atrix 4G 2. Ubuntu tells us that they do have a minimum spec recommendation. While they didn’t go into detail, we know that you’re most likely in the clear if your phone has video-out, 1GB of RAM and a dual-core processor. The operating system is just as it is on desktop PCs. You’re getting that lovely Gnome-based user interface and suite of features alongside all of the preinstalled applications you’d expect. Out of the box, you can do things like edit photos, create documents, listen to music and more with very little hassle, if any at all. The greatest thing is that Ubuntu knows what a photo is and where they are on your phone. When you edit a photo on your in Ubuntu, it will automatically be transferred back to Android. It’s convenience like that which gets me excited. You can do system-wide searches for documents and apps, and even use your Android apps while Ubuntu is running. Since both Android and Ubuntu are Linux-based operating systems Ubuntu said that it was the perfect first choice for their mobile aspirations. They offer even more integration by pulling in your contacts and appointments. All of it is seamlessly synced between Android and Ubuntu so you won’t have to reach for your phone while it’s running. Everything ran smoothly and stably – not to be mean to Motorola when it’s being demoed on their own device, but it blows WebTop completely out of the water. Ubuntu tells us that the operating system updates will happen side-by-side with PC and netbook updates. Android users also get full access to software repositories, Ubuntu One and other major features which make Ubuntu a great operating system to use. You can find our hands-on above and look forward to seeing this preinstalled on devices sometime soon. Hopefully Ubuntu will make a public release available for several phones down the line, but they could not confirm that they were working on that. |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 05:55 AM PST  Don’t be tricked by the flashy phone in the steering wheel mobile gaming component of this video. While it’s definitely cool and makes playing racing games much more fun (easier to make gradual turns because of the turning radius), the folks at MHL weren’t promoting a game of any kind. In fact, you can’t physically SEE what they’re promoting because it inside the phone (and TV). Technological standards are a marvelous thing that greatly help consumers. You know how nearly all smartphones these days have a 3.5mm headset jack, HDMI-out, and MicroUSB port? These are standards that many companies agree upon to make the lives of consumers easier by reducing the fragmentation of devices, accessories, peripherals, so on and so forth. The MHL consortium promotes the MHL standard that aims to help keep your battery charged. When you connect your phone to a television for HDMI use, your battery will drain. Oftentimes it will drain a LOT since beaming this information is very media intensive. But your phone is plugged into a huge electronic device that’s plugged into a wall, so why should you have to waste battery? With MHL you don’t.  If both your television and mobile phone have MHL (check yours, there is a decent chance it does), your phone will actually charge while connected to a TV via HDMI. I don’t personally use the HDMI-out feature of my phone very often, but I can appreciate that when I will, I don’t have to worry about my phone dying. This being said, the whole “standards” stuff can get a bit tricky.  The MHL standard was initiated by 5 companies: Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Nokia, and Silicon Image. You’ll most likely find MHL in the products for these phones. The companies invest money to have this standard developed and so, if other companies want to use the standard, they have to pay a licensing fee. That’s logical and I can understand why, but with the competitive landscape in the mobile world, it’s tough to see how a consortium of companies could easily play nicely with their competition for the sake of consumers. It doesn’t happen often… just think of all the patent lawsuits and other issues already causing so much ill will between competitors. In any case, if you’re the type that uses HDMI-out a bunch, you may want to check to see if your phone and TV are MHL compatible. If only your phone has MHL, you can buy a cable that will enable TV charging even without your television being equipped. That completes this morning’s educational lesson for lesser known things already in your mobile… we’ll continue this afternoon with “Part 2: earSmart”. |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 05:51 AM PST  Being a US-based site, we hadn’t heard of Deezer before Mobile World Congress. If you weren’t in the know like us, Deezer is a streaming music service not unlike Slacker that allows you to access tons of music from many different labels. For about 10 euros per month, you can search and listen to individual songs, albums, playlists and more. The app feeds you staff-picked and user-picked suggestions each week. You can also upload music you already own and play it back from the cloud. Music can be made available offline in case you want to listen to something without a data connection. The service is available in about 45 countries in Europe, South America and North America. Notably missing, though, is the United States. Head to Deezer’s site for more information and find their client in the Android market. |
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 05:17 AM PST  I’m not sure if the entire MWC has gone delusional due to lack of sleep or, with all of the major announcements behind us, the Android enthusiasts got ancy…. but this is one scene I definitely DID NOT anticipate seeing. Watch Batwoman diss Batman for two oversized Android robots. The Android Robots definitely have the hots for Batgirl, prompting Batman’s jealous marriage proposal, which Batgirl quickly shoots down. They exit stage right and the Android Robot dancing continues, including some nice Intel-style freestyles. I know, I know… slow news day, right? Admit it: you laughed (or dropped your jaw in bizarre shock). |
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Update - 101
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