Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:55 PM PST 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:48 PM PST  Again: No new "spill-proof" Motorola XYBOARD. It's the same model. 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:14 PM PST  It looks like the Galaxy S II's Ice Cream Sandwich update may be imminent. Samsung has just announced on its official Philippines site that the long-awaited update will finally land this Saturday, Mar. 10. Today's news follows a Facebook post from Samsung Israel last week, which suggested a Mar. 15 launch in that country. In the past day or so we've seen HTC update a couple of its leading 2011 devices to the latest version of Android -- ICS for the Sensation and Sensation XE is slowly trickling out, starting with users in Germany and Nordic countries. So it's definitely ICS update season, and we look forward to seeing the new OS work its way onto more devices in the weeks ahead. The (international) Samsung Galaxy Note and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc series are due to be updated before the end of the month. Source: Samsung Philippines; via: Engadget 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:54 PM PST  
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:29 PM PST  If you'll all remember, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD features 4G LTE along with a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, and a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. In other words, a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket with LTE. Needless to say, it shouldn't be far off now that you'll be able to pick this one up in stores. 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:19 PM PST  The Google Play Store has been updated to Version 3.4.7. We repeat: The Google Play Store has been updated to Verison 3.4.7. You folks on Motorola phones can now hit that secondary store link in your app drawer without fear of failure. That is all. 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:16 PM PST  The Linux Foundation has announced four new members this week, including the familiar face of NVIDIA. As most of us here know, Android is based on the Linux kernel, and NVIDIA has become a major hardware player on our phones and tablets. But what does this mean for Android users? On the surface, it's excellent news. NVIDIA will invest money into advancing Linux, and by proxy, all open-source projects based on it. Linux has always been strong in the enterprise (some figures claim that over 60 percent of the servers on the Internet run Linux). However, its role in the desktop, and until recently mobile, has been much smaller. Because of this, and also to blame for this -- it's a Catch-22, is the relatively poor showing multimedia makes when talking Linux. This is where NVIDIA can make a difference. With its investment, other players may feel more compelled to develop for Linux and Linux-based projects like Android. We want more support from all hardware and software vendors, and getting a company like NVIDIA on board is a big step. On the other hand, not much is really going to change for users like us. NVIDIA isn't likely to suddenly open-source its drivers for Tegra chipsets, or even offer more support than they do now. hat they have done is show support for a cheap operating system that bridges their expensive hardware and their showcase software together. This makes sense from a business point of view -- make games that show off the power of your product, and invest time and money into the conduit that makes it possible. In the end, this one doesn't really affect Android fans directly. Nothing we're concerned with will change, and NVIDIA has always shown support for Linux and Android without being an official Linux Foundation member. But it is nice seeing a company give a little back, and the folks behind the scenes building Linux will put it all to good use. Source: The Linux Foundation; via Slashdot 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 01:43 PM PST 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 01:34 PM PST     
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 01:07 PM PST  Today sees the official UK launch of Sony's new flagship smartphone, the Xperia S, with the news that Three UK has begun selling the device. The phone went on sale exclusively at the Sony Store in Barcelona during MWC, and is expected to see broader availability in the next week or so. Despite Three's announcement, we're not seeing the Xperia S anywhere on the networks' online store, so your best bet may be to track down your local brick-and-mortar Three shop if you want to pick one of these up. Three says it's offering the Xperia S for free on contracts of £30 or more per month, but it's also available for a surprisingly reasonable £369.99 on pay-as-you-go. That's not at all bad for a dual-core phone with a 720p display and an impressive 12MP camera (even if you'll have to wait until Q2 for ICS). For more on the Xperia S, make sure you read our first impressions, and stay tuned for the full review in the days ahead. Source: Three 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 12:04 PM PST I'm always curious about how tower defense games try to differentiate themselves in what can sometimes become a saturated environment. With heavy hitters like Robo Defense, Fieldrunners HD, and GRave Defense HD dominating headlines (and play time), sometimes the best way to make yourself noticed is by being a little bit absurd (well, and having an incredibly well-designed game, too). Jelly Defense takes everything you've come to know and love about tower defense games, dresses it up in cutesy, goofy graphics, and delivers an experience of such high caliber that when someone asks you about the best tower defense games, this is one you name without hesitation. The story is simple: Evil alien jellies are invading your planet, looking to steal your most valuable crystals, and you've got to stop them. This is all achieved by laying down towers at various points, pumping your enemies full of jelly-lead, and going on your merry way. Mechanically, you're looking at the same old, same old you see on every tower defense game. Destroy enemies, get currency, and use said currency to buy more towers with which to defend your booty. This isn't a bad thing (at all), because it's one less new skill you need to learn to get on with playing. The only thing that really stuck out to me was how you have to touch the coins that are dropped from former enemies; if you take too long, they'll eventually flash a few times and disappear, leaving your defenses vastly underfunded. Where Jelly Defense really shines, though, is its visual presentation. Everything on screen is colorful, very upbeat, and quite unique for the tower defense genre. Enemy jellies sort of waddle or sashay over towards your crystals, and your towers dispose of them, in turn. The different kind of towers you have all look great, and their attacks are as varied as their appearance. Infinite Dreams (the developers behind Jelly Defense) went to great lengths to pay attention to detail, and boy, does it pay off. For example, in the early levels you'll encounter jellies of two colors: red and blue. Towers you place down are similarly colored, and they can only attack jellies of their color. All of your towers have eyeballs, too, and if enemies are present that they can't attack, they'll close their eyes and go to sleep. It's a small thing, but it really helps hammer home not only a concept of the gameplay, but how much thought went into the creation of such a masterpiece. Really, there's not much more I can say about Jelly Defense without screaming "Buy this game!" It runs smoothly, looks gorgeous, and offers lots and lots of opportunity for fun. It's a beautiful deviation from the stereotypically violent and dark themes normally associated with games in this genre, and that's something worth applauding. Jelly Defense is $2.99 in the Google Play Store. We've got download links after the break. read more
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:32 AM PST  If you were one of the lucky few able to grab an Sony Xperia S in Barcelona during MWC, today you'll be able to pick up a new software update to version 6.0.A.3.67. The update isn't yet going out over the air, but it is available through Sony's PC Companion app for Windows. Unfortunately the package doesn't include the sorely-needed Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update -- that's due sometime during the second quarter. However, we're hoping the update fixes a few niggling issues we've been noticing with our review unit, including some radio wonkiness and difficulty automatically disconnecting from Wifi routers when out of range. If you've picked up the new software on your Xperia S, be sure to point out any changes or fixes over in the comments. For more on the Xperia S, check out our initial review and hands-on video. 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 09:20 AM PST  Regional carrier C Spire (formerly Cellular South) today announced a $60 million rollout of LTE services in September, to cover 20 markets in Mississippi. The locations are:
A relatively small area, to be sure, but it should be fairly fast. C Spire is promising average data speeds between 4 and 12 Mbps downstream, and between 1 and 5 Mbps upstream. No new LTE devices were announced. More: C Spire 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 08:44 AM PST  This bump from Android 3.2 to ICS should come warmly welcomed by everyone, and since the ARCHOS G9 lineup is fully certified by Google it will come with all of the Google apps we love, without the need for any hackery. Priced at only £199, or $270 USD, this ICS tablet is definitely something that should peak the interest of a lot of people. Be sure to check out our previous hands-on with the tablets, and let us know when the update hits your device. Source: ARCHOS 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 08:01 AM PST  The premise is simple: You give Slice access to your e-mail account, and it keeps an eye on things, looking out of receipts, order confirmations and shipping announcements. If it spots one, it gets sucked into the Slice app for easy digestion. You've got quick access to current and previous orders, tracking codes, histories and maps. Oh, and it'll show you your total number of orders imported, as well as how much you've spent. And you'll likely feel a little guilty and wonder where all that money went. Just saying. (Our test sucked in orders all the way back from 2008 – these things add up after a while.) Slice's layout is excellent. The main menu takes you to open orders, shipped orders, delivered orders and full history. It's a little redundant because once you choose one of those sections, you can flip left or right to the others. But it still looks great. Order tracking is nicely done – you get easy access to the tracking number and service phone number, as well as the history of your package's travels. You get a Google Map, too, showing the shipping origin and destination cities, and points in between, but that's really not all that useful for any sort of real-time tracking. The long and the short of it is that Slice is an excellent way to keep track of your online purchases and keep up with orders that are on the way. It's also got the ability to squelch iTunes and Netflix purchases, which you'll likely have a bunch of, so things stay nice and tidy. We've got a slew of screen shots and some hands-on video -- and the download link, of course -- after the break. More: Slice for Android read more
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:46 AM PST Back in February Motorola teased us about an upcoming update for the MotoACTV, which they said would land around March 7. If you recall, the MotoACTV is Motorola's Android based fitness tracker, and while March 7 was yesterday, Motorola has confirmed the update to be available for tomorrow, March 9. This update will bring calorie tracking, heart rate monitoring and more for 40 new activities such as yoga, tennis, basketball and many others. In addition to adding the new activities they have also added the ability to flick your wrist to wake up the screen, the ability to set up an account over Wifi, and you can host or join competitions with your friends. Keep your eyes peeled for the update, and be sure to sing out in the forums when it becomes available for you! Source: Motorola 
| ||
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:37 AM PST
This two-layer case features a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a precisely positioned hard skeleton for added protection. The arachnid design of the skeleton extends out to protect vulnerable parts of your RAZR, such as the corners and sides. Available in black, red, amethyst, white, and blue. Get yours while supplies last! |
Grab the 
 |  |
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:22 AM PST
In case you're a little worried after seeing this, the international space station is still up there. (We chceked.) And it's presumably doing stuff other than this. Angry Birds Space hits March 22.
| |
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:21 AM PST
Today's ShopAndroid.com Daily Giveaway will feature the Qmadix TPU Skin Case for HTC ThunderBolt, OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Motorola Droid Bionic, Talon Hard Shell Case for Motorola Droid X/X2, and the Seidio ACTIVE Case for Motorola Atrix 4G.
We've got hands-on videos for each of the featured accessories, so take a moment to get a closer look before leaving a comment below stating which item you'd like to win.
The Qmadix TPU Skin is made from the finest quality TPU material and is designed for a custom snug fit for your HTC ThunderBolt. The smooth finish allows for easy access in and out of your pocket or handbag. The TPU Skin offers an added layer of protection in a sophisticated and eye catching, form-fit design without limiting your access to buttons, ports, or kickstand.
read more
We've got hands-on videos for each of the featured accessories, so take a moment to get a closer look before leaving a comment below stating which item you'd like to win.
Qmadix TPU Skin Case for HTC Thunderbolt
The Qmadix TPU Skin is made from the finest quality TPU material and is designed for a custom snug fit for your HTC ThunderBolt. The smooth finish allows for easy access in and out of your pocket or handbag. The TPU Skin offers an added layer of protection in a sophisticated and eye catching, form-fit design without limiting your access to buttons, ports, or kickstand.
read more
| |
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:21 AM PST
Update: Forum reports now indicate that the original HTC Sensation is also getting the ICS update, though for the moment it seems to be limited to Germany and Nordic countries.
Have a German HTC Sensation XE? Looking for your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update? Tired of us asking questions when you know darn well where this is going?
That's right, boys and girls, it looks like the ICS update is starting to hit the Sensation XE in Germany, along with an update to Sense 3.6. You're not going to get all the features in the new Sense 4, but somehow we think nobody's going to turn this one down.
HTC had promised the update would hit by the end of March. So that we're seeing it drop in Week 2 is pretty promising. Other phones expected to get ICS this month are the HTC Sensation and Sensation 4G, followed by the Sensation XL.
Head into the settings and check for the update now!
Source: HTCInside.de; via BestBoyz
Update: Looks like the basic Sensation is getting an update, too!
| |
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 06:04 AM PST
Citibank just announced a Kindle Fire edition of its mobile banking app, which it says has "every component, graphic, touch action, button and slider customized for the device." Along with that, Citi says, come:
- Plan cash outflows with the help of a unique interactive chart of past and future payments and transfers
- Analyze personal spending habits through automatically generated, customizable charts of payee spending
- Compare personal spending habits with general consumer data, filtering by location, age group, income bracket and purchase category
- Get direct access to educational content from Women & Co., a service of Citibank, as well as real-time customer service.
Download: Citi for Kindle Fire; more: Press release
| |
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 05:40 AM PST
Hello, friends. It's been far too long. Several weeks, in fact, since the last proper edition of the Greatest Android Podcast in the world, thanks to a little thing called Mobile World Congress. Tonight, we rectify that.
What's on tap? We'll pick up any MWC stragglers, wade into the birth of Google Play, maybe talk a bit about the latest privacy brouhaha -- plus, more of your e-mails and voicemails.
So join Phil and the gang -- and, of course, the chat room -- live tonight at 2 a.m. GMT / 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST for the live broadcast. You should be there. You will be there. You must be there. After all, you are what makes it the Greatest Android Podcast in the World.Not at a computer? Pick up the free UStream Viewer from the Android Market [link] and search for Android Central a little before the show (it won't appear until we go live). We'll see you there! AndroidCentral.com/live
| |
Posted: 08 Mar 2012 05:09 AM PST
Fun fact about Apple events: You see a lot of clean slides and graphs and charts and stuff. Often, they're too clean. At Wednesday's iPad event, Apple claimed its A5X processor performs four times better than NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 processor when it comes to graphics.
And that's all it said. No real numbers, no benchmarks, nothing, a point that NVIDIA noted in talking to ZDNet.
This isn't exactly a new phenomenon, folks. Pick any example you want, but I'll take you back to the summer of 2009, when Apple looked right at a room full of people at WWDC and lied about the number of apps available on other platforms.
It's a marketing game. We get that. And we know that you Android folks are smarter enough not to buy into it.
| |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:38 PM PST
We've had a couple of days to settle in (and debate) the new Google Play branding that covers the old Android Market, Google Book, Google Music, and Google Movies content stores. We've also been enjoying the sales in effect on apps and digital media (get Flick Golf Extreme from Google Play for a quarter before it's too late!) and filling our devices with content. But the name is a bit of a change.
We get it -- Google wanted to provide a unified name and look across all their digital content stores for Android, and a big re-branding sure got everyone's attention. But like all things when they change, there are plenty of skeptics. I'll admit saying download from Google Play seems a bit odd, but I'll get used to it soon enough. Of course what's done is done, but we're still allowed to say what we think of it, and that's what we're about to do. Sound off in the poll and comments and tell us what you think of the new Google Play moniker.
| |
Posted: 07 Mar 2012 08:37 PM PST
Rovio has revamped Angry Birds Seasons with an early sprint update, featuring a cherry blossom theme. You'll now have 15 new levels to play through, and three new bonus levels. We're used to seasonal updates from Rovio, and as usual, this one is already been well received by the missus, and she says "it's great, go update it"! Who am I to argue? Market, erm, Google Play download links are after the break, or you can get the latest from the Amazon Appstore.
Thanks everyone who sent this in!
read more
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment