Sunday, April 15, 2012

Update - 219



Posted: 15 Mar 2012 04:48 PM PDT
It seems that a few of the big Korean manufacturers and network carriers haven’t been playing fair. The South Korean Fair Trade Commision found that Hardware companies Samsung, LG and Pantech have been collaborating with the big 3 carriers KT, LG Uplus and SK Telecom in order fix prices. The investigation showed that the manufacturers were raising the price of handsets in order to subsidise discounts for the carriers thus creating the illusion to the customer that they’re getting a good deal. It may sound like standard practice to many of us however the FTC felt fit to impose some pretty hefty fines as punishment.
Over $40 million in fines were shared amongst the 6 firms with Samsung and SK Telecom hit the hardest picking up $12.6 million and $17.8 million fines respectively. Furthermore the FTC have imposed a series of sales restrictions in order to prevent similar practices in the future.

source : engadget




Posted: 15 Mar 2012 03:39 PM PDT
For those of you HTC fans in the UK that have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on HTC’s 2012 flagship device the One X have I got some news for you. The British Carrier O2 let it slip on Twitter that it will have the device in stock on April 5th. When asked on Twitter they responded with, ”we’re not due to get the HTC until 5th April so no decision on tariffs yet…”
They do plan on stocking the One S and One V as well but there isn’t information on when they will have them in stock. Other UK carriers like T-Mobile UK, Three, Vodafone and Orange are keeping quiet on specific release times. Everyone of them, besides T-Mobile UK who says the One X will be in stock sometime in April, have listed the devices as “coming soon.”
So there we have it folks. Those folk in the UK could very possibly have their hands on this device in three weeks time. If you don’t remember the One X will come with Ice Cream Sandwich with Sense 4.0 on top. All this will be displayed on a 4.7-inch 720p screen powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, and if that doesn’t excite you then I don’t know what will. Stay tuned as we will keep you posted on the for sure release date of these One Series devices. Also if you haven’t yet check out the promo videos to see what these devices have in store for you. Enjoy!
source: @O2
via: Android Central





Posted: 15 Mar 2012 03:33 PM PDT
Yes folks, it’s release is getting ever so close now as the Sprint version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has just stopped by the FCC begging for approval. Still on track (hopefully) for a mid 2012 release, the Sprint GNex appears to be very similar to the Verizon version and the FCC filing doesn’t really give us any deets that we didn’t already know. It’s sporting LTE band 25, 3G and 2G radios, along with Bluetooth and NFC. I wouldn’t plan on seeing this phone launch without a few active Sprint LTE markets, so once the Now Network decides to light the LTE wick, hopefully they release this bad boy along with it.
source: FCC
via: Engadget





Posted: 15 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PDT
The ongoing battle between Oracle and Google may soon come to an end. While around the middle of February we wrote to you about how Oracle’s case with Google is crumbling around them a U.S. judge has finally scheduled a trial between Oracle and Google and it’s set for April 16th, 2012. The trial is in regards to Oracle’s claims that intellectual property rights relating to Java, a programming language, were violated by the Search Giant. It will take place in San Francisco Federal Court.
Back in 2010 Oracle sued Google over its Android Mobile OS alleging that it infringed on Oracle Java patents. They also slammed Google with copyright infringement claims. As we already told you Oracle withdrew some of these claims as several of these patents were struck down by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office but two remain in the lawsuit according to U.S. District Judge William Alsup.
With a combination of that and the copyright claims Google could lose a huge chunk of dollars running into the hundreds of millions. Oracle declined to comment but Google spokesman Jim Prosser said, ”These patent and copyright claims are without merit, and we look forward to defending against them at trial.”
The case being held in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is Oracle America, Inc v. Google Inc, 10-3561. According to Judge Alsup it’s expected to last about eight weeks. So stick with us here at TalkAndroid and we’ll keep you posted as to how it shapes up. Stay tuned!

source: Reuters





Posted: 15 Mar 2012 01:49 PM PDT
Well folks, it’s been roughly a year since Amazon launched their Appstore for Android as they looked to change the market game forever with their free app of the day. While at first they offered some great apps like Swiftkey or Plants vs. Zombies there have been complaints that there have been a slew of lackluster offerings for the free app but I digress. In celebration of their one year landmark Amazon has decided to celebrate by offering up their Premium (paid) apps for 50% or more off. For instance, today you can get Plants Vs. Zombies for 67% off ($0.99). Tomorrow they will have two apps discounted then three the next day and so on.
Besides discounted apps, Amazon is also throwing in a chance to win a Kindle Fire to 8 lucky contestants who enter their contest between now and March 31st. Discounted apps and free Kindle Fires aside, Amazon also took some time out of their day to hit us with some number data regarding their Appstore. One of the highlights from that information is the fact that they jumped from offering 4,000 apps to over 31,000. It may not be as many as the Google Play Store but that’s still a decent number of apps.
Hit the break below to find a link to the contest as well as see the top downloaded paid and free apps over the past year. There’s also a break down of highlights and tidbits for you to check out too. Hit the Appstore Birthday Page daily to see what apps are going to be discounted. While most of these apps were free via the Free App of the Day at some point, if you missed them, then here is your chance to get them at a discounted price. Enjoy!
Amazon Kindle Contest – Link
Highlights & Tidbits: 
  • In its first year, the most downloaded paid app in the Amazon Appstore was Cut the Rope, followed by Angry Birds (Ad-Free) and Where's My Water?; the most downloaded free app was Angry Birds Free, followed by Netflix and Solitaire by MobilityWare.
  • Amazon Appstore offers a paid app for free every day. If a customer had downloaded every Free App of the Day since launch, they would have saved nearly $1,000.
  • The paid app with the most 5-star reviews in the first year of the Amazon Appstore was Where's My Water?, with over 3,000; the free app with the most 5-star reviews was Blood & Glory, with over 4,000.
  • In the Amazon Appstore's first year, customers spent more than 7.7 million minutes test driving apps; Bubble Buster was the most test-driven app, followed by Amazon MP3 for Android with Cloud Player and Memory Trainer.
  • Over the past year, the most popular app category for customers is games, followed by entertainment and productivity. Some of the most popular apps include Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, QuickOffice Pro, CalenGoo and Exchange by TouchDown.
Top Paid Apps (over the last 12 months)
  1. Cut the Rope
  2. Angry Birds (Ad-Free)
  3. Where's My Water?
  4. Angry Birds Rio (Ad-Free)
  5. Angry Birds Seasons (Ad-Free)
  6. Plants vs. Zombies (Kindle Fire Edition)
  7. Fruit Ninja
  8. SCRABBLE (Kindle Fire Edition)
  9. UNO (Kindle Fire Edition)
  10. TETRIS
Top Free Apps (over the last 12 months)
  1. Angry Birds Free
  2. Netflix
  3. Solitaire
  4. Fruit Ninja Free
  5. Angry Birds Seasons Free
  6. Bubble Buster
  7. Little Piano Free
  8. Roller Lite
  9. Jewels
  10. Hangman Free




Posted: 15 Mar 2012 01:30 PM PDT
Last week we learned about a leaked build of ICS that was available to rooted HTC Vivid owners and at the same time heard that the official build would roll out in the coming weeks. Well it looks like things are ahead of schedule as  AT&T has begun to push out the official ICS update to a few select handsets. If you own a HTC Vivid and are anything like me, you are super anxious to get the update and probably check your device on the regular to see if an update is available. If so, one user has found a way to ping the AT&T servers to let them know you are ready and waiting.
To try and push the update to your device before receiving the official notification you can dial *#*#682#*#* on your Vivid and possibly get lucky. There have been reports of users having success with this trick, so you impatient folks should really give it a whirl. Once updated you can expect a newer Android 4.0.3 build compared to last weeks leak, along with Sense 3.6 and Beats Audio. No word on whether this will be the final ICS update or not.
If you give this trick a try, please let us know in the comments what your results are, I am just dying to know if you have any success!
source: Android Central





Posted: 15 Mar 2012 12:26 PM PDT
Doom fans have a new port to play with in the Play Store. The developer says this one is the “best looking Doom port on mobile devices” What makes DoomGLES so special is it’s ported to OpenGL so it’s graphically improved with real time dynamic lighting, blood projections, particle effects, realistic water effects, and 3D monsters. DoomGLES is optimized for high resolutions, including tablets, and if you happen to be a Sony Ericsson Xperia Play owner, you will also love to know that it’s optimized for your gamepad.
Since this is just an emulator, you have to provide the wad files from the full PC title files. Upon installation you do get to download the original freeware version, but in order to play other titles in the franchise, you will need those wad files. Wad files contain all the elements for the game like maps, icons, and graphics used. If you own Ultimate Doom 1 or Doom 2, all you need to do is save those wad files to your SD card. Now if you don’t own the PC versions, lets just say you can probably find them with a quick Google search, but you didn’t hear that from me.  DoomGLES costs $2.14.
Check out the gameplay trailer and download links after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

qrcode






Posted: 15 Mar 2012 10:01 AM PDT
Man, if this isn’t going to make the commute quicker, nothing will.  Augmented reality seems to be the craze now-a-days and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down much either.  Sony Mobile Communications intro’d their Xperia S at CES this year and they’re looking to use the popular augmented reality application, Blippar to bring it to life, in the UK anyway.  The popular “Metro” publication is teaming up with Blippar to show you just how effective a brand can come to life.  As seen in the demo, the device is being waved at the page and you can see the core watch, play and listen features pop out at you.  Blippar’s moto seems to be “brings brands to life” and that’s what they’re aiming for here.  The company touts that it’s the first image recognition mobile platformed designed to engage users in a particular brand.
"This is our new favourite Blipp – a brilliant and very cool use of the Blippar platform that really shows off the 3D and tracking capabilities of our technology," says Jess Butcher, CMO of Blippar. "In competitive markets like the mobile phone industry, brands need to stand out to get consumers' attention and we think this is one of the most impactful Blipps we've worked on."
The application requires that you have a working Internet connection, so as for now those traveling in the UK via underground stations might be out of luck until Virgin Media promises their implementation of free WiFi to all stations by the time the Olympics arrive this summer.  Check out the cool video demo below and don’t forget to let us know what you think of it in the comments below.
Previous Augmented Reality Coverage:
Click here to view the embedded video.
source: The Next Web






Posted: 15 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PDT
Thumbs up to Archos. Not only were they fairly prompt (considering other manufacturers timeline) to issue the ICS update their G9 series of tablets, they are now shipping the slates with ICS preloaded. But wait, the good news doesn’t stop there! Not only did both the 8-inch 80 G9 Turbo and the 10.1-inch 101 G9 Turbo get a fresh injection of Android 4.0, they also got a booster shot to their processors, too. The 80 G9 Turbo now runs at 1.2GHz and the 101 G9 Turbo reaches the 1.5Ghz mark, taking full advantage of their Texas Instruments OMAP 4 chipset. Good on ya Archos.
You can now purchase the suped up tablets online through the Archos’ European website, as it seems the U.S. has yet to receive stock. The 80 G9 Turbo ICS starts at £199.98 ($261) while the 101 G9 Turbo ICS starts at £249.98 ($326).
source: Eurodroid





Posted: 15 Mar 2012 07:53 AM PDT
The Ice Age series of movies are no doubt some cool movies– albeit in a cute, CG-generated sort of way. Fox Digital knows you’re excited for the 4th installment of the series called Continental Drift, so that’s why its partnered with Gameloft to bring an official Ice Age game to smartphones and tablets. While there aren’t many details of what type of game this new collaboration will bring, we do know players can interact with the familiar characters such as Sid, Manny and Diego, while playing through a series of quests and mini-games. Not excited yet? Here’s Gameloft Senior VP of Publishing Gonzague de Vallois and his thoughts on the importance of this upcoming game:
“As such, we’re absolutely thrilled to offer the official Ice Age game on smartphones and tablets. We have invested tremendously in this title and it is definitely one of our most important launches this year.”
Hit the break to see the full press release from Gameloft.

 

An Exclusive Licensing Agreement Between Gameloft and Fox Digital Entertainment Gives Rise to a New Social Game on Smartphones and Tablets

PARIS and LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
Gameloft®, a leading global publisher of digital and social games, and Fox Digital Entertainment, a division of 20th Century Fox Filmed Entertainment, have today announced an exclusive partnership to launch a game inspired by the beloved Ice Age motion picture franchise. Ice Age, created and produced by Blue Sky Studios, has grown into a worldwide blockbuster, with over $4 billion in box office, home entertainment and consumer products sales. 20th Century Fox is preparing to release the highly anticipated fourth film in the series, Ice Age: Continental Drift, in July 2012.
“As one of the most popular and beloved animated film franchises, we know that the fourth Ice Age film comes with great anticipation,” said Gonzague de Vallois, Senior Vice President of Publishing at Gameloft. “As such, we’re absolutely thrilled to offer the official Ice Age game on smartphones and tablets. We have invested tremendously in this title and it is definitely one of our most important launches this year.”
Players will immerse themselves in the unique world of the Ice Age films, interacting with beloved heroes such as Sid, Manny and Diego, while playing through a series of quests and mini-games featuring everyone’s favorite mischief-maker, Scrat. Ice Age Village will look to join the extensive roster of successful games already released by Gameloft, which have been enjoyed by 80 million players over the past year.
“Ice Age Village is a perfect way for fans of all ages to interact with their favorite characters, while being introduced to the incredible world of Ice Age: Continental Drift,” said Rick Phillips, SVP of Mobile for Fox Digital Entertainment. “Ice Age is one of Fox’s most important, most accessible franchises and with Blue Sky and Gameloft, we’ve created a completely immersive experience that will deliver all the fun and laughter that fans have come to expect from the Ice Age films.”
Ice Age Village will be available this spring for most smartphones and tablets
About Gameloft:
A leading global publisher of digital and social games, Gameloft® has established itself as one of the top innovators in its field since 2000. Gameloft creates games for all digital platforms, including mobile phones, smartphones and tablets (Apple® iOS and Android®), set-top boxes, Smart TVs and consoles. Partnership agreements with major rights holders have allowed Gameloft to associate its games with leading international brands such as UNO®, Spider-Man®, James Cameron’s Avatar™, Ferrari® and Sonic Unleashed®. Gameloft also operates its own established franchises, such as Real Football, Asphalt™, Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus and N.O.V.A.: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance®. Gameloft is present in all continents, distributes its games in 100 countries and employs over 4,500 developers.
Gameloft is listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA).
Gameloft is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA).
Gameloft’s sponsored Level 1 ADR (ticker: GLOFY) is traded OTC in the US.
About Fox Digital Entertainment
Fox Digital Entertainment (FDE) is a division of 20th Century Fox that is dedicated to creating new and innovative content for emerging distribution channels. FDE develops and produces video, applications and games based on both original concepts and extensions of existing Fox intellectual property. The group has produced a number of award-winning products, including GLEE KARAOKE, ANGRY BIRDS RIO and others.
Press Contact:
Jessica Lewinstein
Jessica.lewinstein@gameloft.com
Tel: +1-415-615-0520

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