Posted: 27 Feb 2012 07:00 PM PST   Google and Apple have a love-hate relationship. They are fighting each other, patent over patent, in an epic battle of technology giants. But then they work together when doing business with each other. Regardless, they don’t have the best of friendships, but it seems they will have to work together to fight off a patent lawsuit aimed at both companies. The common enemy is PanoMap, and it is suing both companies for using Street View in Apple products (Google provides mapping services to Apple). The Company complained to a Florida court about the fact that both companies are infringing on patent No. 6,563,529, described as an "Interactive system for displaying detailed view and direction in panoramic images." According to PanoMap, both companies were aware of its ownership over this patent, and should pay triple damage for ignoring the fact. Such claim is based on Google’s recent patent application, which cites said patent, as well as the fact that Apple visited a website that displays such patent, a few years ago. Patent No. 6,563,529But despite all the hype it looks like this company might be a “non-practicing entity,” or Patent Troll, which is what we commonly call them. PanoMap lawyers declined to answer when asked whether the company actually makes mapping technology, or they are just a cover company supported by patent lawsuit funders. But things get more confusing. It seems like a company named CSA owns the PanoMap trademark, and claims to not be suing Google and Apple. This raises suspicion of the possibility that a shall company is using another company’s name to sue Google/Apple. What a mess… [Source: Paid Content Via: Electronista] |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:20 PM PST  We have already seen a great game being announced this Mobile World Congress, coming from NVIDIA. If you have seen our hands-on of Sonic 4 Episode 2, you will know that it looks like a great addition to the Tegra game collection. The Hedgehog is not coming alone, though, as there are 4 other games NVIDIA has coming for us. The new game titles include Golden Arrow THD, Dark Kingdom THD, Eden to GREEEEN THD and Hamilton’s Great Adventure THD. So if you have been waiting to flex your Tegra 3 muscles some more, this flurry of games should keep you busy for quite some time. Let’s wait to see when these awesome games hit the Tegra Zone market. But for now, you can take a peek at the images and videos below. Golden Arrow THDThis game is enriched by the power of Tegra 3, with high-resolution effects, great dynamics in lighting and shadows, as well as immersive visuals. Users can beat each other up with a variety of weapons, as it features muti-player gaming, as well as solo mode. Dark Kingdom THDIf you are a fan of RPG games (like me) you will probably enjoy Dark Kingdom. In this game, users will roam the lands in search of your lost father. Gaining experience and becoming stronger is part of the deal, all with the help of some great graphics and “rag-doll” physics.Eden to GREEEENThis one happens to be a free game, so you might want to save this one for the end of the month. The game is also featuring great graphics and effects, though.The story revolves around alien robots that have come to take Eden’s resources. Much like Plants vs. Zombies, you have to fight back with the aid of some furious plants. Hamilton’s Great AdventureThis PC game has been modified to work with Tegra 3′s 4 cores. You go through puzzle maps aided by a flying sidekick – Sasha the bird. Check out the video below to see more details.[Source: NVIDIA Via: Android Central] |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 05:40 PM PST   The ongoing battle of what Android and iOS can or can’t do (or which does it better) continues. We have heard all the arguments, but all of that bickering will continue as long as we are fans of opposing products. Right now, one of Apple fans’ biggest prides is Siri, Apple’s ultimate voice command service. But is this better than Android Voice Actions? Voice Actions is available for all Android 2.1+ devices. It is a great service, but it is not one most of us use frequently. Plus, Siri has a very natural and intuitive feeling, while Android’s Voice Actions is a bit hidden and forgotten. Motorola is trying to remind us that this feature is still there, and it is arguably better than Siri. We have seen such matches before, but a good reminder is never bad. With that said, let’s grab the popcorn, sit back and see these videos of the Motorola Photon and Atrix 2 going against the iPhone. And just out of curiosity, how many of you actually use Voice Actions? [Source: Engadget Via: Android and Me] |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 05:18 PM PST   If there is something Sony is strong at, it is their gaming platforms. This is something that didn’t take off immediately on the Android platform, after the release PlayStation Suite. The selection of games is limited, and they are all Playstation 1 ports. But according to Sony Mobile’s chief marketing officer Steve Walker, this is all about to change. Sony is making some huge changes as we speak, now that it is in full charge of its mobile division. Great devices like the Sony Xperia U and Sony Xperia P have been announced at MWC. But we know Sony is not stopping there, and one of the things they will improve is the selection of games within the Playstation Suite platform. Walker mentions that “Sony Computer Entertainment has a vision for PlayStation Suite and they will be leveraging their powerful developer relationships to bring original content through the PlayStation Suite initiative.” Said games will include “content which has been newly created for the PlayStation Suite and PlayStation Store.” We have been dreaming of devices with powerful gaming experience. Smartphones like the Xperia Play are great gaming devices, but they are not specialized for such use. It is basically an improved Android gaming experience, as opposed to being a gaming platform, like the PSP or PS Vita. This is a great step towards creating a much more immersive gaming experience. And it is sure to lure the hard core gamer within us. As for me, I am still dreaming of an Xperia device with PS Vita games and performance. Maybe that day is not very far off. [Via: Pocket Gamer] |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 04:45 PM PST   We have been enjoying our Android tablets for over a year. But we represent a very small percentage compared to Apple’s 50 million iPads sold in two years. The general consumer is simply much more interested in the iPad, but Andy Rubin says that Google is not leaving its arms crossed, and is looking to “double down” on the situation, making sure that 2012 changes the tables in favor of the Search Giant. In comparison, Google has sold only about 12 million tablets. At an interview, in Barcelona, Andy Rubin states that such issue is going to be heavily addressed in 2012. These are Andy’s words: “There’s no organized way for consumers to recognize it as a viable platform. The educated consumer realizes it now that they’re either picking the Apple ecosystem or the Microsoft ecosystem or the Google ecosystem… we’re going to do a better job at making people understand what ecosystem they’re buying into.”This means that Rubin believes that educating the masses about Android as a unified platform will further entice customers to purchase Google’s tablets. But the issue is not only ignorance of the platform. There is a lack of quality tablet-specific apps in the Android Market. Apps are half of the product (if not more), so this is sure to be an important factor. Overall, Rubin states that this has much to do with the fact that Android tablets are selling much less than the competing OS. Developers concentrate on hitting larger markets, as well as keeping profits higher (spending less). This is why there is such a huge selection of Android phone applications. Android smartphones are currently dominating the market. But Google is gaining momentum in the tablet market, and hopes that it will be more relevant in such. “We’re now starting to get on the radar, and I’m hoping people decide to put in the muscle and make their apps work great on tablets.”With a bit of education, Rubin says, developers can do a bit more work to make their Android apps tablet-aware. It is a bit of the chicken and the egg dilemma. Android needs to grow in order to further push developers to improve their apps. At the same time, developers doing their work would substantially push push the Android tablet ecosystem. We will have to wait and see how Google works on these issues this year. But for now, tell us. Do you prefer iPads over Android tablets? And why? [Via: The Verge] |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 03:01 PM PST  NVIDIA in conjunction with Sega have just announced that Sonic 4 Episode 2 is on its way to Android. It picks up where the first episode left off, giving you your trusty sidekick Tails and a ton of new areas to clear. We had a chance to play the game at NVIDIA’s lavish shindig last night and left very excited. The new gameplay elements to account for your sidekick takes things to an even higher level than before. The game wasn’t perfectly smooth being mirrored on an HD television but Sega urged us to note that the build they were showing wasn’t at all final. When can you expect that final build, you ask? The wait won’t be too long – Sega tells us mid-April will be their target. Unfortunately we were unable to squeeze a price out of them but I can’t imagine they’d price it outside the range of Episode 1. It’ll only be on Tegra 3 devices starting out, but others will get it a bit later. Find our hands-on above. |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 01:44 PM PST  Tucked away inside one of the side events here at Mobile World Congress was T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G. While the device has already been announced, we haven’t had a chance to play with it for ourselves until today. It’s a nice little mid-range offering that should be perfect for those who want to ease into the smartphone game. The device is thin and light, and unlike a lot of other mid-range phones (Samsung included) it actually looks very good aesthetically. The device’s backplate has a premium-feeling mesh finish which transitions into a nice glossy exterior near the top. Samsung doesn’t do anything risky with the design, and it’s for that I thank them. As for functional specs, we have a 4 inch Super AMOLED display, a 5 megapixel rear camera which can shoot HD 720p video, a front-facing camera, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and Android 2.3 with TouchWiz, plus a lot more. For $150 on a two-year contract, it’s not the greatest value but with a slight price drop here and there it could be an attractive offering. Look for this one sometime in March. Our hands-on video is above and find some images of the device below. [Note]: The rep we spoke with mentioned the device had a 3.5 inch display and a 1GHz single-core processor. In actuality, the device has a 4 inch Super AMOLED display and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. The discrepancy in the video is due to the lack of a spec sheet at the site of the hands-on. We have corrected the errors in writing.      |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 01:33 PM PST   Sprint has something up their sleeves. Today, they announced that they would be seeking somewhere around $2 billion from investors to help pay off their debts, fund general operations, and continue financing Clearwire while expanding their own network. While some would argue they could get the money the old fashioned way — you know, by actually making it themselves — it makes us wonder if Sprint doesn’t have something else up their sleeve. Remember last week when Sprint’s board abruptly cancelled their buyout of MetroPCS? Something is definitely a brewing up at Sprint HQ and maybe it will finally be revealed on March 1st, when Sprint CEO Dan Hesse gives his first ever Mobile World Congress keynote. I’m guessing some new devices from ZTE are in the cards, given their president will be joining Mr. Hesse live onstage. Tune it to find out! Sprint Announces Private Placement of Notes |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 12:41 PM PST   For as long as we’ve been calling it Jelly Bean, it’s hard to believe that the codename for the next version of Android has never been confirmed by Google HQ. It was all the way back in September of ’11 that we told you guys that Jelly Bean was in the running for the next version of Android and given there aren’t very many “J” desserts to go off of, Jell Bean seemed a likely fit. Now, during Mobile World Congress 2012, it looks like that name has all been but confirmed with Google offering a bowl full of jelly beans to the press in a private meeting area. I think we can safely call that confirmed, folks. The next dessert to follow Ice Cream Sandwich will, in fact, be Jelly Bean. Only thing left is figuring out what that darn version number will be… [TheVerge] |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 10:46 AM PST  We’ve already received the official press announcement and now Mr. Rob Jackson is providing us with a brief walkthrough of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Not to be confused with the Galaxy Note 5.3-inch phone, the Galaxy Note 10.1 features the tablet version of Android 4.0 with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top. The Galaxy Note also adds an improved version of the S Pen that doesn’t just add some extra size, but both a writing side and erasing side for cleaning up mistakes. This makes the S Pen much more intuitive tool for writing, drawing and editing images. Check out the video below. |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 09:45 AM PST  Quad-core processor. Android 4.0. The fastest phone in the world? That’s the claim Huawei is making about their brand new Ascend D Quad. These boastful statements are a fun PR ploy for launches, but their truthfulness is usually short-lived as bigger, better, faster, thinner, and whatever-elser devices seem to out-awesome their predessors on a daily basis. Even so, the D Quad is pretty impressive for an Android manufacturer who has come a long way in the past couple years. CORRECTION: The D Quad leverages its own Huawei made 1.5GHz K3V2 processor, not an NVIDIA processor as mentioned in the below video. While the D Quad leads with it’s 4 cores and Android 4.0, there are a few other reasons to consider this phone a beast, including:
When Huawei first entered the Android scene in North America their devices worked and felt like they were, shall we say, more on the economical side. The D Quad completely diverges from that path. It’s meant to be a high end device, and from what I can tell after my limited use with the phone, it succeeds. Huawei is really becoming a contender, whether or not the D Quad remains the “fastest smartphone” for very long. |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:54 AM PST  Android newcomers might not remember this, but Samsung actually announced the Samsung Galaxy Beam 2 years ago, at MWC 2010. It silently faded into the night with not much news or fanfare, but it’s made a triumphant return in 2012, being announced alongside the Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy S WiFi 4.1, and Galaxy Tab 2 series. The Samsung Galaxy Beam projector is designed for use up to 50-inches away. As you can see in the video above, even under mediocre (at best) lighting conditions, the Beam projector displayed clear and bright with it’s “ultra bright 15-lumens” pico projector.. It was pretty amazing, actually. Geometry and logic would tell you that the further you get from the display surface, the larger (and more grainy) the image. At about 3-feet away the Beam offered a nice big image at very good quality, all things considered. How often do you want to show a video, game, picture, website, or any other type of content to friends or family? How annoying is it to crowd around one tiny device? I picture the Samsung Beam being used most often in this social type of “you gotta see this” scenario, but with the ability to project for up to 3 hours on one charge (2000 mAh battery), it’s perfectly capable of being used to watch television shows or movies for personal use. Or group use (road trip anybody?).  The Galaxy Beam offers mirror projection, so it will project whatever is being displayed on your phone’s screen. Everything from playing games to watching videos to browsing the web or even making video calls. I doubt professors will start using the Galaxy Beam to project their powerpoint lectures anytime soon, but I can think of a lot of situations where it would be mighty helpful and/or entertaining. Take a look at some of the Beam’s specs:  Beyond the Beam’s projector status, it doesn’t project the image of a high-end Android phone. It’s screen and cameras are both average, it’s processor (1GHz dual core) and guts are good but not overpowering, but packing this functionality into a 12.5mm device with a 2000 mAh battery is pretty impressive. I’m particularly fond of the Samsung Beam because it truly offers something unique that you can’t currently find on other phones. While we sludge from booth to booth reciting similar specs and giving the head nod to devices based on marginal differences, the Samsung Beam has something original to offer, and with hundreds of Android Phones out there that can’t be overlooked. It’s no longer easy to uniquely distinguish yourself in the Android area, but Samsung has managed to do that and more with the Beam. Pricing and availability haven’t been announced. And who knows, based on the way things went down in 2010, pricing and availability may never be announced. We’re hoping otherwise and we’ll keep you posted. How many of you out there would enjoy a projector phone like the Galaxy Beam? What would you use it for most often? Take Our Poll Last year, 3D phones were all the rage at MWC. They’ve finally become a bit more abundant in the real-world and although I initially thought they were pretty cool, the novelty wore out for me on a personal level. I’m not sure if the projector would have a larger novelty shelf life or if it would be genuinely useful; obviously it would depend on the person, but that’s why I’m asking all of you. Take Our Poll |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:50 AM PST   And here you thought the Samsung Galaxy Beam was just for home videos and anime. In a move that’s sure to make the rest of guys look bad, Samsung uploaded a new video to their YouTube channel showing off a creative way to use their upcoming Galaxy Beam handset — by proposing to the girl of your dreams. In the video, a strapping young lad uses the Beam to project various outfits onto his body and at the end… (I’m getting a little choked up) at the end he pops the big question. Cheesy soundtrack aside, it’s a fun video. Just make sure your girlfriend doesn’t see it. You know, if you plan on using the more traditional ring-in-the-glass of champagne proposal method. Oh, and here’s a bonus video of what comes after marriage, and how you can keep the kiddies distracted while you and your wife try to get a decent moment to yourselves. Anyone else think these videos are begging for an ASUS Transformer-like parody remake? [TalkAndroid] |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:20 AM PST  I visited NXP at Mobile World Congress. I’m a huge fan of NFC and was excited to hear that they’d have new demos to show off at the show. They used NFC in a lot of great ways. The most obvious demo was the digital ad poster which would take users to relevant sites when tapped. Tapping a movie poster, for instance, takes you to a trailer, or tapping a clothing store’s poster will get you deals and send you straight to their site. Those basic applications have been tried and true, but the other three were really fascinating. First up, they demoed a restaurant waiting system where, instead of waiting for a waiter/waitress to come to you, you can summon them with the tap of your phone. More than just alerting them that you need service, you can even tell them exactly what you want so they will already have your order or check by the time they get back to your table. Another use-case is at a hotel. Instead of getting a hotel room key (usually a card that goes into a door) you could use your phone to unlock your hotel door. You could check in to your hotel on your phone and completely bypass the counter. Of course, they have a demo where you can just use an NFC-enabled card, but the phone is so much cooler. Unfortunately they didn’t have a working demo of it at the booth but they assured us that the technology works. A biggie at the booth was a literal biggie – they had a motorcycle on hand that would allow you to start your motorcycle with your phone or with a card. Because NFC is smart, they’ll deny ignition if an unauthorized NFC device is present. More than that, you can check the status of your motorcycle from afar. If someone tries to tamper with your bike, you’ll know. And if you’re running low on electricity (it isn’t a gas-powered bike) you’ll know that, too. Finally, the parking meter demo – it wasn’t as awe-inspiring as the others because I have long thought that this would be a great use for NFC. The best part about all of this is that these aren’t just tech demos – these products are really coming to retailers, hotels, restaurants, bikes and the like. As the title states, though, it’s unfortunate that NFC is still a very small deal in many parts of the world. There’s no telling when we’ll see this sort of stuff literally everywhere but we can only hope that it’s sometime within the decade. Check out all our demos above.  |
Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:14 AM PST  One of my most anticipated meetings was with MADFINGER Games’ CEO – Marek Rabas. This guy is extremely passionate about his company’s games and that’s probably why it’s so good in the first place. He was on hand to show off SHADOWGUN: Dead Zone multiplayer, a freemium game that will make its way exclusively to Tegra 3 devices at the end of March. Freemium, if you don’t know, means that you can download and play the game for free, but some unlocks or features may only be available to those who pay. It’s a great model for those who don’t want to pay for a game but would still like to enjoy some of the experience. The gameplay is just like you’d expect from SHADOWGUN. Hit detection is great, you get satisfaction from bullets piercing the skin of your foes and grenades blowing them to smithereens, and the best thing of all is that it’s quite easy to get used to. Playing the game on-screen is great but you haven’t squeezed all you can out of the experience until you’ve played with a controller. Dead Zone’s multiplayer features bloody battles between up to 8 players in deatmatch, team deathmatch and more. With 6 maps (more are on their way), customizable characters and a ton of different ways to take your opponent out (customizable weapoons!), this game should give any mobile shooter fan their fix. Be sure to check out our gameplay demo and questionnaire with MADFINGER’s esteemed CEO above. |
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Update - 83
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