Android and Me |
- Last chance to vote in the TegraZone Awards and win a Transformer Pad prize pack
- Solid Explorer wins week 5 of #thenextinstall, 10 new apps try to knock it down
- 7-inch Google Nexus tablet shipments to reach 600,000 units in June for a July launch
- Verizon Galaxy Nexus one step closer to Android 4.0.4?
- Rockstar Games lowers Grand Theft Auto III to $0.99 for limited time, Max Payne still MIA
- Deutsche Telekom: No takeovers, but merger still on the table for T-Mobile USA
- Google+ for Android gets a visual refresh
- NVIDIA’s Icera LTE modem gains approval from AT&T
| Last chance to vote in the TegraZone Awards and win a Transformer Pad prize pack Posted: 24 May 2012 03:50 PM PDT  Welcome back to the first ever TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards promotion. Last week we gave away a Transformer Pad prize pack to the lucky winner Droilfade and this week we are back with another one. Don’t forget that NVIDIA is also giving away 7 ASUS Transformer Pads with docks, Logitech Controllers and a Jambox Speaker, so make sure you go vote. NVIDIA is celebrating the first year of TegraZone, the best place to find the hottest Android games for your Tegra-powered device. ASUS, NVIDIA, and Android and Me are partnering on a sweepstakes in which readers can vote on their favorite Tegra games for the chance to win the new ASUS Transformer Pad. Read on for the full details. About TegraZone
NVIDIA debuted TegraZone one year ago and it now boasts over 3.5 million installs. Over 1.5 million unique visitors have used the app during the past quarter and the average user visits every 3 days. NVIDIA has also helped developers gain exposure for their games with an average conversion rate of 19%, compared to the 5% average conversion rate of Google Play. There are now close to 40 games optimized for Tegra devices and we are seeing the quantity and quality increase every month. First TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards Scan to vote. Starting today and running through May 31st, users can vote for their favorite Tegra games in three categories. Every user that votes in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards will be automatically entered to win a free ASUS Transformer Pad from NVIDIA. Award Categories include:
Once the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced on June 6th at E3. Vote now in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards The Giveaway: ASUS Transformer Pad Prize Pack
Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Pad is a value packed tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier. Gaming to go prize pack includes:
How to enter the weekly contestLeave a comment below and tell us your favorite first-person shooter game on Android. Note that the game doesn’t have to be a TegraZone exclusive. It can be any first-person shooter in the history of Android. We normally allow anonymous comments, but for this contest you will need to be a registered user to leave a comment. Not signed up? It only takes seconds to join. Multiple chances to win: Users can win a tablet from Android and Me or NVIDIA. The Player’s Choice Awards will be running for several weeks, so be on the lookout for more chances to win an ASUS Transformer Pad. Don’t forget we are also running a Sonic 4 promotion that has another chance to win a Transformer Prime. Contest RulesThis contest is open to residents of the United States, Canada, UK and Germany. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We'll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw. Contest Winner(coming soon)
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| Solid Explorer wins week 5 of #thenextinstall, 10 new apps try to knock it down Posted: 24 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT  Can our community help discover the next great Android app? Welcome to a new experiment called #thenextinstall where we try to see if we can find an Android app in the rough, and boost its installs and exposure to new highs. We took a couple weeks off since I’ve been traveling, but last time we did this our community selected Shot Control, a camera app designed to help serious photographers take better photographs. The developer Peter Daly is an awesome guy and he said our users “pushed the app past the 1k install tier, provided awesome feedback, and have been great to work with.” This week he rolled out a new update which fixed a ton of bugs on the HTC One, so check it out if you need an advanced camera app. Week 5 Winner: Solid Explorer Beta
This week’s we had another clear winner emerge. Solid Explorer Beta by Krzysztof Głodowski is easily the best looking file manager we have ever seen on Android. I installed it several weeks back and it is now my go to file manager on all my Android devices. Highlights of Solid Explorer include:
Grab Solid Explorer from the link below and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Even though the app is still in beta, I found the overall experience easier to use that previous file managers I’ve tried. Be sure to leave your feedback for the dev, so he can improve it with future updates. Week 6 ChallengersPair
Pitch: Pair is the easiest way to stay in touch with the person you love, making it easy to share the little things in life with each other. It creates a timeline just for the two of you, where you can post cute video messages and photos that no one else will see. Flud News
Pitch: Flud is the first truly social news reader. For the first time ever, the things you read about give you topical credibility among your friends and followers. Your Flud profile allows you to discover your news personality and become a credible source of information. FlyRights
Pitch: FlyRights provides a quick and easy way to report complaints of air travel discrimination in real time, right after the incident occurs. With this application you have the option of reporting your complaint directly to the Transportation Security Administration/Department of Homeland Security so that their offices of civil rights are aware of your complaint and can investigate it. Savored
Pitch: Savored saves you up to 40% off your food and drink at hundreds of great restaurants across the country – your reservations are confirmed instantly, and best of all – they're free! GO Backup
Pitch: Backup all your contacts,messages and apps. Stable,fast,simple and totally free. Metal Sniffer
Pitch: Lowe’s
Pitch: Finally, an app worthy of your toolbox. The handy Lowe's app allows you to shop for your favorite products, review ratings, create lists, locate the closest store, and access inspiring photos and how-to videos. Everyme
Pitch: Everyme is the private social network. We believe most stories are meant to be shared with your closest friends and family, not with 500 random acquaintances. With Everyme, you can share like you do in real life, in intimate Circles. Uniqlo
Pitch: UNIQLO WAKE UP is an innovative new social alarm app that aims to make waking up every day an enjoyable experience. Wake up with music that changes with the weather. Share the start of your day. AppBrain Ad Detector
Pitch: Free your phone from potential concerns! This app detects all annoyances of apps installed on your phone, such as Push Notifications, Desktop icon spam or privacy concerns. What's next? How can I participate?If you want to play along, then join the league of app addicts.
Over the coming week, we will continue to monitor all the apps and see which generate the most buzz. We will be watching the installs, download clicks, review scores, coverage on other sites, and more to see which app comes out on top. Next week we will name the winning app, and then put it up against 10 new apps to repeat the process.
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| 7-inch Google Nexus tablet shipments to reach 600,000 units in June for a July launch Posted: 24 May 2012 10:02 AM PDT  The latest rumor circling the fabled 7-inch Nexus tablet claims that ASUS will soon be ramping up production of the tablet and will ship roughly 600,000 units of the device in June in time for a July release. According to the report, the Nexus tablet is expected to sell between two and two and a half million units between July and the end of the year. Originally, the Google Nexus tablet was expected to launch in May, but the tablet launch was postponed to make changes to the design and find way to reduce hardware costs even further. While there have been plenty of Nexus tablet leaks over the past months, Google has never officially acknowledged that they are working with ASUS on developing a tablet. Our assumption is that Google will keep things under wraps as best they can before officially unveiling the device during Google I/O in late June. Originally, the Nexus tablet was rumored to be based off of the $249 ASUS MeMo 370T which was shown off at CES, but more recent reports indicate that Google may want to reduce the price even further by not including a quad-core processor, though we now expect that the Nexus tablet will likely ship with NVIDIA’s quad-core Kai platform. We may not know exactly what Google has planned for its budget friendly Nexus tablet, but we’re sure that it will force Samsung, Sony, Asus, Acer, Motorla and other OEMs to produce basic tablets which will directly compete with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. How many of you already own an Android powered tablet? How much would you be willing to pay for a decently spec’d 7-inch Nexus tablet?
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| Verizon Galaxy Nexus one step closer to Android 4.0.4? Posted: 24 May 2012 09:47 AM PDT  Early this month an update file for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus was discovered on Google’s servers that upgraded the device to Android 4.0.4 (build IMM76K). Google quickly pulled the file down so we assumed it was just a test version and not the final Verizon approved file. Now several weeks later, the update file has mysteriously reappeared on Google’s servers. Verizon has given no indication that they are finally pushing out the long-awaited update, so this should still be considered a test build. Some have speculated that this is Google’s way of thumbing their nose at Verizon, by allowing Nexus users to manually update their phones before Verizon approves the update. Most Nexus users that want to hack their phones have already installed custom ROMs based on Android 4.0.4 months ago, but the average Verizon user with the Galaxy Nexus is still stranded with the bug-filled Android 4.0.2 build that has been on the device since launch day. If you can’t wait any longer and you want to install this test build, then you can grab the file and follow the instructions below. Google does not allow stock Galaxy Nexus phones to manually flash an update.zip file, so you will have to temporarily flash a custom recovery image to get the job done. This requires users to unlock their bootloader, which will wipe all data on the phone.
For people that have never hacked their phone or those that just wish to remain on the official Verizon build, I suggest waiting on the final build to be pushed to your phone over the air. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus is no longer my daily phone, so I went ahead and flashed this test build to make sure it works. The total process from start to finish took less than 30 minutes, and everything appeared to be working. I have purposely remained on the stock Verizon build to see how long it takes the carrier to roll out the update, so I went ahead and flashed the factory image to return back to Android 4.0.2 (build ICL53F). Now we return back to waiting on Verizon to update the Galaxy Nexus for the masses. How long do you think it will take Verizon to roll out their update and fix their Galaxy Nexus?
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| Rockstar Games lowers Grand Theft Auto III to $0.99 for limited time, Max Payne still MIA Posted: 24 May 2012 07:17 AM PDT  Rockstar Games is celebrating Memorial Day weekend with a special sale on Grand Theft Auto 3 by lowering the price to $0.99, starting today through Monday, May 28th. The game normally retails for $4.99, so take advantage of this 80% off price before it’s too late. Grand Theft Auto 3 is one of my all time favorite console games, and the Android port lived up to my expectations. I’ve sunk hours into this game when I was traveling, and it’s still fun to pick up and play. The touch controls are great, but the game also supports controllers. I’d suggest the Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710 (Amazon has it for around $40 In other Rockstar Games news, we are still waiting for the release of Max Payne. We have been waiting on the Android version since last year and we thought it would be released on April 26th, but it keeps getting delayed. Hopefully the game will be arriving any week now.
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| Deutsche Telekom: No takeovers, but merger still on the table for T-Mobile USA Posted: 24 May 2012 06:59 AM PDT  While addressing shareholders at the company’s annual meeting in Cologne, Germany, Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann told investors that a complete takeover of T-Mobile USA was out of the question after AT&T’s very public failed bid last year. Obermann did tell investors that it was considering all other options, including a potential merger of its T-Mobile USA business unit with another organization. There are several options on the table in such a scenario; Sprint has had its eye on T-Mobile USA for a while, and a combined company would present a large competitor to AT&T and Verizon. Such a scenario is unlikely, however, as the technology these companies employ is so different that it would be extremely costly to make the networks compatible. The more likely potential suitor is MetroPCS, as recent rumors have suggested that the two companies are actively speaking about a possible merger. Bloomberg reported a few weeks back that the company was essentially looking to do a joint venture with MetroPCS, with Deutsche Telekom holding the majority stake of the combined company. The deal could be similar to the Everything Everywhere carrier in the UK, a joint venture between T-Mobile and Orange. Deutsche Telekom is also considering a network sharing agreement with MetroPCS or Sprint, which would have the companies sharing spectrum but maintaining their current status as standalone organizations. Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for T-Mobile USA. The company is beginning to actively build out an LTE network over the next two years. Time will tell the fate of T-Mobile USA, though the message from Deutsche Telekom is still crystal clear; T-Mobile USA does not work as a standalone business, and the company will be looking at ways to either make T-Mobile profitable, or spin it off into a new company combined with another carrier.
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| Google+ for Android gets a visual refresh Posted: 24 May 2012 06:50 AM PDT  Early this month Google released a major update for their Google+ mobile app, but it was only available on Apple’s iOS. Today Google announced that redesigned Google+ was finally making its way to Android. We continue to work toward a simpler, more beautiful Google, and today we're accelerating these efforts with a new Google+ app for Android phones.Vic GundotraSenior Vice President The big new feature is that mobile users can now start a hangout from their phone, but lots of other changes were included as well. New improvements include:
Grab the latest update from the Google Play Store link below and let us know what you think. Don’t forget to add +Android and Me to your circles if you want to chat and share Android related stories with us. Gallery
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| NVIDIA’s Icera LTE modem gains approval from AT&T Posted: 24 May 2012 06:06 AM PDT  Today NVIDIA announced that their Icera 410 LTE multimode data modem was successfully validated by AT&T for operation on its 4G LTE network. This modem is designed for tablets and clamshell devices, but it’s an important step for NVIDIA that could lead to Icera LTE modems appearing in Tegra-powered smartphones. “Validation with AT&T is an achievement that paves the way for NVIDIA Icera-powered LTE devices on the AT&T network through this year and next,” said Stan Boland, senior vice president of Mobile Communications at NVIDIA. NVIDIA released their quad-core Tegra 3 chip last year, but you won’t find it inside any mobile devices at US carrier stores yet. The issue is that most US carriers are now demanding LTE connectivity, and the few modem providers that have gained approval to operate on these LTE networks (namely Qualcomm) are not interested in working with NVIDIA. That should change in the second half of the year as NVIDIA releases their own LTE modem and the leading suppliers of cellular silicon solutions release additional LTE modems that will work with Tegra 3. NVIDIA acquired the Icera technology last year this year ZTE announced the first smartphone based on both its Tegra processor and Icera modem, the Mimosa X. Later this year we expect NVIDIA to reveal a newer chip called Tegra 3+ that should work with the latest LTE modems from GCT Semiconductor, Renesas Mobile, and ST-Ericsson. We also expect NVIDIA to release another chip codenamed Grey in early 2013, which will be their first Tegra chip to integrate an Icera LTE modem. Head over to NVIDIA’s Icera products page for additional details on their modem lineup.
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