Friday, June 1, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Orange San Diego hands-on and first impressions

Posted: 31 May 2012 04:52 PM PDT

Intel arrives to the party on a carrier branded, middle of the road Android smartphone. But is it any good?

Orange San Diego

Down in jolly old London Town this morning, Orange UK threw a little breakfast soiree in a venue 31 floors up. The purpose? To officially unveil their latest own-brand Android smartphone, until now known as the Santa Clara. Traditionally, Orange has piggy-backed onto a device from the likes of ZTE, offering a budget device geared towards the low end of the market. They're also not usually the sort of devices that warrant gathering members of the press in the center of London at breakfast time. With their latest offering -- launching as the San Diego, so keeping to the city name tradition -- the carrier is going about things a little different. There is something to shout about -- Intel Inside.

More: Orange San Diego hands-on video and photo gallery

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Dual Core vs. Quad Core, 4.0.4 OTA has arrived [From the Forums]

Posted: 31 May 2012 04:38 PM PDT

From the Forums

We're getting all settled in for another Android Central podcast tonight, while you're waiting though you can check out some posts from earlier today or jump on into the Android Central forums for some discussion. Just make sure you come back in time for the podcast Mmmkay?

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

N.O.V.A. 3 now available for Android!

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:12 PM PDT

N.O.V.A. 3

Android fans of the N.O.V.A. series, you now know what you'll be doing for the next few days. N.O.V.A. 3 has now landed in the Google Play Store and is ready for download. That is, if you have a compatible device and 2GB of additional storage you're looking to fill -- yes, it's a massive game with massive graphics and gameplay but it's finally here:

  • An epic storyline: Humanity finally returns to Earth after years of exile! Fight in 10 immersive levels across the galaxy, from a war-torn Earth to a frozen Volterite city.
  • Multiple weapons and powers: Run, shoot, drive vehicles, and pilot a mech to defeat hordes of enemies.
  • Join 12-player battles in 6 multiplayer modes (Capture the Point, Free-for-All, Capture the Flag, etc.) on 6 different maps.
  • For the first time, multiple allies can jump inside the same vehicle and spread destruction on the battlefield.
  • Discover the new FPS benchmark for graphics and gameplay (real-time shadow & lights, particle system, ragdoll physics, etc.)

You'll have to hit the Google Play link below to grab the download and check compatibility as Gameloft makes no mention of it in the listing. Like a lot of hotly anticipated games, this one does have a price tag attached to it so be prepared to hand over $6.99 if you're grabbing this one. Want to see it in action before you download? Game trailer is below for you all.

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Facebook for Android gets performance and bug fixes in minor update

Posted: 31 May 2012 02:32 PM PDT

Facebook

If you're using the official Facebook application for Android, you'll want to head to Google Play and grab the latest version, as it's just been updated with "improved performance and various bug fixes." No word on exactly what these entail, but anything that brings a better, faster Facebooking experience on our phones has to be a good thing.

If you've noticed any changes in the latest version, be sure to drop by the comments and let us know. And if you've yet to install the official Facebook app, you can find it on Google Play over at this here Internet hyperlink.

Reminder: Win a tablet or smartphone with SwiftKey and Mobile Nations

Posted: 31 May 2012 01:11 PM PDT

Swiftkey Survey

Just a quick reminder, boys and girls, that you've got a little less than a week left to enter to win a device of your choice (up to $800 worth) just for taking a little survey from keyboard-maker Swiftkey. 

 

Head over to swiftkey.net/survey to begin, complete the survey. If you're one of the lucky three (yes, three) winners, you could get your hands on your dream phone or tablet, even if it doesn't run Android. In fact, even if you don't currently own a device that supports their kick-ass keyboard, SwiftKey still wants to hear from you, and you could still be a winner.

The survey is open internationally for smartphone and tablet owners aged 18 and over, and it runs until midnight on Wednesday, June 6.  Be sure to check SwiftKey's site for the full terms and conditions.

Head over to SwiftKey's survey page to get started!

Tonight, on the Greatest Android Podcast in the World

Posted: 31 May 2012 12:15 PM PDT

Android Central Podcast

We're back from a week away, and we've got a lot to catch up on. The Samsung Galaxy S III has finally been released (in Europe anyway), the EVO 4G LTE has finally shipped and will hit store shelves this weekend (plus Phil finally got his review done), Intel-powered phones are making the rounds, plus a slew of your e-mails and voicemails.

So join Phil and the gang -- and, of course, the chat room -- live tonight at 1 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

LG Optimus Elite review

Posted: 31 May 2012 11:49 AM PDT

LG Optimus Elite

Green, eco-friendly, and price conscious, the LG Optimus is certainly a budget phone - But is it for you?

When I found out I'd get to do the LG Optimus Elite review, I was happy, to say the least. Most folks write these phones off as bottom-feeders, budget phone lowbies that have no place in our elitist, Android society. To those folks, I must say, I disagree.

For starters, this guy is pretty eco-friendly. More than 50 percent of its plastic case is made with recycled plastic, and in a society of excess and waste, that's commendable right off the bat. It's small, light, and inexpensive. And let me tell you, it's made for ​somebody.

Enough soapboxing for now. There's a review to be written (and subsequently read), so join us after the break to see how the latest phone to don the Optimus moniker handles.

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EVO 4G LTE in Sprint stores this Saturday

Posted: 31 May 2012 10:35 AM PDT

Sprint EVO 4G LTE

Finally. Sprint's given us word that the HTC EVO 4G LTE will make its debut in retail stores nationwide this Saturday, June 2, in "most retail channels." Regular store hours apply, and the price is still $199. Until then, be sure to check out our EVO 4G LTE review, and swing by the forums if you have any questions.

Vodafone UK introduces the modestly-priced Smart II

Posted: 31 May 2012 09:41 AM PDT

 

Vodafone Smart II

Vodafone UK today introduced the Smart II, its budget-friendly Android smartphone priced at a cool £70 on pay-as-you-go plans. Targeted at first-time smartphone buyers, the Smart II is the successor to Vodafone’s original SMART. The Smart II comes spec’d in line with its price tag, and includes a 3.2-inch display at 480 x 320 HVGA resolution, an 800 MHz processor, a 3MP camera, and Gingerbread underneath the hood. The Smart II is available now at the source link and in stores in both dark grey and white. Vodafone's promotional video can be found after the break.

Source: Vodafone UK

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Google Translate for Android receives ICS makeover and additional text-to-speech languages

Posted: 31 May 2012 09:31 AM PDT

Google Translate

Although Google has been constantly updating their apps on what is seemingly a more then average frequency as of late, one app left behind for quite some time now has been Google Translate. That said; Google has now gone ahead and given translate some love by adding the Holo theme to the mix and bringing in more in line with their rest of their Ice Cream Sandwich looking apps. In addition to the updated looks, folks are also getting additional text to speech language support including Esperanto.

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Sony SmartWatch receives update, including enhanced watchface visibility

Posted: 31 May 2012 08:20 AM PDT

Sony SmartWatch

Sony has announced a software update for its SmartWatch that will bring several enhancements. One of the improvements is also one of the most requested by the community -- making the watch face always visible. Many members of the Smart Watch community requested that even in stand by mode they wanted to see the watch and Sony has listened, which is good to see.

Other enhancements include:

  • Increased usage support in the SmartWatch application
  • Endomondo Sports Tracker is now in the recommended apps list
  • Improvements to Music Player, Weather and many third-part apps

Current SmartWatch owners will receive a notification when the update has been pushed, but it is also available from Google Play.

Source: Sony Xperia Product Blog

Taptu launches HTML5 site to complement mobile apps

Posted: 31 May 2012 07:56 AM PDT

Taptu

If you happened to check out Taptu in the past, then you likely already know that it's a pretty decent way to gather all the content you're interested in from around the web into one app. Now though the company has taken it one step further by offering up a full blown HTML5 site to make use of.

Rather than your Taptu account being contained to your Android device, you can fully access all your complete profile from any capable browser and enjoy it as you would any on your smartphone making it easier then ever before to share the news you choose with the people you choose. You can jump below for the full press release along with the download link to Taptu for Android.

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AT&T's 4G LTE goes live in Cleveland

Posted: 31 May 2012 07:26 AM PDT

Cleveland

Good morning, Cleveland! Our inbox has been lit up this morning with folks seeing AT&T's 4G LTE data, and the carrier itself just made it official. Faster data speeds are upon you! That means if you've got a shiny new phone like the HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy Note (among others), you can take advantage of the faster speeds. 

Source: AT&T

Samsung Galaxy S III lands at independent UK retailers

Posted: 31 May 2012 06:49 AM PDT

Galaxy S III

With the launch day buzz dying down, and handsets finally making their way out to consumers, the Samsung Galaxy S III has gone on sale at Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U stores across the UK today. Carphone sends word that the phone is available in-store and online, with on-contract prices starting at £28 per month with no up-front cost on certain networks. Meanwhile Phones4U says that Samsung's new flagship is its "biggest-selling handset of the year" across its 600 UK stores, though the retailer offers no specific pre-sales numbers.

Elsewhere, all five major UK networks are offering the Galaxy S III on-contract, though the phone is only available in "marble white" for the moment, due to production issues with the "pebble blue" version.

Keep watching AC for exhaustive coverage of the phone, its hardware and its software in the days ahead.

AT&T switches up international roaming plans

Posted: 31 May 2012 06:29 AM PDT

AT&T

You pay for convenience, they say, and there's nothing more convenient in the smartphone world than being able to step off a plane in a foreign country and your phone just works. No swapping SIM cards, no mucking about with APN settings. Today, AT&T announced a new set of international roaming plans that go into effect on June 1. They are as follows:

  • 120 MB of data for $30 a month
  • 300 MB of data for $60 a month
  • 800 MB of data for $120 a month

And if you go over your allotment, it'll cost you another $30 for another 120 MB of data. 

By comparison, AT&T currently (for the next 24 hours anyway) has a 125 MB plan for $49.99, a 275 MB plan for $99, and an 800 MB plan for $199. The 50 MB, $24.99 plan is about to be dropped, but that's not really something you should have been considering anyway, given how data-hungry phones are these days.

Source: AT&T

Deal of the Day: Mobi Products Crystal Case for Motorola Droid Bionic

Posted: 31 May 2012 06:28 AM PDT

Deal of the DayThe May 31 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Mobi Products Crystal Case for Motorola Droid Bionic. This crystal case is made from sturdy, hard plastic that will protect your Droid Bionic from everyday wear and tear. Its low profile design lets you easily keep it in your pocket, and since it's completely transparent, you'll keep the original look of your device.

The Mobi Crystal Case is available for just $12.95, 35% off the regular price.  Get yours today while supplies last!

Verizon Galaxy Nexus' Android 4.0.4 update is now pushing

Posted: 31 May 2012 05:19 AM PDT

Verizon Galaxy Nexus

OK, boys and girls. It's here, live, pushing, ready, whatever. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus is in the midst of being upgraded to Android 4.0.4. You can now dive into your settings menu and pull down check for the update yourself. (Or update manually if you can't wait.) Better than Cornflakes, in our opinion. As a reminder, here's what's new in software version IMM76K:

Email, Messaging & Data

  • Email messages will display properly when the text size is set to large.
  • When sending a multimedia message to an Outlook email address, the file extension
  • will send, allowing the recipient to successfully open an image.
  • Successfully deleted emails on the device will be deleted from the desktop as well.
  • Successfully send text messages without experiencing network connectivity issues.

Applications

  • When viewing a Calendar reminder or appointment, you will now be able to view the full notes associated with the appointment.
  • A down arrow has been added in the Calendar application that will expand the calendar message body, allowing you to view the entire message.

Device Features

  • Successfully turn on Wi-Fi using the Power Control widget.
  • Updates have been made to prevent the display from freezing or becoming unresponsive.
  • Complete calls without experiencing choppy audio, clicking noises and one-way audio noises.
  • Successfully access Voicemail and other automated systems without error.

If you're needing a little help or just wanna talk about what you're seeing in the update, be sure to swing by our Verizon Galaxy Nexus forums. They'll help cure what ails ya.

The middle ages meet insanity with Renaissance Blood THD, now available for Tegra 3 devices

Posted: 31 May 2012 04:30 AM PDT

Renaissance Blood THD

They probably didn't have Tegra 3-powered phones and tablets during the renaissance. Instead, they had some crazy mix of science and magic, and any geek worth his or her salt likes to think they had all sorts of killing and monsters. Renaissance Blood THD is a great way to experience all of that without ever having to roll a d20. NCsoft's latest title for the Tegra 3 platform takes the mobile first person shooter to the next level, and is a feast for the eyes of any former Dungeon Master, young or old. 

The premise is simple. You're in search of the final blueprint Leonardo da Vinci has left behind, and every imaginable sort of evil on two legs is trying to stop you. Armed with your rapid-fire crossbow, a rifle, and a big ol' spiked mace you work your way through the various stages, fighting for your life and looking for the lost document. There are no time-wasting puzzles or lulls in the action, it' straight up violence and killing of bad guys -- like a good FPS should be. 

The controls are straightforward, all you need to do is aim with an on-screen joystick and shoot from afar, or swing your mighty mace to beat the living crap out of the villains that never stop coming. You won't have to work your way through dark dungeons and twisty passages, the game AI takes care of that for you so you can focus on killing. To be sure, this is one you probably won't want the little ones to be playing.

What makes it a stand out is the way the Tegra 3 leverages the power of the Unreal engine. There's a lot of talk about quad-core this, benchmark that, and nobody can seem to agree on which mobile SoC is the best -- until it comes to games. We've talked about the technology, the 4-PLUS-1 architecture, and all nerdly stuff, but make no mistake, this is damn near console quality gaming on your Android phone or tablet. When it comes to amazing gameplay and graphics, you just don't beat NVIDIA power on the Android platform. 

If you're looking for a really fun way to spend a few hours here and there, Renaissance Blood THD is one to look at. Like any FPS, it will get repetitive after a while, but at $3.99 you'll certainly get your money's worth. I'm a self-admitted Tegra fanboy (I've come to grips with it) and games like this one are the reason why. If you've got the hardware for it, you gotta check it out. Hit the links below, and check out the video after the break.

Download Renaissance Blood THD from Google Play

More: NVIDIA TegraZone

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Orange San Diego hands-on video and gallery

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:34 AM PDT

Orange San Diego.

We're live in London, where Orange UK has announced (and unveiled) its new San Diego smartphone, the first phone in the UK to use Intel's new Medfield chips. It's a 4-inch device with a tasty 1024x600 display, running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Orange's custom UI layer. It's also an incredibly speedy performer, as you'll see in our first hands-on video.

Join us after the break for our video walkthrough of the UK's first Intel Android smartphone, along with more photos.

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Orange San Diego specs

Posted: 31 May 2012 03:02 AM PDT

Android Central

Orange has just unveiled the UK's first Intel-powered Android smartphone, the San Diego. If you're wondering about specifications, we've got you covered. Here's what you'll find under the hood bonnet --

  • CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom (Medfield)
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Camera: 8 megapixel
  • Cellular radio: HSPA+
  • Screen size: 4.03 inches
  • Resolution: 1024 x 600 pixels
  • OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with Orange apps
  • Internal flash memory: 16GB
  • Length: 123 mm
  • Depth: 9.9 mm
  • Weight: 117g
  • Length: 63 mm
  • A-GPS
  • Bluetooth 2.1
  • HDMI-out

Orange UK officially pull the wraps off the San Diego, the UK's first Intel powered Android smartphone

Posted: 31 May 2012 01:56 AM PDT

Orange San Diego

We're at a press event in London this morning, where Orange UK have shown off the San Diego, the first Intel powered device to launch in the UK and in Europe. The device will be launching next week on June 6. On pay-as-you-go the San Diego will cost a very reasonable £199.99, as well as on contract for free from £15.50 per month.

Orange have traditionally marketed their own-brand smartphones towards the lower end of the market, but the San Diego could well be snapped up by more feature hungry consumers. 

We'll be going hands on with the device later on and really getting to know it, so stick around. 

Virgin Mobile Australia also offering the Samsung Galaxy S III

Posted: 30 May 2012 10:48 PM PDT

Samsung Galaxy S III

The Samsung Galaxy S III continuing to make its rounds Globally and has now popped up in the southern hemisphere. More specifically, Virgin Mobile Australia. The carrier is now taking orders and has set the expectation of 2-3 days for delivery of those who place their orders now.

Currently, they only have the Marble White 16GB version in stock with the 16GB Pebble Blue version arriving early June. If you're looking to pick up a 32GB version, you'll be waiting until late June though according to the site. Prices start at $47 and go up from there, depending on what add-ons and data options you choose. You can check out the full pricing scale by hitting the link below to head on over to the Virgin Mobile site.

Source: Virgin Mobile, via: AUS Droid

Android A to Z: Google Play

Posted: 30 May 2012 07:00 PM PDT

Google Play

Today on Android A to Z we're going to talk about Google Play. If you're new to Android, you see us throw it around a lot when talking about downloading apps, but there's a good bit more to it, and we think there's even more planned. It's much more than a name for Android's official application store, and it's worth having a good long look at it.

Looking at the Google Play store on your phone or on the web, you'll see categories of the different types of media Google has to offer. There are Music, Apps, Books, and Movies -- and one more treat we'll get to in a minute. At each section of the Play store you'll find media for your Android device, sometimes free, sometimes not free. For the things you'll need to pay for there's Google Wallet (the service, not the Android app) and if you're downloading from your Android phone some carriers support direct billing. Shopping is pretty straightforward, you browse the sections by category, and when you find something you want, you simply tap a button and it gets downloaded to your device. As long as the content is available in your region (that's a sore spot Google needs to work out), and you have the correct application (Books and Movies use an Android app you can get free from the Applications section of the Google Play store), things are pretty instant and pretty simple.

One really cool thing we never seem to remember to talk about is downloading apps from the web on your computer directly to your Android device. Using a regular hyperlink to the Google Play store, like this one for Dropbox, you'll find a handy install button you can click to install it to your phone or tablet. If you have more than one Android device, you'll get to choose which on to install it to. Books, Movies and Music work the same way -- once installed from the web they are instantly available on your Android device(s). This type of integration between the web interface and the phone version is pretty awesome, and makes for easy shopping.

There's one more section of the Google Play store. You won't see it from your phone, and it's the latest (and most exciting) section of Google Play. It's the Devices section. Right now you can buy a factory unlocked Galaxy Nexus, as well as a few accessories, direct from Google. The cupboards looks pretty bare now, but we have a feeling it may soon have more to offer, and we'll see phones, tablets, Google TV units and related accessories there for sale.

Google seems pretty dedicated to their new Google Play branding, and so far it's worked well. Android is turning into it's own ecosystem, and as dedicated Android enthusiasts we're excited to see how it all plays out!

Check out the complete Android Dictionary

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Samsung Galaxy S III questions, Camera help [From the Forums]

Posted: 30 May 2012 05:48 PM PDT

From the Forums

If you're looking for something to do this evening and happened to miss out on some of the Android news of the day, no better way to get yourself caught up than hanging out with us here at Android Central. Click on back a page or two on the blogs and then hop on into the Android Central forums for some discussion:

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

Lenovo K800 Intel phone launches in China

Posted: 30 May 2012 05:42 PM PDT

Android Central

Back at CES in January, we went hands on with the first consumer Android device powered by Intel. While it can no longer claim to be first -- the Lava Xolo beat it to market -- the Lenovo K800 has now finally made it on sale, albeit in China for now. 

Powered by a 1.6GHz Intel processor over a 4.5-inch IPS display with 1GB of RAM, the K800 should stack up quite nicely. It does launch running Gingerbread, but as Intel demonstrated themselves, this is a highly optimized version of Gingerbread. The K800 is available for RMB 3299 ($524) but as yet there is no word on availability elsewhere. 

There is still no sign of any Intel powered Android devices hitting North American shores, but the UK market is set to receive its first in the near future. Orange UK will be releasing their own brand device, codenamed Santa Clara, which on specs at least is a match for the K800. Orange will be pulling the wraps off the Santa Clara on May 31 in London, and of course Android Central will be there to go hands on. 

via The Verge
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